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<issue_start>username_0: As any modern student knows, nearly all published research these days is in English. That's just the way of the world. But it didn't used to be that way. Many of the most pivotal pieces of scientific literature in the world, like the writings of Riemann, Cantor, Einstein, Galois, Schrödinger, (Gregor) Mandel, Linnaeus and many, many others were written in German, French or Latin. These days, publishing in a language other than English hurts your credibility, and is largely discouraged.
When did English become necessary for publishing scientific literature?<issue_comment>username_1: The world will generally publish in the language that is most economically profitable because said countries will usually provide the most support and have the ability to actually turn research into something practical. This is the way it has always been. The USA was not always an economic powerhouse but right now they are. There was a time when things were written in Arabic, Greek, and Aramaic as well for the same reason.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: English became the dominant international language of science across the first half of the 20th Century.
To summarize [an excellent BBC article on the subject](http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29543708):
* At the beginning of the 20th Century, there were three main language of science, French, English, and German, essentially corresponding to the biggest economic and political powers of the time (England, France, Germany, and the USA).
* After World War I, Germany and the German language were essentially ostracized by the victorious nations, including an (unconstitutional) ban on the language in the United States. Europe was also generally weakened as a power.
* The continued devastation of World War II and the rise of the US as a technological superpower cemented the collapse of German. French took longer to decline, but network effects and relative power had their impact eventually.
Thus, by the middle of the 20th century, English had become, in general, the dominant language of science. It was by no means absolute (and still is not), but its dominance has further strengthened over time. How long this will last and what will replace it are for anyone to guess.
Upvotes: 4
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<issue_start>username_0: More than one math Ph.D. program I am applying to has a section where I am to list relevant coursework. An example is as follows:
"Enter under each category list the two most advanced courses or course sequences you have had or will definitely take before you come to (School)."
Under each class title there is a blank line where I am to list a text or textbooks. (No other instruction)
My question is this: In a few of my courses, the professor has listed a textbook for the course, but whose lectures have not adhered to the structure or level of rigor of the book. The homework also did not come from the course book. If I chose to use another textbook to study out of should I list this one or the one listed in the course syllabus? My reasons for wanting to list the book I used are:
1. The book on the syllabus is not a good indication of the level of rigor at which the course was taught.
2. I haven't read a page of the textbook on the syllabus while the book I used is one I own and is the primary reference for the subject on my shelf.
Which book should I write in my application?<issue_comment>username_1: How about leaving it blank or crossing it out and mentioning in the cover letter that your professors did not follow a textbook but rather designed their own lecture? I also studied math and in the whole 5 years until the end of the master, I only had one lecture that was slightly based upon a book; all others used lecture notes written by the professor. Thus, I'd say your case is not that uncommon and should be understood.
If you know of lecture notes being available to the public you might mention these of course; just in case someone wants to take a look.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I am the Graduate Coordinator for a math department in which we ask graduate applicants to list their course textbooks.
I encourage you to follow the directions and list the textbooks that were used. By and large, this is a good way for us to figure out the approximate level and content of courses like "algebra," "analysis" and "topology" with standard names but widely varying content. A complex analysis course taught out of
>
> A First Course in Complex Analysis by <NAME>, <NAME>, <NAME>, and <NAME>
>
>
>
is likely to be quite different from one taught out of
>
> Complex Analysis, <NAME>
>
>
>
If you feel that the chosen textbook was *below* the level of the course and you supplemented with a more advanced/rigorous textbook, you may as well list that textbook too, saying something like "I myself used..."
If the instructor has online lecture notes, definitely include a link to them: that gives a really good idea of what was covered.
Note to international readers: having standard textbooks for advanced undergraduate math classes is much more, um, standard in the United States than in many other parts of the world. We certainly know that international students may come from less of a "textbook culture." (This need not be a bad thing in itself, but it is one of several ways in which it can be harder to evaluate the profile of an international applicant than a domestic one.)
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]
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<issue_start>username_0: I was working on topic 1 which wasn't the most interesting topic, but my prof was great. Then prof 2 suggested that I work with him on topic 2 on the condition that I stop topic 1 as he wants full dedication. I didn't wanna disappoint and ruin my reln with prof 1 and leave my old project incompleete, so I told him that my project will have the old and new topic but I'd be finishing the old part soon to work with prof 2. He heard it and is probably angry, and won't respond to my emails.
How do I deal with this?<issue_comment>username_1: I've seen this happen a lot at my dept and many students don't realize how close-knit faculty members are. If you mean you were trying to switch advisors and dropping a project for another one, you have almost no credibility at this point. It's important to finish what you start with someone, before moving on. You don't give details about whether you are an undergrad ms PhD so I'm not sure people can help you much more.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: I don't think you screwed up, at least from what you said I can't see anything you did wrong. Wanting to first finish your current project before starting the next one, and not leaving your current professor in the lurch, is a honorable impulse.
Just because the second professor is not answering emails does not necessarily mean he is angry - is he busy? at a conference? talking to another student to check if they might be able to start earlier before coming back to you? there are many possibilities. So you should first wait a little and then check what his actual response is - maybe if you run across him in a hallway or something.
If, in fact, he is indeed angry and now giving you the cold shoulder because you wouldn't drop everything at a moment's notice for him, then you have actually dodged a bullet. **Do not** work with someone who behaves like this.
Upvotes: 2
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<issue_start>username_0: Yesterday, my mum was recently diagnosed with cancer. However, we have yet to know what stage is her cancer and whether the cancer can still be removed from her body or it has metastasized to other parts of organs. This is a major health concern and it will of course affect my health and mental being for the next several years.
I am a PhD student and I thankfully successfully submitted my thesis a few months ago. So far, I have yet to receive the news regarding my viva. Given the history of my university and accounts from other students' experiences, my department is very tardy in processing viva examinations. It can take up to six months for students to finally undergo the viva and then a few months for correction afterwards. Now I have to worry and be stressful for two things: my mum's health condition and my viva.
I want to e-mail my supervisor about the possibility of speeding up my viva process. I have been well prepared for my viva for a month. I have re-read my thesis multiple times and re-read the journals that I cited. I really hope that my department can speed up my viva so I can move on with my life (getting a good job, taking care of my mum, etc.). Delaying my viva will certainly damage my well-being. However, I don't know whether emailing my supervisor will undermine my professionalism (the art of separating personal and work).
I am in my 20s with no experience of experiencing sudden loss of my loved ones and this news will definitely affect me in the immediate future. And I don't write this post to look for sympathy or anything. This news will certainly make me appreciate life and moments that we have now.
Should I e-mail my supervisor to state my current condition and hopefully she could do something regarding my PhD limbo?
EDIT: I do have a very good relationship with my supervisor. However, I don't want to come across as someone who tries to milk this tragedy for my own gain. Therefore, I am juggling the decision whether it will be fine or not to tell my supervisor and at the same time to request viva speed up.<issue_comment>username_1: What happened/might happen should not affect you severely for several years. If it does affect your mental well-being for more than a few months, to a degree where you are not able to work most of the time, you can and should get professional help, which might even be provided at your university.
Usually, there will be times where you feel fine, and times where you might want to stay in bed all day - therefore it would generally be good that your supervisor knows what is going on.
If it is possible to speed up your process of defending your PhD will depend on local regulations. In your case, it might be best to talk with your supervisor (not just email him/her) to inform him/her about your and your mom's situation, and to see together if there are ways that your supervisor can support you (e.g. by speeding up the final steps required for your PhD). That is, if you have a relatively good relationship with your supervisor.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Many countries have rules in place that allow employees to take paid or unpaid leave to care for an ill relative. No shame or unprofessionalism should result from making a request to accommodate a need to deal with a loved one's illness.
If you have a good relationship with your advisor, then your advisor should understand.
(That said, the advisor may or may not have much control over the viva, depending on who is responsible for scheduling and organizing it, and who else must attend. But you won't lose anything by asking.)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Personally, I would tell them - just so they know.
They could ask you what you would like to do : earlier date or later date and then see what is possible.
They won't tell anyone else so it won't go public so that is not a worry.
However, Best wishes to you and Mum.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: **Stay calm**.
Your mother has been diagnosed with cancer and that is terrible news. But, I truly encourage you to remain optimistic.
**Remain optimistic**.
Cancer treatments have advanced significantly and the outlook upon diagnoisis is generally good. (You haven't provided details on the specific type of cancer, so I won't speculate further.)
**(In)Action**.
At this stage, I personally don't recommend taking any action with regards to academia. Look after yourself; wait for a full diagnosis. Try walking, exercise, or even working, anything that helps you get through the wait.
*Viva*. You've submitted your thesis. Congratulations! The hard work is already done. The viva process varies country-to-country, so it is difficult to provide specific details. But, the time-frame probably cannot be shortened by much, because time is required to evaluate your thesis (which is probably a long document). Your supervisor might be able to help speed-up the process, but the evaluation procedure is probably conducted externally, so it is unclear what speed-up can be achieved.
Once you and your mum have received her full diagnosis, you'll be able to think more clearly about the future. Perhaps ask another question then. For the moment, stay calm, remain optimistic, and look after yourself.
---
(Possibly) Going beyond the scope of the question, one can ask: *When should I tell my supervisor about a personal issue*? I personally recommend telling a supervisor when that issue has the potential to negatively impact your work over a prolonged period.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_5: **Do not hide behind your problems**
If your mum's health directly affects your ability to work and your supervisor notices or will soon notice, explain yourself. Do not make up any excuses, because there is nothing to be sorry for. Just...
**State the facts**
Tell them what happened and that it is currently influencing you as you are understandably worried. Do not, again, use this to "hide behind", just state it as a fact and mention that you are trying to do your best.
**Take the help you are offered**
At that point, as you stated you have a good relationship with your supervisor, they might already offer you help or tips. They are a human being, they have been going through one or the other hard situation in their life as well. They are your supervisor, they have an interest in you succeeding.
**Ask for help**
Some people might be hesitant to offer help. Maybe they just don't know what you need, maybe they do not want to feel that they do not believe in your ability to handle your own problems. Maybe they are just overwhelmed with their own life. If you need specific help from a specific person, feel free to ask. Asking does not hurt. Don't request things (yet), but ask tentatively. Ask for what you can do first, before asking for what they can do for you. Ask "Is there anything I can do to speed up my viva, so I can focus on being there for my mum?"
**Request what you are entitled to**
If things get worse, you might be entitled to time off to care for a sick relative, for example. Not everybody around you will know that or think of it, so request these benefits when you need them instead of waiting until you are offered them.
But most importantly:
**Stay calm**
Maybe a long, hard journey is ahead of you. Maybe things turn out better than expected. For now, do not create worst-case scenarios until your mum has a full diagnosis. Also, do not paint worst-case scenarios for others. This might be influencing for years, or it might be a bad scare, but could be over in much less time. (I have seen both happen amongst family friends and acquaintances. Interestingly, the people who were scared most after the initial diagnosis fought the cancer fast and completely in less than 18 months. Some are calmly living with it for years now. I am not trying to play down your worries, but keep an open mind for the good scenarios. That will enable you to be much stronger for yourself and your mum.)
Upvotes: 1
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<issue_start>username_0: A student in an undergrad class seems to have forgotten to answer the last few questions on a written essay.
This student has achieved an average of A+ so far (over the term)
The last few questions are not worth much, but is the difference between receiving an A and an A+
This student has also submitted a draft of this essay earlier in the term to get feedback (all students are allowed to do this once).
Should I give 0 because this student did not answer it, or part marks because this student knows how to answer it (as evidenced by the draft) but simply forgot?<issue_comment>username_1: You should give zero for the answers in question. You are grading what the student handed in, not what s/he potentially could have handed in. The logistics are just as much part of fulfilling an assignment as the knowledge. It would be unfair to the other students to be more lenient on this particular student than others.
If you wish, you may give the student another chance to answer these questions, but then you should do the same for all students.
(I once failed to notice in an exam that the question sheet was printed front and back, and only answered the questions on the front. I duly accepted my C+, along with the two others who had made the same mistake...)
Upvotes: 8 <issue_comment>username_2: You have to be uniform in grading. If you are going to make an exception for one student, then you need to make that same exception for every other student in the class who would be affected.
If a "star student" screws up, you can't give her special treatment that you wouldn't extend to a D- student who made the same mistake.
(Personally, I would not give credit unless there was clear evidence something went wrong—for instance, did a page get lost somehow? Instructors are not infallible, and sometimes things can get messy if there are a lot of papers to grade.)
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_3: To start with, giving them partial credit for a blank question would be unfair to all other students. Additionally, test-taking or essay-writing are also skills to be gained during education, not only knowledge. Would you give partial credit to a student who runs out of time in an exam, or tell them that "next time, you should bring a watch and keep some control of the time, and think you you spend the time in the exam"? Reading carefully the questions and making sure everything is answered is part of the assignment itself, like in real life they will have to learn all their customer's needs and meet all of them, whatever it is they work on. Finally, this is an undergrad, and the discussion is between an A and an A+. Like, what are the stakes? If this was a matter of "this student will be invited to leave the program if not for this partial credit" or "fired from their job", you may want to be lenient and take their whole performance into consideration and not a single essay, or if it was a matter of health issues and they had written it while being sick, but, really, what is the life impact of an A instead of an A+ in an undergraduate program? Seriously. The impact on this student's life is minimal and you are risking being accused of having favorites (which is not necessarily true) and of unfair grading policies (which would be true, or at least the grading policy would be different for one student compared to others).
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: You need to stick to the marking scheme.
That said, if many missed the last question or it was poorly answered by most then you may consider completely removing that question - this means that all students are still graded on the same basis.
You cannot arbitrarily change the scheme for one student only.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_5: Give the student partial credit for these questions based on the draft. This ensures the assessment is based on the student's knowledge, rather than the mechanical aspect of copying information from the draft to the exam paper. The "penalty" is that they may lose points if their draft answer is of lower quality, as they won't have had a chance to incorporate any of the feedback and revise it.
For fairness, do the same for any other students who have omitted questions on the exam but answered them in their drafts.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_6: Since most answer seem to have the opposite opinion I think that at least the other side needs to be voiced. The goal of grading is to accurately track how well a student understands and can apply the material taught in class. Written tests and exam papers are just a convenient way to measure this, they are a proxy for it. One answer even suggested that the exam was meant to test the "testing" skill. It is not. It is just an inconvenient side effect that it does. If you are convinced a student understands the material and is able to apply it then you should grade him as such.
As noted there can be downsides to this. There is the issue of perceived unfairness and other students might start to make (false) claims that they too just forgot some question etc.
Furthermore, it is true that there is some real unfairness in the fact that quite likely sometimes you will know the student well enough to know to award him the points and other times you won't. But then again there is something unfair about not awarding him the points when clearly he knew the answer. I think correcting injustice where you see it is more fair than ignoring it just so that you are treating all injustice the same way.
What is also important is that you don't run into trouble for your method of grading. So don't stray to far from acceptable local grading methods. Since cultures differ widely in what is acceptable and isn't acceptable I would also advice ask a colleague at your own university as his answer is more valuable to your specific case than a general stackexchange answer will be.
For the future. If you feel like you can get a more accurate measure of a student in the interactions you have with him throughout the course than from a written form of exam it might be a good idea to explicitly make clear from the beginning that interactions throughout the course make up a small part of the grading (this encourages questions and active participation).
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_7: This situation points to an anomaly in the examination based evaluation system: "You are what you are at the time of examination!" But this can be eased out as follows. If the system permits, one more examination (another written essay in this case) can be conducted to take *best of two* performances. But even that is not anomaly-free. A student who gets a higher grade with the first exam may lose out on a relative grading scale if others perform relatively better in the second. When the second examination is not announced a priori, it can be a cause of concern for such a student. So the *best of two* can then be applied on grades and not on marks. With the first exam, if a student gets a B, and considering the second one a 'C', then the final grade is B, and so on.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_8: I believe the second is more fair: part marks because this student knows how to answer it (as evidenced by the draft) but simply forgot?
Because the essence is that he shows he has the knowledge. Let's say another student did manage to answer but his answer was poor enough comparing to the first who didn't. What's the point of the exams? To demonstrate that you learnt the lessons & can 'teach' it to others.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_9: Here's a pragmatic answer: you should give 0 because otherwise students (this student or others) might get the idea that they can get extra marks this way, and either attempt to do so or else complain at the idea of others doing so.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_10: Another option is:
### You can exclude that part of the exam from the entire course grade.
For example, if the exam was 30% of the course grade, and he forgot 50% of the exam, then you can remove that 15% of the course grade and just scale the rest accordingly.
Ultimately this is a subjective question and there are multiple answers that would be valid, but as long as you would be willing to do this for *any* student who seemed to make this genuine mistake *regardless* of his/her grade in the course, I think this option would also make sense: after all, you could easily make the argument that you're trying to gauge their understanding of the course material, not their ability to make logistical errors.
Furthermore, don't forget **you still have the discretion to award an A+ for the course** if you still think the student had A+-quality work throughout the semester. You don't need to change the exam grade for that.
Lastly, note that I assuming this is about higher education. If you're talking about high school or earlier, I would be more lenient, treating them more like kids than adults for these mistakes.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_11: It's context dependent. You should abide by whatever grading policy you have in place. In the future, you can have grading be minimum guarantees. So the student will receive a grade no lower than the numerical score, but the teacher reserves the right to move the grade up by a third of a letter if his/her professional judgement warrants such.
If he/she is a star student, you can explain to him/her that you would be happy to write a letter of recommendation for him/her in the future. That will be worth far more than A vs. A+ over the long run.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_12: Grade it as it is turned in - if questions are not answered they are incorrect, if they are answered wrong they are incorrect. This guarantees a couple of things -
1: Most Importantly Fairness : your own bias for a particular student who "knows the answers" gets in the way.
2: Like giving a bonus to an employee who 'knows how to sell' but did not sell ie meet the quota. Life lesson achievers receive, do'ers receive. They will always put forth whatever effort they need to succeed.
You are not being mean, hateful or otherwise regardless of the empathy you might feel for this student.
I think that it might be another thing if that student had two of their family members killed or die the day or two before the exam .. but that is what I would call a human thing - you can understand with good reason the student would be under duress. In that case I might be compassionate - but I would make a note to self that is my rule for any and all students..
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_13: To be fair to all other students, you should *grade whatever the student handed in*. If the student forgot to answer the last few questions, then marks should not be awarded for these particular questions.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_14: You might have the option to give an incomplete for the class, since, to your judgement, it was an incomplete assignment.
This is a generous approach.
Then the student can complete the exam, or a replacement exam, and potentially receive their A+. You could let the student know that they wouldn't receive less than an A in either case.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_15: **From a 20 year old student point of view**
In Italy, where I live, each question on an test weights around 10 points. If a student forgets to answer a question they usually can ask for a retry in an oral test (or sometimes written).
This test allows the student to get at least a few of the points they would normally get for a forgotten question (normally up to 5 points). But it also allows the teacher to ask extra questions about the same subject as the original forgotten question.
Asking extra or harder questions (together with the penalty in not giving all point he would normally get) in this case is usually done to prevent a student to cheat using this mechanism by making sure he can't just look at the test and leave the questions he doesn't know the answer to blank, then study those questions and get the full points later.
Seeing you said that the student has indeed shown that he knows the answer to the question you might be able to give him a few points using this method in a fair way, without giving him a huge advantage over other students
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_16: For now, you're stuck with the grading policy. If it's black and white, stick to it. This is a learning opportunity for the student.
It's also a learning opportunity for you.
When I was in college, all important exams clearly stated the amount of pages the exam had and the amount of questions it contained. FIRST order of business was checking those numbers when you started the exam.
We all learned something very important there: make sure you know what needs to be done. Were your questions numbered? Was there a front sheet telling your students the amount of pages and questions? If not, consider adding those in the future to avoid exactly this problem.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_17: In real life, say the student becomes a secret agent, and they "forgot" to defuse the bomb before it detonated, killing 20,000 civilians. Do you just let them off because their previous job performance was decent enough? No.
"But that's unfair!" you may say. No, it's not. What would be unfair would be giving this student marks for doing nothing: unfair to the *other* students who did in fact have the wherewithall to turn up to an examination then answer the questions you asked.
Backing out of the fantasy for a moment, consider some practical issues with your specific situation. Perhaps the student ran out of time (for which you don't give free marks, do you?) or perhaps, when preparing a draft essay for you out of examination conditions, they'd cheated.
If this student complains, tell them they are not in kindergarten any more, and they should pay more attention to what they are doing. It is a valuable life lesson.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_18: Well, if you were a high school teacher, I'd say to consider the student's work as a whole when marking their work, using the work that they'd submitted over the course of the term, including their drafts.
However, university is generally supposed to be more rigorous than high school, right? So, I probably wouldn't consider the draft when marking the paper unless my department had a policy dictating otherwise.
If you're a relatively new member of your faculty, I'd say to ask one of the more experienced members of your faculty about what your department's policies on this sort of thing are.
Upvotes: 1
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<issue_start>username_0: I read somewhere online, how one shouldn't show their interest in genetic algorithms to a potential grad school, as its not the 'in' thing in todays CS community, compared to Machine Learning algorithms. I am interested in genetic algorithms and reading such a notion left me a little bothered, honestly.<issue_comment>username_1: When applying to a school you should be aware of the faculty at that school and the research they perform. Take a look at their research papers. If nobody at the school does work in genetic algorithms, then it probably isn't going to help you to mention your interest in the area.
If you have a sincere interest in genetic algorithms, then you need to find a school with researchers that are doing work in that area. If there is a prominent researcher at a school working on genetic algorithms, then you really want to mention your interest. If the researcher is accepting new students it might improve your chances of acceptance.
There are always hot areas in a field, and machine learning is currently hot, and genetic algorithms aren't as hot. But, there is good work being done in both fields. (There is also bad work being done in both fields.) I would advise you to find someone doing excellent work, and then the field that you are in will not matter as much.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I suggest having a quick look into combining genetic algorithms and neural networks, some work has been done in this area, perhaps there is more to do. The trend seems to be combining different machine learning techniques (e.g., deep reinforcement learning) and this is something the original poster could exploit to have their cake (research GAs) and eat it (submit to machine-learning conferences where neural nets are hot).
The question distinguishes between genetic algorithms and Machine Learning. Yet, a quick search on genetic algorithms and machine learning shows that the former may be (and often is) considered a sub-discipline of the latter. Given that the two have (some) overlap there may be an alternative.
Upvotes: 1
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<issue_start>username_0: Most published math papers are answers to open questions posed by the authors of the papers, right? So why is this problem that the paper responds to is never explicit in the text by the authors? Would not that be an important thing since it would save time for other mathematicians not to waste time formulating problems that have already been answered? Or is an expert in the field able to identify the open problem that a particular paper responds to even if it is not explicit in the text? Could someone explain to me in detail how this works?<issue_comment>username_1: Note that in many math papers, the authors also invent the problem they solve (most math papers solve problems that are not well-known, even in the same community).
Some problems require quite a bit background to formulate, in particular if new terminology is invented. Thus, the problem cannot be formulated in the abstract in detail. Besides, many journals do not allow/dislike math formulas in the abstract.
Another point is the following: Solving open problems is not important - solving *important* problem is. Thus, one actually needs to sell the problem, motivate why a solution is needed, perhaps give historical background and applications. Also solving old problems with new techniques, or make unifying proofs (putting same phenomena in different guises in one general form) is also something that happens. For new techniques, see the history of the [prime number theorem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_number_theorem), and for a unifying definition, see "[cyclic sieving phenomena](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0097316504000822)" by Reiner and Stanton.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: >
> Most published math papers are answers to open questions posed by the authors of the papers, right?
>
>
>
Most math papers are proofs of theorems. For instance, "I" might prove the following theorem:
>
> Let m>n>0 be integers. Then for a=m^2-n^2, b=2mn, c=m^2+n^2 it holds that a^2+b^2=c^2.
>
>
>
"Open questions" usually refers to problems left open *by someone else in another paper* (or sometimes, left open by the authors in a previous paper). Now, "me" proving this theorem is probably in response to a question I had: for instance, I might have wondered which integers satisfy a^2+b^2=c^2. However, if no one else had previously considered this problem, it doesn't count as an "open problem".
Typically, in the conclusions sections of a paper, the authors might mention several problems that they consider interesting but didn't manage to solve. For instance, in my paper I might mention the question:
>
> Are there any strictly positive integers satisfying a^3+b^3=c^3?
>
>
>
If someone subsequently were to solve this problem (whether in the margin of their paper or not) they would almost certainly write something to the effect of:
>
> We solve an open problem due to van der Zanden [2017], showing that there are no integers satisfying [...].
>
>
>
The point of mentioning that a question is "open" is to:
1. Credit the ones that formulated the problem (formulating a "good" problem can be as hard as solving it).
2. Demonstrate the significance of the problem (they considered it interesting enough to mention as an open problem).
3. Show that the problem is not trivial (they tried solving it but couldn't).
If I am solving an "open question" that I posed myself then none of these points apply (I could prove an utterly trivial, uninteresting theorem and then invent an equally uninteresting "open question" question that it answers) and so it doesn't make much sense to state an "open question" if there was no *open* question to begin with. Sometimes people answer their own open questions, but only if they previously stated them in another paper. If I just prove an interesting theorem (e.g.: "All swans are white") then reformulating the theorem as a question (e.g.: "We answer the question of whether all swans are white") doesn't add anything to the paper - especially if no one previously considered that question.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]
|
2017/12/12
| 2,618
| 10,994
|
<issue_start>username_0: I started my PhD three months ago in the UK. I am a biologist, but my project lies more in the synthetic chemistry field and all the experiments I have to do are completely new for me.
My problem is that at the moment, I am alone in my group because everyone else have finished their PhD/Masters/Postdoc and left, and I have no one to ask when I am stuck with something. My supervisor tells me to do experiments that I have never heard of, gives me a very general and brief description and that's it! No protocols, no one to show me at least for the first time. In the labs where I have worked in the past it was completely different - PhD students have someone to assist them (a Postdoc or a technician) and they don't feel lost searching on the internet for the right protocol or method to follow.
I want to ask you if this is normal for a PhD student? Or is it how PhDs are in the UK? I know that we have to work with minimal supervision, but is this normal? How am I supposed to start a new protocol involving sensitive instrument usage (like HPLC) with no one to show me?
Thank you in advance for your answers!<issue_comment>username_1: A PhD degree is to say that you have earned the recognition of being an independent researcher in the field. From what I understand, the whole point of the PhD journey is to train to become a fully independent researcher. Edit: by “independent” I don’t means “alone” as one of the commenters have stated.
Part of that training should come from your supervisor. Of course he or she cannot teach you everything. But I would expect him/her to show you how to use specific equipment or what the best practices are when conducting experiments. Firstly this is to prevent accidents from happening which may damage expensive equipment (trust me, this is in the supervisor’s own interest) and more importantly to protect you from injury.
Secondly, a PhD student is expected to tackle a completely new problem. There may not even be any “standard experiments” that would help solve your problem. It is thus expected that new problems need innovative methods or experiments to solve.
At this point even your supervisor would not know exactly what to do because no one has even looked at the problem before. However, he or she has (hopefully) been in the field long enough to guide you if you get stuck attempting something that has never been done before.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: It is not normal in UK biology PhDs for a student to be completely abandoned with no help; particularly not at the beginning. As you become more confident you will be able to take on new areas and new techniques with minimal advice, but I would never expect a student to dive into complicated, expensive and potentially dangerous experiments without so much as a protocol.
I would do the following:
* Ask your supervisor straight up if he knows where a protocol might be found for the experiment, or whether he sees designing the protocol as part of the thesis.
* Find others in your institution, but outside your lab that might be able to help.
* Find an online protocol or protcol in a text book and specifically ask your supervisor if he thinks it is a good protocol and if he knows of anyone who can go through it with you.
* If all else fails, a UK institution will almost always assign you a second supervisor or advisor: go speak to them.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: It sounds like you should go to your supervisor and ask for guidance. I experienced something similar during my dissertation work. Eventually, I got the guidance I needed. Near the end I felt like I had to take more of a leadership role. That was especially true during the planning stages of my final defense. At that point in time I was having to work more like a project manager, corralling my committee members and finalizing my work. Good luck!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I agree fully with all the answers pointing out that your supervisor ought to give you more guidance. A PhD studentship can only work if the supervisor is giving you the guidance you need.
We cannot fully judge your supervisor on the bits of information that you have given. I would only like to add that not taking students by the hand does not necessarily imply that he or she is not a good supervisor. It is up to you to demand the guidance you need and you certainly shouldn't feel bad about it! (Like I said above, providing guidance is probably the single most important part of a PhD studentship.) By asking for guidance, letting him or her know what you can do by yourself and independently and what not, you are making this professor–student relationship work.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_5: >
> I want to ask you if this is normal for a PhD?
>
>
>
It's not too uncommon, but it's also not the norm.
Regardless, the real issue's whether or not it's right for you.
>
> How am I supposed to start a new protocol involving sensitive instrument usage (like HPLC) with noone to show me?
>
>
>
This is one of those things that you *should* be able to do by yourself, but, yeah, it's often a lot more pleasant if someone gives you a walk-through first.
To answer this question as-asked:
1. You probably know the basics already.
2. Normally, you'd want to research how these devices work in greater detail before using them. This can provide important perspective when designing experiments and interpreting data.
3. Once you're familiar with how a hypothetical HPLC device might operate, then it's time to figure out how the specific one on your lab bench works. These tend to be pretty expensive devices, so they should have thorough documentation to read through.
4. If you know anyone else doing work with them, you can look over their shoulder or/and ask them questions.
### Moving forward
I'd suggest thinking out your life goals and how you're planning on tackling them.
Getting a PhD is often described as learning to function independently. But there's a whole universe of variance in that vague point. At one extreme, many PhD's essentially serve as high-end lab techs in 9-to-5-type jobs. At the other extreme, some PhD's go on to make weird stuff no one's ever heard of. Exactly how independent you need to be really depends on the path that you plan to take.
Without looking up the figures (which I'd imagine would be hard to get), I'd speculate that most PhD's end up working in high-end-lab-tech jobs. They're nice, popular jobs because:
1. They're predictably about what you've learned to do.
2. They're typically 9-to-5 jobs, and frequently pretty stable.
3. You don't have to stress so much about general concerns, but rather can focus specifically on some specific facet of research.
If that's the sort of position that you'd like to go into, then presumably you'd want a grad school experience that'd align with it. So, you might want to seek an appropriate supervisor.
### Sounds like a mismatch, rather than right-vs.-wrong
This sort of supervision is right for some students. This is, your advisor's not necessarily wrong, nor are you necessarily wrong.
Rather, I'd suggest seeing this as a mismatch, for which you might have two general approaches to solving:
1. You might talk it out with your advisor to let them know your needs. If this works, then awesome! Easy fix.
2. If your advisor isn't a good match for your intended approach, then ideally they'll be mature enough to acknowledge the mismatch and help you find an advisor who'd be a better match for you.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_6: In 25 years of being a post-doc' I can assure you that there is no 'normal'. The university, the department and the supervisors are all different and with them the level of useful support you will receive. It's not uncommon to find the supervisor has no hands-on experience with the techniques you need to learn, so your best resource is often technicians or fellow students. Sadly, you seem alone, and in this instance, as with the rest of your PhD, you need to dig deep and read the literature, search online, and even ask in other departments if they may have the expertise you need. It's normal to have 2 supervisors. what does the other have to say? Don't withdraw from the problem, as it will eat you up, instead, be vocal and plan a meeting with your supervisor. Send a list of issues you want to resolve at the meeting, but don't go expecting to be given the solutions on a plate. Do explain what you've done to try an progress and what is your current level of understanding so you can discuss the best way forward. Try this approach for a couple of months and see if you start to feel better.
Don't worry. A Phd will be the hardest thing you have ever done so far. No student knows what the heck is going on for the first year, but by the second year you will be bringing in useful data, and by the third you will know more about your subject than your supervisor, which in your case sounds like it won't be hard!
A Phd is meant to be extremely taxing otherwise everyone would have one. You will become exceptionally resourceful and self-teaching, two assets far more useful than the PhD itself in your later career, and indeed life in general.
It will get better, I promise, but it's up to you to make it happen, and to organise your supervisor so in the end you are controlling them.
I've known around 150 PhD students during my career, most get through, a few drop out, and a tiny minority fail. It's always the most independently minded that have the easier time as they make it work **in spite** of the supervisors.
Above all do not expect them to show you much, or help you directly; but they should point you in the right direction, and respond to requests for meetings.
It's a crazy time and a quantum leap up from your graduate level experience so to ease the stress make friends with other PhD's wherever they hang out and support each other as It'll make you feel less isolated. Dissing supervisors is very therapeutic!
Don't give up, it'll be OK, we all had a really hard time for the first 6 months or so.
My only caveat is if after 9 -12 months you are still lost, figure out of it's you, your supervisor, or both and look long and hard about if you can still make it work. Also, you must be interested in what you are studying to be happy. If it's a total chore, then you need to ask yourself a whole bunch of difficult questions. If you are **absolutely** convinced its not for you, then bail out rather than leaving it for another year, as by then you may be as much as 50% of the way to a PhD and jacking it in at that stage will be something you may regret many, many years later when you as old as me.
Finally, enjoy the environment, people and opportunities. Don't just treat it as a means to a few letters, but as a period in life that very, very few people are lucky enough to experience.
Good luck to you, dig deep and be magnificent. :-)
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/12/12
| 2,506
| 10,546
|
<issue_start>username_0: There is a professor in Department X. I will be applying to Department Y & Department Z for a MA that really fits my interests. Now, I am wondering whether the professor in Department X will also hold classes in Department Y & Z, or whether these classes are shared and accessible over multiple departments anyways (how does this usually work in the UK? I don't really know). How do I ask him this question, how do I best phrase it? I am a bit unsure about this. Right now I have
`I am currently thinking of applying for X at Uni X, and am wondering whether I could then attend your courses too?`
* but it sounds a bit strange to me? (English is not my native language)<issue_comment>username_1: A PhD degree is to say that you have earned the recognition of being an independent researcher in the field. From what I understand, the whole point of the PhD journey is to train to become a fully independent researcher. Edit: by “independent” I don’t means “alone” as one of the commenters have stated.
Part of that training should come from your supervisor. Of course he or she cannot teach you everything. But I would expect him/her to show you how to use specific equipment or what the best practices are when conducting experiments. Firstly this is to prevent accidents from happening which may damage expensive equipment (trust me, this is in the supervisor’s own interest) and more importantly to protect you from injury.
Secondly, a PhD student is expected to tackle a completely new problem. There may not even be any “standard experiments” that would help solve your problem. It is thus expected that new problems need innovative methods or experiments to solve.
At this point even your supervisor would not know exactly what to do because no one has even looked at the problem before. However, he or she has (hopefully) been in the field long enough to guide you if you get stuck attempting something that has never been done before.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: It is not normal in UK biology PhDs for a student to be completely abandoned with no help; particularly not at the beginning. As you become more confident you will be able to take on new areas and new techniques with minimal advice, but I would never expect a student to dive into complicated, expensive and potentially dangerous experiments without so much as a protocol.
I would do the following:
* Ask your supervisor straight up if he knows where a protocol might be found for the experiment, or whether he sees designing the protocol as part of the thesis.
* Find others in your institution, but outside your lab that might be able to help.
* Find an online protocol or protcol in a text book and specifically ask your supervisor if he thinks it is a good protocol and if he knows of anyone who can go through it with you.
* If all else fails, a UK institution will almost always assign you a second supervisor or advisor: go speak to them.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: It sounds like you should go to your supervisor and ask for guidance. I experienced something similar during my dissertation work. Eventually, I got the guidance I needed. Near the end I felt like I had to take more of a leadership role. That was especially true during the planning stages of my final defense. At that point in time I was having to work more like a project manager, corralling my committee members and finalizing my work. Good luck!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I agree fully with all the answers pointing out that your supervisor ought to give you more guidance. A PhD studentship can only work if the supervisor is giving you the guidance you need.
We cannot fully judge your supervisor on the bits of information that you have given. I would only like to add that not taking students by the hand does not necessarily imply that he or she is not a good supervisor. It is up to you to demand the guidance you need and you certainly shouldn't feel bad about it! (Like I said above, providing guidance is probably the single most important part of a PhD studentship.) By asking for guidance, letting him or her know what you can do by yourself and independently and what not, you are making this professor–student relationship work.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_5: >
> I want to ask you if this is normal for a PhD?
>
>
>
It's not too uncommon, but it's also not the norm.
Regardless, the real issue's whether or not it's right for you.
>
> How am I supposed to start a new protocol involving sensitive instrument usage (like HPLC) with noone to show me?
>
>
>
This is one of those things that you *should* be able to do by yourself, but, yeah, it's often a lot more pleasant if someone gives you a walk-through first.
To answer this question as-asked:
1. You probably know the basics already.
2. Normally, you'd want to research how these devices work in greater detail before using them. This can provide important perspective when designing experiments and interpreting data.
3. Once you're familiar with how a hypothetical HPLC device might operate, then it's time to figure out how the specific one on your lab bench works. These tend to be pretty expensive devices, so they should have thorough documentation to read through.
4. If you know anyone else doing work with them, you can look over their shoulder or/and ask them questions.
### Moving forward
I'd suggest thinking out your life goals and how you're planning on tackling them.
Getting a PhD is often described as learning to function independently. But there's a whole universe of variance in that vague point. At one extreme, many PhD's essentially serve as high-end lab techs in 9-to-5-type jobs. At the other extreme, some PhD's go on to make weird stuff no one's ever heard of. Exactly how independent you need to be really depends on the path that you plan to take.
Without looking up the figures (which I'd imagine would be hard to get), I'd speculate that most PhD's end up working in high-end-lab-tech jobs. They're nice, popular jobs because:
1. They're predictably about what you've learned to do.
2. They're typically 9-to-5 jobs, and frequently pretty stable.
3. You don't have to stress so much about general concerns, but rather can focus specifically on some specific facet of research.
If that's the sort of position that you'd like to go into, then presumably you'd want a grad school experience that'd align with it. So, you might want to seek an appropriate supervisor.
### Sounds like a mismatch, rather than right-vs.-wrong
This sort of supervision is right for some students. This is, your advisor's not necessarily wrong, nor are you necessarily wrong.
