Frustrated beyond beleif
August 13, 2013 3:18 PM Subscribe
I am in the last year of my PhD. My supervisor keeps canceling meetings last minute due to a number of personal events occurring (i.e. his life seems like a lifestyle movie) and my patience is wearing thin. My project has greatly slowed down - not sure what to do anymore.
I feel like my whole life has been put on hold until I can submit my PhD thesis. In the past year, I have been working unsupervised most of the time. I work in an extremely specialized area and there are not many people around that could just take my supervisor's place. Not to mention that they would need months just get the proper handle on what my project is about.
My current supervisor has had a number of seemingly legit events occur that made him largely absent from work. He is getting a divorce from his wife and his father is dying of terminal cancer. However, I often feel he is taken all this too far and using it as an excuse to avoid work he doesn't feel like doing.
Few months back, I spoke to his boss about this (I couldn't take it anymore - my PhD progress has ground to a halt). His boss spoke to him and for about 3 months, things have greatly improved. As in he didn't cancel meetings and actually read what I sent him.
Now things have slid back to what they were. I am crying in frustration this morning because he has canceled yet another meeting by sending me a text at 3am to tell me that his father has taken a turn for the worse. He didn't offer to reschedule. He also often doesn't reply to emails so I have to "stalk" his office to corner him into making another meeting. I am now at a point again where I MUST have input from him.
I am sitting around wasting precious time. I am already on my first extension. What would you do?
I feel like my whole life has been put on hold until I can submit my PhD thesis. In the past year, I have been working unsupervised most of the time. I work in an extremely specialized area and there are not many people around that could just take my supervisor's place. Not to mention that they would need months just get the proper handle on what my project is about.
My current supervisor has had a number of seemingly legit events occur that made him largely absent from work. He is getting a divorce from his wife and his father is dying of terminal cancer. However, I often feel he is taken all this too far and using it as an excuse to avoid work he doesn't feel like doing.
Few months back, I spoke to his boss about this (I couldn't take it anymore - my PhD progress has ground to a halt). His boss spoke to him and for about 3 months, things have greatly improved. As in he didn't cancel meetings and actually read what I sent him.
Now things have slid back to what they were. I am crying in frustration this morning because he has canceled yet another meeting by sending me a text at 3am to tell me that his father has taken a turn for the worse. He didn't offer to reschedule. He also often doesn't reply to emails so I have to "stalk" his office to corner him into making another meeting. I am now at a point again where I MUST have input from him.
I am sitting around wasting precious time. I am already on my first extension. What would you do?
Realize that people's parents don't die on schedule. And that that sucks for your advisor, and by extension, for you.
Realistically, maybe a meeting with him called by his supervisor with you in attendance to put your collective heads together to figure out a compassionate solution.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 3:24 PM on August 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Realistically, maybe a meeting with him called by his supervisor with you in attendance to put your collective heads together to figure out a compassionate solution.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 3:24 PM on August 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
I work in an extremely specialized area and there are not many people around that could just take my supervisor's place. Not to mention that they would need months just get the proper handle on what my project is about.
Who else is on your dissertation committee? Maybe one of them could be your supervisor, and your supervisor could just be one of the committee?
posted by shivohum at 3:32 PM on August 13, 2013 [7 favorites]
Who else is on your dissertation committee? Maybe one of them could be your supervisor, and your supervisor could just be one of the committee?
posted by shivohum at 3:32 PM on August 13, 2013 [7 favorites]
This really sounds like a situation in which he just shouldn't be working, and someone else should be supervising you. Regardless of how long it would take to get up to speed with that, that's the only solution here that's fair to everyone.
I understand why you're pushing him hard to do his job, but it's not only a bit of a dick move(even if it's legitimate!) but is really just sidestepping the fact that he shouldn't be doing his job. And it's a bit fucked up that his bosses are expecting him to and not just going "yea, you should take a break for a bit until you can really focus on work".
Pretty much, it's not fair to you that your supervisor isn't doing his job. But it's also not fair to him that he's expected to do his job right now when he can't, and should really just be taking actual time off and not barely going through the motions at work and avoiding people.