Rather, I'd suggest seeing this as a mismatch, for which you might have two general approaches to solving:
1. You might talk it out with your advisor to let them know your needs. If this works, then awesome! Easy fix.
2. If your advisor isn't a good match for your intended approach, then ideally they'll be mature enough to acknowledge the mismatch and help you find an advisor who'd be a better match for you.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_6: In 25 years of being a post-doc' I can assure you that there is no 'normal'. The university, the department and the supervisors are all different and with them the level of useful support you will receive. It's not uncommon to find the supervisor has no hands-on experience with the techniques you need to learn, so your best resource is often technicians or fellow students. Sadly, you seem alone, and in this instance, as with the rest of your PhD, you need to dig deep and read the literature, search online, and even ask in other departments if they may have the expertise you need. It's normal to have 2 supervisors. what does the other have to say? Don't withdraw from the problem, as it will eat you up, instead, be vocal and plan a meeting with your supervisor. Send a list of issues you want to resolve at the meeting, but don't go expecting to be given the solutions on a plate. Do explain what you've done to try an progress and what is your current level of understanding so you can discuss the best way forward. Try this approach for a couple of months and see if you start to feel better.
Don't worry. A Phd will be the hardest thing you have ever done so far. No student knows what the heck is going on for the first year, but by the second year you will be bringing in useful data, and by the third you will know more about your subject than your supervisor, which in your case sounds like it won't be hard!
A Phd is meant to be extremely taxing otherwise everyone would have one. You will become exceptionally resourceful and self-teaching, two assets far more useful than the PhD itself in your later career, and indeed life in general.
It will get better, I promise, but it's up to you to make it happen, and to organise your supervisor so in the end you are controlling them.
I've known around 150 PhD students during my career, most get through, a few drop out, and a tiny minority fail. It's always the most independently minded that have the easier time as they make it work **in spite** of the supervisors.
Above all do not expect them to show you much, or help you directly; but they should point you in the right direction, and respond to requests for meetings.
It's a crazy time and a quantum leap up from your graduate level experience so to ease the stress make friends with other PhD's wherever they hang out and support each other as It'll make you feel less isolated. Dissing supervisors is very therapeutic!
Don't give up, it'll be OK, we all had a really hard time for the first 6 months or so.
My only caveat is if after 9 -12 months you are still lost, figure out of it's you, your supervisor, or both and look long and hard about if you can still make it work. Also, you must be interested in what you are studying to be happy. If it's a total chore, then you need to ask yourself a whole bunch of difficult questions. If you are **absolutely** convinced its not for you, then bail out rather than leaving it for another year, as by then you may be as much as 50% of the way to a PhD and jacking it in at that stage will be something you may regret many, many years later when you as old as me.
Finally, enjoy the environment, people and opportunities. Don't just treat it as a means to a few letters, but as a period in life that very, very few people are lucky enough to experience.
Good luck to you, dig deep and be magnificent. :-)
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/12/12
| 717
| 3,162
|
<issue_start>username_0: About 5 years ago, I did a Masters of Research (MRes) part of which was a supervised research project. Because of time constraints (Masters degrees are only one year in the UK) I was unable to gather enough data to generate any publishable material (though I did produce a thesis which I believe is in the university library probably gathering dust).
Fast forward to today, and after a lengthy break from academia I'm now doing a PhD at a completely different university at the other end of the country, but in the same field. I would like to (workload permitting) try and finish what I started and publish a paper from it using the expertise and equipment I have available. My concern is because this is a continuation of research started a long time ago at another university, whether this would present any issues or barriers to publication or even conducting the research itself.
Regarding my previous supervisor, I am intending to inform him of my intentions at least as a courtesy, and I honestly can't imagine he'd have any objection, but if he did, would I have trouble publishing any work from it? Would the university itself have any grievances? Some of the work he did on the project concerned a novel sensor design which was mostly unrelated to the main scope of the project, I will not be including this work in my publication, would this be a problem?
I'm also wondering how to credit him. Since I'll be writing a new paper from scratch, I'm not sure if I should include him as a co-author. I would at least like to include him in the acknowledgements if it's appropriate.
My current supervisor is happy for me to do this as a side project, so there are no issues there.
P.S. Before anyone asks, yes I have done due diligence and checked that my research is still novel (so I've not been "scooped" by someone else).<issue_comment>username_1: There should be no problem whatsoever, but it would be correct to both inform your previous supervisor and make him/her a co-author. Importantly, they should read and be allowed to suggest edits to your manuscript which may both enhance it scientifically and its chances of success at review. It's a win-win approach in my experience since you both benefit. In no way does this dilute the level of your 'ownership' of the paper or your intellectual input, and indeed, if your supervisor is well known in their field, you may also benefit from the association.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: When I first started my Master's degree, my research design class had an assignment that required students to discuss topics like this with their advisor. I can't speak for the UK, but in my case at an American university, my research was funded by a grant my advisor received, so the university technically owns the data (along with the outside group that funded my particular project). Just because I worked on the project does not mean I have a legal right to use the data as I wish. So unless you can unequivocally state that you have a legal right to the data, I would strongly suggest clearing it with your former advisor before trying to do anything with it.
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/12/12
| 961
| 4,184
|
<issue_start>username_0: My friend is on his way to graduate with PharmD (outside US). He wants to apply for PhD program in US, and have asked his professors that he has worked with in the lab for recommendation letters. However, his professors refused to write him a recommendation letter unless he stays in the lab for 1 more year after graduation to work with the current on-going project (2 of them refused, another one has written him a recommendation letter).
The professor also belittled him when he asked for the recommendation letter, saying things along the line of
>
> Am I, or this university not good enough for you? You must be pompous
> for wanting to go to another university.
>
>
>
That particular professor has also shared the rumor in the department that he thinks he is too good to be part of this university. In the past, they have offered him PhD program with scholarship, but have later retracted the scholarship so he rejected the offer to stay with them. He needs the recommendation letter to apply for PhD program.
**What can he do when professors refuse to write recommendation letter for him unless he works with them longer?** He definitely do not want to stay in that toxic environment anymore.
EDIT (12/19): All professors have agreed to write the recommendation letter, as long as my friend writes the draft of the letter himself. He has decided to go with this proposal and wrote three recommendation letters for himself, and gave it to his professors.<issue_comment>username_1: If someone declines to write an LOR for you, you should ask someone else. No one is under any obligation to write an LOR for you. Usually, when someone declines, it's because they don't feel they can truthfully write one that would be helpful. That could be because they don't know you or your work well enough or because they know you pretty well and don't think you were that good. Either way, there's no point in pressuring them to write a letter they don't want to write.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: I would seek a reference elsewhere. Who is suitable will depend on the precise requirements of the program your friend is applying to, but as one of the current professors is willing to give a reference this should be sufficient to speak for their current studies - you can ask a previous employer or even your old school to provide references. My successful PhD application had references from my current employer (outside academia), a professor from my undergraduate degree and a professor I did a summer project with.
I would not pressure someone to write a reference letter that they do not wish to provide - you're relying on them to reply in a timely fashion, and to say something helpful on your behalf whilst being truthful. That isn't likely to work well if they don't actually want to do it.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: 1. Your professor is not obligated to write you a recommendation letter.
2. You should think about getting a letter from someone who will write a good recommendation for you.
3. Your professors' attitude is highly unprofessional and needs to be exposed to their academic community. When you're clear, file a complaint through proper channels to the dean/HOD. If possible, keep any record of your conversations/emails with the faculty members. Given the fact that such unprofessional behavior exists in your university (that they will ask you to work for them for 1-2 years after graduation as a condition for a recommendation letter), may be the human resource, dean office etc. themselves are unprofessional. So, tread carefully if you plan to expose their behavior. Maybe do it after you have received your degree etc. However, such behavior needs to be exposed in any academic institution for the sake of future generations.
4. If your foreign university asks (e.g., in future) why your own advisors didn't write you a recommendation then there is no harm in telling the truth. However, tell only the truth not your version of the truth. It's common for students at a certain phase in their career to panic, act hysterically, and believe that everyone is out to get them.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]
|
2017/12/12
| 865
| 3,451
|
<issue_start>username_0: I planning to drop out of a PhD program after one semester because of my encounter with a professor with little experience.
This professor is also very intervening, non-perceptable, unapproachable, and worst of all, willing to go to any extent to sabotage my career.
The advisor altered credits of some courses to make sure that even though I got As in those courses, they will have a tiny efect on my cumulative average grade.
Obviously, when I apply for another university, the fact that I've quit and my average grade will raise some questions.
So, what can I say in my statement of purpose that will put my quitting in the best possible light?<issue_comment>username_1: You should speak to your school’s Ombudsperson, most universities have such a person to handle these issues. I would submit a letter from him/her, along with your application materials. The letter should explain the conflict from a third party perspective.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: >
> I planning to drop out of a PhD program after **one semester** and apply
> to another top university for a PhD program.
>
>
>
Not all universities allow applicants from current Ph.D students. Although not 'illegal' it is looked down upon based on the requirements that I've seen thus far in my applications. Also try to finish the year at the very least. Perhaps your struggles are due to you trying to adjust to a new environment rather than the institution itself.
>
> This is because of my encounter with a professor with **little
> experience** and who is **very intervening**, **non-perceptable**,
> **unapproachable** and worst of all willing to go to any extent to **sabotage your career**.
>
>
>
You mentioned a number of extremely negative attributes. Have you tried to talk to this individual about your reaction to their actions? If so, don't you have alternative options within the university? As in, changing advisers? Your judgement of a professor after one semester as inexperienced, micromanaging, unintelligible, hostile, and malicious seems rather premature.
>
> The advisor meddled with credits to make sure that I cannot be in good
> academic standing even though I got A's in courses.
>
>
>
Perhaps this is my lack of experience, but professors can only give grades to their class. The assignment of credits for different classes are determined well before you matriculated to the university. In other words, the class credit was predetermined when you signed up. At the same time, unless the same professor taught all of your classes, I don't see how it could have affected your academic standing. If you got all A's then the connection doesn't make sense.
>
> Obviously, I have to submit my transcripts from all universities, and
> my quitting and grade will raise some questions. So, what can I say in
> my statement of purpose (or anywhere, I suppose) that will put my
> quitting in the best possible light?
>
>
> Thanks in advance for all your help!
>
>
>
I say don't quit, yet. Finish the year before making drastic actions such as this.
The evidence you've provided thus far are **self-contradictory** and doesn't seem to lend the idea that you **tried to resolve** the issue within your dept. If you did, then within the institution as mentioned by username_1. See if you can sign up with another adviser. You are running away from the problem rather than addressing it rationally.
Upvotes: 3
|
2017/12/13
| 512
| 1,913
|
<issue_start>username_0: What does it mean - status changed from "with editor" to "decision in process" directly in Elsevier within 10 days of submission?<issue_comment>username_1: >
> When a journal displays the “decision in process” status, it means
> that the editorial board is in the process of making the final
> decision about your paper. At this stage when the journal decision is
> in process, the editor will go through the revised manuscript and your
> replies to the reviewer comments before coming to a decision. The
> editor might decide to consult the peer reviewers once more.
> Sometimes, there may be quite a few papers lined up before yours. This
> is why this stage might take long. There’s no specific time frame for
> this; the time may vary depending on the journal and the field. I
> think it would be reasonable to write to the editor to inquire about
> the status of your paper if you haven’t received a response even a
> month after the last status change.
>
>
>
Source: <https://www.editage.com/insights/what-is-the-meaning-of-decision-in-process-status>
Since you've received "[the] status changed from 'with editor' to 'decision in process'...within 10 days of submission," it might-well be that the editor has decided on a desk reject (perhaps for being out-of-scope), a request for minor amendments (e.g., if you didn't follow procedure), acceptance (albeit, perhaps unlikely), or ...
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Everything is explained here in detail:
<https://service.elsevier.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5971/kw/track/c/10528/supporthub/publishing/>
>
> **Decision in Process** The Editor has registered a decision in the system. The decision may need to be confirmed by the Editor-in-Chief first. The Editor will email you directly with the overall editorial decision, Editor and/or reviewer comments, and further instructions.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2
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<issue_start>username_0: I used to work in academia. I was lucky enough to publish important papers in peer reviewed journals that now regularly get cited by other papers in peer reviewed journals. I have left academia to work in the private sector, so every time I get a notification that my work has been cited elsewhere in a non open access journal, I can't even see how it was used. I should be able to ensure my work isn't mis-quoted or wrongly interpreted, but I can't without paying extensive fees for each and every article...
Is sci-hub my only non-option because I refuse to use illegal means?<issue_comment>username_1: You can write an e-mail to the authors and ask for a copy of their published paper. Almost everyone will be happy to send you one.
Before doing that, check if the paper is already published on their webpage, or if they have submitted it to a preprint server. Use of preprint servers and embargo periods vary among the various disciplines --- in some fields you are more likely to find it online earlier, in others it's almost impossible.
Upvotes: 7 <issue_comment>username_2: Some options:
<https://openaccessbutton.org/>
<http://unpaywall.org/>
<http://doai.io/>
Also, Google Scholar will sometimes list mirror versions located elsewhere online.
That said, both with that and with contacting the author on whether you can access the article, you cannot be sure that the author has studied the publisher's terms and is allowed to share it, so it's quite hard to make sure you're not using illegal means.
Another option is to walk into an academic library and download them on their guest WiFi.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: Your local library probably has access to academic journals through JSTOR. Unfortunately it takes a few years for journals to be added to that.
Another option is to get access through the library at your university. Alumni are often given library privileges and even if that is not the case, as former staff, you might be able to set up some sort of arrangement. Get in touch with someone from your former department and ask how can you get access to scientific journals.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: I have the same problem.
I used to just go to the local university library, as others suggested. But that doesn't work any more because I no longer live anywhere near a good library.
I eventually solved the problem by volunteering to serve as an associate editor of one of the main journals in my field, and I serve as a reviewer for other ones. The publisher then gave me open access to those journals and several others that they handle. This works for me because a large fraction of the interesting papers in my field are published in one of two journals. If publishing in your field is more scattered, my approach might not work.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: I'm all for open access, but **you don't have any special entitlement to access research articles simply because they cite you**. It is up to peer reviewers and the editors of the journals that publish the articles to ensure that your work is quoted and interpreted accurately. Thus the method you use to obtain access to these articles should be the same that you use to access any other article you are interested in (contacting the authors to ask for a copy is an excellent method).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: Im afraid I have to disagree with the accepted answer. At least in my field of academic medicine (where authors are at least likely to have funding to order reprints), most authors stopped ordering paper reprints more than a decade ago.
I used to receive many requests for reprints from eastern Europe and from parts of the far East. Those requests died out as internet access grew.
Writing a senior author these days may net you a PDF, or simply be ignored.
Your best bet is a public access library.
Upvotes: 1
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| 1,283
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<issue_start>username_0: I have just reviewed for a journal that allows me to transfer my information to [Publons](https://publons.com/home/). It seems Publons is a relatively new thing with limited uptake. It also seems like the type of thing that would be better suited to be managed by a non-profit in a free (at least as in freedom and possibly as in beer) sense.
Is there a free competitor to Publons? If not, what data should I be keeping regarding my reviews such that if at a later date I wish to upload them to Publons, or a competitor, I can?<issue_comment>username_1: I have looked into this question a couple times since Publons became active. There does not seem to be any other platform with the same functionality available. So I use Publons, albeit in a very minor way.
The Publons site let's you take credit for reviews, both as part of prepublication refereeing and post-publication reviewing. You have the option to make as much information about the reviews public as you want, including the full text. I don't really use it for anything except as a service to validate that I have completed as many reviews as I say I have.
Every time I get an e-mail acknowledgement of a referee report I have submitted, I just forward it to <EMAIL>. Coming from the e-mail address I have registered with Publons, the site knows that these are referee reports to be added to my profile. For journals that are hooked into the Publons system, the processing is very fast; for other journals, it takes a few days. And no information about the confirmed reviews appears on my public Publons profit, except the date and the journal involved. I could make more visible, but it defaulted to that minimal information.
When I submit my annual statement of activities, I thus have an external site to attest to all my reviewing work. In fact, I've never needed it; my self reporting had never been doubted. But if it were, Publons would be there to back me up.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I found [PubPeer](https://pubpeer.com) which seems to provide a **relatively lean subset of [Publons](https://publons.com/home/)' features.** After a first glimpse, PubPeer appears mainly as a **post-publication review** platform, lean in the sense that it would provide per-paper blogs. Users would simply enter paper IDs (e.g. arxiv ID, DOI, etc.) and start providing comments. I suppose, they provide quality-assurance features and features making such blogs more social, ratings, likes etc.
There are a few uses of PubPeer in the context of [plagiarism detection](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/62255/i-found-a-published-paper-that-looks-dodgy-what-to-do/62257#62257) ([one more](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/64183/report-blatant-self-plagiarism-to-journal-editor-or-pubpeer)), flaw discussion, and [paper retraction](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/40172/is-there-or-should-there-be-a-website-to-record-errors-in-papers/40183#40183). There are [further possibilities](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/83825/publication-fee-for-reply-to-comment/83890#83890) such a platform might help with.
Beyond PubPeer, Publons allows scientists who are delivering community service (whether pre- or post-publication peer reviews) to build up a visible record of their contributions as a peer reviewer. I think, this is a *pretty important function* of Publons because peer review, although often seen as an implicitly compensated part of the usual scientific activity, is occasionally suffering from being undervalued and badly incentivized in the scientific community.
Regarding "free as in freedom", PubPeer is a US-based ["public-benefit corporation with 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in the United States"](https://pubpeer.com/static/about), whatever that means, whereas Publons (NZ-based according to Twitter) is a [company acquired by Clarivate Analytics](https://publons.com/about/company), a multi-national commercial enterprise.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: It seems now there is a free (as in free speech) alternative, via ORCID. A few months ago they introduced a system to make verifiable peer reviews visible in your profile. You can read more about it [here](https://support.orcid.org/hc/en-us/articles/360006971333-Peer-Review). I was thinking of making a Publons profile, but given that it is owned by a commercial entity, it ends up being just another data mining company, very much like academia.edu and researchgate are. Great that we have now an alternative!
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: You should simply list your peer reviews in your CV (maintaining confidentiality to the degree required by the journal or your discipline).
The platforms and data are there to benefit publishers, not reviewers. It's a database of people who work for free.
Upvotes: 2
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| 523
| 1,934
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<issue_start>username_0: Is there any rule concerning the use of lower/upper case letters in figures, charts, diagrams etc. to be used in scientific papers?
I tend to use lower case only (e.g., axis labels and legends), but a reviewer recently suggested that I should start each word with a capital letter.
I would be very thankful for any advice!<issue_comment>username_1: There are no absolute rules, but I think the most natural policy is to use title capitalization for major labels (plot title, axis identification, elements in the legend). You may then reserve lower case names for additional minor labeling (like specific, localized features in a figure), although it would not hurt to use title capitalization for everything. Don't use all caps; it looks like you are shouting.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: APA style does not force the case of text on the figure, but their [example paper](http://www.apastyle.org/manual/related/sample-experiment-paper-1.pdf) uses upper case for the first letter of every word. In fact the [APA blog](http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2009/12/figure-construction-resisting-the-urge-to-obscure.html) says *Figure construction is a creative art that is deceptively complicated*. Edward Tufte claims [*the best statistical graphic ever drawn*](https://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/posters) is this image with a variety of cases
[](https://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/graphics/poster_OrigMinard.gif)
My go to for figures and illustrations is [*Preparing Scientific Illustrations* by Briscoe](http://www.springer.com/us/book/9780387945811) as I find it a little easier to understand than Tufte's guidance. She says \*the use of all upper case letters should be avoided for all but short labels such as a title, because they are not as easy to read as upper and lower case letters.
Upvotes: 1
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| 1,047
| 4,442
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<issue_start>username_0: I am a 2nd year PhD student in physics. Tenure-track positions are highly competitive and I do not love research enough to pursue it as a life career. Since I like programming and playing with data, I want to have a job as a data scientist after finishing my degree. I read some success stories of people who got degrees in Physics but works as data scientists but the people are from top universities like UC Berkely, Stanford, etc...
So my question is how doable it is for someone who only gets Physics degree from the low-rank university to find a job as a data scientist. What is the plan for the next years when I am still in my PhD program? What should I learn? How should I have real projects and internships to work on? Will working unpaid in a research lab about data analysis in my current university help?<issue_comment>username_1: If you compete in Kaggle competitions, or the physionet challenge (and win), that will do a lot to prove you are a credible data scientist, no matter what your degree is.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Yes, you absolutely can go from a Physics PhD to a data science career.
The three major routes I've seen have been:
* Apply to a program like the Insight Data Science Fellows (there are many like this), where they take students with strong quantitative backgrounds and build up some of their more industry-relevant skills, then place them in jobs. These can be quite competitive, and my impression is that students who get placed in these fellowships have already done significant work on "side projects" in data science - i.e. you create your own research topic, and find out something interesting. [Also, since they are competitive, I suspect students from high-profile universities have an advantage.]
* Find an internship at a local company; use this to bootstrap your way into industry (or just go work there if you like it!). Again, usually before you get an internship, you usually need to show some interest, working on a more closely data-science-relevant side project, or providing a solution in a Kaggle competition.
* Personal connections. Keep an eye on graduating students now, and see what they do! Many companies need coders with strong quantitative skills, and might offer referral bonuses - someone who graduated a few years before I did reached out to me at one point because of this.
Since you are just starting out, you also have the important option to make your PhD project more closely aligned with interesting data science ideas. It is possible to do both physics and data science - for instance, if I look at the list of sessions at the 2017 APS March Meeting, I see three or four with "machine learning" in the title alone. Of course, this depends on an advisor who is willing to do this and able to teach you relevant things!
However, it is still important to remember that a Physics PhD is a long time commitment, and you have to choose an advisor and a project you will be happy with in the mean time - not just what is going to be popular in industry. (After all, in 3-4 years, the market for data scientists may not be nearly so good.)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I did exactly this (Physics PhD to data science). I didn't do any 'specific projects' but did some self teaching.
If you want to do help yourself you could learn:
* Brush up on Linear algebra.
* Good knowledge of one high-level programming language (Python, R, etc)
* Awareness of Machine Learning algorithms.
I was already competent in Python and did some basic Machine learning (i.e., regression and basic image classification). I also read the first half of the book:
*'Hands-On Machine Learning with Scikit-Learn and TensorFlow' by <NAME>. (I have no affliation to this book or author).*
The most important thing is to concentrate on getting your PhD! A good PhD will get you a job in this field rather than the basic understanding you could gain yourself in your free time. I did all my learning while working at a different job for a few months after my PhD.
Following this, I then approached some Data Science jobs and was honest: I have a strong numerate background, but have very little knowledge about data science but want to learn. Several companies were very happy for me to 'train up' because of the potential someone with a PhD has! Particularly, as a physics PhD teaches you great research and problem solving skills.
Upvotes: 1
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<issue_start>username_0: Graduate admissions in an EECS field, either Ph.D or Masters. I know research experience is the most important but is having prior teaching experience also desirable?
I want to TA (it seems fun), but I'm debating on whether it will be worth it or not if it won't help me with either job prospects or graduate school.<issue_comment>username_1: As for your first question, usually teaching is not required for any of the two admissions, but it depends on the process at the particular institution after all.
As for your second question, all people are different and thus have different reasons. Do TA only if you exactly know why you are doing it (and not invest your time into something else). If fun is reason enough for you -- **do it**. I knew a couple of students with exactly the same motivation: they were happy.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I'm not sure how much of a difference prior teaching experience really makes for graduate school admissions, as it's not something we normally look for. It's certainly worth mentioning and will help for your career in the long-term to have had the teaching experience, whether or not you go into academia. (Somebody who is capable of teaching others is a valuable commodity!)
The only way a department would likely be looking for such experience is if it has to do a lot of "service" teaching, such as a math department. But even then it's more of a "plus" factor rather than an expectation.
I agree with username_1 that you should do it if you have a purpose for doing so.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I was a teaching assistant as an undergrad, and there are a few very direct ways this experience can help in work and admissions, a way in which it may or may not be helpful, and at least a few other effects that aren't on your list, but may be worth your consideration.
The most direct way this was helpful ended up being that the professor I was a TA for was great, supportive, and I learned a tremendous amount from him. I had the opportunity to work more with the professor than I would have otherwise, this gave him many interactions with me to base his evaluations on, and he ended up writing very supportive reference letters for me that helped me get a research internship, prestigious fellowship, and in graduate admissions as well. Good opportunities and experiences can snowball on themselves.
The second benefit was that I was a TA for statistics, and I greatly increased my depth of understanding of the subject through trying to teach it to others; this in turn aided my research as an undergraduate, improving my ability to gain meaningful research experience. This experience improved my CV, helped in writing of the personal statement, and helped me figure out what I actually wanted to go to graduate school for - all of which is helpful in admissions.
Now, on the "may or may not help" front, is just getting to list my teaching experience on my CV. No one particularly mentioned this was a big factor in any of my admission offers by itself, but no one mentioned that it was problematic. It seems to be viewed favorably, but it's rare and doesn't seem to be important to most people just by virtue of having done it.
The first side-effect you should consider is that it's an opportunity to take a real look at a piece of what it's like to teach and work with students, which is rather a big part of most academic lives. I was strongly evaluating whether or not I might like to be a professor at the time, and the positive experience helped alleviate a lot of concerns I had, so I could pursue graduate school with less worries about future job fit.
The second side-effect is that the experience of teaching allowed me to work with students across many backgrounds, including low socio-economic class, single parents, non-traditional students, and from historically under-represented populations. This experience allowed me to talk intelligently about "Broader Impacts", which happens to be a big deal if you are considering national fellowships like the NSF GRFP, and all three of my reviewers explicitly called out my experience in teaching and outreach as a major factor for positive reviews under this particular metric. It wasn't why I chose to be a TA in the first place - but it turned out to be an advantage of the experience that I had not anticipated, as this is a socially important issue in industry and academia.
Now, I will say there is one major downside that you have to consider: being a teaching assistant tends to take up a whole lot of time (20 hours a week of real, focused time is not unusual), emotional/mental energy, and takes up a lot of head-space for the whole semester. Also, most people dislike (or hate) grading, but it comes with the territory. Ultimately, this means all this time and energy has to come from somewhere. If you are just being more active and productive and this takes away from time you'd otherwise waste on things you don't really care about, great! Or if you use the time pressure to get better at time management and efficiency, even better. But if you let it drop your grades, wipe out your social life, disrupt your sleep, miss out on research or employment/internship opportunities, or otherwise drain you in unhealthy ways- well, then you probably won't appreciate the experience in the end. The person you are working with can make a huge difference on what you get out of the time, but that is very hard to predict in advance.
Overall, it's really hard to predict what you might get out of being a teaching assistant. I wanted to do it, did it, and am really glad I did - but YMMV, naturally. Think about the time you have, what you will need to say no to if you say yes to TA, and consider what you know about the person you TA for and the class (if you have any info on that at all). This will put you in the best position for making an informed choice, and best of luck to you!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Here's my opinion, based on being a faculty in a math department. When you apply to a graduate school, it's really a two-in-one application, i.e. there are two questions to be decided: will you be accepted or not; and if yes, then with or without financial support.
Having or not prior TA experience probably won't have any effect on your admission to the program. But getting financial support is a whole different story. If you have existing connections with a research professor in the department where you're applying, then he/she may be able to support you out of their research grants. Otherwise, especially for departments with a lot of service teaching — such as math or computer science, for example — having teaching potential can be decisive when it comes to awarding graduate assistantships. Of course, prior TA experience would be a huge plus for that.
Upvotes: 3
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<issue_start>username_0: I have recently read an interesting article on number theory, published in a well-known mathematics journal. As a keen amateur mathematician, I have tried to develop some of the ideas presented in the paper. Surprisingly, I have come to a remarkable conclusion that might be worth publishing. Naturally, I first wanted to make sure that this has not been published before, so I tried to find papers that referenced the original article.
The issue is that websites that index or catalog scholarly material are off-limits to non-academics. In particular, in order to find references to certain papers or authors, one must first log in with an institution's credentials, which obviously I do not possess. What are my options? Do I:
* write up my research anyway and try to publish it, with the risk of wasting everybody's time if a similar publication has already been made,
* waste the original author's time by asking him to send me a list of references to his article (with a high probability of having my request immediately discarded), or
* pay a high subscription fee to these cataloging websites in order to find what I'm looking for?
Is there another way for me to go about this?<issue_comment>username_1: Like a comment suggests there are shadow libraries that provide articles for free but are illegal or at least in a grey area in most countries.
You could also visit university libraries near you. Many provide guest access for a small fee or sometimes even free.
Another option would be to ask academics or students if they will give you access to their account or even do it for you.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Zentrallblatt <https://zbmath.org/> allows (limited) free access and if you start with the paper that you are working from, you might be able to get some information. Of course, full access to Zentrallblatt or MathSciNet is what you need but it requires a subscription. If you can go to a University library, you can explain your situation to a librarian and they might help you. If you know someone who is a student or works at a university, they can do the search for you.
Edit; You should also try Google Scholar.
An alternative less onerous to the author is to send him an email with the statement of your result and ask him if he's seen it before.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: Many academic libraries allow outsiders to go there in person and use their search facilities.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: **Google Scholar** can get you quite far.
Go to `scholar.google.com` and paste in the full title of the paper you're looking for. Here's one of mine:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xe3r5m.jpg)
Click the "cited by" link (highlighted) and you'll get a list of works citing the paper you're interested in. Some of these will be papers, some won't, and Google's indexing isn't quite the same as some of the other sources. But it's close. For each of the citing papers, there's an "All *n* versions" link. Browsing those versions will often get you to a legitimate copy from the author's institutional repository (see the right-hand column), ArXiv, or various other sources; the *Unpaywall* browser extension can also help track these down.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_5: One emerging possibility for finding citation information is through [Wikidata](https://wikidata.org/), which is a sister project to Wikipedia that structures public domain information across all fields of knowledge. That includes — as part of the [WikiCite](https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikiCite) initiative — citation information from the [OpenCitations](http://opencitations.net/) project and the [Initiative for Open Citations](http://i4oc.org/).
With currently [36 million citation statements](https://query.wikidata.org/embed.html#%23%20number%20of%20cites%20%28P2860%29%20statements%0A%23%20runtime%3A%20instantaneous%0ASELECT%20%28COUNT%28%2A%29%20AS%20%3Fcount%29%20WHERE%20%7B%20%5B%5D%20p%3AP2860%20%5B%5D.%20%7D), Wikidata is still far behind the large commercial citation databases, but beginning to be useful in some areas (mostly biomedicine — mathematics not that much yet), and tools like [Scholia](https://tools.wmflabs.org/scholia) can help expose that information.
To search for a scholarly article there, you can type the beginning of its title into the Wikidata search bar (if you are just doing keywords, you will need to hit return and then sift through the search results). If the article is in the database (currently [about 11 million](https://query.wikidata.org/#%23%20number%20of%20scientific%20articles%20indexed%20in%20Wikidata%0ASELECT%20%28COUNT%28%2A%29%20AS%20%3Fcount%29%20WHERE%20%7B%20%3Fitem%20wdt%3AP31%20wd%3AQ13442814.%20%7D%0A) are), you should end up on its Wikidata page, which will give you the Wikidata identifier for that scholarly article, e.g. [Q27932040](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q27932040) for "[A screen for RNA-binding proteins in yeast indicates dual functions for many enzymes](https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0015499)".
The Scholia page for that same scholarly article uses the same Wikidata identifier:
<https://tools.wmflabs.org/scholia/work/Q27932040> and can also be accessed via the article's DOI: <https://tools.wmflabs.org/scholia/doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0015499> . It provides some basic information about the article, including (incomplete) citation information from and to the paper.
Instead of starting to explore the literature with a given paper, you can also start it with a given author (e.g. <https://tools.wmflabs.org/scholia/author/Q3063122> for geneticist <NAME>) or topic (e.g. <https://tools.wmflabs.org/scholia/topic/Q202864> for the Zika virus) or in a number of other ways, as detailed in [our Scholia paper](https://dx.doi.org/10.1007%2F978-3-319-70407-4_36).
Upvotes: 3
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<issue_start>username_0: I am currently an Australian studying at ANU. I have worked as a tutor for about a year and now I am about to apply for a Ph.D. program in the states. Since the US uses *TA (teaching assistant)* instead of *tutor* (at least my institution uses this term.) When listing my teaching experience, shall I use *TA* or *tutor* as a title? Are they the same thing? I run labs or tutorials, I mark exams and assignments and so on.)<issue_comment>username_1: In my experience (at a US school), "tutor" usually refers to someone who gives one-on-one instruction. Usually this is not part of the course itself, but is something that students who need help seek out independently (that is not to say that the school or department might not have some program for tutoring, but it's usually not considered "part of the course").
In contrast, a TA is someone who does grading, leads review sessions, helps proctor exams, or some other activity related directly to the course. A TA often also has office hours for one-on-one help, but this is not their only duty.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I would not change the job title. List it as tutor and then provide a brief description of your job duties. In the US a TA can have duties ranging from only grading problem sets to independently running a class. When evaluating an application the admissions committee wants to know what you did and not what your title was.
Upvotes: 2
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| 884
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<issue_start>username_0: I've noticed that in the ACM article document class you can now list authors' "ORCID" registration key.
I've not heard anyone mention that to me before. They Orcid website [says](https://orcid.org/about/what-is-orcid/mission):
>
> ORCID provides an identifier for individuals to use with their name as they engage in research, scholarship, and innovation activities. We provide open tools that enable transparent and trustworthy connections between researchers, their contributions, and affiliations. We provide this service to help people find information and to simplify reporting and analysis.
>
>
>
Whenever someone tells me they want to "enable trust" or that they're "trustworthy" I get suspicious...
So, is this about disambiguating researchers with the same first and last name without relying on their affiliation? Or is there something else to ORCID?
More specifically - if my name is rare and I don't expect there to be another academic with this same name in the foreseeable future - are there benefits for me in registering?<issue_comment>username_1: The advantages are:
* Unique identifiability (as you noted, not everybody needs this).
* Stability: There may be some other researcher with your name in ten year from now. Or you might change your name due to whatever reasons.
* It's handy: Many editorial system allow you to log-in by just clicking "log in with ORCID". Some years ago I had zillions of log-in for different systems, often conflicting and I ended up requesting passwords frequently, delaying the submission of reviews. Now I use ORCID for everything and the problem is basically gone (sometimes I get invitations to review for journals I did not use before and they give a new log-in but I insist that they use my ORCID, and this works). For example several sites with the url editorialmanager.com allow you to sign in via ORCID. If you do so you do not a new log in and on top of that all your affiliation is already filled in after log in.
* Your university library may be happy: When you use ORCID it is pretty easy for them to see how you publish with different journals/publishers and this may give them useful data for negotiations with publishers. You may have heard of the "[Project Deal](https://www.projekt-deal.de/about-deal/)" where Germany is fighting with some publishers and it turned out that the data about the publications habits of German scholars is helpful in the negotiations (at least this is what our librarian told us).
Actually, I don't know of any competing standard and I do not see any downside in using ORCID. The organization behind ORCID is non-profit. I view ORCID as trustworthy and helpful as the arXiv (in case this means anything to somebody…).
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: ORCID is now mandatory in order to publish in some journals.
Reference: <https://www.springernature.com/gp/researchers/orcid>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: The usage of ORCID identifiers (a **unique** and **persistent identifier** of the researchers and contributors) will ["increase author's visibility and interoperability between a wide range of information services"](https://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=orcid&lang=en), but also will help to distinguish yourself!
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/M0Hop.jpg)
([Picture source](https://esmemes.com/i/im-a-huge-metal-fan-me-too-im-a-big-21584700))
Upvotes: 2
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2017/12/14
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<issue_start>username_0: I am currently a second year mathematics undergraduate and will be undertaking a research placement (in topology/decision problems in group theory) at a maths faculty in England this coming summer.
My supervisor has asked that I apply for research grants. Currently I have the potential to be funded (at least partially) by the maths faculty, and also the London Mathematical Society (LMS). To be safe though I would like to apply to as many places as possible.
I have heard of large company funding research in mathematics so perhaps I should just email large companies and ask them if they are willing to help fund my project? Has anyone heard of success of this before?
Are there any other kinds of funding sources I have not mentioned above?<issue_comment>username_1: You could see if these guys have any funding available [The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications](https://ima.org.uk/) I doubt emailing large companies is going to work.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: ### Charitable funding from large companies seems unlikely
In the US, only about 4% of scholarship dollars come from private sources.
>
> Here is the breakdown of sources of college grants: federal government (44 percent), colleges (36 percent), state governments (9 percent), employers (7 percent), and private scholarships (4 percent).
>
>
> -["7 Things You Need to Know About Private Scholarships"](https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/the-college-solution/2011/02/01/7-things-you-need-to-know-about-private-scholarships), U.S. News (2011-02-01)
>
>
>
So, you're in the UK and asking about summer research funding, but it seems likely that the same trend would apply: that not much of the funding would come from corporations.
The big problem's that there doesn't seem to be a reason why they'd do it. Even if a company wants to give its money away to research, it seems like they'd target medical research or something else with near-term applications.
### You may want to think out an argument for your research
In general, the problem's that capital's a finite resource; people could just as easily put their economic power toward medical research or their own interests. So, why should anyone want to give you money?
This isn't rhetorical or to make you feel bad! Rather, it's an important life question that we all have to ask. And if you can find a good answer to it - one that isn't biased by your own personal wants, but rather is objectively compelling - then that'll give you a basis for pursuing sponsors.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]
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<issue_start>username_0: I sent a reminder email one day before the due date for a couple of my applications to grad school. It said something along the lines of
>
> This is just a reminder that first due dates are tomorrow: [list of a
> couple of schools]. Hope you aren't too busy to write still. If you
> haven't received an email from these schools on instructions let me
> know.
>
>
>
I also sent "resends" to this professor's email via the schools' application portals. The professor responded with something like
>
> You've already sent a list of deadlines [I did, but this was about a
> month ago]. It is NOT helpful to send repeated reminders.
>
>
>
I thought it was standard to send reminders before deadlines, especially if due dates are tomorrow with no letter sent. I feel that I have said or done something wrong. **How can I prevent this from happening in the future?**
I am now not only reluctant to send reminders for January schools, but I am now worried about the strength of this professor's letter. I have four letter writers, and I am tempted to drop his letter on some January schools. The reason for this is that this is not the only time he has been a bit snappy with me, although never like this. But I did tell him a while ago that I did not want his letter if it would not be strong, and yet he still agreed to write for me. So assuming he is honest about that, I feel I should maybe keep his letter.
This is all a little confusing and stressful. Thanks for your time to read.<issue_comment>username_1: My wife has a saying: "Everyone has their own bucket of [*fecal matter*]".
It's easy to take this at face value and react. If you've got experience with this person and he's always an obnoxious turd, that's one thing; on the other hand, if he's not normally like this, he might have been having a bad day and lashed out. Can you communicate with him directly? Consider dropping by for a cup of coffee, see if you can find out if he's having personal issues, talk to him directly and see what the issue really is. Remember, email truly *sucks* as a communication device for anything other than cold, dry facts.