Something is deeply screwy in the organization at that school if that just isn't an option and he's expected to tough it out, and similarly if it's that much of not-an-option for someone else to step in and do the job someone needs to be doing for you.
To directly answer your question though of what i'd do, i'd start rattling cages to get someone else to take over for him immediately and deal with whatever that entails. It'll be work, but isn't actually working on some kind of forward motion better than spinning your wheels?
posted by emptythought at 3:36 PM on August 13, 2013 [5 favorites]
I understand why you're pushing him hard to do his job, but it's not only a bit of a dick move(even if it's legitimate!) but is really just sidestepping the fact that he shouldn't be doing his job. And it's a bit fucked up that his bosses are expecting him to and not just going "yea, you should take a break for a bit until you can really focus on work".
Pretty much, it's not fair to you that your supervisor isn't doing his job. But it's also not fair to him that he's expected to do his job right now when he can't, and should really just be taking actual time off and not barely going through the motions at work and avoiding people.
Something is deeply screwy in the organization at that school if that just isn't an option and he's expected to tough it out, and similarly if it's that much of not-an-option for someone else to step in and do the job someone needs to be doing for you.
To directly answer your question though of what i'd do, i'd start rattling cages to get someone else to take over for him immediately and deal with whatever that entails. It'll be work, but isn't actually working on some kind of forward motion better than spinning your wheels?
posted by emptythought at 3:36 PM on August 13, 2013 [5 favorites]
Standard disclaimer: IAAP, but IANYP, and certainly not a P in your field.
So. Faculty are not superpeople, and if I were having similar issues, then I sincerely doubt that I'd be functioning all that well, either. That's why when we've had such crises come up in my own department, the chair did things like call on other people to temporarily teach Professor in Crisis's courses. You need a similar arrangement here. Shivohum is right: there needs to be a reshuffle in your committee, even if your professor remains the supervisor of record, because there are basic professional obligations that are not being met. I would suggest that you contact your director of graduate studies (if you have one) and department chair and calmly explain the situation, avoiding any overt expressions of irritation with Professor in Crisis (because, look, the guy's mental health is a wreck right now, and he's not jerking you around because he's too lazy to deal with you). Then see what, with their assistance, you can arrange with the other commitee members.
A second option, although it's somewhat nuclear, is an outside (as in, entirely outside your university) chair, for which you'll definitely need the assistance and approval of higher-ups.
posted by thomas j wise at 3:49 PM on August 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
So. Faculty are not superpeople, and if I were having similar issues, then I sincerely doubt that I'd be functioning all that well, either. That's why when we've had such crises come up in my own department, the chair did things like call on other people to temporarily teach Professor in Crisis's courses. You need a similar arrangement here. Shivohum is right: there needs to be a reshuffle in your committee, even if your professor remains the supervisor of record, because there are basic professional obligations that are not being met. I would suggest that you contact your director of graduate studies (if you have one) and department chair and calmly explain the situation, avoiding any overt expressions of irritation with Professor in Crisis (because, look, the guy's mental health is a wreck right now, and he's not jerking you around because he's too lazy to deal with you). Then see what, with their assistance, you can arrange with the other commitee members.
A second option, although it's somewhat nuclear, is an outside (as in, entirely outside your university) chair, for which you'll definitely need the assistance and approval of higher-ups.
posted by thomas j wise at 3:49 PM on August 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
The relationship between a PhD student and advisor is often very intense and fraught with emotion. Looking back at your previous questions, I am wondering if some of these feelings are playing a role here. There is some language in your question here ("seemingly legit," "taken this all too far and using it as an excuse") that seems more contemptuous than sympathetic for a situation that is really and truly out of his control.
I think the best thing you can do now is focus on what is in YOUR control, namely (as shivohum and emptythought have said) getting the help you need from other people. Your advisor cannot be there for you right now and although that sucks (and it does, totally!) you need to start doing some real strategizing about what the bottlenecks are in your project and who (on your committee or otherwise) can help you move forward. At this point I would not worry about who will be the committee chair when the defense comes, because who knows what will happen by then, but focus on getting the help you need to get to the point where you're ready to defend.
posted by karbonokapi at 3:51 PM on August 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
I think the best thing you can do now is focus on what is in YOUR control, namely (as shivohum and emptythought have said) getting the help you need from other people. Your advisor cannot be there for you right now and although that sucks (and it does, totally!) you need to start doing some real strategizing about what the bottlenecks are in your project and who (on your committee or otherwise) can help you move forward. At this point I would not worry about who will be the committee chair when the defense comes, because who knows what will happen by then, but focus on getting the help you need to get to the point where you're ready to defend.
posted by karbonokapi at 3:51 PM on August 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
I would talk to another member of my dissertation committee (the most qualified or the person you are most comfortable approaching, hopefully both!), explain the situation to them (in no way maligning my advisor, but expressing my very real concerns) and ask if they, at least practically, if not officially, could basically step in as far as reviewing/reading my dissertation, giving feedback, direction, etc. If they were to agree, I'd then bring this up to my advisor and say something along the lines of, "hey I know things are hectic for you right now, I spoke with Dr. X and he/she says that they'd be willing to act as an unofficial advisor for me while you are dealing with the personal life stuff" (say this in a very nice, understanding, non-blaming way). My concern would be (and this would depend a lot on your advisor) that when the time came to sign off on your defense, they might not agree with the suggestions from Dr. X on how you did the dissertation. So perhaps if this was all informally agreed upon, something more official could be figured out, perhaps along the lines of speaking with his boss and having something in writing that states, Dr. X wants this, your advisor agrees, everyone involved signs off on you doing whatever Dr. X says/suggests with respect to the dissertation, etc. I can imagine your frustration here, good luck!
posted by PinkPoodle at 4:00 PM on August 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by PinkPoodle at 4:00 PM on August 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
I think I spoke to my supervisor once (maybe twice) when I did my Honours (admittedly, not quite the same as your situation) - he certainly didn't read any drafts - he had significant personal issues. Shit happens.
He is presumably not your only contact at all. Focus on what you can do with the situation, not what you would like the situation to be. I don't really get why you're sitting around, wasting time - unless he needs to sign off on stuff before you can proceed? Otherwise, this is your PhD - own it - get help from those who are available.
posted by heyjude at 4:42 PM on August 13, 2013
He is presumably not your only contact at all. Focus on what you can do with the situation, not what you would like the situation to be. I don't really get why you're sitting around, wasting time - unless he needs to sign off on stuff before you can proceed? Otherwise, this is your PhD - own it - get help from those who are available.
posted by heyjude at 4:42 PM on August 13, 2013
I understand that this guy might be the only convenient person who can work with you on this project, but (a) he probably isn't the only person in the world and (b) if you are at the end of a PhD, you should be transitioning to not needing direct supervision anymore anyway. So imagine that you have finished the Phd and this is your Postdoc project. You are at the point you are now and need something. (Advice? Practical assistance with something in the lab? Financial assistance to order equipment or something? Sign-off on a form?) How would you get that in such a situation? For advice, most post-PhD researchers have developed an informal network in their field. Peers, people they've met at conferences, people whose papers they have read and who they have initiated email interactions with, etc. Contact them.
For practical assistance you might need to hire a research assistant, which would mean you need to figure out a way to get grant funding to pay for that. There may be internal money available. For other financial assistance or sign-off, your head of department should be able to help you figure out an alternative.
If this thought experiment isn't helping, try another one: what would you do if your supervisor died suddenly? Would you quit the program? Transfer universities to where you could work with someone else in that field? Struggle through to the end on your own with the assistance you can get locally from people not quite in your area and non-locally from people who are? I think you need to work out what you would do and then do that now. For all intents and purposes your supervisor is no longer available to you. That sucks: I'm sorry.
posted by lollusc at 4:52 PM on August 13, 2013 [4 favorites]
For practical assistance you might need to hire a research assistant, which would mean you need to figure out a way to get grant funding to pay for that. There may be internal money available. For other financial assistance or sign-off, your head of department should be able to help you figure out an alternative.