If he's just not going to put in the work, and he lets you down, you will know better than to depend on him next time.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: >
> I feel that I have said or done something wrong. How can I prevent
> this from happening in the future?
>
>
>
The only odd thing you did was remind via *both* the online system and the personal email without acknowledging you did so in the email ("I am writing you an email on top of the online notices because I was told those sometimes get caught in spam.")
You could follow up with: "My apologies. I wanted to put the links at the top of your inbox so you could find them easily. I thought I should follow up with an email because I was told these can sometimes go to spam. I realize now this could be a bit obnoxious. Thanks again for your willingness to write a letter." You might stop by later and find out if he doesn't want ANY reminders or if he just wants a single one from the online system or a single one via personal email.
>
> I am now worried about the strength of this professor's letter. I have
> four letter writers, and I am tempted to drop his letter on some
> January schools.
>
>
>
I would say you need to figure out if his behavior with you is just his typical behavior, or if he acts more negatively toward you than toward other students in your position. It seems most relevant to figure out your position relative to HIS baseline, not relative to a "nice person."
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: **Just apologize and move on.** No need to skip his letter. It sounds like you're moving on soon enough and won't have to deal with his snippy personality much more.
Some professors have asked me to send them reminders because they're busy, and so I do. You're not *really* in the wrong having done this, unless he explicitly asked you not to. Apologizing costs nothing and just greases the wheels. Sounds like this professor does a good job of staying organized (or thinks he does). Some professors get hundreds of emails a day, and he was probably annoyed at one more (two more?) email(s) telling him something he already knew.
Now the question is whether you send the apology by email ...
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: >
> How can I prevent this from happening in the future?
>
>
>
Well, you can always go live on a desert island, or join an order of silent monks (and even living among monks would not guarantee that you will escape such foibles of human nature).
More seriously: you can’t prevent it, and you shouldn’t try either. You did absolutely nothing wrong by sending a reminder email. For every professor who responds irritably to your emails there are at least ten others who would appreciate your reminder email, and for some of them the reminder would even be needed to get them to upload their letter. Thus, you stand to lose much more than you will gain by changing your behavior because of the professor’s response. Just accept that working with other people necessitates occasionally having some strange and perhaps unpleasant interactions (trust me, you will have many more), and move on.
By the way, I also think it’s highly unlikely that the professor will modify his recommendation because of your email — that would be an extremely unprofessional and unethical thing to do, much more so than replying irritably to an email. Anyway, good luck with your applications.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_5: >
> This is just a reminder that first due dates are tomorrow: [list of a couple of schools]. Hope you have time to write still. If you haven't received an email from these schools on instructions let me know.
>
>
>
This wasn't worded very well. By explicitly declaring your message a "*reminder*", you've:
1. Taken a role in managing their activities.
2. Suggested that you have less than perfect confidence in their reliability.
In general, both of these things might inspire offense. The primary issue is that, as a student requesting a recommendation letter, you're making a request of a professional-superior; deference and thanks are the typical expectations.
So, you'd have two ways to approach this: either as a professional-peer trying to coordinate an activity or a professional-subordinate requesting guidance from a superior.
To word something like this as a professional-peer:
>
> I'm working on finalizing my applications to [list of schools] that have their deadlines tomorrow, so I just wanted to touch base with you on the recommendation letters and thank you again for your time and consideration. Please let me know if they failed to send you the invitation via email or if there's anything else that I could do on my end.
>
>
>
To word something like this as a professional-subordinate:
>
> Thank you for helping me with the application process with your recommendation. Since a few of the deadlines are tomorrow, I'm trying to make sure that I got everything in order, including ensuring that I properly provided those kind enough to provide recommendation letters with access to the applications. Please let me know if there's anything else that I need to do, and thank you for your time and consideration!
>
>
>
Whether you approach a recommendation-writer as a peer or subordinate will depend on a lot of personal factors, so that's a case-by-case thing.
Stuff to avoid:
1. **"Reminding" them.** Reminding someone suggests that you're not 100% confident that they were on-track. However plausible or reasonable this might be, some might still take offense to it.
2. **Managing their activities.** In some sense, they've agreed to do something for you, and thus you might reasonably argue that they're obligated to perform the agreed-upon service. And while this might seem technically true, it'll often rub people the wrong way; it's best to avoid sounding like a micro-manager.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_6: One trick we had back in the day for *exactly* this situation was (a benign abuse of):
The thank-you note.
-------------------
Instead of a reminder, which, as you have experienced firsthand, can be interpreted as pushy, send a note expressing your gratitude the professor for having written the letter on your behalf despite the "short deadline of X", and how much that means to you. Written properly, such a note can't be construed as inappropriately pushy.
If they have written the letter, they will get a warm fuzzy feeling.
If they haven't, then unless they're sociopathic (in which case you probably don't want their letter anyway), they will get some serious cognitive dissonance at not having written or sent it yet, and then most likely proceed to do so immediately. After which they will get the warm fuzzy feeling.
Everybody wins.
Upvotes: 3
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2017/12/14
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<issue_start>username_0: Not so long ago an Austrian institution posted a job ad titled "Assistant Professor Position (Tenure Track) for a female Researcher". The description says further
>
> As part of a special measure towards increasing female employment in scientific positions and promoting young researchers, the Faculty of [censored department] at the [censored institution name] invites applications for an Assistant Professor position (tenure track) for women expected to begin on May 2, 2018.
>
>
>
My understanding is that it is unlawful to ask for a particular gender in a job ad unless the gender is strictly necessary to perform the job duties. For academic tasks, the gender of the researcher is irrelevant. Does the institution run into legal issues with this ad? Could someone legally generate profit from such an ad by suing the institution (or the goverment behind it) for discrimination? Have such attempts been already undertaken in academia? (Outside academia, we see [successful lawsuits](http://www.spiegel.de/karriere/stellenanzeige-nur-fuer-frauen-taz-darf-maenner-nicht-diskriminieren-a-973838.html) at least in Germany.)
An aside: Let us speak only about the *legal* and *financial* part of the particular situation rather than anything else. Let us not discuss whether the job ad and the institution should be condemned or praised or anything of the kind.<issue_comment>username_1: The University of Melbourne recently [advertised for three senior positions in mathematics intended for women](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/may/19/university-of-melbourne-mathematics-school-advertises-women-only-positions). Their argument is that, by underrepresenting women on the faculty, they are not providing adequate support and representation for female students in mathematics (and by extension other STEM fields).
While this may not be an ideal way to achieve that goal, there is something to be said for the argument that women are definitely underrepresented in the ranks of faculty. The University of Melbourne's argument is that it's partly a systemic issue, and thus exceptional measures are needed to change this.
As an additional issue, in many EU countries, such hires are permitted under the auspices of increasing diversity in the academic ranks. For instance, the [Excellence Initiative of the DFG](http://www.dfg.de/en/research_funding/programmes/excellence_initiative/index.html) has supported such hires at German universities. The Austrian university you're citing may have a similar view.
As far as legality is concerned, I doubt that there's a way to get significant profits on a discrimination claim. To be successful, you'd need to prove that you were more qualified than the job than the person actually hired. Given the long-term existence of the program (the initiative is over a decade old) and the lack of such rulings, there may not be grounds to sue or to profit from it. (And it's not a very worthwhile investment of time and resources.)
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: As a too-long remark to fit as "comment", and also as a repost (in an archaic sense) to the question and pursuant comments.
In my 40-year experience in academic mathematics in the U.S., it is clear to me that while, "of course", no official, explicit, institutionalized bias against women in math exists, *operationally* there is a huge bias.
As I've noted elsewhere, for me the original stunning case was my senior (and good-mathematician, otherwise) colleague's remark that a youngish woman "didn't look like a mathematician". At the time, I was too naive (and junior) to object, or do much about it. But it stunned me.
Since then, some of my colleagues, and some of the male grad students, have reacted to my dept's aggressive recruitment of women as "corruptive", and somehow caving-in to "low standards". WTF? True, it was "simpler" in the old days when there were no "distracting" influences in grad school (women?), and there was no two-body problem in jobs (because "wives" would "obviously" follow husbands around... to the ends of the earth).
This deconstruction can go on for a long time... In some sense, for what it's worth, I myself do apologize to the women who've been subjected to the denial-of-issue... idiocy.
(People can email me easily enough if further discussion is interesting...)
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: *Disclaiming that I'm not a lawyer and this isn't legal/financial advice.*
### Perhaps defensible as an experiment
I suspect that this may be defensible in small-scale application.
I'd see two arguments for it:
1. From a civil angle, male job-seekers have had their pool of potential positions negligibly reduced, such that it'd be difficult to demonstrate material harm.
2. From a statutory angle, if it's an experiment to see what'd happen if an institution's staffed with more females, then they have a material need to consider only female applicants.
They also seem to argue that discrimination against females is on-going, such that they'd attempt to mitigate the argument that they're discriminating with the counter-position that they're actually correcting for discrimination. This argument seems a bit flimsier, but it can help supplement their position based on the other arguments.
### It's a neat experiment!
From a systems perspective, I strongly suspect that their perspective on gender issues is off-base and this won't actually do much to affect the nature of the gender-ratio in Computer Science. However, they probably think that this is exactly what's needed.
The really cool part is that ***they're testing it***. So, sexist or not, it's fascinating to see what'll come of it, and surely the results should help inform future policy.
### Where's the money?
I'd imagine that legal means would be unlikely to directly result in much cash. However, this is a politically/socially sensitive topic that a lot of folks are interested in.
So, if there were some sort of legal battle or other big fuss, then book sales or similar popularization might yield some cash. Depending on how it's done, this could be very helpful or destructive to society. An insightful look at the situation could be on the helpful side while hate-mongering would be on the destructive end.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: A while back we had a similar question [Is it lawful for a fellowship linked to a permanent faculty position at a British university in the STEM field to only be available to females?](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/78591/is-it-lawful-for-a-fellowship-linked-to-a-permanent-faculty-position-at-a-britis) (to the extent Austria/UK and fellowship/assistant professor are similiar) that led me to ask [this question](https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/14748/in-the-uk-can-a-job-search-be-limited-to-women-only) on Law.SE.
In the UK, and I think the EU, positive action (or in US English Affirmative Action) can only be given to a member of a vulnerable group if the candidates are equally qualified. This had always seemed weird to me since we know that no two faculty candidates are ever equally qualified, but then I started working for the US government.
For the US government, at least civil service in the DoD, HR ranks candidates qualifications on a small discrete range (i.e., good, better, best). When we do a search, as far as HR is concerned, all the candidates with a *best* ranking are equally qualified. If there is a candidate within that group that qualifies for special consideration (e.g., veterans), they get the job, but if there are best qualified candidates, then a better qualified veteran candidate they do not get the job since best is better than better. From this perspective, a women only search might be legal since it will only progress if at least one candidate is best qualfified, which would allow positive discrimination to be applied.
Finally, I really see 3 possibilities. First, the university legal department looked at the ad and said it was okay. Second, the university marketing department look at the ad and said it was okay regardless of if it was legal. Third, no one looked at the ad.
My understanding of EU law is that if it is illegal by EU law, it is illegal in all EU member countries (i.e., a member country cannot make something legal that the EU says is illegal), but that member countries can make things illegal beyond what the EU says. Therefore, if these types of targeted searches are legal by EU law, there would need to be an Austria specific law over ruling the EU law.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_5: None of us here are experts in employment law, in Austrian law, or Austrian employment law. And this is not an example where one can easily work things out without being an expert in Austrian law, because this is legal in some countries (like Australia) and illegal in other countries (like the US). However, all major universities have lawyers who work for them who are experts in employment law. So obviously at least one person who is much more of an expert on this than any of us thinks that it's legal or at least not clearly illegal. If you want advice about your chances suing someone you're going to need to hire a lawyer.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_6: In brief, the job ad in question seems perfectly in line with an official document of the institution, the Career Advancement Plan for Women (see below). If there is any issue it would have to be with this plan, not just the particular job ad, which seems more unlikely.
---
According to Austrian law it can be legal to put measures into place with the intent of reducing existing inequalities, even when in isolation they would be discrimination. In that sense the understanding of the general principles expressed in the question is correct, except that there is an explicit exception to them if the intent is to reduce existing inequalities.
The most relevant law here is the [Bundesgesetz über die Gleichbehandlung](https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnormen&Gesetzesnummer=20003395) [something like 'Federal law for equal treatment'].
It mostly details the understanding recounted in the question, but it also has a paragraph that allows for exceptions of the form mentioned above.
>
> Positive Maßnahmen
>
>
> § 8. Die in Gesetzen, in Verordnungen, in Instrumenten der kollektiven Rechtsgestaltung oder in generellen mehrere Arbeitnehmer/innen umfassende Verfügungen des/der Arbeitgebers/Arbeitgeberin getroffenen Maßnahmen zur Förderung der Gleichstellung von Frauen und Männern, insbesondere durch Beseitigung tatsächlich bestehender Ungleichheiten im Sinne des Art. 7 Abs. 2 B-VG, gelten nicht als Diskriminierungen im Sinne dieses Gesetzes. Dies gilt auch für Maßnahmen zur Förderung der Gleichstellung von Frauen und Männern in den in § 4 genannten Bereichen. Der Bund kann für besondere Aufwendungen, die Arbeitgeber/inne/n bei der Durchführung solcher Maßnahmen entstehen, Förderungen gewähren.
>
>
>
Somewhat improved Google Translate's [translation](https://translate.google.com/#auto/en/Positive%20Ma%C3%9Fnahmen%0A%0A%C2%A7%208.%20Die%20in%20Gesetzen%2C%20in%20Verordnungen%2C%20in%20Instrumenten%20der%20kollektiven%20Rechtsgestaltung%20oder%20in%20generellen%20mehrere%20Arbeitnehmer%2Finnen%20umfassende%20Verf%C3%BCgungen%20des%2Fder%20Arbeitgebers%2FArbeitgeberin%20getroffenen%20Ma%C3%9Fnahmen%20zur%20F%C3%B6rderung%20der%20Gleichstellung%20von%20Frauen%20und%20M%C3%A4nnern%2C%20insbesondere%20durch%20Beseitigung%20tats%C3%A4chlich%20bestehender%20Ungleichheiten%20im%20Sinne%20des%20Art.%207%20Abs.%202%20B-VG%2C%20gelten%20nicht%20als%20Diskriminierungen%20im%20Sinne%20dieses%20Gesetzes.%20Dies%20gilt%20auch%20f%C3%BCr%20Ma%C3%9Fnahmen%20zur%20F%C3%B6rderung%20der%20Gleichstellung%20von%20Frauen%20und%20M%C3%A4nnern%20in%20den%20in%20%C2%A7%204%20genannten%20Bereichen.%20Der%20Bund%20kann%20f%C3%BCr%20besondere%20Aufwendungen%2C%20die%20Arbeitgeber%2Finne%2Fn%20bei%20der%20Durchf%C3%BChrung%20solcher%20Ma%C3%9Fnahmen%20entstehen%2C%20F%C3%B6rderungen%20gew%C3%A4hren.):
>
> Positive action
>
>
> § 8. The measures taken in laws, regulations, collective legal instruments or in general multi-employee dispositions of the employer to promote equality between women and men, in particular by eliminating existing inequalities within the meaning of Art Art. 7 para. 2 B-VG are not considered to be discrimination within the meaning of this Act. This also applies to measures to promote equality between women and men in the areas mentioned in § 4. The Federal Government may grant subsidies for special expenses that employers incur in carrying out such measures.
>
>
>
The title is "positive measures" and then it roughly says that measures whose intent it is to level existing inequalities are not consider as discrimination and federal government might even fund them.
Now, this does not simply authorize everybody to do whatever they think might be appropriate. But, it admits the general principle, and further laws and regulations can build on it.
Let me now jump from the general to the concrete.
The job ad in question seems to be in line, and likely even motivated, by an official document of the institution in question (or if it is not the institution in question than it is a comparable one). Thus, if something should not be legal it would be this plan. The above mentioned §8 should be applicable to this document.
This document, called [Frauenförderungsplan](https://www.tuwien.ac.at/fileadmin/t/ukanzlei/Frauenfoerderungsplan.pdf) [[Career Advancement Plan for Women](https://www.tuwien.ac.at/fileadmin/t/ukanzlei/t-ukanzlei-english/Career_Advancement_Plan_for_Women_at_TU_Wien.pdf)] contains among other things §6(3) (quoting the English version):
>
> To increase the proportion of women among professors and among young scientists, special measures
> shall be taken, for example establishing tenure-track positions and professorships for women.
>
>
>
That the institution has such a Career Advancement Plan for Women is motivated by, indeed prescribed by, the Austrian law that governs the organization of universities [[Universitätsgesetz 2002 – UG](https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnormen&Gesetzesnummer=20002128)], specifically §20b.
Also of relevance §41:
>
> § 41. Alle Organe der Universität haben darauf hinzuwirken, dass in allen universitären Arbeitsbereichen ein ausgewogenes Zahlenverhältnis zwischen den an der Universität tätigen Frauen und Männern erreicht wird. Die Erreichung dieses Ziels ist durch geeignete Maßnahmen, insbesondere durch die Erlassung und Umsetzung eines Frauenförderungsplans, anzustreben.
>
>
>
Saying roughly (my translation) "All parts of the university must work towards achieving equal numbers of women and man employed, for all types of employment. This goal shall be achieved by putting appropriate measures into place, in particular by adopting and implementing a career advancement plan for women.
The respective plans for this and other Austrian universities can also be found on [a site of the Austrian government](https://www.help.gv.at/Portal.Node/hlpd/public/content/344/Seite.3440003.html#Universitaeten).
Maybe noteworthy, I did not find that explicit suggestions in some others which I looked at though; I did not look at all and not very carefully either.
Another relevant law would be the [Bundes-Gleichbehandlungsgesetz – B-GlBG](https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnormen&Gesetzesnummer=10008858), especially §11. Specifically § 11b.(1) not only authorizes but prescribes the practice described in the answer of rexkogitans for areas in which women are underrepresented. (While universities, I think, are not *directly* in any case not completely covered by this law, since it is about employment by the Austrian state, which is not anymore the way people are employed at Austrian universities, except for some existing old contracts, explicit reference is made to this regulation in the above mention document as some king of inspiration.)
Further legal explications can be found in the Career Advancement Plan for Women quoted above.
To sum up, the job ad in question seems perfectly in line with an official document of the institution, the Career Advancement Plan for Women. If there is any issue it would have to be with this plan, not the particular job ad.
Yet this plan makes detailed reference to various laws and alike (roughly and clumsily recounted above); certainly people with legal expertise were involved in the creation of that document.
Now, in principle, it is still possible that there is some legal problem with this plan or opposing legal opinions of what is or is not legal, but if there is one it should be rather subtle.
Indeed, there are earlier precedence for this practice. [In 2010 an Austrian newspaper reported](https://diepresse.com/home/recht/rechtallgemein/569436/Uni-Linz_Nur-Frauen-durften-sich-bewerben) about some assistant professor positions advertised for women only at another Austrian university. A representative of the university is quoted:
>
> Das stelle auch keine unzulässige Diskriminierung dar, sagt <NAME>, Sprecher der Uni Linz. So seien laut EU-Recht „spezifische Vergünstigungen für ein Geschlecht zulässig“, wenn diese zum Ausgleich von Benachteiligungen dienen. Und Frauen seien in der Wissenschaft unterrepräsentiert.
>
>
>
My rough translation:
>
> This is no inadmissible discrimination, says <NAME>, speaker of the University of Linz. For, according to EU law "specific advantages for one gender are admissible" if those serve to even out existing disadvantages. And women in research are underrepresented.
>
>
>
However it continues:
>
> So einfach sei die Sache nicht, betont jedoch <NAME>, Experte für öffentliches Recht an der Uni Wien. Funk studierte für die „Presse“ die Stellenausschreibung genau. Sein Schluss: „Ich halte sie gelinde gesagt für rechtlich problematisch“, so Funk.
>
>
>
My translation:
>
> The situation is not so simple, emphasizes Bernd-<NAME>, expert for public law the the University of Vienna. Funk studied the job advertisement for "Presse" [the name of the newspaper]. His conclusion: "I consider them, put mildly, as legally problematic," said Funk.
>
>
>
It then continues to say that while things like preferential treatment in cases of equal qualification are alright this goes to far and is against European and Austrian legal norms. The advice to men that feel discriminated was to apply and to then go to court.
If you or somebody else wants to pursue this matter seriously it may be an option to contact him (Funk) and inquirer what he thinks about this now, and the relevant paragraph of the "Frauenförderungsplan" of the TU Wien. It seems he is still active, though at a different institution, and his contact details are easy to find. You could also contact the relevant institution.
*Conclusion:* The job ad seems to be covered by official documents and policies of the university, which in some detail argue how they tie in with Austrian law. This notwithstanding there appear to be opposing legal opinions, too.
Upvotes: 6
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<issue_start>username_0: One of the programs I'm applying to doesn't even mention a personal statement, but I have one written for other programs that do require it. Should I submit it anyway under the document upload section, or just leave it out?<issue_comment>username_1: You can certainly ask the program if they'd be OK with you sending a statement of purpose (or anything else they didn’t ask for) in addition to the rest of the application. If so, then go ahead. But in general, you shouldn't provide information that isn't requested for by the program in question. Information not asked might may not be considered, and may hurt your application.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: The statement of purpose or also known as motivation letter is more concerned with what the candidate intends on achieving in the program, how she or he intends to apply the acquired knowledge in their career field of choice, their future vision and goals, etc. Thus, it is rather more formal and precise. Whereas, the personal statement refers more to the candidate's past history and how their own personal experiences have led them to choose said program. For example, I always loved ponies since I was a child. I have fond memories with my parents taking me to ride ponies so I now want to study pony medicine...lol. I think the latter serves to gauge more if the candidate will have the right chemistry in the program and the former to conclude whether the candidate understands the programs objectives and if their objectives match. And also to judge if the candidate can contribute to research or societal contributions in a way that reflects nicely on the school. That being said submitting a personal statement could without being requested to do so could be harmful. They could simply not like your personality. It's extra information to be judged against.
Upvotes: 0
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<issue_start>username_0: I'm working in an empirical field and have recently had a paper about a data collection effort and subsequent analysis thereof which was provisionally accepted, conditional on revisions. The negative remark most difficult to address is that the dataset I acquired was considered relatively small; **How can I justify the small size of the dataset in a sound manner due to practical difficulties in acquiring data?**
It is not possible for me to collect any more data in terms of money, manpower or even time... which all add up to more or less to "research capital". I have seen other datasets used which are not much bigger, but there are also corpora which *are* bigger by a significant margin. Likewise, some datasets are quite similar while others are completely unrelated to mine. Finally, while some corpora are freely available, for the majority of the papers in my field, it is quite rare for publications to explicitly state how one can acquire the data for their own purposes, and so the actual ability to even aquire data second-hand seems to be spotty.
Basically, I would need to reformulate the paragraph above into some form which I can put into the paper which needs revision; What can I do?<issue_comment>username_1: As has been said, a satistical analysis of your data set will clarify with how much confidence and accuracy you can conclude your findings. This an essential part of the scentific process
In the natural sciences particularly, data collection can be problematic and limited by time and budget, but the community are aware of this, as should be your reviewer.
All that is required is that you report your findings appropriately even if you don't necessarily like the answer! In extreme circumstances you may have data sets that are so scant or varied you simply do need more work. It happens.
Science progresses with knowledge which includes less than optimal data, as does helping those that come after you do better by explaining in your paper how you could improve your own approach.
I agree the reviewer is probably asking for this kind of analysis and not why you were unable to do as much work as you would have liked
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: This answer will expand on some of the notes in the comments and username_1's answer. I would suggest three things:
1. In the data section, acknowledge that the sample size is relatively small. Note that this is in line with other published work addressing the question, and that data acquisition related to this question faces challenges A, B, C... Explain that the analysis and discussion will address the relatively small sample size.
2. In the analysis/results section, make sure to report the p-values and confidence intervals. The goal is to account for the small sample in the statistical analyses.
3. In the discussion, explain how having a small sample size affects the power of/your confidence in your results and the generalization of the conclusions. Help the reader understand in what ways a small sample is a limitation for your work *without* selling it short.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]
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<issue_start>username_0: I am starting to think about a problem, inspired by a series of papers on similiar questions. Is it correct for me to e-mail the professors that wrote these papers, and ask them if they already thought about it? If they did, would it be fair to ask for the ideas they had, and what they tried (of course, assuming they are not currently working on it, and don't plan to publish on their own)?<issue_comment>username_1: I would not email people *before* thinking about a problem. People are busy, so you need to respect that. Instead I would do the thinking and if you have concrete questions, then you can contact others.
If you want to "brainstorm" with someone, you can try to attend a conference that that person also attends. You can sent an email before, and ask if (s)he wants to set half an hour aside for you to discuss this or that problem. Again it would help if you narrowed the problem down, such that it can be discussed in half and hour and the person can prepare a bit if (s)he wants to.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: *Is it correct for me to e-mail the professors that wrote these papers, and ask them if they already thought about it?*
There is no "correct" or "wrong" in human interaction. (There may be actions that are legal/illegal, ethical/unethical, moral/immoral. But in this case all these are irrelevant.)
So for your question, I would suggest **it is completely legitimate to contact the author**. Science is advanced (also) by discourse, and there is nothing wrong in contacting scientists. Many devoted scientists would be happy to receive emails about their work. In your case, you also have a fairly concrete question: "*Did you already think/published about related notion X?*".
Note: They may choose not to answer you, but that is their problem. It also depends on whether your emails are reasonably comprehensible, to the point, and show potential for progress.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: At the risk of answering your question with a question, do you really want to contact people who don't know you or owe you anything about *YOUR* problem? What if they have not considered your idea but think you're really on to something and work on it without you? If the problem you have devised is truly unique then you should be proud of that and follow through with it yourself. Instead I would look for a faculty member or someone who you are at least somewhat closer to than the mathematicians you cited and see if they can perhaps mentor you through the problem solving process first. That way, should your idea pan out, you can go to the aforementioned researchers with a valid reason as to why you should be involved in the entire process.
I guess in the event that you are just a passive observer then it would be fine to just go ahead and contact them, but as Maarten stated above, "people are busy", and they may not have the time or energy to respond to questions that are not meticulously developed. Also, even if you inevitably hit a road block where you are unable to go any further on your own, you will learn more from, and get more out of, pursuing the problem as far as you possibly can by yourself.
Upvotes: 1
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<issue_start>username_0: The W2 professorship ads of all universities of applied sciences in Germany have a passage requring (e.g., for Bavaria)
>
> darüber hinaus besondere Leistungen bei der Anwendung oder Entwicklung wissenschaftlicher Erkenntnisse und Methoden in einer mindestens fünfjährigen beruflichen Praxis, die nach Abschluss des Hochschulstudiums erworben sein muss und von der mindestens drei Jahre außerhalb des Hochschulbereichs ausgeübt worden sein müssen; [...] der Nachweis der außerhalb des Hochschulbereichs ausgeübten beruflichen Praxis kann in besonderen Fällen dadurch erfolgen, dass über einen Zeitraum von mindestens fünf Jahren ein erheblicher Teil der beruflichen Tätigkeit in Kooperation zwischen Hochschule und außerhochschulischer beruflicher Praxis erbracht wurde.
>
>
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It roughly means that you have to have worked on applying your knowledge and scientific methods 5 years after graduation, 3 of which outside of academia, or, in special cases, a minimum of 5 years most of the time in cooperation between non-academic industry and academia. Regulations in other federal states are similar.
Considering the second passage, what counts (and what does not count) as such a cooperation? E.g., does working 5 years long at a research university on BMBF-financed projects with industrial partners count?<issue_comment>username_1: The definition is left intentionally vague, in my opinion, so as to not further reduce the pool of applicants unnecessarily.
The general idea, I believe, is to show that you have cooperation with (and possibly support from) industry. So a BMBF-funded project with an industrial partner is just as viable as a project whose funding comes directly from industry. I think even if neither of those holds, but you have an industrial partner on a project—perhaps seen through joint publications—you could make the case of industrial cooperation.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: From my own experience, some professor postions at universities of applied sciences in Germany stay vacant for extended periods of time because it is hard to find a candidate that fulfills all requirements to a large enough extent. Because of this, the deciding committees will more often than not be lenient about the specific nature of your experience if you are otherwise a great candidate (especially if few other people are in the running).
Upvotes: 3
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<issue_start>username_0: I am in the field of computer science, and I have noticed a trend among a group of students when dealing with undergraduate programming projects. The situation is that there are some students that when faced with a programming project they seek for students who have that skill; so that in the long run they just do not program anything at all whilst the others do all the work.
I do not know if that could be categorized as a plagiarized work, because they are taking credits for something they have not done. The issue is that is becoming a big problem in our faculty, and it is not easy to track those students.
What would be the measures to be taken for avoiding that behavior?<issue_comment>username_1: One possibility that we do with our projects (five in a group) is to include peer marking for 10 or 20%.
They mark each other - using [Moodle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moodle) there is a peer marking algorithm; you can find others - I wrote one in Excel...
Some students still get good grades as they “agree” to give each other full points. Sometimes they lie to each other!
Other students find this a good way of rewarding teamwork or lack of it... and give a wide range of points.
Edit:
For those who suggest that the peer marking is a cover-up for a poor marking scheme, I will detail the complete scheme for the project:
The project grade is based on three parts: a report, a quiz and a presentation. The theme is the same for each group, but to reduce copying each group has a different location ie country / city / town.
The report grade is the same for each student - various things are graded : tasks that have been asked for, layout, clarity etc.
The quiz (individual for 5%) is 1 week after the start of the project and is designed to motivate the students to read the brief - this helps reduce questions in the workshop sessions that are down to not reading the brief. But there are still students who score low.... and those who get full marks, because if you read the brief the questions are easy.
The presentation grade is based on the performance of each student as well as common parts for the presentation, such as quality and relevance of slides, flow of presentation etc. The individual portion is based on things like eye-contact, professional speech (no slang etc) and answering questions asked about the project / presentation at the end of the presentation.
When compiling the grades, for 160 or 240 students in groups of 5 then excel is used to do this.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I can think in some possibilities to deal with this problem, but I don't know if they're the best policies.
1. Ask for a statement of contribution (similarly to the ones we see in scientific papers). The students would need to lie in a document if they would want to carry others with their work;
2. Perform individual evaluation about the project. You can do oral or a written exam about the project, based on the statement of contribution;
3. Grade the students accordingly with the statement of contribution (not always possible);
4. The most efficient method (with less work to the professor): stop giving group projects.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: If you are assigning group projects and are "hoping for the best" in terms of students taking away key developmental skills from such an assignment: **don't do that.**
(*In engineering, I find that for important, fundamental technical skill development, it is best to assign individual projects, and save group projects for things like Capstone courses, where students bring different capabilities, view points, and experiences to the table to execute something more complex*.)
Now, for projects to be completed by individual students, I find that having a concepts exam is helpful. By this I mean just a short exam asking students basic things that, if they have done the project work themselves, should not be difficult to answer.
After the exam and project are graded, I determine the students' overall scores on the project using the concept exam score as a weight: students who do excellent on the exam get the score they earned on the project (whatever that was computed to be), while students who do poorly on the exam earn a very low project score.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: Similar to @Solar-Mike my advisor gives each student in the group a sheet where they review each of the group members 1-5 in several categories related to how well each member contributed to use as input for individual grade adjustment.
Here are some of the contributions they are rated on:
* To the project overall
* To the written/visual/poster portion of the project
* Intellectually to the project (ideas, knowledge, solutions)
* Coordination of the team (leadership role)
* To developing the class presentation
* Overall personality in terms of working in a group (flexibility, team-player, availability)
* Dedication of the proper time for the project
We also require written commentary from the students to explain their ratings and give additional feedback on their group members. For the most part this prevents 5/5 ratings for each category. If real commentary is not provided or all of the ratings are fixed 5/5 the entire group is penalized 10%.
The ratings and commentary tend to give us a good idea of the level of participation and contributions of each of the group members and allow us to adjust their individual grade accordingly from their overall group project grade.
Edit: This rating system is not done in a vacuum. The comments are taken into account with input from TAs who are involved in the process from the start of the project where they advise the students and help them set goals. The TAs stay involved throughout the project answering questions via email and holding work sessions during scheduled lab time. In this sense the TAs act partially as project advisors.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: 1) Do some tests/quizzes which play a role in grading (but which has to be solved individually).
2) Give projects which are more challenging and announce them to be for the students with more skills (but, of course, give more tolerance in grading them (and announce this, of course)). You could hope that the more interested students choose the harder tasks and thus do not form groups with the weaker students. (If this strategy works os probably dependent on your audience.)
On a related note (I cannot make a comment), do consider stating your country - it is very likely that cultural issues play a role here. For example, in my (European) country, I was told my whole life from my teachers that grades are completely irrelevant. Therefore, if the people I did the group project with happend to be my friends, I would value their friendship and loyality to them more than giving the teacher a honest evaluation about who did what. I suspect that most people here would likewise not turn their friends in but state that everybody had the same contribution to the project. (Therefore, a teacher requesting a contribution statement would put the students in a bad position.)Onhe other hand, on this (very US-centric) page, I read vers different opinions about grades.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_6: There is no way to establish who is doing the most work in a group project without watching every step, which is likely to strangle creativity and waste a lot of your time.
Even enforcing regular checkins to a version controlled repository easily misses who is really doing the work: one student thinks and another types.
There will always be better and worse students, but a team is a single unit and should be graded as such, regardless of who really does the work. However, lower-performing students will (ideally) learn from the stronger students, and I believe this is what you should be encouraging in a group project.
@Bakuriu commented another important aspect
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> Do them only if the whole point of the project is the group itself, in which case what they produce will be discarded and you'll mark how the group operated (which should be clearly documented).
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>
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It may be a role of your curriculum to teach students to perform in a group, in which case that's what you should be encouraging them to learn and test them on, not the results of what they can cobble together.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_7: In real life a good team needs a good manager. The manager is then the person who decides how everyone contributes to the project, based on objective criteria relevant to the project itself and its success.
Unless you have a group project and there's no supervision with an external person monitoring project progress and team contributions along the way, there's no metric that is going to tease that out. The fact that most students are left to their own means without a 'manager' in such projects is a fundamental flaw of the process.
I particularly loathe 'peer marking' strategies. That's just a lazy cop out that can't possibly be expected to be of any value, other than helping the marker say they did something about it without spending too much effort thinking up a more appropriate marking scheme. It's also the best way to mess with a bunch of kids and imbue distrust in that circle. Even in professional settings where such "360 assessments" are performed (e.g. in the NHS), the person involved is allowed to choose their assessors to avoid people with agendas. Imagine a student project setting where everybody benefits from pointing out they did all the work.
If you want reliable marking, get a 'higher-up' to supervise. Presumably this might even be useful experience for such a person, e.g. a PhD student supervising an undergrad group project could use that in their CV next time they're looking for a job.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_8: (This answer doesn't directly answer the OP's question but is in response to the oft-stated idea that group projects are valuable in school as part of the field-specific curriculum *because* projects in the real-world are run that way.)
In an interview situation when talking to a recent college graduate I avoid talking about group projects at all. As far as I'm concerned, they tell me nothing about the candidate's knowledge or capability.
If the situation arises - and it has, sadly - that the candidate wants to talk about a group project and has nothing else to offer I have to drill down and down with insistence on the question of: *What did you actually **do yourself** on this project?*
I literally have to drag it out of them which is tedious for me and embarrassing for both of us because the answer is invariably that they did nothing at all worth mentioning.
(This is especially true if the candidate "wrote a compiler" in his group project. Not sure why.)
In conclusion: If the purpose for assigning a group project is because all projects in industry are group projects and the student should know how to do that kind of thing then don't bother.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_9: There have been some great answers here that push students to participate in group projects, like concept exams, self-grading and individual parts. All of these strategies have in common that they **incentivize** students to learn what you think is best for them.
These solutions may work but they come at a cost. There can be several reasons why some student participate less on the coding tasks at hand.
* They do not find your programing task benefits their learning process and choose to learn something else which they find more interesting.
* They allocate resources efficiently and exhibit true team work where everyone works in an area where their comparative advantage lies: some program, some coordinate, some interpret
* They allocate resources efficiently by dividing work over time: A solves assignment 1, B solves 2.
**From my experience as a student:**
I am currently in a group work involving programing, data work and interpretation and honestly, the meaningless programing/data cleaning part is the worst. All of us know the tools at hand already and there is little to no knowledge added. We usually rotate the tasks and then do the interesting parts together.
And even if some students don't know programing yet, I don't see why forcing them to learn programing (by grading, for example) would be a beneficial strategy. If its really that important, why can't you persuade students to do the programing part themselves? Demonstrate how powerful these tools are and how the skills will benefit them in the future and students will quickly follow your example.
After all, we are here because we want to learn something. So no need to force us. :-)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_10: I don't know if you have the manpower to do this, but whenever I had a programming project (both as student and as TA/teacher), it came with a final presentation. This could be a "formal" presentation - prepare slides, talk for 10 minutes, questions - or informal, where the students would just come to the TA during office hours, run the program, and answer some questions.
During such presentations, I find it rather easy to estimate how well the students understand their project. Plus, I always require presentation time and answers to be equally distributed among all students. If the presentation and questions give an indication that one student did the majority of the work (e.g., if that one student talks significantly more than the other(s), or the team admits so when being asked about how they distributed the tasks), s/he will get a better grade than the other team members.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_11: I just read through some of the answers and they all seem to miss one important point. How do you 'quantify' programming?
I am not a computer scientist myself, but in business a project has many many facets and it is very hard to quantify each. Normally, a student group will split tasks according to each others' strengths and that is perfectly fine and even desirable from the perspective of efficiency. A couple of students might code, some do administrative work, and some will be cheering up the team and keeping it fun. Their innate sense of fairness will ensure that each student does a fair amount of work. That is how it would ideally work out in real business environment and you will be doing the students a disservice intervening in the process.
With that being said, you can set clear, strict, and measurable minimum requirements to what each student should do in the course of the project, e.g. Each student should write at least 20 lines of code, create and document an object, or speak for at least 1 minute during the presentation of the project. Again, those requirements must be clear as daylight, apply to everyone, and be measured during the evaluation, otherwise you will draw criticism and set a bad example should any of the students become managers in the future.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_12: This is an issue I have faced throughout undergrad (basically every group project I have ever had) and even now as a PhD student when collaborating with a fellow student.
See my question: [How do project supervisors address the "freeloading" problem in group projects?](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/31934/how-do-project-supervisors-address-the-freeloading-problem-in-group-projects)
Students who put my portion of work on their LinkedIn page? Check.
Students who classify "nothing worked" as work performed? Check.