If this thought experiment isn't helping, try another one: what would you do if your supervisor died suddenly? Would you quit the program? Transfer universities to where you could work with someone else in that field? Struggle through to the end on your own with the assistance you can get locally from people not quite in your area and non-locally from people who are? I think you need to work out what you would do and then do that now. For all intents and purposes your supervisor is no longer available to you. That sucks: I'm sorry.
posted by lollusc at 4:52 PM on August 13, 2013 [4 favorites]
Having completed a PhD a few years ago, with friends and acquaintances in various stages of completing one, it is a sad reality that most PhD students write their dissertations alone with very scant and irregular feedback from their readers. It is a disillusioning experience to be sure - especially if you have had an intense relationship with your advisor for a long time (which seems to be the case with you). You should realize that for many students, seeing their advisor more than once a semester is already kind of amazing and considered good "attention."
Having read some of your previous posts, I suspect that you have invested a large amount of libidinal energy into this project because of your involvement with your advisor, and now that he is pulling away (for very valid reasons) you are having a hard time feeling as invested in it on your own. That said, my comments are mostly pragmatic and don't really address your attachment, which might be what is stopping you from looking for more pragmatic answers.
You gave little information about the institution where you are or your field. My field was in the humanities - I don't know nearly as much about dissertations that involve laboratory/scientific research, so my answers will reflect this bias. Perhaps someone who has experience with PhDs in fields such as Physics, Engineering or such will have different things to say, but a few things:
1. Having students actually finish is important, and PhD-granting institutions really do not want their candidates extending time-to-degree. This lowers the rating of the institution. You and the "boss" (chair?) should be able to find a solution together that does not involve your current advisor, as many other posters here have said, and perhaps framed this way the administration will help you find a solution to this. (I think previous posters' idea of asking other members of your dissertation committee to take over as head director is probably the one that makes the most sense, though perhaps your institution will accept an advisor from another school in the interest of expediency).
2. It's hard to imagine a dissertation that is so specialized that it cannot be supervised by anyone else. Surely there are people in your field who have enough experience with the field to understand what you are doing and even be able to point out methodological or structural problems without being entirely versed in your specific topic. Is it possible your are overvaluing your supervisor's role in your project?
3. It's also hard to imagine that you would be working on a PhD and wouldn't ultimately seek to communicate your research in some way. Either by staying in academia and publishing/teaching your research, or entering the professional world and applying your research to your job, I imagine you will be sharing what you have been working on. There is no time like the present to begin doing this, by reaching out to others in your field who can give you advice on your project. This way you can start creating professional relationships and discuss your research more as a colleague among equals than as an advisee caught in a power dynamic.
posted by microcarpetus at 4:53 PM on August 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Having read some of your previous posts, I suspect that you have invested a large amount of libidinal energy into this project because of your involvement with your advisor, and now that he is pulling away (for very valid reasons) you are having a hard time feeling as invested in it on your own. That said, my comments are mostly pragmatic and don't really address your attachment, which might be what is stopping you from looking for more pragmatic answers.
You gave little information about the institution where you are or your field. My field was in the humanities - I don't know nearly as much about dissertations that involve laboratory/scientific research, so my answers will reflect this bias. Perhaps someone who has experience with PhDs in fields such as Physics, Engineering or such will have different things to say, but a few things:
1. Having students actually finish is important, and PhD-granting institutions really do not want their candidates extending time-to-degree. This lowers the rating of the institution. You and the "boss" (chair?) should be able to find a solution together that does not involve your current advisor, as many other posters here have said, and perhaps framed this way the administration will help you find a solution to this. (I think previous posters' idea of asking other members of your dissertation committee to take over as head director is probably the one that makes the most sense, though perhaps your institution will accept an advisor from another school in the interest of expediency).
2. It's hard to imagine a dissertation that is so specialized that it cannot be supervised by anyone else. Surely there are people in your field who have enough experience with the field to understand what you are doing and even be able to point out methodological or structural problems without being entirely versed in your specific topic. Is it possible your are overvaluing your supervisor's role in your project?
3. It's also hard to imagine that you would be working on a PhD and wouldn't ultimately seek to communicate your research in some way. Either by staying in academia and publishing/teaching your research, or entering the professional world and applying your research to your job, I imagine you will be sharing what you have been working on. There is no time like the present to begin doing this, by reaching out to others in your field who can give you advice on your project. This way you can start creating professional relationships and discuss your research more as a colleague among equals than as an advisee caught in a power dynamic.
posted by microcarpetus at 4:53 PM on August 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
I agree with those who said that your advisor is in no position to help you at this point. Don't even consider whether he has legitimate reasons or not. See the Director of Graduate Studies about what to do. They get paid to deal with this kind of thing. What will happen really depends on your field, departmental politics and the nature of your relationships with your readers.
There are a million possible scenarios in a small field. In some ways it is easier because the smaller the field the more likely someone can be leaned on to push a candidate through to the end. They could bring in a ceremonial chair from another university or a young researcher on an upward trajectory looking to pad the resume. So don't worry if the secondary readers wouldn't work.
Your advisor up to this point can always write your letters later to explain the circumstances that led to him stepping down from the committee. That would not reflect on you. I'm sure they would be grateful to be relieved of the burden and would still write good letters.
IAAP in the humanities but I have seen the sciences. Of course I don't know your situation.
posted by vincele at 5:42 PM on August 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
There are a million possible scenarios in a small field. In some ways it is easier because the smaller the field the more likely someone can be leaned on to push a candidate through to the end. They could bring in a ceremonial chair from another university or a young researcher on an upward trajectory looking to pad the resume. So don't worry if the secondary readers wouldn't work.
Your advisor up to this point can always write your letters later to explain the circumstances that led to him stepping down from the committee. That would not reflect on you. I'm sure they would be grateful to be relieved of the burden and would still write good letters.
IAAP in the humanities but I have seen the sciences. Of course I don't know your situation.
posted by vincele at 5:42 PM on August 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I think a lot of people here mean well but either US system works differently or they don't understand the particulars of the PhD.
1. Many months ago, I have suggested to BOTH my supervisor and his boss that I get another person to step in. His boss told me that would be absolutely the last resort because it will make my current supervisor look incompetent. I even asked my supervisor and he said a firm NO to that. So taking that option will make me look like a dick even more.
2. It's a hard science PhD and there is literally less than handful of people in my whole country that could supervise it. I am not overvaluing my PhD it's just that it's in a weird area that involves many disciplines together.
3. I have no committee. What is that?
4. I have a second supervisor that's only there to supervise small competent of my PhD, I would say about 10% from a particular area. He doesn't know enough and he said so himself. He also told me that he has no interest in becoming the principal supervisor. He is currently on a 3 months leave so I can't even talk to him.
5. I share a room with a number of PhD students. ALL of them have regular meetings every fortnight with their supervisors. So no, I can't do it "independently" or alone. That's not how it's done around here unless I have no problem with failing.
6, Wouldn't going to the center of a graduate research now being stabbing my supervisor in the back? Shouldn't I ask him again about getting another person first? I don't want to contact him now given that his father is dying.
7, Please don't read into my past "attachment" thread. That's long since dead and has nothing to do with the current situation. I would be more than happy never to work with my current supervisor again, I just want a workable solution.
posted by sabina_r at 10:46 PM on August 13, 2013
1. Many months ago, I have suggested to BOTH my supervisor and his boss that I get another person to step in. His boss told me that would be absolutely the last resort because it will make my current supervisor look incompetent. I even asked my supervisor and he said a firm NO to that. So taking that option will make me look like a dick even more.
2. It's a hard science PhD and there is literally less than handful of people in my whole country that could supervise it. I am not overvaluing my PhD it's just that it's in a weird area that involves many disciplines together.
3. I have no committee. What is that?
4. I have a second supervisor that's only there to supervise small competent of my PhD, I would say about 10% from a particular area. He doesn't know enough and he said so himself. He also told me that he has no interest in becoming the principal supervisor. He is currently on a 3 months leave so I can't even talk to him.
5. I share a room with a number of PhD students. ALL of them have regular meetings every fortnight with their supervisors. So no, I can't do it "independently" or alone. That's not how it's done around here unless I have no problem with failing.
6, Wouldn't going to the center of a graduate research now being stabbing my supervisor in the back? Shouldn't I ask him again about getting another person first? I don't want to contact him now given that his father is dying.