The most amazing thing with these "social loafer" is that they don't even care if the assignment gets completed or not. I have been in a situation where I had less than 12 hours to finish a project assigned to two-person, and the other person simply disappeared. No emails, nothing, not a care in the world. I can't even imagine what would the person have said if I had not finished up all the work and handed in the assignment, but I can probably guess that I would be the one blamed for the overall failure.
---
To deal with this issue, from a student's perspective the most important thing is to have **visibility** and **feedback**, and a mechanism to **break off** from non-performing teammates without jeopardizing the entire project.
1. Keep groups to three-person instead of two-person - a triadic network is more stable as compared to a binary network. I think that the risk of two students simultaneously disappearing in a project is smaller than having one student disappear during a project.
2. If this is lab/group assignment, randomly rotate partners every lab and keep good track of this.
3. Shorten length of project if semester long so that deliverables come in rapid succession to prevent procrastination. Procrastination is probably the root cause of a lot of these social loafing behavior.
4. Implement periodic checks within the first few weeks for year-long project and break up teams as soon as possible
5. Have a very comprehensive feedback mechanism to rate a student's participation. Deduct marks if feedback is not provided.
6. Create a very clear and precise breakdown of work by each student. When work is submitted, keep two copies, one is the finished work to be graded, another one is completely commented throughout with very clear participation. Make sure that all student's actions are accounted for. Deduct mark automatically when no responsibility is claimed for a portion of the work.
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The most tricky aspect is "**soft responsibilities**" (for a lack of better word). To me, this is where the most conflict arises in semester-long or year-long projects, as this aspect of the project is almost entirely thankless. I define soft responsibilities as the actions that are taken that cannot be objectively evaluated. For example, emailing a client, or setting up the meeting with project supervisors, or contacting a local library to use their resources. All these things can take up a significant amount of time, and a student can even be burnt out after arranging all 12+ meetings in a year and may feel unfairly treated by the other teammates.
The solution is to clearly designate possible "soft" roles for students. Who gets to set up meetings, who runs between school and library, who keeps watch of the equipments, who contact the supplier. Make sure all actions are accounted for and relate them to the final deliverable. If an aspect of a project was not completed, see if it is because some of these "soft" responsibilities were not fulfilled, if so, deduct a mark for that particular student instead of penalizing all the student equally.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_13: Here's a view from the commercial side. I have been interviewing CS graduates since about 1983. Allowing CS students to be graded entirely on exam scores and group projects causes real problems for the students after graduation. The majority of MSCS graduates I have interviewed were unable to program AT ALL. They were passed through CS course work without ever being required to independently produce working code. Reality hits when they go to a technical interview at a selective employer and spend 45 minutes trying to solve the warm-up problem. I used to be frustrated with the candidates. Now I'm angry with the CS departments who sell worthless graduate degrees to unsuspecting students.
Shortly after I graduated from Carnegie-Mellon in 1979 they found that despite completing the introductory CS class required of all engineering students, most could not produce a simple working program. In response they instituted a practical final exam. Students were put in front of a terminal and given a couple of hours to write a working program to solve some simple problem, something that was probably ten or fifteen minutes work for a competent programmer. If the program didn't work, they didn't pass the course.
All CS programs should, as early as possible, ensure that students can independently produce working code before allowing them to advance. It's cruel to hand out degrees, leading students to believe that they are ready to work, when they are not and likely never will be.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_14: If you are going to deal with a programming problem in a group, I find perfectly natural to want good programmers on it :)
If you are a good programmer yourself, you'd probably want someone of at least an acceptable level, so that you can evenly share the load. Otherwise, you will probably end up doing it yourself, as [noted by 8bitwide](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/100577/how-to-deal-with-inactive-students-in-undergraduate-projects#comment262162_100579) (but make no mistake, that's not that they want to make the full work).
And if you are not a good programmer, that's even a stronger reason to want one on your team. :)
Now, from a group perspective (eg. a pair), it doesn't really matter that most of the programming was done by a member, *as long as the other performs an equivalent work*: they could write the user manual, create test cases, design the images used on the UI...
That is actually the most efficient way to get the job done.
Some of them are still not programming, but they are not taking credits for something they have not done, since they have participated in "creating the program".
What is highly problematic is that the group workload is *unbalanced*, with one person doing all the work and the other doing nothing. The last one ends being rewardes while the first one needs to work double, and is in a very bad position, since he *needs* to have that "group" assignment done in order to pass the subject. And despite the injusticy, doing it on his own is the only way he has available.
This is less likely to happen when the group formed on his own, specially if they are friends already (although there are some "friendships" quite parasitic, too), as they will be less inclined to not do their part or leave the other members stranded. However, in a class there is a finite number of students, ending up with one or several 'filler' groups, which may work or not, but are riskier.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_15: I teach math, not programming, but I've found a way to reduce the free rider problem dramatically. I set groups (of 3-4) who do homework together, as well as various other activities. There are two components to my solution:
1. Change the groups several times, once every three or four weeks.
2. Base the groups based partly on class rank and partly on student preferences (expressed privately, as an exam question).
A free rider might do well initially, but will likely do badly on any exam, and may be marked as "avoid" by groupmates. Consequently, each time the groups are shuffled, we get a filter effect. The better students end up together, and the free riders end up together.
I sometimes tweak this -- if there are weak students who nonetheless try hard, I put a slightly stronger student in that group to help pull them up.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_16: Thank you for acknowledging that this problem exists. As a student who "suffered" from working in groups I think I have the duty to give my two cents to this question and point out that some suggestions from others are bad. I'm a student and I've been there countless times. Oh, I ended up hating working in groups.
**TL;DR: Putting students to work in groups has a mountain of downsides. First of all, be aware of them. And at least, you MUST have a solid way of grading each student separately.**
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The fallacy of "but in real world they will work in groups"
===========================================================
Well, it's true that in the real world, almost everyone will have to work in a group, and it is lovely to think that students must be trained beforehand so they can do that properly. But working in a group in a real job is one thing. Lots of "group assignments" I see around in schools / universities are totally another thing.
* In real life you will have a manager/boss that will "grade" and "fire" **you** based on what you do. On the other hand, in the vast majority of group assignments I've received as a student, everyone in the group get the same grade, no question about it. This is borderline ridiculous.
* In real life you will have a manager/boss that will give you tasks, observe your progress, help integrate your work with the work of others, make sure things are going smoothly, and so on (or, if he doesn't, then he is a bad manager, but nevertheless in real life it is not **your job** to manage the stuff - unless you're the manager of course, but this is not in the scope of this question). In undergrad group assignments, good luck to you, just get the whole thing done and hand in to the teacher.
* In real life each member of the group can be assumed to be minimally interested in doing a good job (otherwise they will be fired). In undergrad group assignments, there is always that guy who is just slacking. And for the "suggestions" of letting students "fire" slackers or grade each other on how much they helped: that's nonsense. First of all students aren't supposed to grade each other, period. Secondly, put some psychology in it. No student will ever give terrible grades or "fire" another student. There's a whole lot of social aspects here. Bullying, retaliation. They belong to the same class, they have other classes to attend, perhaps will be colleagues for years, whether they like it or not. Do you think I would expose the bully slacker or do his work for him and stay safe?
**Unless the theme of your class is 'working in groups', where you would assign someone to be the manager and all that**, it is probably not your place to grade these oddities of working in groups. And by not grading it, it brings the morale of the good students down, since they have a ton of unrewarded extra work and stress.
---
Ask yourself why you are putting students to work in groups.
============================================================
Perhaps you are assigning a huge task but don't want it to be done individually because it's too much work for a single person. You are counting on the fact that if they are working in a group they will split the work and then have less work per person. If this is the case, don't forget and don't underestimate the fact that if they split the work, there is the extra task of adding it up in the end. Oh, this task is the worst, brings me memories... First of all, don't underestimate the hugeness of this task. How many times it happened to me that I said "okay guys send me your parts and I will add them up" only to find out that they aren't joinable at all, sometimes contradictory, sometimes missing a key thing to glue them... **Oh, but it's a part of working in groups**, you might say. It is lovely that you want your students to learn the extra difficulties of working in groups. But we get again to what I said in the section above.
Perhaps you want them to learn to work in groups. If this is the case, make sure you understand what I said in the other section. If you are aware of all the problems, and still think you can find a fair way to do it, I'm sure you will do way better than many other teachers out there that just throw the work in the students without thinking about it. But is it really your task to teach students to work in groups? I mean, is it in the spec of your teaching subject?
---
Solution: (other than giving up on group assignments) split the tasks yourself!
===============================================================================
Since this is about programming, this shouldn't be so hard actually! Example:
>
> Your task is to create a tic-tac-toe variation game, with a 7x7 board, where connecting six symbols is a win. Organize yourselves in groups of three. One person will code the game mechanics (the concept of a board with methods to make a move and determine the winner), another will code the user interface, and the third will code a ranking system for accounting the best players among many matches.
>
>
>
(I just made that up, certainly needs tweaking) The idea is that each member is doing something specific. And if one of them does their part badly, the others don't have to worry about it. Everyone will be mainly graded by their module. Considering Java, for example, you could specify the interfaces and tell them to implement them. Or you could make that a task too, each member explains how he expects the other member's APIs will be. This way they can sit down and discuss, if they are in the mood, or just imagine what the APIs of the others should be and base their work on that - and of course explaining why the APIs should be like that could be graded as well);
If you can't find an easy way to split the tasks yourself, imagine how harder it would be for the students! In this case, reconsider again why you're giving a group assignment.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_17: ***tl;dr*-** Online collaboration tools can track students' contributions, revealing their participation in group projects.
It's difficult to write any advice about group projects without warning that the group-project format is misapplied in common practice, resulting in students missing critical learning objectives. Group projects provide a different educational benefit than individual projects; the two formats aren't broadly substitutable alternatives.
Revision history
================
Tools like [*Visual Studio Live Share*](https://code.visualstudio.com/blogs/2017/11/15/live-share) can allow students to work together on the same project in real-time. If that sounds a bit new, sure, but that's the world your students will be going into.
Then extensions like [*Git History for Visual Studio Code*](https://github.com/DonJayamanne/gitHistoryVSCode) ([see also](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=donjayamanne.githistory)) can track students' contributions.
>
> ### Features
>
>
> * **View Git History with graph and details (latest feature)**
> * View the details of a commit, such as author name, email, date, committer name, email, date and comments.
> * View a previous copy of the file or compare it against the local workspace version or a previous version.
> * View the changes to the active line in the editor (Git Blame).
> * Configure the information displayed in the list
> * Use keyboard shortcuts to view history of a file or line
> * Compare commits/branches
> * View commit information in a treeview (snapshot of all changes)
>
>
> -["Git History (git log)"](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=donjayamanne.githistory), Visual Studio Marketplace
>
>
>
Presumably you could modify this extension (it's open source) or ask someone else to modify it (seems to have an active developer base) to automatically implement whatever analysis you'd feel is appropriate.
And, sure, it's probably not a good idea to assume that student contribution is directly proportional to line count, number of commits, or anything like that. But the difficulty of objectively weighing individual student contributions is a hard problem to solve anyway. Rather, the goal'd just be to ensure that students *did* engage in some minimum level of participation.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_18: My approach to group projects (I'm teaching mathematics) is pretty simple: the students are free to choose how they work, but when it is time to present the results, it is I who chooses the presenter from the group. Of course, the choice of how to form groups is also in the hands of students in this case. I merely tell them the size limits for the group (usually 3 to 5).
With this said, I really prefer to give individual assignments. We had group programming assignments when I was a student because the machine time was not readily available but now, when 99% of students have their own laptops, what's the point of them?
As to "students evaluating each other", etc., I really loath all that. IMHO, it just creates a lot of totally unnecessary ethical and social issues. I would be extremely uncomfortable to evaluate the contribution of my friends back then and the same applies to my collaborators and co-authors now. I stand by the viewpoint that is nobody else's business how exactly we split the load when we submit a joint paper for publication, so I feel no moral right to ask the students to do something that I would refuse to do myself
(the idiotic requests of the type "certify that the contribution of X was above 50%" coming from various promotion committees do not count; those I sign without any hesitation in accordance with Luke 23:34).
Upvotes: 1
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<issue_start>username_0: I am a Master's student. Recently, my professor offered me a project mentioning that funding has been granted for the project and that I will be getting paid for my work. I would like to know if I can ask him the exact amount and if yes, what will be the polite way to ask?<issue_comment>username_1: Compensation is an integral part of the decision to take on any job. Not only should you know the amount ahead of time, but also the mode of compensation: is it 1k up front? Is it $10/hour? Is it $500 now and $500 at the end of the project? This is information that you are owed as a prospective employee.
You should just be straightforward about this. There’s no decorum that you need to follow outside of whatever is usual in your relationship. I would write something along these lines:
>
> Hi James,
>
>
> I’m excited about the research opportunity that you mentioned after class last week. I was hoping you could fill me in on some concrete details such as when and how much I will be paid, the expected project timeline, the scope of my part of the project, and who else would be involved.
>
>
> If you don’t have these details set yet, I totally understand. In that case, do you have an idea of when you will have them?
>
>
> Thanks,
> Stella
>
>
>
I’ve sent some variant of this email tons of times. I’m somewhat making up the details, as I don’t know what you have or have no discusses with this professor, but I would strongly recommend that you ask about any of the things that I have listed that you don’t know already. If this is a project that is part of publishable research, you should also ask about authorship and (if applicable to your field) authorship order.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In many institutions covered by employment law your professor would have to conform to university protocols to employ you, which would include some kind of contract explicitly defining your terms and conditions. Even 'casual work' where you do not become a true employee is often subject to proper scrutiny by the university to protect both the worker and the institution from exploitation or malpractice.
You have every right to expect a clear indication of your pay, and the duration of the paid work before you consent to undertake it. Beware of false promises and unofficial deals that could undermine your rights and safety.
I understand the situation is delicate given you need to work with your professor regardless of this job, but it is unprofessional of him/her to not properly communicate and be opaque with regard to the discussions you previously had.
Upvotes: 1
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<issue_start>username_0: I had a student in one of my courses that for every graded assignment would come to me and challenge the grade given, even though I provided a rubric to show exactly why the points where taken off.
For one of the last assignments, which was a class presentation, this student went off into another topic and for half of the presentation time essentially filled the time with an interesting topic, that unfortunately, although interesting, was not what the assignment for the presentation required. There were other problems with the presentation, which I outlined in the rubric, but twice the student came to me to challenge the grade, because they "worked so hard on the presentation," and that they "did cover what was required" and did not deserve a B (which in retrospect, should have been a C), I explained why again the student got the grade they deserved...and after a while the student saying that they did not agree, left.
But then on the following class, the student came to talk to me about their grade again and was even somewhat aggressive towards me, and very confrontational raising their tone of voice and won't give up on the point that s/he deserved an A. I said that I would be happy to grade the presentation again, but that I was often very lenient and that the grade could either improve/or decrease if I were to grade it again. The student then gave up, and said that s/he would focus then on the final paper and asked whether I give full points (100) in the final paper, to which I replied, "yes, if you exceed my expectations." (haven't graded this assignment yet).
Well, a week went by and then this student asks me for a letter of recommendation! Granted s/he currently have a A- in my course, but after the way the student spoke to me, with complete lack of respect, I was very surprised that s/he would ask for a letter.
...and at first the student did not want to waive their rights to the letter, claiming that we had to sign the page "together" whenever they would pick up the letter. I explained that the student could actually fill out the top part, if s/he wanted to waive the rights, and I would fill out the bottom part, include the form with the letter in a sealed envelope. But that if s/he did not want to waive the rights, that would be fine as well, and I would just sign the bottom part...then the student decided it would be best to waive their rights...
I am now in the process of writing the letter and was wondering if anyone was ever put in the same situation, and what did you do? This is a good student, however, clearly lacks respect for their professors. Any advice/guidance/help? How/Should I mentioned this in the letter?<issue_comment>username_1: It sounds like you've agreed to write *a* letter so I think you are committed unless the student releases you from your commitment. (Personally, I'd have said no in the first place and explained if asked that, based on their behavior, I could not honestly give a favorable recommendation. But that ship has sailed.)
But what you haven't agreed to yet, I hope, is a *favorable* letter. What I would do in your situation is contact the student to explain that on reflection, you've become concerned that the only honest letter you can write will not be helpful. You don't feel you can honestly ignore that the student is a difficult, argumentative, confrontational and disrespectful individual. To be an honest appraisal, that has to go in there. You cannot write an honest letter that only recites the good stuff.
At that point, you can ask, do they still want the letter? I'm sure they'll be difficult and disrespectful once again but that's nothing new and if you stand your ground, I think they'll decide to go elsewhere. Problem solved. (And maybe they'll learn something from the experience, though, from what you describe, probably not.)
Upvotes: 7 <issue_comment>username_2: Is there perhaps a cultural element to this situation?
I was once in the reverse situation: I was studying mathematics at an Australian university, but my professor was Russian. He marked all students very harshly, and we all lost a lot of marks for not spelling out things that any other lecturer would have accepted as obvious. But if we took our assignments back to him and argued about the marking, and showed that we did understand what we were doing, he'd give the marks back again. We're talking a *lot* of marks here; it's been a long time and I don't remember exact numbers, but I'd estimate about 30% of my final grade came from arguing with him after he'd scored assignments, and it would've been similar for other students.
Effectively it turned written assignments into an oral examination, which is very unusual in Australian academia but much more common in Russia. I found the process quite daunting - my professor was a big guy who would stand quite close and talk very loudly when we were arguing results, and it took quite a while to figure out that he wasn't actually angry.
If your student comes from the same sort of academic culture as my old lecturer, it's possible that she has been taught by previous experience that she needs to argue with her results and will be severely disadvantaged if she doesn't, and she may not realise that it's coming across as rudeness.
If something like that is going on, it may be a kindness to talk to her about behavioural norms and remind her that they differ from one place to another.
Edit: per undercat's comment on this post, perhaps my experience was more about an individual lecturer than Russian academic culture in general. Either way, I think it shows why a student might believe that regularly challenging results is normal behaviour.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_3: This is similar to the comment about culture differences but focused on the concept of different learning styles.
Some of the behaviors you describe are related to ADD such as.
1. Going off topic
2. Argumentative / Oppositional behavior
3. Fear of social rejection. Exhibited by their fear of you leaving a bad review.
Students with ADD are often have troubles with formal education due to these traits.
This student may hold great respect for you as a professor but showcase it by being extremely engaged and passionate about there impact in the class. This is in comparison to a student who may be very respectful but only due to a lack of interest or involvement.
From the information provided there is still a good chance your student is simply self interested and does not deserve a good review.
If you are still unsure I would meet with the student and conduct an interview with them. This can give you a deeper perspective into there motives for attending this class and asking for your recommendation.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Would you write a reference letter for him/her? To answer this, ask yourself whether it's your job (probably yes), and, if so, whether you are up to the particular task (probably also yes). Proceed only if you are sure about two "yes" answers.
Assuming you proceed, do a separation of concerns. A student being disrespectful is one topic, but his/her performance is a different topic. He/she is fighting, while lots of others with the same grades are not. So, simply feel free to do this separation of concerns in your letter.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: A letter of recommendation is usually a statement of how you feel about their work ethic and character. I feel they should only be done if you feel strongly positive about both that you would stake your own reputation if they get accepted. The fact that you're asking this question, let alone the stories and the tone of your post, gives the impression you are not enthusiastic to endorse this person.
Imagine you have a best friend who owns a company who hires this person based on your recommendation. Would you be excited to hear they got hired and are working for your best friend? Would you be like, "That's fantastic! My friend's in good company and hiring the right people. They'll do great things."
Or would you be worried about that person screwing up the work at your friend's company? Would you fear your friend might come back to you five months later with a story that they asked this person to add a new feature to their latest product and instead got a report about the effects of microwaving hamsters and when they were called out on it said that the instructions were unclear, but they worked really hard on that report and should get a raise and promotion.
If it's the latter, please don't write the letter of recommendation. Please don't reward belligerent and disrespectful people who think that a loud voice and talking over people makes them right. I don't want to work with people like that.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_6: Thinking of a statement 'to whom it may concern', turn the letter of *recommendation* into a letter of *evaluation* in which you portray the situation as you see it, in suitable and neutral words. The student will evaluate on his/her own its fit with his/her own view of the whole going --- perhaps eventually deciding not to use such a letter with his/her prospects and adopt/review the strategies used with you. We are talking of people of age after all.
Minimally, you might offer the student your availability to pass your contact details to his/her prospect readers at the point of need. And write nothing.
If you want to stimulate/challenge the student's self-evaluation skills, you could also propose him/her to write down a draft. I was often told to do so after asking for testimonials for some professional assignments. In a spoken conversation my answer was in the guise of *Thanks for helping me out; certainly I'll do it; would you please tell me on the fly what has been noteworthy in the time we worked together? I cannot decide this for you* --- in a written exchange I listed aspects that I wished to be mentioned and left the choice of adjectives and adverbs to the writer. Beyond my anecdotes, you will sense how open the student is to self-reflection and feedback, or whether he/she is manipulating your sense of duty.
You are still free to accompany any of these and other strategies with a conversation on the weaknesses and strengths that you have noticed, which might be the home stretch in your mission as educator.
Show integrity and be informative; it's what I would expect from anything you write (once it falls under my eyeballs, which is up to the student, and not to you).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_7: When students ask me to write for them I tell them that although they may waive their right to see the letter, I haven't waived the right to show it to them, and that I will. If it's not likely to be a strong letter I tell them that in advance - they usually thank me and go elsewhere. I always write an honest letter, describing strengths and shortcomings (if any).
In this case you can say the student has earned an A-, and why. The argumentative part needn't be the most prominent part of your letter, unless you feel it should be.
If you do show the student a draft, s/he may ask you not to send it (if you offer her that option).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_8: I'd happily write one!
**Many** "complicated" people are that complicated to us because they think so differently to how we do it. We tend to gather people around us who are alike. That's, by far, not always good.
I talk from my experiences in the corporate sector but these can surely also be applied to academia.
Those people causing us such trouble are a) very intelligent and b) very committed. We don't always understand their motives (like I said: different ways of thinking) but neither do they ours.
They will surely not be yea-sayers to every passing whim of ours. That makes them very valuable employees and co-workers. They will dare to stand up when all the others wouldn't. If you make a bad decision as a boss (be it in a business or in academia) 99% of the people won't even notice (they don't care enough) or won't dare to say anything. That's then when the "complicated" ones come into play. They might be wrong with their point of view as well - but sometimes the combination of the thoughts is better than what either of you thought on his own.
These peope are also very committed. The reason they do stand up way more often than really necessary is: they care! They don't want things to go wrong, they want the company to propser, they want the research project to succeed, etc.
They are surely no easy people to handle but once you learnt to get along with them (which will never be conflict-free, ever!), they are extremely valuable people to an institution.
By the way: The same also applies to reverse roles. If you have a boss of this type you just don't seem to get along, it might actually be a very fruitful collaboration, if both of you are willing to go that way.
**Update**
I would like to address some points brought up in the comments.
First I changed the wording in my second sentence: It's **many** people being complicated due to their intelligence, definitely **not all**
Secondly I'd like to address some points brought up in the comments:
Talking about the case of this very student the OP mentioned, we can see the actual intelligence, interest (in the topic) and commitment of the student by the way the presentation was delivered: More than expected, though, unfortunately, on the wrong topic. Here we have clearly much potential to make a great researcher! There is still some "shaping" needed when it comes to the character.
Many of these troublemakers don't lack the intelligence to realise that they are wrong - they lack the humility to admit so. They do know when they are wrong but they simply "can't be wrong", so they desperately try to find loopholes to be, at least, partially right.
There are also many people who had their intelligence denied either by being told the opposite or being hindered in using it when they were a child. This is especially for girls still the case in many places. So they don't argue about the actual problem. They feel threatened by somebody challenging their view as in: The other one challenges my view so he challenges my intelligence.
Dealing with such people is surely not easy. It requires great empathy and understanding on one hand and clarity (as in: transparency in grading, clear and understandable orders, etc.) and strictness on the other.
Very many of these people have a spledid future if they learn proper modesty - and the humility to admit being wrong when they are.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_9: People like that shouldn’t get their way because they will continue their behavior. We had a classmate in a two semester course, exactly like that, an annoying person. The first semester he did not earn an A so he nagged our professor to make him alone another final so he got an A. I also knew that he had a private tutor who did his assignments!! The next semester he did poorly on the final AGAIN with no excuse and wanted another final!
You shouldn’t write the letter.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_10: Tell them you'll mail the letter directly and then "forget" to mail the letter. Don't even bother wasting your time.
Although, in this case, we see only what we're looking for. You see the student's stubbornness and we could discern that you're a negative thinker. A positive thinker would see the student's unwillingness to accept anything less than the best which is a good thing from an employer perspective.
Then again there are way too many variables involved. It depends on the context of the situation and how the student channels that energy. If they're constantly being confrontational with the team and their supervisors that isn't a good thing because this student would get in the way, slow the team down and likely prevent the team from achieving goals.
I'm sure this student would make a good negotiator though if placed in the right context.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_11: *I support Ethan's approach (show letter to student); Xavier's idea sounds intriguing (ask student to draft letter).*
**Student has been argumentative about assignment grades.**
I suggest you limit the amount of time you devote to listening to these efforts to change a grade.
Geoffrey's and username_3's answers are interesting possible explanations of the arguing over grades. Here's another: I had a student from China on a scholarship who would argue and argue about his homework grade if he had gotten a 99 instead of a 100. He was anxious! It was anxiety! He was afraid those little -1's on some of his weekly homework assignments were going to stand in his way of remaining in the U.S. for his studies. Sure, it drove me nuts, and he wasn't my favorite person, and he would have been a slightly better student if he weren't wasting energy on nitpicking his homework scores.
**Student was aggressive and confrontational, raising their tone of voice.**
Please see <https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/99635/32436>.
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<issue_start>username_0: I have had a very rocky PhD candidacy. My first supervisor left academia half way through my candidacy; the replacing supervisor passed away a year after that. So two and a half years through a three-years PhD candidacy, the head of the department gives me two choices: Either I have to change my topic of research and start over from zero again and somehow finish "in time" (how this will be done is unclear, and I am supposed to hash it out myself with one of the available supervisors), or I have to withdraw from the program.
Their justification is that no one in the department understands the content of my works. **Is this a proper/normal justification?** I cannot believe that an academic department belonging to a top university can seriously use “we fail to understand the candidate’s work“ as a justification to force me to do something that I deem to be completely infeasible.
So, assuming I cannot dispute this decision, given the fact that I have to start over from zero again anyway, with a department that readily admits that its people do not have the competence to understand and therefore will throw away wantonly what I have produced after two and a half years of working nine hours every single day without a single day off, should I just leave and apply for another PhD program? Whatever that will be coming out from this attempt to salvage my PhD will probably lead me nowhere except a piece of paper anyway. **If I withdraw for this reason, how will this be seen by other universities? How will this be seen by people in the industry?**
My goal is a career in academia. I am someone who has severe social anxiety and so I find it impossible to survive in the industry. I have always thought I might have a chance to be accepted in the academic world instead, but I have now realized that someone like me probably belongs nowhere.<issue_comment>username_1: >
> Their justification is that no one in the department understands the content of my works. **Is this a proper/normal justification?**
>
>
>
I really empathize with this situation. No one's understood my work for half my life now. If it weren't for the fact that the stuff I make works, folks'd probably write me off as crazy.
Still, I passed a dissertation/defense pretty easily. An advisor had suggested that I keep my mouth shut about how the stuff worked and just focus on showing its results. The dissertation was mostly a bunch of how-to for the intro-level stuff.
I suppose that the dilemma is that, to pass you, the committee needs some means of appreciating that your work's meaningful enough to constitute a PhD. For me, that was building stuff that worked. For you, what might it be? What can you do to show that your work has merit?
---
>
> **If I withdraw for this reason, how will this be seen by other universities? How will this be seen by people in the industry?**
>
>
>
Individuals will likely have all sorts of different opinions. Some might empathize; others might not.
When you go to interview for something, why should the interviewer believe your description of the situation? How could they see that you have ability to be applied? What should they think of your ability to contribute to their group's/company's efforts?
Ultimately, I think that this takes you back to the same dilemma - you need some means of providing others with a basis for appreciating your work.
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>
> My goal is a career in academia.
>
>
>
Academia's about building up a common knowledge base; some level of intellectual conformity is a prerequisite. Otherwise, you'll be the person publishing papers that no one cites and hosting lectures that no one attends.
So if academia's your goal, you'll probably need to find some line of research that others can appreciate. Something that they'll want to read about and attend lectures on. Something that students'll want to take classes on. Something that'll get traction when you write up a grant application.
Optimally, you'll pick a popular topic and increment it. This works really well because there'll be a ton of academics reading papers on that topic already, and they'll liable cite your paper if it's the best on what they're trying to do.
---
>
> I am someone who has severe social anxiety and so I find it impossible to survive in the industry. I have always thought I might have a chance to be accepted in the academic world instead, but I have now realized that someone like me probably belongs nowhere.
>
>
>
People'll judge you no matter what. Just in academia, it'll be more about social esteem, while in industry, it'll be more about perceived market use.
If you have tons of anxiety, it'll be difficult for you to stand on your own as a free entity since that's exactly what stresses you out. But if you're still able to get productive stuff done, then you'll often be able to find a place under someone's wing.
In academia, you might find a place as a researcher in another PI's group. Or in industry, you might find a nice R&D lab. You might not be a leader in either of those scenarios, but you'd still be a valued member.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: My first response was going to be that you could say the following: "No!"
One key to this is not to follow up with any reasoning, as in fact you do not need to give reasoning--the reasoning is clearly implied by the situation. If you do give reasoning be careful they do not force you to eat away your own position of argument. Since they have the lower stance, they may use such a strategy. You have much more right to carry on with what you have started (started under the mutual agreement between you and the department) then they have for forcing you to drop all your work.
The above still stands, however, considering your personal situation, if you have concerns about communicating this strongly enough, then you may want to hire someone to represent you either formally or informally. You might consider the graduate student union, but the problem is are they good enough at your university? And are you ok approaching them?, if not then that is why getting your own representation is also possible.
By the way, there are definitely places where you belong, and university is one of them.
Also I'd like to address your question about their current justification. No it is not a valid argument. For one if someone needs to know the stuff, they can go learn it just as you have learned it. Learning is common and fundamental to professorial life. The other point is that the situation is not much different from when you had an advisor, as the advisor can not single-handedly give you a Phd, correct?
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_3: Maybe someone else in the department can supervise your work and maybe they can't--the fact is that they *won't*, and that's what you have to work with. My (pessimistic) gut feeling is that the department head has essentially written you off as collateral damage. He's willing to push you through for a completion because that's good for the department, but he doesn't care that you want an academic career.
On the off chance that this isn't the case, you might try approaching the possible available supervisors and get a clear timeline from them about how you can finish *with work that can launch an academic career.* If they tell you it will take longer than the one year that the department head seems willing to allow, you can try going over his head to pressure him to agree to your new supervisor's timeline. But this is a rather delicate situation and you are probably better off shopping your work around at another school and explaining that you lost two supervisors through no fault of your own.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: First of all, there are a country dependency here. I assume you are in the UK, since you talk about a 3 year time limit. In most other countries, there is no time limit for a PhD, and if you did start over with another supervisor, it would be a good reason for taking another 3 years to finish, and the department could probably find some way to fund you for the extra time. Unfortunately, it seems like this is impossible in the UK.
Second, as a mathematician, I find it very plausible that no one else in the department can supervise your research. I can legitimately say that, in my department of 14, I do not really understand the research of anyone else in the department. There are 2 or 3 others whose students' work I would feel competent to evaluate if I had a reasonable amount of time to study, but I couldn't provide any useful research guidance to their students. For the rest of my department, I would really have to spend a couple of years relearning material from some fairly basic graduate courses in order to understand their research. It's a significant burden with minimal rewards to evaluate the research of the student of a deceased colleague; someone even in a related area could easily have to put in a full month or more of work to get up to speed on mathematical ideas they have not thought about in a long time. It might not be possible to persuade anyone to put in that kind of work for essentially no gain.
If you found someone at another university working in your area who would be a suitable supervisor, then I think starting a new (possibly expedited) PhD there would make sense, and you would have a good chance of being admitted under the circumstances. However, if you are planning to leave in order to start over in a new area somewhere else, I don't think that would look good.
EDIT: I want to add an additional consideration. In mathematics, applications for research-oriented positions rely heavily on letters from senior researchers who can explain how your work fits in the broader context of work in your area, since it is likely that the hiring committee will not have enough expertise to understand this context on their own, and recent PhDs do not have a broad enough perspective to explain this context for themselves. Having a supervisor who does not understand your research area well enough to write such a letter puts you at a severe disadvantage on the job market.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: (1) Your fear of working in industry, and how that may affect your life as a grad student.
Feeling boxed in isn't the best way to do a PhD.
I understand your fear of working in industry, but I will encourage you to face this fear, gently. I think that if you do, some of that fear will dissolve, and you'll be able to continue your studies in a more positive way, with less energy wasted on fear-related stuff.
How can you face this fear? Look around for people to shadow in industry. "Shadow" means you follow your host around for a day, and watch and listen. I've seen this called "career exploration." Perhaps you could aim to do one shadow per month.
Believe it or not, there are people with severe social anxiety who are able to function pretty well in industry.
(2) The death of your advisor (on top of the departure of your first advisor).
You've had two significant losses.
I'm going to make two suggestions for you to consider:
(a) Get a doctor's note supporting a request for a leave of absence of a semester (or six months, if that is more compatible with your university's calendar). Give yourself some time to grieve and recover after the death of your advisor.
(b) Regardless of whether you stick with your original research plan, or modify it somewhat, or start something brand new, **you need an advisor.** It would be ideal if the advisor were hip to your research topic, but it sounds like that's not going to be possible. Well, then you need an advisor who can be supportive in a more general, less specific way. Since you are in a small department, you can consider each faculty member as a potential advisor. Make yourself a short list of professors and get to know them a little bit, see if you can narrow things down some more.
Once you are feeling better, and once you have an advisor, you'll be in a better position to make some decisions about your thesis research and your thesis topic.
One possible way forward that I can imagine for you is that your new advisor helps you find a quasi-advisor at another university who can mentor you with your existing topic, or with a slightly modified version of your original topic.
When you feel ready, you should prepare to teach your new advisor about what you've been working on.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: >
> assuming I cannot dispute this decision
>
>
>
I recommend trying to:
>
> two and half years through a three years PhD candidacy, the head of the department gives me two choices, either I have to change my topic of research and start over from zero again and somehow finish "in time"...or I have to withdraw from the program.
>
>
>
It is worth considering whether the head of the department has the legal right to actually do this. You have no-doubt signed a contract with the university and this contract grants rights to both parties. Perhaps the contract will support a third option:
*Write your thesis and submit. Writing-up doesn't require supervision, so you can proceed without a supervisor.*
I'd recommend proposing this solution to the head of department before exploring any legal avenue. (By "legal avenue," I don't necessarily mean using the legal system. I mean presenting an argument, perhaps in writing, to the department or university, that proposes a solution and provides some legal basis for why the department/university should accept. Such a legal basis need not be direct. That is, you needn't refer directly to any contract. You needn't threaten either. You just need to provide a reasonable solution that can be accepted.)
>
> Their justification is that no one in the department understands the
> content of my works.
>
>
>
At this stage, there doesn't seem a need for supervision of your work. You're 5/6 complete.
>
> should I just leave and apply for
> another PhD program? ... If I withdraw for this reason, how will this be seen
> by other universities? How will this be seen by people in the
> industry?
>
>
>
You presumably know some senior researchers (from other universities) at this stage. You could approach them and discuss the possibility of their supervising the remainder of your PhD, either at their university or your own. If you approach a senior researcher, rather than a university, then the university should follow the advise of their employee, so that shouldn't cause a problem. From a future employer's perspective, you'll have a tricky aspect to explain on your CV. That might be problematic for early positions, but it won't matter down the line.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_7: I witnessed a similar situation in my field a few years ago:
A professor died suddenly, leaving a bunch of PhD students at a university where nobody had sufficient rank and expertise to evaluate their thesis and supervise them.
For those close to graduation, the following was done:
They joined a PhD program at another university where there was a professor capable of advising or supervising them, usually a collaborator of the late professor.
However, if they wanted to, they could physically stay at their old university, except for a few visits to the new university.
Also, their employments at the old university would continue.
All previous achievements were transferred to the new program, so the PhD students could basically continue without a considerable delay.
Whether this will be possible for you depends on the involved university’s guidelines, how PhD financing is organised in your country, and so on, so you have to get familiar with these.
Be aware that PhD programs differ a lot across different countries and universities.
If you can, find a supervisor at a university with a suitable program.
Being geographically and financially flexible helps of course.
For example, most German PhD programs officially only require you to have a reasonable prerequisite degree (e.g., a master’s), find a professor at the university who agrees to supervise you, stay in the program for at least a year, hand in a good thesis, and pass the defence (with the last two being the difficult parts).
Moreover, they often have a flexibility clause that allows them to waive certain criteria (such as staying in the program for a year) in exceptional circumstances such as yours.
Regarding your anxiety, consider that many professors in your field will happily take you:
You are already trained, probably productive in terms of publications, and having you as a graduate may contribute positively to all sorts of evaluations.
Moreover, you may become the ideal postdoc candidate, as you can be evaluated on the job.
Finally, keep in mind that a typical academic career would have involved switching locations for a postdoc soon anyway.
Now you do it a little bit sooner, but that’s easily explained on a CV given your circumstances.
Some random thoughts:
* Are there any other supervisees of your late supervisor?
If yes, consider working together to get proper support from the department.
* Consider finding professional help for dealing with your department.
Most universities nowadays have people whose job it is to support people having trouble with their advisor or similar.
Also, if you have a student union, they may help.
* This won’t probably work given the attitude of your department, but it’s worth a try: If your late supervisor had other supervisees, in particular for a bachelor’s or master’s thesis (if that’s a thing in your country and field at all), these need supervision too. If you are good, you may help the department providing that supervision or even evaluating the respective theses (depending on your regulations). This won’t only give them a reason to keep and support you, but will also look good on your CV if you aspire an academic career.
Upvotes: 2
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<issue_start>username_0: How can I start to write my final paper? I have been doing nothing during the whole week. I just stayed at home and slept. I'm afraid to do anything even cooking. I can't focus and can't concentrate on work. I'm just afraid to write a single sentence. I don't know how to start. I mean that I know how to write but I just can't start. I am incredibly anxious and don't know how to get started. Can anyone help me?<issue_comment>username_1: Take a deep breath.
Do you know how you want to frame your essay? Do you have it organized in your mind?
Try brainstorming your ideas and see if there is something cohesive to come out of it.