7, Please don't read into my past "attachment" thread. That's long since dead and has nothing to do with the current situation. I would be more than happy never to work with my current supervisor again, I just want a workable solution.
posted by sabina_r at 10:46 PM on August 13, 2013
Shouldn't I ask him again about getting another person first? I don't want to contact him now given that his father is dying.
Why don't you do that? Wait a week if his father is indeed dying; wait a week even otherwise. But have a heart to heart with your supervisor. Acknowledge his personal distress, tell him you don't want to pile onto his troubles but that you are extremely frustrated and at the end of your tether. Tell him the date by which you need to submit your thesis, and take his advise about whether he can commit to that timeline. If he cannot, tell him you'd like to work with someone else.
I work in academia, have recently observed how a senior colleague dealt with her responsibilities when her ailing-for-long mother died recently. You step back for a month or two maybe but a year? I don't think you have to feel guilty about him looking incompetent.
posted by drummergirl80 at 12:21 AM on August 14, 2013
Why don't you do that? Wait a week if his father is indeed dying; wait a week even otherwise. But have a heart to heart with your supervisor. Acknowledge his personal distress, tell him you don't want to pile onto his troubles but that you are extremely frustrated and at the end of your tether. Tell him the date by which you need to submit your thesis, and take his advise about whether he can commit to that timeline. If he cannot, tell him you'd like to work with someone else.
I work in academia, have recently observed how a senior colleague dealt with her responsibilities when her ailing-for-long mother died recently. You step back for a month or two maybe but a year? I don't think you have to feel guilty about him looking incompetent.
posted by drummergirl80 at 12:21 AM on August 14, 2013
Ugh, I feel for you. I know a couple of people this has happened to, and there are no words for how frustrating this kind of situation is. It does sound like your supervisor's going through a hard time, and it is good of you to feel like you don't want to stab him in the back, or make him look incompetent, given what he's going through.
However. It is your supervisor's job to supervise you adequately. It is part of his professional responsibilities, it is part of what he gets paid for. He has a duty towards you - and so does your university. If he isn't capable of doing this part of his job, for whatever reason, it is your university's responsibility to work with you to find a solution. I understand that the supervisor/supervisee relationship is an intense and quirky thing that doesn't really feel like a professional relationship, but for your own sake I think you need to distance yourself from the details of what he's going through and treat it as that.
Take it over his head, to his boss or to whoever's responsible for PhD students in your department/faculty/university, and make it their problem to solve. You aren't getting any supervision; you are already on your first extension due to this lack of supervision; this has been going on for a year, you have already tried XYZ and it hasn't helped, so what solution can they give you? Don't let them make it a conversation about whether his issues are or aren't legitimate, or about whether he is or isn't incompetent, or about how this'll make him look. None of that is your problem.
I understand why you don't want to feel like you're turning on him, or making him look bad, at a terrible time in his life. I also understand why you wouldn't want to make an enemy out of your supervisor, especially if this is a field you want to continue working in. If you feel like you need to talk to him about getting another person to step in before going over his head then by all means do that. But prepare for the very real possibility that successfully completing your PhD means you will have to do something here that he doesn't like, whether that's insisting on a new person or talking to his boss again or even lodging a formal complaint - and that is okay, because it is not your job to sacrifice your PhD on the altar of his reputation.
posted by Catseye at 4:23 AM on August 14, 2013
However. It is your supervisor's job to supervise you adequately. It is part of his professional responsibilities, it is part of what he gets paid for. He has a duty towards you - and so does your university. If he isn't capable of doing this part of his job, for whatever reason, it is your university's responsibility to work with you to find a solution. I understand that the supervisor/supervisee relationship is an intense and quirky thing that doesn't really feel like a professional relationship, but for your own sake I think you need to distance yourself from the details of what he's going through and treat it as that.
Take it over his head, to his boss or to whoever's responsible for PhD students in your department/faculty/university, and make it their problem to solve. You aren't getting any supervision; you are already on your first extension due to this lack of supervision; this has been going on for a year, you have already tried XYZ and it hasn't helped, so what solution can they give you? Don't let them make it a conversation about whether his issues are or aren't legitimate, or about whether he is or isn't incompetent, or about how this'll make him look. None of that is your problem.