Sometimes putting pen to paper is a better agitator of a good essay than sitting in front of word and trying to create something.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Getting started writing can be very hard—if it weren't, it wouldn't have a name: [writer's block](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writer%27s_block).
There are a lot of different strategies you could try:
* **Free writing.** Just write anything that comes to your mind as you think about your topic. Don't worry about grammar or correctness or appropriateness or accuracy. Just put down something. (You can handwrite it or type it, as you see fit).
* **Mind map.** Just put together a flow diagram showing how different things you want to write about are related.
* **Create an outline.** Don't focus on writing the whole essay, or even whole paragraphs or sentences. Just try putting together a skeleton for what your essay should be like.
[There are a lot of other ideas for how to cure writer's block](https://goinswriter.com/how-to-overcome-writers-block/), including walking or even spending time with people who make you feel comfortable.
Upvotes: 2
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<issue_start>username_0: In August, I had surgery and shortly thereafter started chemotherapy. Despite being sick, I was only enrolled in 8 credit hours and felt I would be able to handle it. (I did very well in my other classes.)
There was a period shortly after the start of the semester where I got sick from the medication and had a really rough time with homework. I filed for accommodations with the disability coordinator at the school.
I turned in a take-home exam a day late and two homework assignments late. There was no penalty on the exam, but one assignment was reduced by 75% (it was not graded, I just received a flat 25%) and the other was reduced by 50%. I was also yelled at by the professor and had to beg him to take the exam (I was actually in tears saying, "I'm begging you" even though university policy mandated he accept the exam.)
I withdrew from the chemotherapy as a result and my coursework grades significantly improved. However, due to some assignments and an exam being cut from the syllabus, I was unable to recover my grade from the early bit of the semester.
He argues that he felt I was apathetic to the assignments, I did not alert him of my disability, and that he accommodated me by grading the assignments. However, I contacted him early on several times regarding this, but I didn't learn until later that he doesn't read emails (per university policy.)
The disability coordinator made the professor aware and made several attempts to contact him when he was unresponsive to her emails and phone calls. He eventually responded to a letter he received via campus mail. In addition, I attempted to contact him via email. He eventually approached me and expressed that he felt I was apathetic about the assignments.
If my assignments had been graded, I highly doubt I would have received 100% on them. I do feel I performed on par with the others I turned in.
As a side note, he accepted late work with no penalty from other students, but their work was less late than mine.
I contacted the Dean of Students, but unfortunately, the best option is to appeal the grade. The chair contacted the professor multiple times, but the professor maintains he was fair.
**My question: Did my professor properly accommodate me? I don't feel as such, but he feels he did. How do I know if he did?**
**What do I do going forward?** It's a really small school and he’s telling everyone how frustrated he his about my complaint, so I feel like even with having submitted a complaint that I've burned a lot of bridges there. I'm a senior and my last course would be with this same professor.<issue_comment>username_1: I'm sorry you were ill. "Extra time" usually means that one has additional time to complete an exam. For example a student with accommodation might have to take a final exam on the same day as her colleagues, but might have three hours instead of two to complete the exam.
At the two institutions where I've taught, there's a very formal process for notifying professors of accommodations, in which the professor actually signs for having received a copy of the accommodation letter. I can't tell whether that was at work in your case.
The disability coordinator at your school is the one person who should know exactly what accommodations you were offered. Your next step should be to see the disability coordinator, explain what happened, and ask whether you were treated according to the agreed accommodation. If you were not, then either the disability coordinator will work through this or you can use the disability coordinator's statement in your grade appeal.
If you were granted the accommodations the school prescribed, probably you should file that grade appeal anyway, but do not be too hopeful.
I wish you the best of luck in your academic career and in your health. I haven't read "How to pass organic chemistry" yet, but I will.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: My experience is similar to username_1's. Students with disabilities get a written statement from the university office for student disabilities, and this statement specifies what special accommodations are recommended for this student, usually extra time on exams. (The statement does not reveal the nature of the student's disability.) I have always given the recommended accommodations, but only after I have a copy of the statement in my file of course materials. It is the student's responsibility to bring me (physically) that statement, at least two weeks before any special scheduling is needed. If the student did that and I refused to give the accommodation, I might be able to get away with it, but I'd expect to have to do quite a bit of explaining, to the staff in the disability office, to my department chair, and possibly to the dean. If, on the other hand, the student didn't bring me the recommendation, then that's the student's problem (unless, of course, the disability is such that the student can't bring me this piece of paper).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Mas:
I'm on your tune on this one. We have a lot of whining students here. But chemo is a big deal. Yeah, you probably got a rum deal. Normally, I am in the man up, suck it up camp, but I would push a little for yourself here. Sometimes you need to stick up for yourself.
(Not as extreme, but I had a similar experience when my old man passed out of the blue...asked for time off during exams to go to the funeral and got static on it. Only took 3 days and watched him get put into the ground in Arlington Cemetary. Was a little bizarre as my little sister ended up getting all her exams cancelled at a normal school. I just asked for a 3 day pass. But when I put my foot down, the commandant backed me up. Really was bizarre I had to. Your chemo is even more extreme.)
Of course what matters at the end is your health, not grades. The "withdrew from chemo" sounds odd.
Upvotes: -1
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<issue_start>username_0: In my lecture, I am thinking of using a famous [quote](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/421900-a-good-speech-should-be-like-a-woman-s-skirt-long) by <NAME>:
>
> A good speech should be like a woman's skirt;
> long enough to cover the subject and short enough to create interest.
>
>
>
I like this quote because it clearly expresses the idea that
while you should go over the important details in your speech,
your speech should not be overly detailed.
However, I don't know if some of the students may feel uncomfortable
if I use this quote in class.
**Question:**
Should I play safe and avoid using this quote in class,
in case some students are offended?
### What I decided to do
Although the Churchill quote is quite memorable,
I agree with the answer which says:
>
> Whether you actually believe that or not, telling that joke gives students the impression that you do. That perception makes the classroom environment more unpleasant for a female student and less conducive to learning.
>
>
>
I will find another way to express my idea without the quote.
### In response to comments
Several commenters have pointed out that:
>
> My general advice is if you need to ask someone else if it is appropriate, you already know you will get into trouble.
>
>
>
That is good advice.
I had a "gut feeling" that it was not a good idea to use this quote;
partly I asked this question because I wanted to understand
**why** it was not a good idea.<issue_comment>username_1: I'm familiar with the quote and I understand that it's well-intended. But don't do it. You're asking for trouble. What passed as acceptable 70 years ago does not always fly today.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: Honestly, I don't think the woman's skirt part adds anything substantive. You can make your point perfectly well without it. "A good speech should be...long enough..." and so forth. Including the phrase makes you seem as if you do not understand the current bounds on professional discourse.
I don't feel offended, but it makes me question your judgement.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: The intent here is to be clear and concise.
Be clear and concise in your teaching.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Avoid, but not for that reason.
Sometimes it is a teacher's *duty* to do things that may offend members of their class. A biology teacher who avoids the subject of evolution for fear of offending creationists is not doing their job, and there are plenty of other examples. The problem here is not that the joke could offend; it's that it gets in the way of learning.
It treats women as eye candy rather than as thinking beings, implying that a woman's clothing should be chosen for the benefit of male onlookers rather than according to her own priorities.
Whether you actually believe that or not, telling that joke gives students the impression that you do. That perception makes the classroom environment more unpleasant for a female student and less conducive to learning.
Humour has a place in teaching. Used judiciously, it can help hold the audience's interest and keep them engaged. But for your female students, at least, this particular joke is unlikely to serve that purpose. There are plenty of other ways to say it.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_5: Don’t do it. You only risk alienating female students, who might already feel alienated from research staff – precisely for the same reason.
Would you do it if we did a little gender-swapping exercise?
>
> A good speech is like male genitalia; too short, and it is just uninteresting; too long, and it will hurt people.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_6: Aside from just being sexually suggestive, this quote assumes a straight male audience. That is it’s an analogy that only works if you’re “interested” in women’s legs. In this joke the woman is an object whose purpose is to visually entertain men, not a subject who maybe chose her skirt length based on the weather not based on your opinions about her legs. Find a metaphor that works for all of your students.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_7: When I worked at my college radio station, I got some good advice. I asked how do I know for sure whether a certain song I might want to play might be offensive to anyone. The answer I got is that if you feel you have to ask whether it is appropriate, then you shouldn't play it. I think that applies here. If you feel that you need to ask whether people might be offended, then maybe you should use a different quote.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_8: I am a female student. I would not appreciate the use of this phrase in class, but if it was used in a smaller context with an established relaxed but respectful working relationship it would be fine for me. So, depends on the student!
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_9: The quote would be reasonable in a few contexts - if you're teaching history, it may be used to describe the sort of person that Churchill was. In a broader context, it could be used when showing how womens role in society evolved in the 20th century. The quote itself is historical, and academic students should be mature enough not to be personally offended by history.
But that is not why you are using that quote. You're pulling the quote out of its historical context, and try to apply it today. The fact that it was said by Churchill isn't that important here, just trivia. The subject of your lecture is not history or Churchill, but (academic) writing style.
Upvotes: 2
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<issue_start>username_0: At my large American university, we have the opportunity to fill out course evaluations. They are not mandatory and are allegedly anonymous. I wrote a negative review for Dr. Smith's course. I stand behind what I wrote and it is all true, but it was scathing and lengthy (over 1500 words) since I listed in detail almost every thing I didn't like and why, with specific examples. If it matters, my main complaints were that I consider his class to be too easy, his standards were too low, and that he took a long time to grade our assignments.
I received an email from the chair of the department asking me to meet with him to discuss the evaluation. The content of my evaluation is all true, but I am embarrassed that my identity was revealed (or correctly assumed) since I would have been less harsh if I was aware the anonymity wasn't guaranteed. It wouldn't surprise me if they guessed I wrote the review, since I made by far the highest grade in the class and had actually complained about Dr. Smith in the middle of the semester to the chair since Dr. Smith allowed something unfair to happen during the midterm. (I was advised by other faculty to bring that specific complaint, so I hope it doesn't come off that I like to complain.)
What should I do and can anything negative happen to me over this?<issue_comment>username_1: Most probably nothing negative will come out of it.
And there is also the chance that they want your opinion, independent of the evaluation (i.e., they did not necessarily guess that it is YOU who wrote these comments but given the fact that you talked to the chair about these issues, then the chair wants to discuss these with you.)
True, it shouldn't have happened the way it happened (to make you think that the evaluations are eponymous or that they have guessed the writer behind these comments and want to talk to you about that) but most probably the chair and professor would like to discuss the issues for potential improvement. Just politely explain all these issues and make some suggestions on how they could be resolved and it should be fine.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Hmm, the questions strikes a chord, given I’ve been there (a long time ago), and later on the other side. So this is going to be a long answer. ;-)
It’s probably easiest to split the question into the different issues raised, and the perspectives involved.
**Anonymity**
As you have found out by now, anonymity is really difficult to achieve online. My guess would be they recognized the writing, esp. if you became noticeable during the course (class size doesn’t matter then). But identifying students is even possible if there is only numeric information, and if student votes are aggregated. However, just because it’s (easily) possible to identify students, it doesn’t mean it should be done. **If anonymity was promised** it **would be** highly unethical if they would identify you by the evaluation itself. There are two conditions in that sentence. First, was anonymity actually promised («allegedly anonymous»)? If you only assumed it would be anonymous, because you don’t sign it, you have no right to be surprised. Second, unless they explicitly make the connection between you and the evaluation, it’s an assumption that they have identified you. Other explanation: You criticized the course, they might have gotten a bad evaluation and want to find out how to improve. But if both hold true — anonymity was assured and they do identify you as the author, then it would raise a huge red flag about the people involved.
(It's a bad idea to give a «scaredundergraduate» a virtual gun, but if the highly unlikely case happens and the conversation turns **actually** hostile, **and** you are in a **one-party consent state** (look it up!), it **might** be an option to secretly record the conversation. This is a «last measure» option. Personally, I think recording without the other person knowing is a major breach of trust — reserved for criminal acts, no matter the law. Any relationship and any trust is irrevocably broken if you do it — and I strongly advise against it. The idea of a meeting is to resolve an issue without anyone losing face. A recording blows that option out of the water. The conversation would really have to go downhill to think about using, e.g., the laptop you took out to read what you have written and record the conversation.)
Also, I wouldn’t expect hostility here. It’s much, much more likely that they want to resolve a very unhappy situation for all involved.
**Style**
As others have written in comments, it is better to stick to the facts and take emotion out of it. After all, it’s about the issue and anonymous comments don’t hurt less than comments made in person. Even worse, it raises questions about the person who makes anonymous comments («coward» comes to mind). Frankly, after some ‹learning experiences›, I go with *«If you wouldn’t say it in their face, don’t say it at all.»*, combined with *«If you snicker while writing, it’s time to pause and reflect.»* However, you’re not the first person to whom this has happened and while you can’t change what you have written, you can still control how you deal with it. It’s painful learning, but given you ask the question here, you’re on the right track.
From their side, it depends on how they deal with these type of comments. Some instructors take it personally, others chalk it up to inexperience. You are a student after all. If they are professional, they might talk about they style and that it’s not conductive to improving the situation. Imagine you’d gotten this evaluation, would you have changed your behavior? Seriously? There might also be misconceptions about the course involved, and there is also the responsibility to avoid having students leaving one’s university/course and thinking this style is good practice.
**Issue #1: Class Content**
When it comes to the issues you’ve mentioned, I think it pays to go into the conversation with an open mind and listen to their point of view. I once had a student who wrote a scathing paper about a course, seeing everything in the worst possible light. There were a lot of misconceptions about the academic world in that paper (e.g., thinking my colleague and I were like full-time teachers and we were only giving two courses and had the rest of the week off). Once she did understand what we did the whole week, she saw things a bit differently. My guess is that «took a long time to grade our assignments» might fall in that category, but I might be wrong.
Other issues like «too easy» and «standards were too low» might be individual problems (you might just be in the wrong class). However, you also write that the class is a prerequisite and if you are not learning what you need to succeed in another class, then this is an issue to talk about (and focus on).
**Issue #2: Interaction with Instructor**
I would differentiate the issues with the content from the issues with the instructor. Again, his perspective might be interesting to know. You interpret his comments («I have to do this the hard way now since [me] will see the handwaving.») negatively as «you’re a spoilsport/know-it-all». However, even if you cannot phantom it otherwise, the intention might have been different. Social interaction is messy.
And yeah, perhaps this person is not competent to teach the course, but perhaps he adapted the content to the average student. Perhaps he will take the anonymous criticism very negatively, perhaps he understands your point of view. And perhaps a skillful mediator can make both sides to see the issue from the other perspective. In general, you don’t have to like the guy, but you have to work together professionally. And at least on the learning side, this seems to have worked out well. Some improvements are necessary on the «you can say anything, as long as you do it respectfully» side.
**Recommendation**
In situations like these, you can’t undo what has happened, so it matters how you deal with them. So, first, chill. Yup. Chill. You’re in a situation which nobody wanted, and that is something nobody can change. Pretty much the worst that can happen has happened, so chill. And yes, you did act badly, but you can still act with integrity in how you deal with it.
A way that might work (social situation, depends on all involved) would be to focus on the actual teaching issue — the content of the course *and* the interaction with the instructor.
What you have going for you is that you are passionate about learning (even if it’s only for the next course) and that you have mastered the content. That this passion leads to frustration if you don’t think you can learn what you need is understandable, as well as the style. If I were you I’d go this route. You wanted to learn and be challenged — and the course was very frustrating *to you*.
On the negative side, I think your interpretation of Dr. Smith’s behavior as hostile (and unfair) has strongly influenced your evaluation. When it comes to him, focus on the actual observable behavior, not the person. You don’t know him and it would be arrogant to assume you can characterize him as a person based on your limited interaction in one setting. Plus you can change behavior, personality not so much.
In general I’d go with assuming the best case, both sides want to find a good solution to the unhappy situation. Take a deep breath, go into the situation, let them start the conversation, focus on the issues, listen, state how you see the situation as your perspective (not as «fact»), and on the emotional side that you were frustrated with the course because you want to learn and be prepared for the next courses. As for the style, an apology might be in order *if you actually feel this way* — because you were frustrated with the course and wrote unprofessionally, not because the anonymity was lifted. It wasn't constructive, and yeah, it was wrong. It feels good emotionally in the moment, but it further complicates the issue and is likely unfair to the instructor involved.
Best outcome, you might end up understanding Dr. Smith’s behavior (perhaps it’s not hostile/unfair), and they might get some constructive feedback on how to improve the course.
BTW, an update would be appreciated how the conversation actually went.
Edit: Some pre-coffee spelling/wording mistakes.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: In addition to the other advice here, I would recommend thinking about what you're hoping to achieve.
You mentioned that you made by far the highest grade in the class. Probably that means that the difficulty level *was* appropriate for the majority of students. So I would not try to convince the department chair otherwise.
You might have erred by enrolling in this class, and there may have been another one more suited to your background level. (This is true even if the course is "required"; such requirements can often be waived.) I would seek advice from your chair about how to plan your course of study, so that are challenged to the extent you can handle. Ask if there are opportunities to take more rigorous coursework in the subject, or on other topics that you are interested in.
I'd recommend [this Paul Graham essay](http://www.paulgraham.com/hs.html) to you. One memorable quote: "Rebellion is almost as stupid as obedience. In either case you let yourself be defined by what they tell you to do." If you are stuck taking an easy class that you don't like, then invest only as much time into it as needed, giving you more time and energy for something more productive and enjoyable.
And remember that a good department chair will try to keep his/her strongest students happy. I'd recommend going into the meeting with the idea that you would like to seek out a sterner challenge, and that you'd appreciate the chair's advice for how to do so.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: "I had actually complained about Dr. Smith in the middle of the semester to the chair." It seems quite plausible that this is a big factor in the request for a meeting.
First, relax. You can go to the meeting and listen, and then decide whether you want to say anything. You can decide you don't want to say anything. You can tell the chair that, calmly and politely, and then leave if you want to. You don't even have to acknowledge that you wrote the scathing critique, or that you even filled out a course evaluation form.
I think the mostly likely explanation of the invite you got is that the chair wants to get ammunition to try to make things better. I certainly hope so!
This isn't about you. "Ask not what your department can do for you, ask what you can do for your department." Think about it that way.
Oh, one more idea. If you like, you can invite a friend or colleague or ombudsman to go with you.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_5: I would seriously try to determine the cause of this request for a meeting. If it's because they want to follow up on your first complaint it's ok, but if they clearly state that they have traced back an anonymous evaluation to you than I would take this to the dean of the school as a clear misconduct on their part. If it's anonymous is should stay as such and they should not guess or investigate who wrote it.
Upvotes: 0
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2017/12/16
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<issue_start>username_0: I'm applying to graduate school programs, and for a few applications due yesterday only 2/3 of the professors I asked to write rec letters for actually sent them in. Will I be removed from consideration from the programs where the third person didn't send them in? Note:they did send them in for schools that had their due date a few weeks ago. Is there anything I can do? Or is it all out of my hands. I emailed them a day before with a reminder and also a day after asking if they will send it in.
Thanks<issue_comment>username_1: Not all is lost. Maybe send a very friendly reminder to the person who missed the deadline. People are busy and a Recommendation Letter is not that important to them. Also, if you included email and phone number they may contact your reference and ask them directly.
In my experience it is much more important who wrote the letter than the content of it.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: It sounds to me like you're in the US and I'm going to answer this from a UK perspective, but I expect the situations are broadly the same. I'll first discuss a similar thing that happened to me, and then give some advice.
So, this exact situation happened to me last year with two different universities, and two different letter writers. All the places I applied to required a minimum of two reference letters, so in each case, I was down 50% on letters.
In the first case, the university notified me that I was missing a reference letter and I had time to find someone else who was willing to very quickly write me another letter. My application there was ultimately unsuccessful, but not because of this (it's the best uni in my country and my application was wildly optimistic).
In the second case, the university didn't notify me at all that they had only received one reference letter in support of my application. In fact, I didn't find out until they mentioned it in the interview, after which they subsequently gave me an offer, still only having seen one reference letter. So it didn't matter in this case either.
My advice to you is the following: contact the schools which are missing letters. Ask if it matters that your letter might be arriving slightly late-- I expect it probably won't. People working in academia are aware of the time constraints that academics have and will likely be lenient in this kind of situation. I also don't think it will reflect badly on you, as you have done what you can to rectify the problem.
Secondly, send another gentle reminder to the letter writer in question, or, if possible, pay them a visit in person. Chances are, it was an honest mistake and they just forgot.
Good luck with the rest of the applications!
Upvotes: 2
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2017/12/17
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<issue_start>username_0: I have submitted a research paper to a peer-reviewed journal two months ago. It is my first submission. I have noticed two unfortunate elements in my introduction:
1. I wrote the same sentence twice in my introduction.
2. In one of the sentences, I have repeated the same word twice consecutively.
I think these mistakes came up with copying and pasting when I was trying to adjust my paragraphs in the introduction. Otherwise, I have already made grammar and spell check for the rest of the paper. Also, I am sure that the introduction is clearly written.
My question is that: can this kind of mistake (I think it is a minor mistake) cause a rejection by referees ? (The paper did not get a desk rejection, it is under review.) I will be really happy if you can share your experience regarding this kind of mistakes during the review process.<issue_comment>username_1: Regarding the repeated words, most people would not notice the the repetition at all. Regarding the sentence, they might be confused for a second, check back, see it's written twice, and continue as if nothing had happened.
Most will add a short note to the review, among those of other typos, that the sentence "..." appears twice. Nothing to be worried about, this alone will never cause a rejection of even major revision.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: I would not worry too much in your place. Reviewers do not like non-proofed papers and it indeed can irritate them. To some extent, this might be because for English-native reader the non-proofed text might be not clear enough. But this is not your case. A repeated word there are high chances that no one will notice. The repeated sentence will be likely noticed, but it is clear that this was a silly technical one-time error. Had it happened several times in the paper, it could be considered as an author reckless. But this is not your case. I think you will get a minor point in revision for this. Obviously, no need to write the editor - the paper is already went to review. What you expect from the editor to do? In best case, the editor will understand the error is just sort of a typo, and will politely answer that this is OK this way. In worse case, he/she will cancel the review thinking that the matter is really serious, but you will likely not go to review the second time. So, just wait and hope for good.
Good Luck!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: As a reviewer, I would not reject a paper for these two errors alone. But the errors certainly make a bad impression, and I might reject if the paper was otherwise border-line acceptable.
To me, mistakes like this indicate that the author(s) were too lazy to proof-read their paper properly. I don’t see why I should do their proof-reading for them.
I especially have little patience with mistakes that can be identified with commonly-available spelling/grammar checkers. Again, these alone might not be a reason for rejection, but they certainly put me in a bad mood.
I suggest that the OP does nothing, and waits for reviewer feedback. But learn something from this experience, and be more careful in the future. Impatient bad-tempered curmudgeons like me are common in the reviewer community, and it’s not a good idea to do things that annoy us.
Upvotes: 0
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2017/12/17
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<issue_start>username_0: Someone I know has recently submitted a course evaluation form in which he complained about how poorly the unit was organized and that the lecturer didn't seem to be well prepared for the class. Following the day this course evaluation form was submitted, the lecturer decided to revise the mark he has received for his final project and marked him down. Is this an odd coincidence or are course evaluations not really confidential?<issue_comment>username_1: Whether evaluations are *anonymous* (see [username_3's answer](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/100689/25112) for the difference with *confidential*, which evaluations are rarely) depends on your institution. On my university, they are. However, especially in small classes you can often get a pretty good idea of who wrote something depending on writing style and typical spelling mistakes.
But as <NAME> says in the comments, it's unlikely that this is the case here. It takes time before the evaluation is sent to the teacher. On my university, this happens only after all grades have been sent to the administration, after which it is possible to change them, but all those changes are logged - it may even be disallowed to mark someone down in that phase. In any case, the instructor won't care enough about the grade to change it and risk all kinds of trouble.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: The short answer is that most probably they are **not** strictly confidential nor anonymous. It is in many times easy to spot who wrote what.
Since evaluations in many schools don't take any time to "process", because they are collected immediately by the lecturer himself or herself, it is reasonable that the lecturer reads them immediately after collection, and "retaliates", so to speak.
I would suggest not to write long scathing and hostile rants about the lecturer then.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: There is a difference between anonymous and confidential. I have never heard that course evaluations are confidential and I have seen faculty share evaluations. As for being anonymous, I have never seen an evaluation with a space for a name or student number, and the online systems I am familiar with do not make that information available. That said, the feedback, and sometimes writing, often makes it seem like you know who wrote the evaluation.
While you may be able to identify students, many departments try and keep the evaluations sealed until after the grades. Even in departments in which you collect the forms directly from the students, everyone I have talked to recommended not looking at the evaluations until after the grades were submitted.
While there is no benefit for marking a student down for their evaulation, if a faculty member wished to do this, in some cases they could. It would not be unreasonable to go talk to the director of teaching about your perceptions.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: It really depends on your institution. Mine handled it pretty well: all evaluations had to be submitted electronically in a centralized system before the final exams to avoid retaliation from students, and were made available to the teachers after the final course grades were submitted to the registrar, to avoid retaliation by the teachers. We received printed results, where all numerical/rating answers were shown as total counts, and verbal answers were anonymized and put in random order. Except for answers citing specific personal interactions, it was impossible for me to make any inference about my students' responses. So at least where I worked, the evaluations were indeed as anonymous as it gets.
Upvotes: 2
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2017/12/17
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<issue_start>username_0: In China, how much research funding do faculty members in physical science departments tend to receive?
What are the approximate grant sizes and grant success rates in natural sciences from the National Natural Science Foundation of China?
For example, would a 100,000-USD/year grant be considered a competitive offer?<issue_comment>username_1: I will state here what I know. Which is not too much, I am afraid. I am a postdoc in China since almost 2 years. I am not planning on staying longer as I did not identify with their work culture in the academia. Therefore I did not invest much of my time into learning about funding in China and applying for grants.
From my understanding there are several funding sources, the main ones being Province-level and National-level. They open calls for applications at different times of the year; e.g. September and March. Chances of success are highly dependent on your 'face' with your peers, the status of your college/institution, and nature of the grant call. Foreigners have an edge nowadays, particularly as there are grants specific for international projects. Currently in Biology the main topics being funded revolve around 'applied agriculture' and a few 'hot' fields such as STEM cells, CRISPR.
Currently (as of 2015-2017) there is a lot of funding available for research in China. Grants vary in amount of money they can provide, varying from what I've heard from mere 10k USD to much more. However one should be aware that grants come with specifications on what they should be spent on. For instance, there are grants which more flexible (usually modest) and more voluminous budgets for purchasing equipment, or others dedicated to "projects". I have heard of grants above 100k USD as you mention, for specific projects and head-start for fresh professors. The way it works, there are always workarounds in spending the money outside of the rules, but that will depend on knowing the ways and a lot of 'guanxi'. Beware of being caught redhanded as regulatory measures can be quite strict in modern China.
That said, it is my opinion that 100k USD per year sounds like excellent funding opportunity, but obviously the amount must be gauged in face of what it is, general context, and how it should be spent. If that includes salary, conference stipends, publication charges, and no significant structure or equipment is already available, this amount is likely not much. Keep in mind that because of careless handling and a lack of a maintenance culture, quite frequently equipment which appear listed as available at Chinese institutions actually may not be working properly... hence you may have to negotiate new ones.
I was attracted to my postdoc position by being shown pictures of heavy equipment such as a GC, centrifuges, PCR machines, microscopes, a lyophiliser, which in the end are not working but just sitting around.
My advice: visit first, take a long critical look around, and see through what is being promised and, most importantly *implied* between vague statements and contract lines. There is a lot of opportunity in China but one must be prepared for some intricate game.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I am a professor in China, and for the typical individual application to the NSFC one may ask for up to 600,000 RMB for perhaps 3 years (a little bit less than 30,000 USD a year approx.). And not all professors get this. As a foreigner, you need to write the application in Chinese and learn about how to write a successful application according to the local requirements.
That being said, besides the typical individual application to NSFC there are lots of programs that can bring you many other types of funding. For example, the [1000 talent program](http://www.1000plan.org/en/plan.html) or youth 1000 talent program for special talents coming to China can give you almost 1 million $ funding, distributed over 5 years.
Besides, depending on the province and city additional funding is available. For example, in Shenzhen, there is a lot of money for individuals and teams, as the city is generous to talents. Personally, I receive more than 8 times more funding than in Canada, which has been a major boost to my research. Having said all of this, I think that 100,000 USD is good and you may be able to get more from city/province/NSFC.
Upvotes: 2
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2017/12/17
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<issue_start>username_0: I teach engineering at a community college in the US. I currently have a student with very poor hygiene. He stinks pretty badly, has obviously greasy hair, doesn’t change his clothes frequently, and I usually seat him in the back of the room (during exams and labs, when I have power over seating arrangements) so I don’t have to smell his (relatively strong) body odor.
This student has also spoken with a colleague of mine about his low self-esteem. He’s worried that he isn’t making friends, and doesn’t know if the people he hangs out with are hanging out with him because they want something from him (help with classwork) or because they are truly friends.
In my opinion, this student follows me around like a puppy, and he tries too hard to impress people (students and faculty alike). I am a young-ish female faculty member and I try to create very large boundaries, especially with my male students. As an example, he frequently finds the need to explain to me (in way too much detail) why he gets questions wrong on exams (I don’t care, and I don’t need to know, which I’ve told him several times with no success). He also hangs around after labs (even if he finishes early) and always wants to walk with me to my office. I have had to tell him very explicitly (he doesn't take subtle clues) to leave labs when he finishes and that I like to walk to my office alone. I am not sure whether he does this with other professors.
So, I would like to mention to this student that his hygiene is off-putting and isn’t helping him out in the friends department. However, because he already follows me around like a puppy dog, I don’t want to encourage any more interaction from him. Additionally, it frankly embarrasses me to have to bring up hygiene issues with somebody in their late teens / early twenties. How can I bring this issue up while still maintaining my boundary as a female faculty member who doesn’t want her male students following her around and asking her for advice all the time?
I was hoping that I would be finished up with this student by now, but I am the only professor who teaches Electrical Engineering courses, so I can’t recommend that he take classes with someone else, or ask another colleague to discuss this with him. He will be taking another of my courses next semester and I don’t personally know any of his other intended professors for next semester to ask them to bring it up.<issue_comment>username_1: Your choices are to do something or not. It's possible you could pass the problem off to someone else but from the sound of it, there's no one available who knows the student better.
Personally, I would ask to speak to him privately in your office, ask permission to discuss a personal concern unrelated to his performance. Make clear that you're worried the topic might seem intrusive, that you care about your students and they problems they may be facing and mean for the conversation to be helpful to his future career success and that you're prepared to apologize if the student feels you've crossed a boundary. If he agrees to have the conversation, tell him what you've observed then reiterate that you care about your students and that if he feels you've crossed a boundary, that you understand and apologize and will not bring it up again. It's possible the student is homeless and doing his best.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: In your position, I wouldn't bring it up.
The only appropriate way to approach a personal issue such as this involves building a personal relationship with the student, which you are trying to avoid. Even if you are able to bring it up in a way that the student takes well, it will make him feel he has established a connection with you. If it needs to be mentioned, you should find someone else who can talk to him.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: If you have councelling support and professional standards folks, then take an opposite track of planning a direct meeting that would simply provide the person with the (percieved) current facts.
With the plan in hand, talk to the councilling service to see if the proposed approach would hit the nail on the head (remember this is an engineering student where quiet facts are suitably stubborn), and then check with the professional standards as to any parts that are not acceptable (e.g. the need to have a councillor/witness in attendance).
Then simply have the meeting, present the quiet facts, and have options for help (the most important bit) with location of laundromats, typical hygene regimes (pragmatic, not pampered), where the showers are that the cyclists use, or the sports facility changing rooms, etc. At least you will have tried.
A colleague would cycle 10 miles to the local university in all weathers, then shower, stay late, then cycle back to his rented flat that had no hot water and no cooker, in a rough area. He was a character!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: This answer was written assuming that the student is not a fringe case, i.e. in need of medical help, and that he trusts you in a mentor capacity as seems to be the case from your description.
You've got to be brave enough to tell him. In a class, tell him in a discreet way, so as not to embarrass him, that you would like to have a serious conversation about his student duties (or something similar, but don't forget to put the tonic/stress on the formal content of the conversation) after class ends. If possible, I would have that conversation right there in that empty room, which is somewhere rather impersonal, so that he has less chance to think otherwise.
I would start the conversation by saying that what I'm about to tell him I think it's due to my role as a teacher and a fellow human being. Because I'm worried about the fulfilment of his potential as a student and a social being, and in no way you mean any disrespect. Use formal expressions, the more formal the better, but balance that formality by expressing your concern for his well-being and success as a student, and be gentle/calm.
Start by saying that the dignity of human life is not measured by how productive one is, how many things/friends we have, or by how talented someone is. Regardless of how we look, perform, or own, each human person has to be respected and respect others. Despite any flaws that we may have our dignity does not suffer with that.
[Side note: your expression «follows me around like a puppy» may indicate of how far and foreign you see him. For a truly compassionate approach to work, you must also work on yourself to see your student not as simply a flawed individual, but as someone equal to you. He's your fellow. He's a human being, just like you, someone's son. Overcome that feeling of repulsiveness you most likely have not by denying it, but by understanding in that person's background there might be some traumatic episodes that resulted in the person he now is. 'Embrace' the person, not the flaw.]
Now tell him, what you're about to say should not be interpreted as something mean, or intended to be harmful, but that it will certainly feel like it, and nevertheless he should be ready to hear it. Wait a moment for this to sink in his mind. Let a few seconds pass. His facial expression should have changed by now... If his standing, ask him to seat down (shows concern), and reiterate that what you'll say is only due to concern as a teacher, nothing more or less. Ask him if he trusts you in this regard? He mostly likely say yes. (if he says no, see the 1st line of this whole text)
Now for the hard part.
Tell him that in your professional interactions with him, his smell has been an issue. Don't say that he smells bad. Let him make that inference... if he's not capable, then say it. Ask him if he is having some financial problems. Do it, even if you think he hasn't any. The purpose of this is to ease him a bit, since he will most likely take this personally... by opening the chance of the cause of this hygiene problem to not be him, you're giving him an escape route to save his face...
If he cries, give him some tissue paper (bring some in advance).
On the not so off chance that he gets angry at you (most likely because he's angry at himself and the world), don't lose composure or calmness. Don't overreact. Try to be understanding and gentle, and still be formal. It could be expected of him to say some hurtful things, but don't take them seriously. You need to be stronger than that.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_5: If nobody else tell him that his got a big hygiene problem, you should probably tell him when you have the occasion - and alone -.
This could at least help him.
When something is wrong (or good), people should know it to improve and know their defaults and qualities.
But don't be gentle.
He has to understand it the hard way.
Moreover you don't want any futher relation with him, so make him feel that you are not his friend nor friendable.
You are his teacher and nothing else.
You could also clearly tell him that you are not comfortable with him and you don't want him to follow you.
That it is not appropriate.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_6: I think honesty is the best policy.
We had a pupil at school who also had a really bad hygiene issue, his body odor was horrendous. As an example, once another pupil squirted yogurt at him and it got in his hair, it was still there days later!
It turned out he had no sense of smell. A teacher noticed the problem and told him directly 'I think you have a bit of a body odor problem, most people shower every other day' Or words to those effect.
It turned out that he was actually grateful (after the initial embarrassment of course) and to this day his friend will gently remind him if he is a bit smelly.
If you feel a bit uncomfortable saying it directly maybe you could try to find out more about his home life. Surely his parents would tell him to shower more?
There could be a benefit on both sides if you tell him directly, it may make it clearer that you are his teacher and he is the pupil, it will probably reinstate some boundaries and reduce/stop the unwanted interaction.
Obviously I don't recommend saying it in front of anyone and I can see a problem with you calling him into your office alone, but there is bound to be a time when you happen to be alone together such as after class or something. Or you could wait until he brings up the subject about having low self-esteem, you could also have this conversation with your colleague who has previously spoke to him and maybe they could broach the subject with him. But as said above by having the conversation yourself you may eliminate any romantic feelings and reinstate the teacher-pupil relationship.
Also you have to remember that your role as a teacher is to make sure you give every pupil all you can for them to succeed. His poor hygiene is in no doubt holding him back and will do so in the future; can you imagine if he turned up to a interview like this? If he was struggling in class or under-performing on his projects you would pull him to one side and have a word with him, so pulling him to one side and having a word about his hygiene/odor is really no different when you get over the initial embarrassment.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_7: >
> How can I bring this issue up while still maintaining my boundary as a female faculty member who doesn’t want her male students following her around and asking her for advice all the time?
>
>
>
I don't think that you can...because what you're wanting to do is cross a major boundary (discussing personal hygiene in private) and maintain a large boundary with someone who has boundary issues (following you like a puppy). You can't have it both ways.
As a woman, I can attest that our gender is taught to protect men's feelings from being hurt at all costs. That's why it's so hard to reject a man who we don't want to deal with, for whatever reason. We come up with all sorts of excuses because being direct makes us a nasty word, and we don't want to be perceived as a *You-Know-What*. You will have to set that aside and be direct in your communications with this student, and PLEASE do not invite him to speak privately. If he can't pick up on normal social cues, DO NOT invite him to be alone with you! I wish we lived in a perfect world where you don't have to worry about having your good intentions being taken the wrong way, but we don't live in that world. If I had a dollar for every time a guy misunderstood my friendly smile as being DTF, I'd be a millionaire by now. Don't most schools let you communicate with students via campus email? Why can't you send an email to him saying other students have complained that they can't focus because of the smell, and explain that most people shower every other day? Keep your note brief and to-the-point.
Maybe he does have no sense of smell. [It's called anosmia](https://www.healthline.com/health/living-without-your-sense-of-smell). It's hereditary, so maybe his family is the same. My brother has this disorder, inherited from my grandpa. When my folks came to visit his dorm for the first time, they about died from the overwhelming stench of rotting chicken wings and moldy potatoes. My brother is incredibly smart and a sharp wit, but he **didn't have a clue** how bad old garbage smelled until he was told. Now he knows to take it out regularly. If the smell is that bad, try the email. If you want to follow up, do it in a hallway or courtyard, where other people are around but in the background. Of course you'll hurt his feelings, but he needs to learn this fundamental life lesson. Sometimes lessons are painful. You're doing him a huge favor by EDUCATING your student. One day he may even thank you.
Also, if you don't want him following you around like a puppy, then you will have to "use your words" and say so. Every time you let him do this, you're reinforcing the message that it's okay to follow women around. It's NOT okay. It's borderline creeper/stalker behavior.
Be firm. Be direct. Be safe. I wish you much luck in this!
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_8: We had a student like this who turned out to be homeless and living out of his car. We managed to convince the recreation department to give him a gym pass so that he could use their showers.
Broaching this subject is extremely difficult, however, especially to protect his dignity and human rights.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_9: I am going to suggest a different approach. You do not seem to want to tell him that, and in fact you seem to be wanting to distance yourself as much as possible from this student. I am assuming there are other students in your class, female students as well, with whom you may feel more comfortable establishing a closer relationship. You could then try to gather from her (or them) if there is an external problem you are unaware of regarding this student (home situation/homeless/etc.) and deal accordingly.
Alternatively, you could find out if other students may have approached him already regarding this issue, or the student you approach may decide to talk to him.
If the problem is as bad as you are describing, you are most likely not the only one who has noticed this problem, and not the only one who might be bothered by it or looking to talk to him.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_10: Ouch. I am especially surprised that your college does not offer adequate resources to deal with such a problem.
Based on your description, I strongly recommend against arranging a private meeting with this student, especially in what might be perceived as an "intimate" setting (such as your office) by someone who obviously has a bit of an oddball personality.
On the other hand, you mentioned that he spoke with some of your colleagues as well. This leads me to recommend talking to those colleagues and soliciting their help. In particular, if a male colleague is able and willing to step in, it might be beneficial for him to breach the subject with a male student of low self-esteem. Don't gang up on him of course... the goal is not to bully or intimidate him, only to remove any impression that you or your colleagues are talking to him in a personal, as opposed to a professional, capacity.
When talking to the student, I'd recommend a constructive strategy: instead of placing the emphasis on criticizing his present personal hygiene, offer recommendations. Again, the goal would be to help him, not hurt him. You may also learn that he may be facing issues you did not anticipate, e.g., he may be living in poverty, be homeless, etc. Try to be understanding... who knows, he may be struggling to escape from a difficult life situation and your words may make the difference between a broken life vs. a successful one. (Then again, you may know more about the student's background than your question reveals, which would render my point moot.)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_11: (1) The bad smell.
You said he follows you around like a puppy. I think this might mean he comes to your office hours on at least some occasions. Or if not, he talks to you after class and walks with you as you're leaving the classroom and the building. Well, either of those situations gives you an opportunity to ask him some questions without others overhearing.
>
> John, do you have a place where you can take a shower?
>
>
> Do you have easy access to a washing machine where you're living?
>
>
>
These questions will sort out for you whether it's a poverty/access problem, or something else. My hunch is it's something else. Here's my suggestion for that case:
>
> Okay, John, I want to ask you a favor. Could you come to class with clean hair, clean body, and clean clothes on Wednesday? [Assuming today is Monday.]
>
>
> (After he says okay --) Thanks, I'm looking forward to that. See you Wednesday! (Now duck into the bathroom to end the encounter.)
>
>
>
I carpooled for a period of time with someone who I suspect had high-functioning autism. We had a mutually satisfying relationship of sorts. But I had to spell some things out for him that I wouldn't normally. It was fine. Just **tell him what you need to tell him, don't make a big deal about it.**
On Wednesday, if there's ANY improvement, give positive feedback. There's no need to put any emotion into it. Example:
>
> John, I see you washed your hair. I'm glad. Thank you!
>
>
> (after letting that sink in briefly --) How did it go with the laundry assignment?
>
>
>
Provide simple, practical guidance as necessary. He might not know about using detergent in the washing machine, for example. He might not know that the winter coat needs to be cleaned, too. (This is an extremely common male failing....) Since washing and drying a winter coat can be tricky, you might want to suggest he take it to a dry cleaner.
(2) The boring you with too many details, for example about some mistake he made with an assignment.
Change the subject. If necessary, ask him to wait a moment with his topic, for example:
>
> Wait, John, before you tell me more about that, I wanted to ask you, have you thought about what you'd like to choose for your final project?
>
>
>
If he has trouble picking up on subtle cues, then just don't expect him to pick up on subtle cues. Meaning, be very straight with him. Example:
>
> John, I have to walk across campus now to get to an appointment, and I want to walk alone. I want to use that time to daydream on my own and think my own thoughts. I will see you Wednesday. Bye, now!
>
>
>
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_12: I think he steps over the border from the point that he stinks. Bad clothing is not very bad, but stinking is always unacceptable.
People are often over-sensitive in clothing things, I think it is a *bug* in the collective mentality of our society.
During my studies, also I wasn't a very well-clothed man. I was never stinking, but I simply ignored this expectation of the society, to have always well-ironed shirts and well-brushed shoes. I simply used all my clothes while they were usable. After I've entered the job market, I've got my very clear feedback to improve on the spot. And I did.
The improvement in the treatment on the job market was more significant after I've got my degree (MSc). This is obviously psychotic, however clothing well is much easier as to get a diplom. :-)
Now the problem is that the academian world simply *doesn't have this clear feedback*.
Nothing, nobody warns him. Everybody silently ignores him. (And "votes him down" ;-) )
Probably not too many people talks with him, because it is a taboo. *But you can.* Talk with him in private. Be friendly with him, and explain: in the academian world, everything is okay until *he doesn't stink*. Explain him, that *not clothing well is worser on the job market as if he doesn't have a degree*.
Do this in a friendly tone. He will surely understand. From the point that he understands: *you, as a teacher, are violating the taboos of the society in order to help him*, he will tolerate everything from you.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_13: Ask someone else to bring it up with them.
Who? This depends on who there is and who you know, but I could imagine any of
* other teaching staff (as already suggested by some)
* administrative or counseling staff of your college
* just anyone around the college who you know to have great social skills. E.g. if something similar were to happen at my current place of work, one of the secretaries of my department is extremely apt in talking to people.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_14: If this would have been an employee at company it would have been an issue for the management/HR-department to handle. You should do the same: talk the professor that is also your manager or someone in a similar position (preferably someone who does not have a personal relationship with this student, if necessary the issue should be escalated to avoid such relationship). That person should then book an appointment with the student and very bluntly tell him "we have received several complaints about your personal hygiene" combined with an offer to connect him with a student counsellor or similar (someone in that position might as well attend this meeting).
Again, compare your situation with how a company would handle someone that has a problem with alcohol: typically a HR-manager and someone with some type of medical competence would have a meeting with the employee and explain the problem as well as offering help.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_15: Some things are just best said straight out. Oddly enough, people don't always recognize their own body odor. But calling the student aside, or to your office and just saying that it is common practice to bathe/shower daily and use some sort of deodorant will be an advantage for them in all social situations. Again, they may not recognize the problem and will, perhaps, thank you for your honesty.
Polite sometimes means being direct.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_16: Normally my advice would be identical to username_15’s, to simply talk to the student. At least, I would have liked to think that we live in a world where that would be the correct, and obvious, answer to the question. However, the reality is that in today’s culture there is a great deal of sensitivity about certain topics, such that when a college instructor makes a comment to a student about those topics, the result may be unpredictable.\* This is particularly true in matters relating to personal appearance and behavior, even more so when other factors like gender, race, mental health, disability status and perhaps other things get dragged into the discussion (which may end up happening whether or not you think it ought to), and even more so when the parties involved are of unknown temperament, sound like they may not be the most sensible people around, and cannot be counted on to react in a reasonable fashion even to the most benign and well-intentioned of approaches.
Considering all that, given your situation I should think that it would be a trivial matter to go to your department’s staff and/or faculty administrators such as the vice-chair or chair, and ask for suggestions how to proceed. Make it clear to them that the situation is untenable and that the student’s hygiene problem is impinging on your other students’ rights to benefit from a physically safe and healthy educational environment while attending your class, so that you feel that *some* action must be taken. And do not worry about being a busybody or wasting their time - this is indeed a tricky situation and it is perfectly reasonable even for a very experienced instructor to wonder how to respond and seek advice.
Finally, if your administrators suggest that you talk to the student — which is after all the obvious, and probably necessary, solution — well, then, at least you will be able to say that you followed the advice of officialdom rather than strangers on the internet, should your friendly suggestion to the student end up being ill-received.
---
\*
Many discussions right here on academia.se, among other things, have opened my eyes to this reality - one memorable one involved an instructor wondering how to respond to a female student coming to class in a bikini top, if I remember correctly. I remember being rather taken aback by the diversity of opinions on what should be done in such a scenario, as well as by the judgmental tone of some of those opinions.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_17: Talking to the student is the first step. I realise I'm duplicating other answers with this.
What *isn't* duplicating other answers is to say that when you do, make sure you have another person present. This is potentially something which the student could get highly offended over. A shouting match would be embarrassing but not ultimately too harmful. Some people might even resort to violence. More of a worry for you should be the threat of the student starting formal disciplinary proceedings against you. All these are prevented by having an independent witness.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_18: Unfortunately, these days one must consider the possibility that the student is homeless, and doesn't have access to good facilities for hygiene. There is evidence that [more than 10% of students are impacted in some way by homelessness](https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/06/10/homelessness-among-college-students-growing-crisis/3747117002/).
In such a case, even if they can clean up a bit in a restroom, they might not have access to laundry facilities.
I've never had to have such a conversation with a student. I hope such issues can be caught and addressed before they get to me, not because I don't want to deal with them, just because I'd like such issues rectified as early as possible.
I suppose I'd address it by asking "Are there resources you need that I can help you find?" and if a situation such as homelessness comes up, I'd be as supportive as I could be, stressing how proud of them I would be for pursuing an education in that position.
Upvotes: 2
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2017/12/17
| 859
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<issue_start>username_0: Good afternoon,
Often times (in my experiences) tests questions are based upon irrelevant specific details that do not necessarily reflect a student's knowledge of the subject matter. For instance, I was once faced with a test on "The Once and Future King" that asked, "What was the name of the cow?"... I believe asking questions such as this does not accurately reflect a student's mastery of the subject.
In this light, are there any established best practices for formulating examinations that properly assess how well a student has grasped the concept of a subject?
P.S. - If you down-vote, please leave a reason so that I ask better questions in the future.
P.P.S. - I don't believe this question (singular) about examinations (specific) is too broad, since it has two very helpful (definitely adequate) answers with additional resources, which have been developed by Universities as best practices. These three qualities are what the 'too broad' hold explicitly asks the questioner to address. If, after these edits, Mods still think the question is too broad, please leave more feedback so that a better question can be formulated, or simply go ahead and close the thread. I think the two answers already given are adequate for anyone seeking an answer to this question.<issue_comment>username_1: I have found a couple of resources regarding the question of credibility of examinations.
The University of Michigan advocates that examinations should be:
* Valid, (providing useful information about the concepts they were
designed to test)
* Reliable (allowing consistent measurement and discriminating between
different levels of performance)
* Recognizable (instruction has prepared students for the assessment)
* Realistic (concerning time and effort required to complete the
assignment) (Svinicki, 1999)
For others' reference:
<https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/assesslearning/creatingexams.html>
<http://www.crlt.umich.edu/P8_0> <- referenced UofM material above can be found here.
P.S. - The UofM website has further references, including the '(Svinicki, 1999)' that is listed above.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: A good question is related to the learning goals of the course. Those goals should be clearly defined beforehand and if they are not it is time for the teachers to do so.
You say the test was "on The Once and Future King". On what exactly? What was the purpose of reading the book?
If the learning goals are:
* to be able to reproduce the names of animals in literature, or
* to correctly identify all cows by name in books written between 1950 and 1960, or
* to develop a photographic memory,
the question about the cow is great. However, if the learning goals are:
* to learn about the behavior of knights and squires in historical literature, or
* to critically compare the writing styles of <NAME> and <NAME>, or
* to identify irony and distinguish it from sarcasm
the question about the cow is not useful.
In other words: The teacher should consider what students should to be able to do independently after having read the book and followed the course, and the questions should be formulated to test whether they are indeed able to do so.
[ PS. I am a biophysicist, so my choice of literature learning goals may be terrible. I just decided to go with the original example instead of one from my own field. ]
Upvotes: 2
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2017/12/17
| 635
| 2,751
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<issue_start>username_0: My postdoctoral adviser would like to co-write grants; however, I am at a stage in my career where I believe it would be better for me to write grants on my own. I will soon be faculty (in 5th of postdoc and on job market) and to my knowledge it is important to demonstrate that I have an independent research program and obtain funding to support it, rather than to gain funding with a former adviser, which will lead to question marks about how much of the ideas are mine. Cowriting grants would also limit my ability to use the same ideas that are based on my work in future independent grant applications. I have also been explicitly advised by others who have worked with my adviser that he has in the past written grants that very strongly build on the independent work/ideas of mentees. I know that my adviser can do this if he wants, but I don't want to help him do it or enlist as a co-I. Any suggestions for how to decline without ruffling feathers? I would like to maintain a good relationship with him.<issue_comment>username_1: Short answer #1: Talk to your adviser about these things. Tell him that you wonder how joint proposals will be perceived and get his perspective on things.
Short answer #2: Remember that it's easy to write proposals, and hard to write *winning* proposals. How are you going to learn what to say and not say in a proposal? The easiest way to learn this skill is to work with someone who has done this many times and who may have been on review panels many times. I have reviewed many a proposal by junior scientists in my lifetime where it is clear that they mean well, but have essentially no idea what to write in a proposal that can be funded. That may be your fate if you write by yourself, unless you have an experienced mentor who is willing to help you with it.
As far as demonstrating independence: If you're already on the job market, then this proposal will not be funded before anyone will look at your file anyway, so it's not going to make a difference one way or the other. It might make a difference come time for tenure, but that is so far in the future that you will have plenty of opportunities to demonstrate your independence till then. And for the moment, *any* funded proposal is better than no funded proposal.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: In discussing this with your advisor, I suggest emphasizing your need to establish and demonstrate an independent program for faculty job-hunting. You can thank the advisor for all you have learned about grant-writing working with him during your postdoc, and tell him that you feel it is now time to put that learning to the test by independently writing a proposal based on your own research ideas.
Upvotes: 0
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2017/12/17
| 1,332
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<issue_start>username_0: Would spending one more year as an undergraduate adversely affect my chances of getting into a graduate program?
I wasn't really thinking about economics PhD until recently so my GPA is not too impressive and I lack in math courses so I've decided to spend one more year to boost my GPA taking upper level courses and get a math minor. However, could the very fact of spending one more year to finish college be a disadvantage of getting into a graduate program?<issue_comment>username_1: I would say that in general no, you have good reasons to spend one year more engaged in undergrad studies. The time spent will compensate with a bold curriculum for a strong candidature in the future.
I met a lot of people that took a gap year after the master degree. It's not unusual to re-take some exames and/or to continue working on the thesis subject in order to publish in a peer-review journal before of applying for a doctorate.
In Europe people usually do that after the master degree, but here we have the Bologna system.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Generally speaking, no one cares all that much how long it took you to finish your undergraduate degree. An extra semester or even an extra year will make almost no difference to anyone. They will care what your GPA was.
One of my service assignments as faculty at UMich in our CS department is undergraduate advising. I am constantly having to remind students that it does them no good to take a heavy load, hoping to graduate early, if the result is that they crater their GPA. Much better to take a manageable load they can do well. Twelve units of straight A's always beats 17 units with a couple of C's, especially for anyone hoping to go on to graduate school where ballpark minimum GPAs for entry to our master's and PhD programs are about 3.6 and 3.8, respectively.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: I was in the same boat as you as an undergrad, so I hope I can offer you a different perspective.
I had the opportunity to graduate three different times my undergrad years. First was my sophomore year when I completed my first major, second - junior, third - senior; I think you get the idea.
The variables I had in my mind at the end of each year were the following:
1. Was my resume competitive? Barring graduate school, always have contingency plans. If I wasn’t prepared and planning for grad school, would I be able to find gainful employment? By gainful, I refer to an occupation within my desired field. Working at fast food might be easy to get into, but it doesn’t offer a means of generating ancillary value (networking, conversing with academia) beyond $10 an hour.
2. Did I prepare for grad school? It’s a little bit late in terms of economics applications at the moment. You can still prep over the winter, but know that many application deadlines are literally within the next two months. But if you wait and apply the next cycle you will have plenty of time to prepare.
3. What is the realistic returns for one additional year of school? For me, I was on track to triple major, one minor, in four years; if I added another year, I was confident that I could’ve added another major. But if I did, the effect on my GPA would be minimal. And the course load would’ve been arduous at best. After two years taking 24 units a semester, I did not look forward to another year. After a certain point, the math didn’t pan out. I had too many credits on my transcript already. The ROI on each additional A was <0.01. So do some grade calculations and make sure that the time cost is worth it.
4. What are the opportunity costs of one year? If you found full time work, even if slightly below market wages, and lived frugally, you can earn and save. This money would be the primary means (in addition to your graduate stipend) of which you will live off as a grad student. Remember: each day as a graduate student is precious. A day spent working for money is a day not working on your thesis, studying, or research. If you can front load your means to earn money during your gap year; you are freeing up more valuable (relatively speaking, not monetarily) time when you are a student.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: >
> could the very fact of spending one more year to finish college be a disadvantage of getting into a graduate program?
>
>
>
No.
Many students also do a Master's before applying to enter an Economics PhD program. This is generally viewed as a plus (student is more prepared) and not any different from an additional year in a Bachelor's program (provided that additional year is used properly, see below).
>
> I wasn't really thinking about economics PhD until recently so my GPA is not too impressive and I lack in math courses so I've decided to spend one more year to boost my GPA taking upper level courses and get a math minor.
>
>
>
Boosting your GPA is helpful (low GPAs are a quick and dirty way for those looking at applications to throw them out).
But more important than your GPA and what you should try to get out of your additional year are
* Good letters of recommendation; and
* Good grades in important, relevant, and difficult courses (e.g. getting Bs in Analysis II and Econometrics II is better than getting As in Spanish 101 and Calculus I in your additional year).
Upvotes: 0
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2017/12/17
| 656
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<issue_start>username_0: Earlier this year I applied to 3 PhD programs in physics in Europe, and one (Germany) informed me they can't provide me a PhD position while the other two (Germany, Netherlands) didn't inform me their review status or decision. I afterwards sent them e-mails to inquire about the status but they didn't reply me.
Last month I applied to a PhD program in physics in Europe again. The program (Germany) doesn't specify when they will inform their decision and how they will inform the applicants. It has been 3 to 4 weeks since my submission of the application. I haven't got any of their notice and wonder whether they will eventually give any notice.
So is it a common convention of European PhD programs that they don't inform all the applicants the application status and those applicants who don't get any notice can just automatically assume they are not admitted? I don't like this way because the application is not an effortless process. To apply to a PhD program, I spend much time to check its research profile, including the publications of the principal investigators therein, to compose the essays they require. Therefore I expect each program I apply to informs me the definite result.<issue_comment>username_1: Yes, unfortunately this kind of thing happens often in Europe.
Some years ago I sent a candidature for the Francis Crick Institute (UK) and in the public notice it said explicitly something like:
>
> "We will contact the candidates we are interested in before the date
> X. If you do not hear back from us it means you were not selected."
>
>
>
I also had submitted a candidature for a Max-Planck program (Germany) and received a standard email. But with a note that explains why they don't give further informations about the candidatures:
>
> P.S. I have a personal wish: Please refrain from further enquiries. I
> am the only person dealing with 1000+ applicants and I simply can't
> answer such enquiries.
>
>
>
However, in Portugal they usually are very transparent with this kind of process. The candidates are seriated and they ask for every candidate to reply an email in agreement with the results. If the candidates didn't agree they have 15 days to complain. In the absence of a reply and a complaint, the process is put on hold for 15 days and then they atribute the fellowship.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: The program I was affiliated with in Europe had a lengthy admissions process—it could take months to decide on an applicant, and thus it would take time before we felt comfortable notifying declined applicants, if we felt they were qualified.
Clear-cut rejections, though, were handled much more efficiently.
Upvotes: 2
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2017/12/17
| 1,189
| 4,574
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<issue_start>username_0: **Relevant background:**
Freshman at large public research university, pursuing Engineering/Applied Mathematics dual major.
Labeled 'gifted' after neuropsych evaluation in Elementary school. Processing speed about 2 standard deviations lower than other subscores, this may have contributed to learning maladaptations that have become evident in University.
K-8: Programs where I got A's and B's without actually making the effort to learn the material. Never a straight-A student, usually got discouraged when my (also 'gifted') peers did stuff more quickly than I could, decided I didn't like what I wasn't good at.
I got a few A's but mostly B's in high school math, where I completed up to Multivariable Calculus, in which I received a B.
This semester I took Linear Algebra & Differential Equations (1 course) which comprised 2 midterms and a final. I got an A on the LA midterm, didn't have much trouble with that. However I got a D on the DE midterm; it turns out I can't integrate worth a damn anymore. My final grade is TBD, but I'm guessing I will earn a B in the class.
The cruel irony is that by the time I realized I enjoyed math I also handicapped myself to learning it.
**Question:**
Has anyone here been in or witnessed an applicable situation? It feels as if I've dug myself a hole that may not be possible to get out of regarding future math classes.<issue_comment>username_1: Recall that 1% or work is inspiration, and 99% is prespiration. That holds for you as well as for the others, A-graders. You called youself gifted. So, you have this 1%. Now, you have to work hard on the 99%, not relying on your gift. That's simple to say and hard to do, but, in principle, everyone can do it: it boils down to properly *organizing* your study process, which should become a major part of your life. Self-organize, plan, study, and practice. How to do it efficiently is a different question, which is probably more related to psychology, coaching, and habits rather to academia.
(That's all, folks, sorry for that.)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: >
> The cruel irony is that by the time I realised I enjoyed math I also handicapped myself to learning it.
>
>
>
I've had a somewhat similar experience so I'm going to describe it in a few words. Perhaps it will be helpful for you.
When in school I was labelled "gifted" as well. I was a member of a club for children with math aptitude and participated in competitions but never put in any effort. Eventually, after entering university, I realised that **research is what I really want to do**. That is the most important thing, I believe. I would have been smarter if I studied seriously in school. Sometimes I regret not doing it. However, it's in the past, it doesn't really matter, it's not relevant to the present situation. You have a goal and your current skills as starting parameters. What happens next is up to you. From your background section I got the impression that you think about what you could've done a lot. My advice: **think about what you can do instead**. Right now you're in a perfect positions to study what you like! [Some](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/93253/returning-to-academia-after-a-long-peroid) [people](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/90744/what-are-the-options-for-a-drop-out-turned-professional-to-return-to-academia) face a lot more difficulties.
Now to address your actual question.
>
> Frankly, I don't quite know where to start relearning. Where would a starting point be?
>
>
>
I don't think you actually need relearning. Judging by your grades, you have a pretty good grasp on the material. If you really need to sharpen your skills do some exercises from a textbook. What I think you should do (it worked for me) is pick up a book/ online course / seminar on the topic you are interested in and just start learning. Whenever you encounter something you don't remember from the classes go back and refresh this knowledge. Eventually things you really need from those courses will become second nature (and this way you can avoid deliberately solving boring exercises).
You edited the last part out but it did indeed sound like the [impostor syndrome](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome). There is a ton of people with imperfect knowledge in academia, both students and teachers. More importantly, you're only a freshman. Even if you don't get into that cool project next year there will be other opportunities. You have a lot more before you than behind you.
Upvotes: 3
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2017/12/18
| 611
| 2,727
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<issue_start>username_0: Currently, I am in the second year of a Ph.D. program. However, I am really worried about the amount of time Faculty takes to confer the degree, since It could be detrimental to my academic and professional future.<issue_comment>username_1: It's understood that it takes some time from the date the thesis is turned in until the examination, and then again from the examination to the final degree conferral. Consequently, most employers—business, industrial, and academic—who hire Ph.D.'s will be aware of this, and will allow people to start working once they have finished the defense (and sometimes even before then!).
The date of conferral has some impact on when you're eligible to apply for certain programs, but even then, it's usually a window of X years *after the conferral date*, so you're not going to "lose out" on opportunities just because your faculty takes longer than average. Even in the event where it's after the date of defense, usually schools can issue documentation that the defense took place and was successfully passed.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Many academic positions after graduation are dependent on proof of degree completion, so this could potentially be a problem. The NSF math postdocs, for example, require a signature from the school that you've completed your degree, and some positions explicitly require a copy of your transcript or diploma that indicate your completion of a Ph.D. program. The institution where I completed a postdoc was in this latter category, and would only issue an informal offer (and not an official contract) until they received final documentation of my degree, which in my case took several months to arrive after graduation. One practical problem I faced as a result was difficulty arranging for housing at my postdoc institution; most rental companies want to see their tenant's signed contract as proof of income. I am also aware of tenure track jobs where the contract specified that the tenure clock only started after conferral of a degree. I suspect some institutions would be willing to bend the rules a bit in unusual circumstances, but it certainly could be a problem. (Note that this answer is based on experiences of myself and colleagues in the US. I have no idea how this practice varies in other countries.)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Once you've passed your PhD, ask your supervisor to write and sign a letter (on headed paper) that says you've passed.\* (Explain to your supervisor why you need it.) That letter should be convincing enough to anyone that asks, even though it isn't a formal certificate.
\*Selection of the right words is crucial. All statements should be honest.
Upvotes: 2
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2017/12/18
| 412
| 1,929
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<issue_start>username_0: Often textbooks don't have solutions to problems and if they do they are often password protected for instructor use only.
Has any research been done (in peer reviewed journals) that looks at whether providing solutions to students actually benefits the student in their actual understanding of the subject?<issue_comment>username_1: Providing a solution manual ensures that students will cheat on homeworks.
But ultimately, it depends on the structure of the course. I generally think it is a good idea to include the solution for fundamental problems, and leave out the solution for the more advantaged ones. And if the solution manual is provided, perhaps allocate less grade percentage to the homeworks.
I've taken courses where the solution for even the basic results were not provided (a course done using the so-called "Moore's method"). So it became a you either get it or you don't type of class and believe me, a lot of people did not get it. The most successful students were also the most popular ones, who were able to crowd-source other students' solutions to reach a consensus. I think it is a very poor way of teaching students when no feedback is provided.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Why do you need "research in peer reviewed journals" for something you can easily figure out experimentally yourself in a couple of semesters using exactly the setup you are interested in? The students also provide you with a lot of feedback themselves if you bother to ask them and to listen to the answers. The typical answer to this question (coming from those who have no trouble with the subject) is something along the lines "Yes, I do need to see written solutions to exercises to have a sample of exemplary argument construction and mathematical writing I can follow". I buy this 100% and do not care in the slightest what the modern education theories say after that.
Upvotes: 3
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2017/12/18
| 505
| 1,915
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<issue_start>username_0: I recently learned that eminent physicist [<NAME>](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeman_Dyson) does not have a doctoral degree. Does he have a graduate (magistrate) degree though? Or can he be described as a highly successful graduate-school dropout? The only formal degree listed in [his official biography](https://www.sns.ias.edu/dyson/) is an undergraduate (baccalaureate) degree in mathematics.<issue_comment>username_1: According to both [<NAME>'s homepage at the IAS](https://www.sns.ias.edu/dyson) and the accompanying C.V., he never earned another degree after his B.A. While unusual, this was much more possible at the time, since research in general was less well supported and organized. A number of other notable contemporaneous researchers (e.g., [<NAME>](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Fredkin)) also never earned a doctorate.
In the modern world, this is much more difficult, though similar recognition can be obtained as, e.g., a Professor of Practice.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: The Cambridge University Annual Register for 1968-69 (which is the only copy I have to hand) records just a Bachelor of Arts degree awarded in 1945 to <NAME> of Trinity College. (At Cambridge the BA degree is awarded for studies in sciences not just arts subjects.)
He would have been qualified for the award of the Master of Arts degree without any further academic work or examinations. The University website explains that "if you hold a Cambridge BA, you may proceed to the MA not less than six years from the end of your first term of residence, providing that you have held your BA degree for at least two years." Many BA graduates do not bother to take the MA degree. Nevertheless for formal purposes at Cambridge the MA degree is regarded as ranking higher even than master's degrees awarded for actual academic work.
Upvotes: 2
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2017/12/18
| 2,304
| 10,069
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<issue_start>username_0: I am intending to purposefully try to fail a course to stay an extra semester, so I can finalize some research projects which can't be finalized otherwise. My current GPA is 3.82. How badly would that be reflected on my master's admission?<issue_comment>username_1: Explore all other options first. Seriously. Talk to professors whom you think to possess some common sense (especially your adviser and the department head if they are among them) explaining clearly what your situation is and what your objectives are and ask for the advice on how to proceed. Resort to the F option only if you see that there is no other way.
As to "masters admission", it depends. If you want to master in math., say, and your F is in "underwater basketweaving" or something else like that, I personally would not even notice, but if you fail algebra, that will be quite a red flag and your explanations that "it was intentional", etc. won't fly with me (also, are you going to include these explanations into your application letter or what?). So, if you follow this line, at the very least be sure to choose a subject people in the field you want to specialize in view with contempt.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_2: Don't overestimate the importance of finalising these projects. Of course, it would be ideal to complete your undergraduate research, but it isn't worth doing it by deliberately failing a course. If the projects are valuable to your current supervisor or institution, then they will find a way for you to complete them. If they aren't valuable to your supervisor or institution, then they aren't essential for you to complete.
Having complete research from your undergraduate degree is by no means essential for username_6ers admission. A low GPA could see you being automatically filtered out of admissions, whereas an incomplete research project is just a good opportunity for you to explain how you would like to complete it.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: In short, don't take the F.
I'm making an assumption here, but it sounds like this would delay starting your masters in favor of finishing some undergraduate research. I can't think of any scenario where someone would look favorably on prioritizing undergraduate research over graduate research. Even if your undergraduate research is *amazing* most are going to assume that there was really a graduate student pulling most of the weight and you were along for the ride.
Another consideration is that more and more admissions boards are using algorithms to first filter candidates. Something like an F or a minimum GPA requirement might eliminate you before someone even looks at your application.
I'm also a bit curious about your timing. You are asking this in December. Your masters program probably begins next September. That seems like plenty of time to complete an undergraduate level research project that I assume you are already well into. Taking an F now to buy yourself maybe 20-30% more time seems like way too much risk.
If you really want to stay and continue your research, talk to your adviser about getting hired as an employee. After you've earned your degree, this is really very appropriate. My adviser did this all the time while I was in grad school.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_4: This is a seriously terrible idea that could tank your plans for a masters. As others have suggested, pretty nearly any other option might be preferable, including negotiating an incomplete or a withdrawal in that class, dumping your research project or petitioning to go an extra semester to finish it. Anything but a deliberate F. That's just dumb. There has to be a better option. Talk to your academic advisor.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_5: This entirely depends on where you are and what are the policies of your school. If you were at a US institution, I’d tell you “no way,” since the consequences of failing a class, particularly in your next-to-last or last semester, are potentially severe.
On the other hand, if you were at a German university where the system allows you multiple attempts to pass, with the failed grades not recorded, I’d still advise against purposefully failing, but I could see the logic behind it much more clearly.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: We got a saying around here which loosely translates to the following:
>
> Every year you delay entering the workforce costs you at least 10,000 bucks in the long run.
>
>
>
And that's a low number in my region. Basically, you'll work more years, start working on your pension earlier, etc.
I'm not a big fan of loans, but if you need one to survive half a year of housing, you can make it work. In the long run, you pay off the interest and the extra cost just by starting on time.
Since you mentioned it's quite an important subject and your overall high score otherwise, a loan is in the long run the cheaper and more professional option. Failing this test on purpose may bite you for the first years of employment, years which happen to go a lot easier if your marks are exemplary.
**Clarification**: the 10,000 bucks mentioned should be, translated to modern times and USD, at least 5 times more. Since the OP did not specify a region, I did not presume one and simply stated it for my region roughly 20 years ago. I was trying to say you're losing a great amount of money by every year you start later, regardless of the actual value. It's guaranteed more than the additional housing cost.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: My understanding is that you are intending to do this because of your university offers dormitory accommodations to students at very affordable rates. I strongly advise you to just get a roommate and possibly a part time job to cover any possible cost differences.
A few years from now, the money you save will seem trivial to you and your transcripts (for which you have paid tuition and time) will be forever impacted.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_8: >
> **TL;DR: this is a classic question of short term versus long term thinking.**
>
>
>
Others have given good answers to your question at the practical level, so I won’t bother repeating that advice. Instead I will address your situation at a higher, more conceptual level. What you are thinking of doing is a strong example of **short term thinking**: that is, perceiving one course of action as preferable to another because it confers *short term advantages* - the savings in rent from living in the dorms apparently, or other things you have not explained - while not giving sufficient attention\* to *long term disadvantages* of the same action and the overall advantages of the alternative course of action when those long term effects are properly accounted for.
Yes, I know you are concerned about the effect of the F on your master’s admissions, which is a longer term effect. But have you really considered all other effects? The F grade will appear *permanently* on your transcript. You will have to explain its meaning, *over and over again*, whenever and wherever you go, for grad school applications, job applications and who knows what else (hopefully your future boyfriend/girlfriend/fiancé/fiancée won’t care!). Some of the people you explain it to will believe your explanation, others will not. Some of those who believe it will find it satisfactory, others will not, and may even find your behavior dishonest and manipulative. **You have no way of accurately predicting the future consequences of this intentional F grade**, however much you would like to get an authoritative answer “no, it will not affect your master’s application” or “it will definitely be a problem”. All that we can be certain of is that you will be intentionally putting yourself at a potentially significant long term disadvantage, when your stated motivation to save money is short term in nature.
I don’t mean to suggest that the money and other short term advantages aren’t important; obviously they are. However, I urge you to do some studying on the nature of short term versus long term decision making and the pitfalls of concentrating too much either on the short term or on the long term. This is a well known subject and google should easily lead you to some interesting articles on the subject, which I hope will inform your thinking towards making a good decision. Good luck!
\* as I think the universal disapproval of your idea in the other answers and comments rather convincingly shows.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_9: (This is based purely on personal opinion, so may not apply to others.)
If I was looking at graduate applications, I would not only be concerned with whether a potential student has a strong enough academic background, but also whether they are displaying other characteristics needed to succeed. On some of these, I think your proposed action would send ambiguous/negative signals.
* Motivation: Is your interest really in doing the research, or is it in getting cheap rent?
* Timekeeping/forward-planning: You knew the time you had available when you started your research project. While it is not always possible to predict how long research will take, were there any points where you could have adapted your aims to fit within the available time? A masters program also requires a project to be completed within a fixed time frame.
* Financial planning: You may think it's unreasonable for academic admissions to be influenced by non-academic issues, but the university needs to know you can reasonably expect to be in a position to completed your course. Are you going to run out of funds part way through? For me this wouldn't be a major decision factor in itself, but it might colour my judgement when comparing candidates who are equally academically qualified.
* Integrity: I would consider arguing that this is the most important quality needed to be an academic. Can you be trusted to carry out and report your research accurately, even if it isn't in your personal best interest?
Upvotes: 3
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<issue_start>username_0: Some conferences provide both the *regular paper* track and the *tool paper* (sometimes called short paper) track. My question is: Is the latter category of papers generally regarded as of lower standards than the former one? What would be your first impression before you start reading a paper that comes with "short paper" in its description or title?
An example of such regular paper vs. tool paper can be found in the recent [call-for-papers of the Computer Aided Verification conference](http://cavconference.org/2018/cav-2018-call-for-papers/).<issue_comment>username_1: Explore all other options first. Seriously. Talk to professors whom you think to possess some common sense (especially your adviser and the department head if they are among them) explaining clearly what your situation is and what your objectives are and ask for the advice on how to proceed. Resort to the F option only if you see that there is no other way.
As to "masters admission", it depends. If you want to master in math., say, and your F is in "underwater basketweaving" or something else like that, I personally would not even notice, but if you fail algebra, that will be quite a red flag and your explanations that "it was intentional", etc. won't fly with me (also, are you going to include these explanations into your application letter or what?). So, if you follow this line, at the very least be sure to choose a subject people in the field you want to specialize in view with contempt.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_2: Don't overestimate the importance of finalising these projects. Of course, it would be ideal to complete your undergraduate research, but it isn't worth doing it by deliberately failing a course. If the projects are valuable to your current supervisor or institution, then they will find a way for you to complete them. If they aren't valuable to your supervisor or institution, then they aren't essential for you to complete.
Having complete research from your undergraduate degree is by no means essential for username_6ers admission. A low GPA could see you being automatically filtered out of admissions, whereas an incomplete research project is just a good opportunity for you to explain how you would like to complete it.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: In short, don't take the F.
I'm making an assumption here, but it sounds like this would delay starting your masters in favor of finishing some undergraduate research. I can't think of any scenario where someone would look favorably on prioritizing undergraduate research over graduate research. Even if your undergraduate research is *amazing* most are going to assume that there was really a graduate student pulling most of the weight and you were along for the ride.
Another consideration is that more and more admissions boards are using algorithms to first filter candidates. Something like an F or a minimum GPA requirement might eliminate you before someone even looks at your application.
I'm also a bit curious about your timing. You are asking this in December. Your masters program probably begins next September. That seems like plenty of time to complete an undergraduate level research project that I assume you are already well into. Taking an F now to buy yourself maybe 20-30% more time seems like way too much risk.
If you really want to stay and continue your research, talk to your adviser about getting hired as an employee. After you've earned your degree, this is really very appropriate. My adviser did this all the time while I was in grad school.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_4: This is a seriously terrible idea that could tank your plans for a masters. As others have suggested, pretty nearly any other option might be preferable, including negotiating an incomplete or a withdrawal in that class, dumping your research project or petitioning to go an extra semester to finish it. Anything but a deliberate F. That's just dumb. There has to be a better option. Talk to your academic advisor.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_5: This entirely depends on where you are and what are the policies of your school. If you were at a US institution, I’d tell you “no way,” since the consequences of failing a class, particularly in your next-to-last or last semester, are potentially severe.
On the other hand, if you were at a German university where the system allows you multiple attempts to pass, with the failed grades not recorded, I’d still advise against purposefully failing, but I could see the logic behind it much more clearly.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_6: We got a saying around here which loosely translates to the following:
>
> Every year you delay entering the workforce costs you at least 10,000 bucks in the long run.
>
>
>
And that's a low number in my region. Basically, you'll work more years, start working on your pension earlier, etc.
I'm not a big fan of loans, but if you need one to survive half a year of housing, you can make it work. In the long run, you pay off the interest and the extra cost just by starting on time.
Since you mentioned it's quite an important subject and your overall high score otherwise, a loan is in the long run the cheaper and more professional option. Failing this test on purpose may bite you for the first years of employment, years which happen to go a lot easier if your marks are exemplary.
**Clarification**: the 10,000 bucks mentioned should be, translated to modern times and USD, at least 5 times more. Since the OP did not specify a region, I did not presume one and simply stated it for my region roughly 20 years ago. I was trying to say you're losing a great amount of money by every year you start later, regardless of the actual value. It's guaranteed more than the additional housing cost.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: My understanding is that you are intending to do this because of your university offers dormitory accommodations to students at very affordable rates. I strongly advise you to just get a roommate and possibly a part time job to cover any possible cost differences.