I understand why you don't want to feel like you're turning on him, or making him look bad, at a terrible time in his life. I also understand why you wouldn't want to make an enemy out of your supervisor, especially if this is a field you want to continue working in. If you feel like you need to talk to him about getting another person to step in before going over his head then by all means do that. But prepare for the very real possibility that successfully completing your PhD means you will have to do something here that he doesn't like, whether that's insisting on a new person or talking to his boss again or even lodging a formal complaint - and that is okay, because it is not your job to sacrifice your PhD on the altar of his reputation.
posted by Catseye at 4:23 AM on August 14, 2013
To address question #3 (didn't realize this was not in the US!):
Typically (in US PhD programs), you have your advisor, who is the person who is your actual day-to-day supervisor, whose lab you work in (if you do lab work), and often may provide some funding (or total funding) to your project, and is the person person basically in charge of you doing the degree. Then, usually after your first year (could be sooner or later), you form a dissertation committee with other faculty members who can provide some insight to your work. Different institutions have different rules about this committee. For example, at the university I did my PhD, you have the chair of your committee (that's your advisor), and must have 4 additional members, one of the members must be from a totally outside institution. These members don't have to do the exact same thing as you, but have some relation/expertise to your subject matter (might be specialists on your study organism, on the methods you plan to use, theory behind the project, etc). The committee is there to help guide you on your project and provide additional insights to your project.
In the system at my school, you would have a dissertation proposal presentation combined with a comprehensive exam (usually at the end of your 2nd year) where the committee would ask you any questions pertaining to the proposal (which they should have read!) and the overall subject matter. You pass this exam (hopefully) and become a PhD candidate. The same committee is then there for your defense (again, they should have all read the dissertation) and are the people who behind closed doors at your defense question you, and ultimately all must agree and sign off on the dissertation for you to get the degree. I hope this clarifies things when you keep getting suggestions about "asking another committee member"! Sorry it doesn't help your situation though...
posted by PinkPoodle at 7:11 AM on August 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Typically (in US PhD programs), you have your advisor, who is the person who is your actual day-to-day supervisor, whose lab you work in (if you do lab work), and often may provide some funding (or total funding) to your project, and is the person person basically in charge of you doing the degree. Then, usually after your first year (could be sooner or later), you form a dissertation committee with other faculty members who can provide some insight to your work. Different institutions have different rules about this committee. For example, at the university I did my PhD, you have the chair of your committee (that's your advisor), and must have 4 additional members, one of the members must be from a totally outside institution. These members don't have to do the exact same thing as you, but have some relation/expertise to your subject matter (might be specialists on your study organism, on the methods you plan to use, theory behind the project, etc). The committee is there to help guide you on your project and provide additional insights to your project.
In the system at my school, you would have a dissertation proposal presentation combined with a comprehensive exam (usually at the end of your 2nd year) where the committee would ask you any questions pertaining to the proposal (which they should have read!) and the overall subject matter. You pass this exam (hopefully) and become a PhD candidate. The same committee is then there for your defense (again, they should have all read the dissertation) and are the people who behind closed doors at your defense question you, and ultimately all must agree and sign off on the dissertation for you to get the degree. I hope this clarifies things when you keep getting suggestions about "asking another committee member"! Sorry it doesn't help your situation though...
posted by PinkPoodle at 7:11 AM on August 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Look, the man's father is dying of terminal cancer, literally as we speak, and his marriage has fallen apart at the same time. It would be pretty awesome if, despite that, he could still be the adviser you need - but it's entirely understandable that he can't, because he's a human being.
Someone who sends text messages at 3am that their father's terminal cancer has taken a turn for the worse is either lying or has a pretty solid legitimate reason to send meeting-cancelling texts at 3am. Assume it's the latter, and just accept that, for reasons that are out of his control, he's just not going to be able to be useful to you any more. Yes, that sucks for you and it's not your fault. Sorry. It's also your problem to start solving, ASAP.
posted by Tomorrowful at 3:23 PM on August 13, 2013 [14 favorites]