A few years from now, the money you save will seem trivial to you and your transcripts (for which you have paid tuition and time) will be forever impacted.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_8: >
> **TL;DR: this is a classic question of short term versus long term thinking.**
>
>
>
Others have given good answers to your question at the practical level, so I won’t bother repeating that advice. Instead I will address your situation at a higher, more conceptual level. What you are thinking of doing is a strong example of **short term thinking**: that is, perceiving one course of action as preferable to another because it confers *short term advantages* - the savings in rent from living in the dorms apparently, or other things you have not explained - while not giving sufficient attention\* to *long term disadvantages* of the same action and the overall advantages of the alternative course of action when those long term effects are properly accounted for.
Yes, I know you are concerned about the effect of the F on your master’s admissions, which is a longer term effect. But have you really considered all other effects? The F grade will appear *permanently* on your transcript. You will have to explain its meaning, *over and over again*, whenever and wherever you go, for grad school applications, job applications and who knows what else (hopefully your future boyfriend/girlfriend/fiancé/fiancée won’t care!). Some of the people you explain it to will believe your explanation, others will not. Some of those who believe it will find it satisfactory, others will not, and may even find your behavior dishonest and manipulative. **You have no way of accurately predicting the future consequences of this intentional F grade**, however much you would like to get an authoritative answer “no, it will not affect your master’s application” or “it will definitely be a problem”. All that we can be certain of is that you will be intentionally putting yourself at a potentially significant long term disadvantage, when your stated motivation to save money is short term in nature.
I don’t mean to suggest that the money and other short term advantages aren’t important; obviously they are. However, I urge you to do some studying on the nature of short term versus long term decision making and the pitfalls of concentrating too much either on the short term or on the long term. This is a well known subject and google should easily lead you to some interesting articles on the subject, which I hope will inform your thinking towards making a good decision. Good luck!
\* as I think the universal disapproval of your idea in the other answers and comments rather convincingly shows.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_9: (This is based purely on personal opinion, so may not apply to others.)
If I was looking at graduate applications, I would not only be concerned with whether a potential student has a strong enough academic background, but also whether they are displaying other characteristics needed to succeed. On some of these, I think your proposed action would send ambiguous/negative signals.
* Motivation: Is your interest really in doing the research, or is it in getting cheap rent?
* Timekeeping/forward-planning: You knew the time you had available when you started your research project. While it is not always possible to predict how long research will take, were there any points where you could have adapted your aims to fit within the available time? A masters program also requires a project to be completed within a fixed time frame.
* Financial planning: You may think it's unreasonable for academic admissions to be influenced by non-academic issues, but the university needs to know you can reasonably expect to be in a position to completed your course. Are you going to run out of funds part way through? For me this wouldn't be a major decision factor in itself, but it might colour my judgement when comparing candidates who are equally academically qualified.
* Integrity: I would consider arguing that this is the most important quality needed to be an academic. Can you be trusted to carry out and report your research accurately, even if it isn't in your personal best interest?
Upvotes: 3
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<issue_start>username_0: I am a CS student at 4th year in my university. I have done a lot of real-world projects, worked as a freelancer for many years, and have released a lot of software in use by thousands of people. I believe I have good experience about topics which I am interested in.
My question is about whether writing a book about those topics and publishing it in my name would be a good idea? I heard that whatever undergrads write in Academia is not considered reliable/trustworthy. And that even if the thing you write was actually very good, people would still not rely on it. Is this is true?
Is there a possible way to publish a book as an undergraduate student? I would like to write the book now because I feel it is so needed by my local community (non-English). We have a very limited number of books in this field. And I don't think I'll have the same amount of time as when I graduate.<issue_comment>username_1: Go for it, and see whether you can get one of your professors to do a technical review. That technical review, acknowledged in the preface, will lend weight to your book. If you have professors who speak your language, think about co-authors.
Do not, however, expect to make money. Only blockbuster textbooks make significant money for their authors. Also, beware vanity publishing, where *you* pay the publisher rather than the reverse.
If you write the book, Amazon will let you make it available free or very cheap. (That's true for English language books; you'll need to check about other languages.)
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: IMHO, it doesn't matter whether you are an undergrad or a professor when it comes to writing books; what matters is whether the material you would like to share has some value for readers. If you strongly and rationally believe in your book idea, approach book publishers with a comprehensive book proposal.
Some considerations:
* **Objective** Be clear about the motivation and objective behind writing the book. Do you want to share knowledge in a systematic manner and/or you want to make money. Be aware that books will not earn you a lot of money unless it becomes a blockbuster.
* **Time/Effort** Book writing is a long and demanding process. Do you have sufficient time to work on it (considering you are a student presently)?
* **Skills** Assess your skills. Assuming you know technical stuff, can you express your thoughts decently in words. If you are writing, for example, blogs that are received well by your target audience, you should be fine.
* **Market research** Carry out some market research. Try to state in words what your book will provide which is not really provided by the existing books.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: Other answers have touched upon this a bit, but I think it matters greatly whether you self-publish or not. If you can get your book published by a reputable press, then it will surely help you. If you self-publish then it could hurt you by making you seem naive about academic publishing and making you seem overly egotistical if the book isn’t high quality. Whether this will be the perception will depend a lot on whether there is original content and if that original content is seen as having value — but if you can’t get published by a reputable publisher the assumption will (rightly or wrongly) likely be that the book lacks such value. If there is original research that is publishable, but maybe not a whole book’s worth, you might be better served by submitting an article to a journal/conference.
However, it sounds like your main motive is to make existing material available to audiences who speak a different language. If that is the case then being fairly conservative with what you write, making it more a textbook than a research manuscript, can help you (assuming it’s done reasonably well). What I would do in such a situation is to list it in your CV under “service to the profession”. This will avoid giving the impression that you take it to be serious original research (assuming it isn’t), and show that you care about making the relevant knowledge more easily accessible to speakers of the relevant language. In such a case, though, it might also make sense to simply produce a translation of the sort of work you think is lacking (with permission of the author and publisher, of course).
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: >
> I would like to write the book now because I feel it is so needed by
> my local community (non-English).
>
>
>
On the one hand, if you write an original text it seems somewhat limiting to do it for the sole purpose of helping your native language speakers. On the other hand, if you're not writing a book on an original idea (i.e., a more general textbook) then it seems like translating existing publications, with all of the different revisions they've had by now, would be best.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: Go for it! I'm puzzled you have the time to do it.
Don't expect the academic community to embrace your work, as academia is about novel research as opposite to actually popularizing well established knowledge. The fact you are a CS student and not an institute director doesn't make any difference for the casual reader.
Writing in a language other than English will significantly reduce your reader base.
Writing is a skill: more you exercise it, better becomes your writing. Even as an exercise, writing a book is good.
Don't expect a large financial reward out of this task.
Of course you shall publish in your name.
Start a draft and contact an editor, see their feedback. Going self publishing route is not an option, except you do it to feed your own ego of being published, or you have some experience of book marketing. Also, being accepted by an editor gives you a valuable feedback, reinforcing that your vision is valid. The editor shall not ask any up-front money from you, but shall offer you a low margin (10-15%) of sales. Do not accept anything outside this arrangement. The commercial risk belongs entirely to the editor.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_6: I used to work in publishing so I'll add my perspective. If I'm less sure about certain things, I'll say so.
**First**: why do you want to write a book? If it's for academic reasons (as in, help you find a PhD, etc), I'm not sure how much publishing a book will actually help your career. It certainly can't hurt, and will probably help, but exactly how much it will help I don't know. If it helps only a little it might not be worth doing - you could spend the time on another research project for example and that would directly help you if you continue on the academic path.
If you're doing this for financial reasons then I must say that you're not likely to make a lot of money. A lot depends on what type of book you write, but for monographs, don't expect to make more than a couple of thousand USD at best. If you write a textbook *and* it sells really well, then you can make some real money, but the odds of that happening are very low because the prestige of the author is a key factor in how well a textbook does. The same goes for popular-level books. I can practically guarantee that a book written by <NAME> will sell well no matter what the topic is or even how well it's written, but the same probably doesn't apply to you. As an order of magnitude estimate, you might expect to sell ~500 copies of such a book.
Finally if you're doing this for altruistic reasons then there's really nothing stopping you. Do whatever makes you happy!
**Second**: about whether or not a major commercial publishing house is likely to agree to publish your book, as I mentioned, a key factor in how well a book does is the identity of the author. A lot of buyers will only buy a book if the author is an expert. A commercial publishing house is likely to decline immediately unless you have the credentials to back up whatever you're writing. This is conditional on what you're writing about - e.g. if you're writing a GRE solutions manual and you've been accepted by Harvard as a PhD student, then you have the credentials to write the book. It sounds like you're writing a book intended for CS academics however, in which case an undergraduate degree isn't impressive. You write that you've done a lot of real world projects as well as written code used by thousands of people. That sounds like you got substantial work experience before or during undergraduate studies. If you have held senior positions at major companies, then they might be willing.
Real life example: once my former publisher was approached by several undergraduates with a book proposal. We refused, unless their professor was willing to put his name on it, *and* we also wanted their professor as the first author. It wasn't fair since the professor wrote virtually nothing in the book, but it's what we requested. If you do take up such an option then you can expect a royalty rate of ~10% of net sales receipts.
You'll probably have a better chance with university presses, since university presses aren't as focused on making a profit. If your university has a university press, that's the first publisher I'd approach.
**Third**: self-publishing. If you self-publish, you'll have to do everything yourself (or engage a freelancer). It's not just writing - you have to do the typesetting, design the book cover, design the title pages, liaise with the printers, and finally talk to booksellers to get them to sell your book. It is a substantial amount of work. Are you sure you want to do this? (See what I wrote above about simply doing another research project)
Having said that, self-publishing also gives you flexibility because you can put in as much time or as little time as you want. A commercial publisher will go through the book and correct typographical errors (e.g. changing >> to ≫). If you don't care about that you can just leave it. A commercial publisher might advertise the book in flyers sent to university libraries worldwide; if you don't care you could also just send the book to Amazon and leave it at that. Of course, the more time you put in the more copies of the book you'll sell.
**Finally** if you do decide to go ahead, then the thing to do is to go to the publisher's website and look for a book proposal form. An example from Springer: <https://www.springer.com/gp/authors-editors/book-authors-editors>. You'll need basic details - the title of your book, the estimated number of pages, the table of contents, and so on. You'll also need your CV, and probably a sample chapter as well. Depending on whether the publisher gets formal peer review for the proposal, it can be up to 2 months before you hear back. Peer review for books is similar to that for journal articles, except the reviewer probably doesn't have your entire manuscript and will make general comments instead (e.g. "I think you should focus on this topic, one chapter isn't enough"). If the publisher is willing, they'll prepare a contract for you. Once that's signed, you're good to go.
Upvotes: 2
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<issue_start>username_0: I am currently writing a document that needs pictures for visual representations of my topic. I’ve been browsing around on the Internet to find such picture. I found a very good picture that could be suitable for my topic. Unfortunately, I do not know how to cite this picture.
The reason why I say I do not know how to cite this picture is because it is a picture from a textbook (or article) that someone decided to upload on Pinterest. I know this because the picture has a small caption at the bottom that says, *Figure 1.2: Blah blah blah*.
Is it possible to cite something like this? Should I move on and try to find a substitute? My document will be published in the United States.<issue_comment>username_1: My understanding is that, despite the best effort (such as googling the "blah blah" text accompanying the picture) you cannot identify the bibliographical coordinates of the content.
As of ownership, you use something that does not belong to you, you don't know whom it belongs, and "abandoned property" principle clearly does not apply.
What is the purpose of the document you write? If it is about gaining a million dollar, getting the Nobel prize, or all of the above, the original author of the picture will likely sue you. If not, your transgression, no matter if you cite or not the original author, will remain unpunished.
If you believe you are falling under "fair use", for example you criticize or approve the concept, and you need the picture to substantiate your claim, you can provide the URL and the date of retrieval, with "unknown original source and author" mention on the citation.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Plagiarism is about inaccurately claiming a work as your own. Thus, as long as you make it clear that it's not yours and attribute the source as best you can, you need not fear an accusation of plagiarism.
Whether this is an appropriate source to cite, on the other hand, depends on how you are planning to use it and in what degree of formality. Since this is unclear from your post, I will suggest a few possibilities along a spectrum:
* If you are not formally publishing the image and are not dependent on its content, there is likely to be no problem and you can credit very informally. For example, I recently made a presentation that included an humorous image marked: "[Photo Credit: The Internet]". Even copyright is unlikely to be an issue as long as you do best-effort attribution and aren't annoying a large corporation or unusually litigious artist.
* If you are formally publishing the image, then the publication venue will need to have copyright issues resolved. For this, you either need to track down the author or else give up on using the image. Here, you can use the standard forms for citing a website. That is likely to not be very helpful for anyone trying to trace the image, given how unstable and dynamic Pinterest is, but will at least follow the appropriate forms.
* If you are actually relying on the technical content of the image, you probably need to find another source or generate the content yourself. Since you know nothing about the actual ultimate source, there is no *scientific* credibility to an anonymous snippet on the internet, and it needs to be treated accordingly: for all you know it could be from a UFOlogy pamphlet or a [Chick tract](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Chick).
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]
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<issue_start>username_0: I have in the next few days an interview for a post doc with a top UK university. The interview is on Skype, directly with the PI, in applied computer science.
I am preparing for that interview and I have a question. In your experience, how common are technical topic-related questions, like the description of a well-known family of methods, or of certain papers?<issue_comment>username_1: When hiring a person for a technical position (including a post-doc), any employer will want to have some confidence in the degree of technical proficiency of the applicant.
If the PI already knows you (e.g., through interactions at conferences), then they might not feel a need to ask technical questions. Likewise, if the PI has a strong relationship with your advisor and is willing to take a recommendation on trust, they might not ask technical questions. In pretty much every other case, you should expect some degree of probing to determine your technical competence.
What form that will take, however, is completely unpredictable. Evaluating technical skill in a short interview is a notoriously difficult problem, and people have lots of different idiosyncratic approaches to the issue. As a result, I would advise the following in terms of preparation:
* Do *not* treat this like cramming for an exam. Do *not* do any study or review of core technical materials. Either you have the skills and competence that they are looking for or you do not.
* Make sure you are familiar with the work of the PI and their lab, and think carefully about how your skills and background fit with their current directions (though you might get surprised by the PI moving in a new direction).
* Make sure you are prepared to talk about your own work, your skills and background, and what you want to get out of this postdoc.
* Get a good night's sleep and do whatever else you need to do to relax and be in a good and confident place personally.
Finally, remember that the goal of this interview is not to get yourself a job, but rather for both you and the PI to figure out whether you and the job are a good fit for one another. Make sure that in the discussion you are also prepare to look for the things that will help you be satisfied with this position as well.
Good luck!
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: It is very very unlikely that you need to describe (memorize) "well-known family of methods", but if you are supposed to know about them, you should be able to
* discuss their properties, strengths and weaknesses;
* compare them to an alternative family of methods;
* how they may be useful in the PI's project
* what are the potential challenges to implement them for the project etc
* ...
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: One data point: my interview for my current position. Canada, not UK tho.
I was interviewed in a skype conference call with 5 professors, members of the project. They took turns asking me stuff, from "why Toronto" to "how would you solve missing data points or noise in the data". The whole process took about one hour, so the answers were rather broad.
One question that I believe you will be asked is something like: "Summarise your previous experience and how that relates to this position". I did a few other interviews, and that is a fairly standard question.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: I have had technical questions in a postdoc interview in the UK, but it was for an interdiscplinary project and the questions were on the aspects I hadn't studied for years -- clearly I needed testing on those. They weren't inherently tricky questions but designed to check the areas I hadn't demonstrated by other means. I had a decent understanding and some knowledge (not just from reading their papers) but it wasn't enough for what they needed. The interviewers did it very well, as a pleasant discussion.
Postdoc interviews in the UK are very variable. Some institutions regulate them quite closely while others leave it up to the PI's discretion. For similar positions one group will ask for a presentation (given in front of the other candidates, with questions which may turn technical) while others will just have a panel interview.
Upvotes: 1
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2017/12/19
| 644
| 2,733
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<issue_start>username_0: I have applied to graduate school (EE) and am currently at one of the schools to which I applied to. Is it a bad move if I go to a professor's office and express my interest to work with her, and show her my relevant skills?
**Why I think this is a good idea:**
I am an engineering physics major applying to electrical engineering. I applied to the niche areas of EE that are a good fit coming from applied physics (electromagnetics and solid state devices), but regardless, coming from outside of EE will give a bad impression to the admissions committee. So I want to do whatever possible to show that I'm qualified.
Moreover, the professor I'm interested in works on computational electromagnetics, and if I can show her that I have the required preparation, maybe she'll be more willing to look into my application through the graduate application system.
So what do you guys think? Thanks.<issue_comment>username_1: It sounds like an excellent idea. I like to meet with prospective students, especially ones from atypical backgrounds; a meeting gives both applicant and faculty a chance to gauge whether someone will be a good fit for the program.
However, don't get too pushy. Keep the conversation casual, and don't put on an elaborate show of your knowledge. The best approach may be to ask about the professor's research, and express how it tied into what you already learned and found interesting, as well as what you are interested in studying further in the future.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: >
> Is it a bad move if I go to a professor's office and express my interest to work with her, and show her my relevant skills?
>
>
>
Depending on how the department works, it could be a very good thing or it could be irrelevant. It seems very unlikely to hurt. Some departments allocate graduate students to a given professor (or more accurately the funding) and some professors have funding for a graduate student. These professors can influence the admission of a graduate student beyond what the admissions committee is looking for. If I am looking for a graduate student, and the student seems remotely qualified, I would love to meet them prior to the admissions decisions. If the student makes a good impression, I can then lobby that the student get invited for an interview. If I am not looking for a graduate student, then it is a waste of my time to meet with a prospective student.
It would be much better if you sent an email with your CV prior to stopping by than to just show up unannounced. If you just knock on my door, I am likely to not want to meet with you and without me doing any prep work, the meeting will not be as productive.
Upvotes: 1
|
2017/12/19
| 391
| 1,641
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<issue_start>username_0: I am a postdoc and will soon(er or later) begin a faculty position. At the moment, due to a rough academic job season and an increasing sense of feeling limited in what I can do in my current postdoc, I am feeling very closed off from others in the field and a strong desire to make connections. Today I had the idea of inviting myself to give a talk in a lab that does research I am very interested in. I am not seeking a position in the lab but rather just want to make connections with others, learn more about the work done in the lab and how it's done, and suss out potential for future collaboration. It is the 'off season' for conferences in my field and I don't have work that I am ready to present in a conference setting, but I do have a talk that's ready to go. Would it be weird to offer to give a talk? I would pay my own travel/hotel expense. It wouldn't be a complete cold call because we have a mutual colleague that I could mention.<issue_comment>username_1: There's absolutely nothing wrong with making an outreach to a group you're interested in learning more about. Just make sure not to make it too hard of a sell: you could say something like, "I'd like to visit your group, and I could give a talk if you'd like." I don't think most professors would be put off by such a request.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: It is usually hard for institutes to find external speakers (and expensive to invite), so anyone willing to visit at their own expense is warmly welcomed.
In particular if the institute has a (semi)-recurring seminar series to fill with speakers.
Upvotes: 5
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2017/12/19
| 920
| 3,790
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<issue_start>username_0: I have had a very bad experience with a journal. After nine months under review, the system showed that a decision had been made; I have checked and was “revise and resubmit”. Two days later, the editor contacted me to let me know that the paper has been rejected.
I don’t how to proceed with that journal and felt really disappointed and frustrated especially after it took such long time to respond. I also discovered that one member of the journal's editorial board has published a similar paper in the following issue.
Any advice on how to handle such a situation?<issue_comment>username_1: I would suggest submitting your paper to a different journal, but as a counter to the charge that "it's already published in journal X," *include the correspondence you had with journal X.*
This should alert a responsible editor to the fact that something wasn't right at the other journal, and may be willing to give your paper a fair shake.
I'd also consider lodging a complaint with the publisher of the journal. This sounds like an ethical lapse somewhere: another paper got published, but yours was out of scope?
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: I think it's best not to assume the worst, since there's a good chance what happened is the unscientific nature of the peer-review process manifesting itself. For example, it's conceivable that the two papers were handled by different members of the editorial board who were not acting in consultation, and one felt the topic was out of scope while the other didn't.
Taking 9 months to decide a paper is out of scope is terrible. However it's also conceivable that they received some confidential (or very poor quality) reviews that they can't share and think the best thing to do is say that your paper is out of scope. This would explain why the decision was "revise and resubmit" for a brief time. There's no way of knowing unfortunately.
What to do now:
1) Next time, if a paper goes more than a month with no sign of review, I suggest emailing the journal office and ask for a status update. It's possible the paper got lost in the system, or simply wasn't submitted correctly. One month should be enough for the journal office to say something, e.g. "we've invited three reviewers of which one has agreed to review, the review is due in 16 days".
2) You can lodge a complaint to either the publisher or the editor-in-chief. It depends on who the editor that rejected your paper is. If that editor is an employee of the publisher, then I would complain to the publisher. Be sure to emphasize that taking 9 months is unreasonable. If it's a member of the editorial board, then I'd approach the EiC, since the publisher is likely to defer to the EiC. If it's the EiC, then there's no point complaining.
3) Submit the paper to another journal. I wouldn't tell them that the paper was rejected at the first journal, unless they ask. You gain nothing by doing so, but could trigger subconscious biases ("we have no idea what to do with this paper, but since the other journal rejected this paper I'll agree with their editor").
4) If you've been scooped, my first inclination would be to complain to the employer of the editor who scooped you, but I genuinely don't know if that's a good idea.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: For biomedical authors - PLOS Biology publishes complementary research. If you have been scooped, you have six months from the publication or posting (to a preprint server) of the first article to submit your manuscript to PLOS Biology. They hope to tackle the science reproducibility problem with this approach. You can see more details about their new policy in this [article](http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.2005203).
Upvotes: 1
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2017/12/19
| 281
| 1,041
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<issue_start>username_0: Is there a reason for it being 130 - 170, rather then 0 - 40? Is it to make it easier to use the value in some other calculation?<issue_comment>username_1: Yes, there are several reasons for the change. Some of them are:
1. Since the new scale does not superposes with the old one, you are able to differentiate them.
2. The old scale increases by 10, which could overestimate the difference between two scores. The new scale increase by 1, which helps to decrease the bias when comparing scores.
3. Another feature that helps to decrease the bias when interpreting results is the not obvious extremes, but still with a comfortable number at the middle of the scale.
[Source](https://www.quora.com/Why-are-GRE-scores-on-a-130-170-scale)
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: What username_1 said, and it might also have something to do with LSAT scoring being on a scale 120-180. The LSAT is generally a more difficult test than the GRE, so perhaps these are supposed to be comparable.
Upvotes: 0
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2017/12/19
| 727
| 3,163
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<issue_start>username_0: I am scheduled to defend my thesis in February. I've been sending my advisor bits and pieces of my thesis, but he hasn't been replying to my emails. Is this normal, and can I still graduate even if he doesn't read my thesis?
All of the papers in the thesis have already been written, so he knows what's in the main body, and I've just been sending him parts of the introduction/literature review.<issue_comment>username_1: "*All of the papers in the thesis have already been written, so he knows what's in the main body, and I've just been sending him parts of the introduction/literature review.*"
If this is the case, then indeed it is reasonable (and possibly normal) not to read evolving drafts of the "thesis". Since the thesis is basically done, and now you simply wrap the papers up to have a "thesis".
I don't think it is essential for scholars to read carefully introductory parts of their students' dissertations, assuming they already read the papers on which the thesis is based. The papers are much more important than a "thesis", which is mostly an internal document nowadays (this is subject specific though, and I'm sure some commenters here would find my answer blasphemous. But I stand behind my position: a thesis is not something important once the papers were written and published or checked).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: It would be abnormal under almost any system for the dissertation advisor not to read a student's dissertation. However, how closely and in how much of a timely fashion the reading is done will depend on the circumstances and the individuals involved.
In some educational systems, the supervisor is part of the faculty committee that reviews and evaluates the dissertation. Under such a system, it is basically mandatory that the advisor read the document, since they are supposed to judge its quality. Normally, the advisor does not wait for the final version to do this; rather, they read earlier drafts, and only once the advisor is reasonably satisfied with the quality of the dissertation is the near-final version passed on to other members of the examining committee, so that an oral defense can be scheduled.
In other systems, the student's advisor is explicitly not part of the group that evaluates the dissertation. In this case, it is conceivable that the advisor may take a very "hands-off" approach to the production of the actual written document, leaving that basically to the student. Whether this is a reasonable attitude for the advisor to take depends to a large extent on whether final approval is really a rubber stamp. If there is a real possibility that the student may not pass, then the advisor should absolutely take steps to assist the student in getting their dissertation into an acceptable form.
Personally, I feel that whatever the system, the advisor should be fully available to assist the student, if the student makes it clear that they want help. However, some advisors, under some systems do not feel the same way. That's unfortunate, but at the dissertation writing stage, it's too late to switch to a more cooperative advisor.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/12/19
| 765
| 3,301
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<issue_start>username_0: I was planning to apply for a Ph.D. program and I asked a Prof to write me a letter of recommendation. The prof already agreed. After that, I didn't feel confident about applying and informed the professor to not write LOR for me.
Deep inside, I still want to apply but I haven't made up my mind yet.
Will the professor feel annoyed if I ask for a LOR again? Should I tell the professor that I haven't decided yet but in any case, can they still submit their LOR.
I know professors are busy and I don't want to bother them too much.<issue_comment>username_1: "*All of the papers in the thesis have already been written, so he knows what's in the main body, and I've just been sending him parts of the introduction/literature review.*"
If this is the case, then indeed it is reasonable (and possibly normal) not to read evolving drafts of the "thesis". Since the thesis is basically done, and now you simply wrap the papers up to have a "thesis".
I don't think it is essential for scholars to read carefully introductory parts of their students' dissertations, assuming they already read the papers on which the thesis is based. The papers are much more important than a "thesis", which is mostly an internal document nowadays (this is subject specific though, and I'm sure some commenters here would find my answer blasphemous. But I stand behind my position: a thesis is not something important once the papers were written and published or checked).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: It would be abnormal under almost any system for the dissertation advisor not to read a student's dissertation. However, how closely and in how much of a timely fashion the reading is done will depend on the circumstances and the individuals involved.
In some educational systems, the supervisor is part of the faculty committee that reviews and evaluates the dissertation. Under such a system, it is basically mandatory that the advisor read the document, since they are supposed to judge its quality. Normally, the advisor does not wait for the final version to do this; rather, they read earlier drafts, and only once the advisor is reasonably satisfied with the quality of the dissertation is the near-final version passed on to other members of the examining committee, so that an oral defense can be scheduled.
In other systems, the student's advisor is explicitly not part of the group that evaluates the dissertation. In this case, it is conceivable that the advisor may take a very "hands-off" approach to the production of the actual written document, leaving that basically to the student. Whether this is a reasonable attitude for the advisor to take depends to a large extent on whether final approval is really a rubber stamp. If there is a real possibility that the student may not pass, then the advisor should absolutely take steps to assist the student in getting their dissertation into an acceptable form.
Personally, I feel that whatever the system, the advisor should be fully available to assist the student, if the student makes it clear that they want help. However, some advisors, under some systems do not feel the same way. That's unfortunate, but at the dissertation writing stage, it's too late to switch to a more cooperative advisor.
Upvotes: 2
|
2017/12/20
| 1,040
| 4,565
|
<issue_start>username_0: So I just read my evaluations for this past semester, and they are absolutely horrible. The worst I've ever gotten. I put so much effort into teaching, but almost nobody thinks I did a good job. Do you think this will prevent me from teaching next semester? I have a 9-month renewable instructor position that goes through the Spring but I'm really worried.<issue_comment>username_1: It honestly depends. The biggest issue is if your department needs teachers or not.
If you have reason to argue that the reviews are wrong—that is, if comments are provided—then you should document those as evidence that your reviews were "spiked."
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: The first thing I'd do in your situation is to get as much information as possible from the evaluations, especially from the students' comments. What exactly did they not like? Was it something about you or about the course? There are lots of reasons for bad evaluations. Some reasons are things you should pay attention to and change. Other reasons are beyond your control. Did the student population consist mostly of students who didn't want to take the course but needed it to fulfill some requirement? Did the course meet at 8 a.m. (or earlier)?
If you haven't taught this course before, you might want to get some statistical data on the evaluations other instructors got in the same course. Some courses are just really unpopular and produce lousy evaluations even for the best instructors.
As for renewal of your appointment, that depends on your department's administrators and the numbers of students who need to take your department's courses. The administrators may know that the course you taught always yields lousy evaluations, in which case there should be no problem. Other presumably relevant factors include your general reputation as a teacher (e.g., your past evaluations) and the actual evaluations that you just got. (You said they were "horrible" and "the worst" you've ever gotten --- but might it be that your past evaluations were excellent and these new ones are mediocre, so they're your worst and they look horrible to you but might not be horrible on an absolute scale?) But in general, the only way to find out about your situation is to talk with the relevant administrator(s).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Do you have to write a teacher's evaluation? In there, I would:
1. Explain that you did things differently because of the large number of students, but that a new format is never without problems on the first run;
2. Note that sadly most of the evaluations are not constructive;
3. Clearly point out how you intend to incorporate the constructive comments next year.
You could also suggest to the administrators that they set up a meeting with you and students in which they can voluntarily give you more feedback.
If you have a constructive attitude it seems unlikely to me they'll send you home over one course, especially if you have taught it at the same institution before (which I gather from your question although it is not entirely clear to me). However, this of course also depends very much on how easy it would be to find another instructor.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: The only question I see in the post is whether or not a person, given no other details, thinks that a round of bad (by a measure which we don't know) student evaluations will cause a department to not renew your contract.
At my school, all temporary faculty meet with at least the Dept. Chair at the end of every semester to go over student evaluations (I am in math). I have learned in these meetings that many types of "bad" comments from students are not interpreted so seriously by the department. Students can sometimes make extreme claims that are not true, and the department knows this. You say that you put a lot of effort into the course, so presumably you have some course materials to back that up. If a student says, "The instructor never did bla bla," I bet you can provide evidence that you did do bla bla.
If you were respectful of your students, behaved appropriately, met the standards of your department in terms of work you put into the course, and had one of two semesters with great evals, then I would be inclined to say that one semester of bad evals would probably not solely cause your dismissal.
If your contract is not renewed, I recommend asking for a meeting to discuss the reasons for this. You will want to know (for the future) whether it was a result of the evals or not.
Upvotes: 2
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2017/12/20
| 485
| 1,574
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<issue_start>username_0: I applied for a Ph.D. position.
A new assistant professor who would join that university next year reached me and asked whether I wanted to work with him. I have been working for two years since my Master graduation. I think his direction suits my interest.
He began his Ph.D. right after undergraduate study so I guess he is probably at my age, 27 or 28, even younger. If we are both 40s, I might be ok with that.<issue_comment>username_1: As you get older, it is basically dead certain that you will at some point be reporting to someone who is much younger than you are. Think about why that has to be true. If you're still stuck, ask yourself how old you think your supervisor will be when you're in your 60s. You need to get over it.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I think the research interests and experience of a supervisor is more important than their age (and sex, race, etc).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: There is a Chinese proverb
>
> 學無前後，達者為先
>
>
>
One of the English translations I like is from [the page](https://forum.hkej.com/node/106964)
>
> In Learning, there's no first or last;
>
>
> When one learns and progresses fast,
>
>
> Then the last shall become the first --
>
>
> She would be my Teacher at last.
>
>
>
And another translation from [the page](http://blog.chinadaily.com.cn/thread-36998-1-1.html)
>
> In learning there’s no first or last, but whoever becomes enlightened and understands relevant subjects first is the frontrunner in the field. (<NAME>)
>
>
>
Upvotes: 3
|
2017/12/20
| 650
| 2,661
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<issue_start>username_0: I submitted a paper to an IEEE conference, and this paper was rejected despite of almost all of the reviewers’ comments being positive. In particular, all three of the reviewers recommend to *weak accept* the paper, and even the TPC chair recommend to *weak accept* it. However, the paper has been rejected.
Due to this weirdness, I asked for the chair’s motivations for this decision, and he answered
>
> Your paper didn’t make the conference capacity line. Please resubmit to another venue.
>
>
>
What does this mean? What is the conference capacity line? Does that mean that there were not enough slots, or something else?
I have never encountered this kind of situation before.<issue_comment>username_1: >
> 3 reviewers recommended "weak accept," as did the chair, but the paper was rejected.
>
>
>
This is a common situation. Other papers probably got better reviews or your paper was perceived negatively during the discussion phase or ...
>
> I asked the chair why and he said "your paper didn't make the conference capacity line. Please resubmit to another venue."
>
>
>
Conferences have upper-bounds on the number of papers they can accept due to time constraints.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_2: It sounds like none of the reviewers was willing to **champion your paper during the discussion**.
Background: The decision on each paper is based on a discussion between the program committee members. This discussion usually takes the review scores into account.
However, strong conferences often apply a process called [identify the champion](http://scg.unibe.ch/download/champion/). The underlying assumption is that an acceptance-worthy paper will have at least one proponent who will champion the paper during the discussion.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: Seems pretty straightforward to me. In essence, papers were prioritized based up the enthusiasm level of the reviewers, a threshold was set, and your paper was on the wrong side of it. No weirdness.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_4: It is not clear to me what "capacity line" means. However, please note that each conference can only accept a fixed number of papers.
You can do the math yourself, if a conference lasts for, say, 5 days, each day has 8 hours. It takes 30 minutes to present a long paper, and 20 minutes to present a short paper etc. You can compute the number `N` of papers that they can accept.
If your paper is good, but there are N better papers, then your paper will not be accepted. On the other hand, if your paper is not that good, but still in top N papers, then it will be likely accepted.
Upvotes: 4
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2017/12/20
| 3,039
| 11,879
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<issue_start>username_0: As a researcher in computing science in Western Europe, I get depressed seeing the number of female students in our department. (Hint: near-zero.)
I recently heard that certain words in a PhD candidate ad seem to "scare" female applicants off, for example, "excellent", "commitment", etc. (I got my information from our anti-discrimination representative and a female researcher. I did not check the information myself. The latter claims having spoken to students herself. I agree that the ad is not the only problem with skewed gender distribution, but if this contributes to the problem then I definitely want to eliminate it.)
Is there a list of DOs and DONTs when writing ads to ensure that female students are encouraged to apply?<issue_comment>username_1: It is believed that the use of "gendered" language in job ads can make ads appeal more to men or women [1]. See no reason that this should not also apply to ads for PhD students.
There are several websites that claim to test your job Ads for gender bias based on the word lists in [1].
E.g.
<http://gender-decoder.katmatfield.com/>
or
<https://www.totaljobs.com/insidejob/gender-bias-decoder/>
The other common advice is to avoid specifying requirements that are not really requirements, but actually nice-to-haves. Widely cited research [2] suggests that men are far more likely than women to apply for a job even if they don't meet all of the requirements. So for example, if you say that you require students to have taken a class in X, but when it actually comes to it you get no good applicants that have, but decide to take a student who is really good in all other ways, but does not have class X, then class X shouldn't be specified as a requirement, but a nice-to-have. Saying in your ad that applicants must have X is then biasing against women.
Mind you, I always follow all this advice (the gender checkers even rate my ads as slightly feminine bias), but I still get next to no female applicants.
[1] <NAME>, and Kay, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, July 2011, Vol 101(1)
[2] <https://hbr.org/2014/08/why-women-dont-apply-for-jobs-unless-theyre-100-qualified>
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: This is an indirect answer from my experience hiring software developers.
**TL;DR**
Stop focusing on the ad itself and instead focus on where people see the ad, in particular get small groups of people to learn about the opportunity in an intimate setting.
As opposed to focussing on the language of the ad, I find it's more effective to focus on where the ad gets placed.
For example, I have posted several jobs on LinkedIn using their "easy apply" feature. Sure, it's easy to apply but applicants also generally have a picture and some personal information on their profile which can create a stigma for potential minority applicants owing to the bias of recruiters, which is unfortunately very real. The net result is that you get fewer quality minority applicants.
You may not be searching for applicants on LinkedIn but I suspect that you are in a male dominated field (like software) which itself can create the same stigma.
My suggestion is to change your recruiting tactics. During my last search for a developer I posted the ad on LinkedIn but I also reached out to local developer meet-ups and asked for referrals from current employees. The more informal and more personal recruiting effort resulted in qualified women applying to job at a rate of 2:1 compared to men despite no substantial change in the local candidate pool.
Did recruiting in this manner take more effort? Yes. Was it worth it to create a great, well balanced team? Definitely.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_3: Most of the job ads I see suffer from different, *more important* problems:
1. The ad doesn't clearly say who is expected (say, "researchers from all areas can apply"), but private talks point out that some areas are already full.
2. There is a mismatch between the required documents according to the job and the documents that the web form requires.
3. The job ad in your country's main language and the job ad in English don't match: they are not a translation of each other.
4. It is unclear to whom the application has to be addressed.
5. Precious space is spent on advertising the environment (city, university, "vibrant community", "major impact", public transportation, and the like). If the applicant is going to do the research job properly, she/he won't see the environment too much anyway, and they know that. They either know the surroundings (and are aware of the "major impact") or don't care. Usually, such a para smells fishy. E.g., Saarland is often claimed to be in the middle of Western Europe; this can be made true in some sense but doesn't help them in any sense...
**First**, make sure that your job ad has no issues in the above sense. Only **then** tackle the gender issues.
An overwhelming majority of the job ads I've seen so far have a para about welcoming female applicants; the strength of encouragement varies. However, this para drowns in other boilerplate-language paragraphs. Therefore:
* Add a para about family/kids friendliness. After all, it's mostly women who give birth to kids and raise them up, and it's unlikely to change. You will get more women who are already pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant soon. It is a matter of discussion whether you really want it.
* Mark your paragraph about prioritising applications from women bold and increase the font size! HTML allows you to do that!
* If allowed by the legislation, don't use "they", don't use "the applicant", don't use "he/she", use "she/he" or "she", adding a disclaimer that men are also meant.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: It may seem against some ideologies out there, but as a husband, a father, and a colleague of numerous women in academia I can approximately tell you what women considering career in academia want to see in your ad.
How family friendly is your work environment? Any benefits for parents? Not just women, their husbands too. Vacations, breaks, holidays? Available housing close to campus? Hospitals / kindergartens / schools nearby? Public commute options? Low stress, friendly work environment? Stability of employment?
If you want a more accurate opinion, ask some women what they want from an academic institution to consider a career there.
Then write your ad describing what your institution has to offer women. Specific, succinct, and solid offers. No 'maybe', 'if then maybe', etc.
Then you will attract top talent. Sure, many under-qualified will apply, but you can reject them based on their CV and pick the best.
Don't present requirements as 'requirements'. The people you really want will have requirements for you. Instead, ask applicants to please include in their resume 1), 2), 3), etc. without using the word 'requirement'.
One thing that won't work for sure is making a flashy ad like for selling a vacuum cleaner. With career decision of such critical importance, there is no chance fooling anyone into it. Especially smart, young women. Age 24-30 is a good time to make a family, give birth to a child, and put a down-payment on a house. And smart women do want it good.
In fact, many people disagree with such a pragmatic view, but I honestly don't understand why. It works. The question is not about letting women to participate or not. I am assuming there are equal rights. The question is about attracting talented women.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_5: ***tl;dr*-** Apparently Carnegie Mellon University recently got an incoming first-year undergraduate class that was 48% female for Computer Science. They seem light on the details, but their press release stressed a focus on social activities in the curriculum.
### Maybe try whatever Carnegie Mellon did: increased social focus?
In [this question's chatroom](http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/70584/discussion-on-question-by-user1202136-writing-ads-to-attract-female-phd-candidat), [@ElizabethHenning](https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/77539/elizabeth-henning) had pointed out that Carnegie Mellon University has recently reported near-gender-parity in an incoming class of first-year undergraduate Computer Science majors:
>
> Women make up more than 48 percent of incoming first-year undergraduates this fall in Carnegie Mellon University's top-ranked School of Computer Science (SCS), setting a new school benchmark for diversity.
>
>
> [...]
>
>
> Women and men are judged by the same standards for admission, and retention rates historically have been the same for both, he noted.
>
>
> -["Women Are Almost Half of Carnegie Mellon's Incoming Computer Science Undergraduates"](https://www.csd.cs.cmu.edu/news/women-are-almost-half-carnegie-mellons-incoming-computer-science-undergraduates) (2016-09-11)
>
>
>
This was a goal that they'd sought for a few decades now. How'd they do it?
>
> Blum was instrumental in establishing Women @ SCS, a faculty/student organization that helps women make connections across the school, and in recognizing that it's the computer science culture — not the curriculum — that needs to change to accommodate women.
>
>
> [...]
>
>
> "Computer science at Carnegie Mellon has a very social atmosphere," Blelloch said. "Most of the classes encourage students to work in groups, developing skills they will need to function in teams in the workplace. It's one of the reasons employers like our graduates so much."
>
>
> -["Women Are Almost Half of Carnegie Mellon's Incoming Computer Science Undergraduates"](https://www.csd.cs.cmu.edu/news/women-are-almost-half-carnegie-mellons-incoming-computer-science-undergraduates) (2016-09-11)
>
>
>
Still, if Carnegie Mellon only provided a more social environment, that'd seem to help explain higher retention rates, but not higher enrollment. So, presumably they somehow advertised this more-social-culture. I'm not immediately seeing the details about how they accomplished that.
There're other issues that aren't so obvious. For example, apparently the same people claiming credit for this have been trying to increase female enrollment for decades now. So, why success only recently? Did they finally figure out some secret or fine-tune their process? Did their strategy take time to start working? Was this a fluke?
Whatever the case, a lot of the information and claims on this topic seem like bunk. And since Carnegie Mellon appears to have empirically demonstrated a method, it seems like they'd be a potentially interesting case study.
For further reading, Carnegie Mellon has a women's group called [women@scs](http://www.women.cs.cmu.edu/).
Their page includes [papers](http://www.women.cs.cmu.edu/Resources/Papers/) and a [FAQ](http://www.women.cs.cmu.edu/Who/About/).
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_6: Problem is that grad students are treated like warm bodies to be drafted rather than early career professionals worthy of recruitment and competition.
In real situations, such as hiring for professors, any desirable attribute in prospective candidates is rewarded with improved offers. So to attract more female PhD candidates your department should identify capable applicants and offer them better stipend offers than they would get elsewhere. Making better worded recruitment materials should at least give you a better pool to recruit from but doesn't fix your stated demographics problem of bringing students in and supporting them through the PhD process.
It should also go without saying that your department should have female representation at every faculty seniority level. However many do not so I will say it. Having some token female assistant professors that you cycle through every 5 years in perpetuity doesn't count.
Upvotes: 2
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2017/12/20
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<issue_start>username_0: Last week we got an article accepted into PRL (Physical Review Letters). As is standard, they afterwards sent out an email saying
>
> To help defray editorial and production expenses, APS, a
> not-for-profit, society publisher, expects authors of manuscripts to
> pay appropriate publication charges; publication charges are
> contributions from authors' institutions to the cost of disseminating
> research results and should be regarded as an essential and proper
> part of their research budget. You are requested to make a payment of
> $765 toward the cost of disseminating your research results. However,
> the inability to pay this charge will not affect the publication
> process of your manuscript.
>
>
>
So they say they expect us to pay, but at the same time they say the publication process continues independently of whether this happens.
What is the 'proper'/'sensible' thing to do? What is commonly done?<issue_comment>username_1: *What are your options?* You can pay or delete the email.
If you pay, your group will have $765 less. That's the only difference in outcomes. These charges are completely voluntary and have no effect on anything if you choose not to pay. In my experience, you'll never hear about this again. You will not have to justify your decision.
*What do most people do?* From my observations, the majority of groups simply don't pay voluntary charges, regardless of available funds.
*What should you do?* This is a matter of opinion. You (or the PI with the money) should decide whether APS deserves a $765 donation for the purposes they state, or whether it can be put to better use at your institution.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: The funding budgets have various heads of accounts such as student fellowship head, equipment head, printing, traveling, journal publication or conference contingency.
Assuming that your project also has such division of heads, you could spend your money for publication. Plus, you could ask for a waiver from the publication venue citing suitable situation. They listen (most of the time).
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: Yes, you can pay or not pay, it is entirely up to you. But you should remember that someone must pay for the journals to exist. On the one hand, if you think that journals are useless, don't pay, end of story. Maybe the future is in the arXive? But even for the arXive to exist, someone pays - check their web page. On the other hand, if you think that journals are useful, think twice if may be, may be, it is worth paying anyhow. Today, journals are under enormous pressure financially, they have to remodel their financing to accommodate (perfectly justified) requests for open access and departures from paper. And, hey, never ever pay any Elsevier journal - these guys turn up huge profits by exploiting unpaid labour of authors, referees, and editors.
Upvotes: 2
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2017/12/21
| 2,085
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<issue_start>username_0: This is a naive question, coming from someone who has never had an academic job. I'm asking what is involved when a junior professor is promoted. My question is wide, since I don't understand academic life. Some answers are obvious, but I'd still like clarification:
1. **Funding**. Professors I know seem to be obsessed over funding. They're constantly writing grant applications and are constantly unhappy at how much of a lottery it is. However, since the professors are presumably paid a salary by the university, so what if they fail? It's not like the university will stop paying them, will it? Especially if the professor is tenured.
Does the source of the funding matter? Suppose Alice is a beginning professor. One day <NAME> calls Alice and says "I'd like to be your PhD student, and I'll give you $1 billion of funding". Will her head of department be delighted? Will Alice immediately be promoted to full professor? Is the idea behind the $1 billion that Alice will now be able to hire an army of postdocs and PhD students (can she actually do this especially if the university doesn't have office space for them?), which will boost the department's research output and therefore improve the university's ranking? If so, does that mean academia is essentially "whoever has more money wins"?
Suppose that Alice had won $1 billion at the sweepstakes instead, and decided to put that money into her work (can she do this?). Does the same scenario as the above play out?
2. **Research output**. I imagine this is related to funding - if one has more funding, one can hire more postdocs and PhD students. But at that point, it's the postdocs and PhD students that are doing the research. The professor might have his or her name on plenty of papers, but never as a first author. Presumably, the papers will look good on the postdocs' and PhD students' CV, not so much on the professor's. Is that the case?
3. **Teaching output**. Presumably this must count for something or there'd be no reason for departments to have "best teaching" awards. I also imagine that departments will try to spread (mandatory) teaching loads around so everyone teaches roughly the same number of courses. This doesn't include Honours, PhD etc students however, and as far as I can tell different professors have different numbers of PhD students. Is it an advantage to have lots of such students? The obvious answer is "yes", but if so, I don't understand why professors don't just take on students until they hit capacity. They probably have a lot more prospective students than actual ones, especially at big universities, which is why the admission rate can be so low. If this is related to not having funding to pay the students (aren't students expected to pay for their education? This certainly applied at undergraduate level), does this mean that a self-funded student will have no trouble getting admitted even to prestigious universities?
4. **Other ventures**. I imagine this must count for something, or I don't see why a professor would agree to serve on a journal's editorial board. It's usually not a paid position, and it's time-consuming. I also see professors do things like start companies and try to sell commercial products. Question: why would the university tolerate this? It means the professor is putting time into something unrelated to the university. My contracts with (non-academic) employers typically have a line "you are expected to devote your full attention to affairs of the company". Does getting involved in these non-university activities help with getting promoted?<issue_comment>username_1: All of this is going to be very field- and country-specific. I will answer for biological/biomedical sciences at UK universities.
The career progression at most UK universities is:
Lecturer → Senior Lecturer → Reader → Full professor
In the UK there is no such thing as tenure unless you got it before 1987. However sacking someone from any job in the UK is much harder than in the US.
Promotion from lecturer to senior lecturer usually involves demonstrating:
* You can secure on-going substantial funding for your research. This means getting multiple grants at different times that bring the university substantial overheads (not all do).
* You have some leadership role in teaching – you have created new modules and now co-ordinate them, or are lead for a degree program or a reaching in a sub field.
* You have at least one major admin role in the department, such as head of admissions, chair of the equality committee, head of outreach, exams co-ordinator etc.
Reader is normally a purely ceremonial position, that comes with no salary or benefits increase and usually awarded in recognition of a being a leader in your research field.
The big step to professor (also known as a chair) is generally entirely research-based (although some places are now awarding professorships on the basis of world-leading innovation in teaching). Promotion to professor usually involves obtaining references from international colleagues saying you are where it is at in your field, worldwide. You will have brought in funding above and beyond what is normal, probably more than once (e.g. funds to start a research institute, or a large, multicentre program etc). You will become your universities leader in whatever it is you do i.e. Prof Such and Such, University of Neverland’s chair in X studies.
As for your specific questions
1. Funding is all. If you don’t get funding, you can’t do research. If you don’t get funding, you definitely won’t get promoted. In my university, if you don’t get funding you won’t pass your probationary period to get a lectureship, and at many places if you don’t keep getting funding, you are in danger of losing your job. Not all funding is equal, because not all funding comes with overheads: that is, if I apply for a grant to buy a $ 100,000 piece of equipment and the funder gives me $ 100,000, then the university gets nothing. There are different ways of seeing this. You could see it as the university wanted to profit from the grant. Or you could see it as the university needing to find the funds to pay my salary, heat, light and clean my office etc. Making the university a lot of money is primarily what gets you promoted.
2. Research outputs. A cynic would say that as far as the university is concerned, research outputs are adverts that allow you to get more funding. Either by advertising to funders that you are worth investing in, or to companies that might want to licence your tech, or to student choosing a uni. A special case of this is the quadrennial ranking of universities by the government on their research outputs.
3. Teaching output matters in so far as having a reputation for good teaching helps you recruit undergrad/masters students. As for PhD students: in my field at least, getting a student is treated like winning a small grant. A PhD students costs someone around $ 195,000 over the course of their four-year studentship ($ 85,000 in tuition fees, about the same again in stipend for the student, and about $ 25,000 in research costs). Any student who can come up with that themselves is likely to be welcomed with open arms. Very few can.
4. Being an editor and sitting on committees is a service to the community that even universities recognise is necessary for academia to continue. It also brings prestige. For the professor, being editor of a leading journal is a good way to demonstrate you are at the top of your field. As for companies: if you are starting a company, you are likely to be doing so using IP licensed from the university. Spin-outs also look good when a university is try to demonstrate to funders/government that they are good at doing research that has an impact on society (the so-called impact agenda). In the US of course, once you are tenured, you can spend your time doing whatever you like.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In response to [research output] *The professor might have his or her name on plenty of papers, but never as a first author. Presumably, the papers will look good on the postdocs' and PhD students' CV, not so much on the professor's. Is that the case?*
No. Being supervisor of successful PhD's and postdocs is a good thing of course. Each field has its own conventions where the supervisor is placed in the author list (2nd author, last author, ...), which are usually familiar to people working in the field (or deciding about grants in a specific field). Therefore, being in the supervisor/professor position on papers does look good on your CV.
Upvotes: 3
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2017/12/21
| 1,564
| 6,523
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<issue_start>username_0: I am in the process of writing my PhD thesis, and I would like to extend the state-of-the-art part into a review article. Although I am confident that I have investigated and understood the existing literature thoroughly, I think the overall quality and visibility of the review article would increase if I find an expert to collaborate with on the paper. My PhD supervisor is not an expert in the field and I expect his willingness to actively contribute to be near zero.
I have already identified a rising expert (junior PI) that I would like to contact. A strong plus is also that he seems to be an expert on the area of the article where I have no published results, whereas I have some published research in the other of the two subareas of the review article. However, I am not sure how and when to contact this person (I have not met him in person).
One approach would be to (nearly) finish the paper and then send him a direct email, asking whether he would like to contribute, and send him the paper after he agreed to handle the draft confidentially so he can decide if he wants to contribute. I would also mention that I am willing to do the ground work but expect him to comment on the draft and help improving the overall quality of the paper.
Another approach would be to upload a finished (to the best of my abilities) paper on arXiv and than send him the mail asking for his willingness to contribute.
Is there a better approach?<issue_comment>username_1: All of this is going to be very field- and country-specific. I will answer for biological/biomedical sciences at UK universities.
The career progression at most UK universities is:
Lecturer → Senior Lecturer → Reader → Full professor
In the UK there is no such thing as tenure unless you got it before 1987. However sacking someone from any job in the UK is much harder than in the US.
Promotion from lecturer to senior lecturer usually involves demonstrating:
* You can secure on-going substantial funding for your research. This means getting multiple grants at different times that bring the university substantial overheads (not all do).
* You have some leadership role in teaching – you have created new modules and now co-ordinate them, or are lead for a degree program or a reaching in a sub field.
* You have at least one major admin role in the department, such as head of admissions, chair of the equality committee, head of outreach, exams co-ordinator etc.
Reader is normally a purely ceremonial position, that comes with no salary or benefits increase and usually awarded in recognition of a being a leader in your research field.
The big step to professor (also known as a chair) is generally entirely research-based (although some places are now awarding professorships on the basis of world-leading innovation in teaching). Promotion to professor usually involves obtaining references from international colleagues saying you are where it is at in your field, worldwide. You will have brought in funding above and beyond what is normal, probably more than once (e.g. funds to start a research institute, or a large, multicentre program etc). You will become your universities leader in whatever it is you do i.e. Prof Such and Such, University of Neverland’s chair in X studies.
As for your specific questions
1. Funding is all. If you don’t get funding, you can’t do research. If you don’t get funding, you definitely won’t get promoted. In my university, if you don’t get funding you won’t pass your probationary period to get a lectureship, and at many places if you don’t keep getting funding, you are in danger of losing your job. Not all funding is equal, because not all funding comes with overheads: that is, if I apply for a grant to buy a $ 100,000 piece of equipment and the funder gives me $ 100,000, then the university gets nothing. There are different ways of seeing this. You could see it as the university wanted to profit from the grant. Or you could see it as the university needing to find the funds to pay my salary, heat, light and clean my office etc. Making the university a lot of money is primarily what gets you promoted.
2. Research outputs. A cynic would say that as far as the university is concerned, research outputs are adverts that allow you to get more funding. Either by advertising to funders that you are worth investing in, or to companies that might want to licence your tech, or to student choosing a uni. A special case of this is the quadrennial ranking of universities by the government on their research outputs.
3. Teaching output matters in so far as having a reputation for good teaching helps you recruit undergrad/masters students. As for PhD students: in my field at least, getting a student is treated like winning a small grant. A PhD students costs someone around $ 195,000 over the course of their four-year studentship ($ 85,000 in tuition fees, about the same again in stipend for the student, and about $ 25,000 in research costs). Any student who can come up with that themselves is likely to be welcomed with open arms. Very few can.
4. Being an editor and sitting on committees is a service to the community that even universities recognise is necessary for academia to continue. It also brings prestige. For the professor, being editor of a leading journal is a good way to demonstrate you are at the top of your field. As for companies: if you are starting a company, you are likely to be doing so using IP licensed from the university. Spin-outs also look good when a university is try to demonstrate to funders/government that they are good at doing research that has an impact on society (the so-called impact agenda). In the US of course, once you are tenured, you can spend your time doing whatever you like.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In response to [research output] *The professor might have his or her name on plenty of papers, but never as a first author. Presumably, the papers will look good on the postdocs' and PhD students' CV, not so much on the professor's. Is that the case?*
No. Being supervisor of successful PhD's and postdocs is a good thing of course. Each field has its own conventions where the supervisor is placed in the author list (2nd author, last author, ...), which are usually familiar to people working in the field (or deciding about grants in a specific field). Therefore, being in the supervisor/professor position on papers does look good on your CV.
Upvotes: 3
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2017/12/21
| 276
| 1,150
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<issue_start>username_0: Is being employed by a university during a PhD tied to receiving a salary/stipend/scholarship? Or am I considered an employee until I am awarded the PhD degree?
Because for the state I am considered unemployed, however I have finished my thesis but I am waiting for the PhD defense, so I think technically I am still considered affiliated with the University. I need to know this because I am filling paperwork for another job, and they want to know if I am currently employed or not. It seems a gray area situation.<issue_comment>username_1: In the UK, PhD students are not considered employees of the university at any point, before or after submission of thesis or expiration of funding.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I would say that if you were asked if you were still a PhD student, the answer is yes. However, the question of employment should hinge on payment. If you’re not receiving any money from the school, then you are not employed by them. (Moreover, if you are officially recognized as unemployed, that should already be a bit of a clue as to what you should say to a potential employer.)
Upvotes: 0
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2017/12/21
| 3,516
| 15,297
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<issue_start>username_0: I just failed a university-level course that the instructor assured me I was passing. We've discussed my grade in emails but we continue to disagree on how it should be calculated and even on what assignments should count. (The instructor did not adhere to the grading policy in her syllabus - this is a passing/fail issue.)
I have proof that I did enough to pass. Grades are in and the school is out for the holiday break, but I feel like I need to do something before this becomes permanent. What should I do? As a student, how do I challenge a grade I think is unfair if can't resolve it with my instructor?<issue_comment>username_1: First step is talk to the teacher. It may be a simple mistake, which is than easily fixed.
After that you follow the complaint procedure of your institution.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: This is a bad situation. First, you should tell her about the situation. Maybe she sees that you are in a bad situation because of a mistake and grades your assignments. (Even if "grading is closed", there should always be a possibility to correct severe mistakes.)
If she refuses, go to a person higher than her and explain that person your situation (with all the proofs).
If this still doesn't help, try student unions, your advisor, more higher persons (if appliciable).
If still nothing happens (which is the case far too often), you cannot do anything more.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_3: What she said, is nothing compared to what she registered in written form. However, it is unlikely that she had done this intentionally with you. It is nearly sure, that it was a mistake from her part. The question is, where was the mistake: her 180, or her 115.
Alternatively, it might be a mistake from your part (you misunderstood something or so).
*"Grading is closed"* likely means that even she can't make a fix without contacting other people (typically, some higher-level administration) to change your result. Doing this, she would admit (for powers over her) that she did a mistake, she likely won't do it. However, if she accepts that you should have got 180, then she likely won't let you falsely failed.
Contact she, and explain the problem. Your goal shouldn't be to overpower she, because she is obviously more powerful as you in this case. *Your goal should be to set she to your side. But she should see on you that you are very determined in this case.*
If you don't have anything written about your 180, and she doesn't side with you, then you are likely lost.
If you are not in a critical situation (for example, you will be a dropout), then I would suggest to let it as it is.
If your degree depends on it, fight until the last shot (student's union and so on).
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_4: 1. Contact your teacher (email) and start a paper trail where you outline the assignments in question: when they were due, when they were submitted, and if the teacher received them.
2. Given the break, schedule an appointment with the teacher after the break to sit down and discuss the issues at hand.
3. (As per aeismail's comment) I would agree to escalate to the department chair and inform your academic advisor before the dean.
4. At the same time as 5, should you choose to and if your institution has such a department, contact your ombudsperson office to create an informal avenue of conflict resolution outside of formal (and time consuming) solutions. They offer a means of conflict resolution that tries to arbitrate issues before you take formal action.
5. Depending on the results (no meet, meet but no success) escalate by appealing to your college Dean the issues and ensure that all paperwork is in order: an executive summary documenting the chronological order of events, all of your correspondence with the teacher indicating that you abided by the syllabus.
6. If and when you have a hearing, dress nice and present your case when you are called in for an appointment with the dean. Be factual and punctual. Don't demean or insinuate personal characteristics of the teacher in question, stick to the facts and what is the issue at hand.
7. At the end of the day, if all else fails, I would stand to believe that your college Dean answers to a higher 'officer' of the school. There should be a means to escalate your appeal to this final authority. There might be more, but for most if not all issues, this would be the highest authority to appeal to.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_5: Grades can almost always be changed later (often, even a year later!) if good cause is found. So, there's probably no need to worry about what can be done over the holidays. When everyone's back for the next term, there will be plenty of time to revisit your grade and make a correction if it's warranted.
If you can't resolve a grading issue with your instructor, you might next go to your department chair or your academic advisor. But take care. We've all experienced the disappointment of getting a lower grade than we'd hoped for on something important to us and we remember how that affected our emotions and sense of fairness. As faculty, I now see it in my students and I can see it hurts and I wish I could make it go away by simply handing out exceptions. But I can't without being unfair to others, e.g., those who were even closer to the cutoff but also received the same grade.
Consider the possibility you may have misunderstood how the grading was to be done and the extent to which any guidance you might have been given on your likely final grade was only guidance, not a guarantee.
I would double-check how your grade was calculated, including what assignments would count, against the syllabus and carefully re-read the explanations you received to be absolutely sure of your claims before going, e.g., to your department chair with a complaint. Most institutions grant instructors considerable academic freedom to grade however they feel most appropriate and even to make reasonable changes to the way they grade during the term based on new information, e.g., discovery that an assignment or exam was harder than they'd anticipated.
That can even mean dropping entire assignments from the initial list in the syllabus. In a logic design course I used to teach at UW, I'd explain that homework sets were merely intended for practice, not meaningful use in grading since not everyone needs the same practice and anyone can get 100 with enough time spent. What really mattered were the design projects in the lab and the exams.
Later in the course, with students busier on projects and already getting enough practice, I often proposed to my classes, okay, everyone has seen the problem set posted and no one has time to do it. Does this problem set count or should we just go through the solutions in class? If you are the one person who's upset because I eliminated that homework from counting, the chair is going to want to know about you right away.
It's possible your instructor has behaved unreasonably but take care to consider if there's another side to the story your chair will also hear about from your instructor if you go there. Lawyering over individual words in the syllabus, arguments that amount to asking to be graded differently than the rest of the class and leaving out important details are rarely successful strategies.
Try to see if there's anything to learn from this so it doesn't happen again, which may be as simple as working a little harder next time or taking a lighter course load in the future so you have more time to do better. Twelve units of straight As always beats seventeen units with a couple of Cs.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_6: I went through this exact situation a while ago, although it wasn't at university level, it was with my daughter who was threatened with not graduating middle school because of an elective Spanish course taught by someone who didn't like her, while her other grades were A's and B's. Flunking 8th grade? How stupid! But, read on, your situation will replay in different ways for the rest of your life.
Get your emails organized so you have clear documentation of your attempts at resolution and your teacher's refusals to follow their rules for how the class was to be graded. Be sure the emails contain the teacher's rules and why they are arbitrarily being disregarded. If you can't get an answer to that issue, that's fine; it's evidence the teacher is not being honest. Organize proof of the assignments you turned in to earn a passing grade.
When you have proof of both your work and the teacher's refusal to pass you in a package that an outsider can easily understand, email the appropriate dean, dept head, whoever, with your information and ask for resolution, ie., a passing grade.
If your grade isn't changed, request a meeting with the teacher, dean and you. You'll probably have to do this face to face meeting, email is a great way for the stubborn to shirk responsibility.
In my case, I had a ream of conflicting emails, constantly changing requirements, video evidence of assignments being handed directly to the teacher (friends have phones, too, LOL) she claimed were not submitted, etc. Everything went to the Principal in emails, who supported the teacher until I requested a meeting among the three of us, during which it became clear to him the teacher was lying. My daughter graduated and the teacher was fired, yay!
In college and grad school, I regularly approached professors who I thought misgraded my work or played favorites. Do this well and you'll end up ahead, otherwise you're just another student in a mass of faces they see daily; if they know you better, they'll usually help you. Be prepared, know what you want from them, they despise indecision. Back then, email, the internet, anti-social networking, the ability to exist as text, images and vids wasn't possible, an individual's social market was vastly smaller so people were more genuinely assertive and persistent than now.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, go as far as you need for this zero sum game teacher to be embarrassed; this is a great life lesson, something you'll go through many times. Life is not fair unless you make it fair.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_7: **Step 1 - Find and read your university's grade-review policy:** Every university has some policy in place to allow students to apply for review of grading from an instructor. Your first step should be to check your university website or contact someone in the administration to find this policy, and then read it. This will tell you the grounds on which you can apply for review, and the administrative process that is required. For almost all such policies, *time is of the essence* - you are expected to take action on this within a reasonable time, so you should get started right away.
**Step 2 - Do what the policy says; leave a paper trail:** The specifics of what you do next depend on the particular review policy, but in my experience, most of these processes require you to contact your course lecturer in the first instance and then there is a process to escalate things to a reviewer if you are unsatisfied with the response. Most policies do not give you an automatic right of review, but require you to give grounds for why you think a review is justified. From your post it sounds like this will not be a problem. As other commentators have advised, make sure you do everything by email so that you *leave a paper-trail* of your requests for review, etc.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_8: The following suggestions are based entirely on you being 100% truthful and accurate with your statements.
Your assumptions should echo every item on assignments, attendance, quizzes, tests, etc.
I realize one of the topics discussed previously was which assignments would count toward your grade. Did you ask if there would be a penalty if you failed to turn in the assignments, even if those assignments did not count toward the final grade? Perhaps that is the reason for your current failing grade?
If all of the above still seems to support your assertion that you have earned a passing grade, I would recommend the following steps.
**1.** I agree with everyone's first step which appears to be **contact the professor/instructor** for your class.
If the first step does not produce your desired grade change, move to step 2.
**2. Request a meeting with the chair/ head/director of the department** that offered the course in question.
It is noteworthy that should you meet with the professor's direct supervisor who is in most cases the department chair/ head/director you must come prepared with documentation. This documentation must be thorough, and you must show any discrepancies, etc. You should have a copy to leave with the person you meet with now and in all of the following steps. Also, for this step and the subsequent steps, you will be meeting with people that undoubtedly will believe the professor's grade is accurate and justified.
**You must prove that your current mark is inaccurate and unjustified.**
------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you still are unable to either understand why your current grade will remain in place or you believe you deserve to pass and no action in that direction occurs, move to step 3.
**3. Schedule a meeting with the dean of the school or college** within which is the location of the department. Again make sure you have documentation for everything, including emails, dates of meetings, returned assignments, quizzes, and any other formative evaluations you received throughout the class.
At this point you most likely are quite a distance from the professor and the dean might not even be totally familiar with the subject matter. So, your argument here must be objective. Do your best to not use any emotional statements as arguments for a passing grade. Keep it completely objective, using straight facts.
Still frustrated and not seeing the proper outcome?
**4. Schedule a meeting with the Dean of Undergraduate Studies** and once again present your argument.
If this still does not work for you, I might suggest that you take one final step.
**5. Contact the Office of the Ombudsman** and again be clear, concise, and factual in the presentation of your argument. Make sure you include dates of all meetings, topics discussed, why there has not been a proper resolution based on exactly what the previous people have told you not what you think.
If those steps do not change your grade, it would seem that you did not earn a passing grade. In the end, the professor of the course has the final say, and it is my experience that if the professor believes the grade is correct and justified it will remain.
Finally, take a moment to ask yourself the following questions. And ask them independent of whether your efforts result in a change from fail to pass.
1. Why did you put yourself in this position?
2. What is going wrong in your life that you are arguing about which assignments will count, etc. just to pass? and,
3. Why didn't you excell and pass without even the slightest concern?
Best of luck, let me know if you think I can help you along.
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/12/21
| 3,437
| 14,957
|
<issue_start>username_0: I had a conversation with a professor who told me that getting into a PhD programme at some university (in the UK) is *very* difficult without also having an MSc from that same university. Is this true?
If it's relevant, we were specifically taking about Economics PHDs.<issue_comment>username_1: First step is talk to the teacher. It may be a simple mistake, which is than easily fixed.
After that you follow the complaint procedure of your institution.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: This is a bad situation. First, you should tell her about the situation. Maybe she sees that you are in a bad situation because of a mistake and grades your assignments. (Even if "grading is closed", there should always be a possibility to correct severe mistakes.)
If she refuses, go to a person higher than her and explain that person your situation (with all the proofs).
If this still doesn't help, try student unions, your advisor, more higher persons (if appliciable).
If still nothing happens (which is the case far too often), you cannot do anything more.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_3: What she said, is nothing compared to what she registered in written form. However, it is unlikely that she had done this intentionally with you. It is nearly sure, that it was a mistake from her part. The question is, where was the mistake: her 180, or her 115.
Alternatively, it might be a mistake from your part (you misunderstood something or so).
*"Grading is closed"* likely means that even she can't make a fix without contacting other people (typically, some higher-level administration) to change your result. Doing this, she would admit (for powers over her) that she did a mistake, she likely won't do it. However, if she accepts that you should have got 180, then she likely won't let you falsely failed.
Contact she, and explain the problem. Your goal shouldn't be to overpower she, because she is obviously more powerful as you in this case. *Your goal should be to set she to your side. But she should see on you that you are very determined in this case.*
If you don't have anything written about your 180, and she doesn't side with you, then you are likely lost.
If you are not in a critical situation (for example, you will be a dropout), then I would suggest to let it as it is.
If your degree depends on it, fight until the last shot (student's union and so on).
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_4: 1. Contact your teacher (email) and start a paper trail where you outline the assignments in question: when they were due, when they were submitted, and if the teacher received them.
2. Given the break, schedule an appointment with the teacher after the break to sit down and discuss the issues at hand.
3. (As per aeismail's comment) I would agree to escalate to the department chair and inform your academic advisor before the dean.
4. At the same time as 5, should you choose to and if your institution has such a department, contact your ombudsperson office to create an informal avenue of conflict resolution outside of formal (and time consuming) solutions. They offer a means of conflict resolution that tries to arbitrate issues before you take formal action.
5. Depending on the results (no meet, meet but no success) escalate by appealing to your college Dean the issues and ensure that all paperwork is in order: an executive summary documenting the chronological order of events, all of your correspondence with the teacher indicating that you abided by the syllabus.
6. If and when you have a hearing, dress nice and present your case when you are called in for an appointment with the dean. Be factual and punctual. Don't demean or insinuate personal characteristics of the teacher in question, stick to the facts and what is the issue at hand.
7. At the end of the day, if all else fails, I would stand to believe that your college Dean answers to a higher 'officer' of the school. There should be a means to escalate your appeal to this final authority. There might be more, but for most if not all issues, this would be the highest authority to appeal to.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_5: Grades can almost always be changed later (often, even a year later!) if good cause is found. So, there's probably no need to worry about what can be done over the holidays. When everyone's back for the next term, there will be plenty of time to revisit your grade and make a correction if it's warranted.
If you can't resolve a grading issue with your instructor, you might next go to your department chair or your academic advisor. But take care. We've all experienced the disappointment of getting a lower grade than we'd hoped for on something important to us and we remember how that affected our emotions and sense of fairness. As faculty, I now see it in my students and I can see it hurts and I wish I could make it go away by simply handing out exceptions. But I can't without being unfair to others, e.g., those who were even closer to the cutoff but also received the same grade.
Consider the possibility you may have misunderstood how the grading was to be done and the extent to which any guidance you might have been given on your likely final grade was only guidance, not a guarantee.
I would double-check how your grade was calculated, including what assignments would count, against the syllabus and carefully re-read the explanations you received to be absolutely sure of your claims before going, e.g., to your department chair with a complaint. Most institutions grant instructors considerable academic freedom to grade however they feel most appropriate and even to make reasonable changes to the way they grade during the term based on new information, e.g., discovery that an assignment or exam was harder than they'd anticipated.
That can even mean dropping entire assignments from the initial list in the syllabus. In a logic design course I used to teach at UW, I'd explain that homework sets were merely intended for practice, not meaningful use in grading since not everyone needs the same practice and anyone can get 100 with enough time spent. What really mattered were the design projects in the lab and the exams.
Later in the course, with students busier on projects and already getting enough practice, I often proposed to my classes, okay, everyone has seen the problem set posted and no one has time to do it. Does this problem set count or should we just go through the solutions in class? If you are the one person who's upset because I eliminated that homework from counting, the chair is going to want to know about you right away.
It's possible your instructor has behaved unreasonably but take care to consider if there's another side to the story your chair will also hear about from your instructor if you go there. Lawyering over individual words in the syllabus, arguments that amount to asking to be graded differently than the rest of the class and leaving out important details are rarely successful strategies.
Try to see if there's anything to learn from this so it doesn't happen again, which may be as simple as working a little harder next time or taking a lighter course load in the future so you have more time to do better. Twelve units of straight As always beats seventeen units with a couple of Cs.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_6: I went through this exact situation a while ago, although it wasn't at university level, it was with my daughter who was threatened with not graduating middle school because of an elective Spanish course taught by someone who didn't like her, while her other grades were A's and B's. Flunking 8th grade? How stupid! But, read on, your situation will replay in different ways for the rest of your life.
Get your emails organized so you have clear documentation of your attempts at resolution and your teacher's refusals to follow their rules for how the class was to be graded. Be sure the emails contain the teacher's rules and why they are arbitrarily being disregarded. If you can't get an answer to that issue, that's fine; it's evidence the teacher is not being honest. Organize proof of the assignments you turned in to earn a passing grade.
When you have proof of both your work and the teacher's refusal to pass you in a package that an outsider can easily understand, email the appropriate dean, dept head, whoever, with your information and ask for resolution, ie., a passing grade.
If your grade isn't changed, request a meeting with the teacher, dean and you. You'll probably have to do this face to face meeting, email is a great way for the stubborn to shirk responsibility.
In my case, I had a ream of conflicting emails, constantly changing requirements, video evidence of assignments being handed directly to the teacher (friends have phones, too, LOL) she claimed were not submitted, etc. Everything went to the Principal in emails, who supported the teacher until I requested a meeting among the three of us, during which it became clear to him the teacher was lying. My daughter graduated and the teacher was fired, yay!
In college and grad school, I regularly approached professors who I thought misgraded my work or played favorites. Do this well and you'll end up ahead, otherwise you're just another student in a mass of faces they see daily; if they know you better, they'll usually help you. Be prepared, know what you want from them, they despise indecision. Back then, email, the internet, anti-social networking, the ability to exist as text, images and vids wasn't possible, an individual's social market was vastly smaller so people were more genuinely assertive and persistent than now.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, go as far as you need for this zero sum game teacher to be embarrassed; this is a great life lesson, something you'll go through many times. Life is not fair unless you make it fair.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_7: **Step 1 - Find and read your university's grade-review policy:** Every university has some policy in place to allow students to apply for review of grading from an instructor. Your first step should be to check your university website or contact someone in the administration to find this policy, and then read it. This will tell you the grounds on which you can apply for review, and the administrative process that is required. For almost all such policies, *time is of the essence* - you are expected to take action on this within a reasonable time, so you should get started right away.
**Step 2 - Do what the policy says; leave a paper trail:** The specifics of what you do next depend on the particular review policy, but in my experience, most of these processes require you to contact your course lecturer in the first instance and then there is a process to escalate things to a reviewer if you are unsatisfied with the response. Most policies do not give you an automatic right of review, but require you to give grounds for why you think a review is justified. From your post it sounds like this will not be a problem. As other commentators have advised, make sure you do everything by email so that you *leave a paper-trail* of your requests for review, etc.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_8: The following suggestions are based entirely on you being 100% truthful and accurate with your statements.
Your assumptions should echo every item on assignments, attendance, quizzes, tests, etc.
I realize one of the topics discussed previously was which assignments would count toward your grade. Did you ask if there would be a penalty if you failed to turn in the assignments, even if those assignments did not count toward the final grade? Perhaps that is the reason for your current failing grade?
If all of the above still seems to support your assertion that you have earned a passing grade, I would recommend the following steps.
**1.** I agree with everyone's first step which appears to be **contact the professor/instructor** for your class.
If the first step does not produce your desired grade change, move to step 2.
**2. Request a meeting with the chair/ head/director of the department** that offered the course in question.
It is noteworthy that should you meet with the professor's direct supervisor who is in most cases the department chair/ head/director you must come prepared with documentation. This documentation must be thorough, and you must show any discrepancies, etc. You should have a copy to leave with the person you meet with now and in all of the following steps. Also, for this step and the subsequent steps, you will be meeting with people that undoubtedly will believe the professor's grade is accurate and justified.
**You must prove that your current mark is inaccurate and unjustified.**
------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you still are unable to either understand why your current grade will remain in place or you believe you deserve to pass and no action in that direction occurs, move to step 3.
**3. Schedule a meeting with the dean of the school or college** within which is the location of the department. Again make sure you have documentation for everything, including emails, dates of meetings, returned assignments, quizzes, and any other formative evaluations you received throughout the class.
At this point you most likely are quite a distance from the professor and the dean might not even be totally familiar with the subject matter. So, your argument here must be objective. Do your best to not use any emotional statements as arguments for a passing grade. Keep it completely objective, using straight facts.
Still frustrated and not seeing the proper outcome?
**4. Schedule a meeting with the Dean of Undergraduate Studies** and once again present your argument.
If this still does not work for you, I might suggest that you take one final step.
**5. Contact the Office of the Ombudsman** and again be clear, concise, and factual in the presentation of your argument. Make sure you include dates of all meetings, topics discussed, why there has not been a proper resolution based on exactly what the previous people have told you not what you think.
If those steps do not change your grade, it would seem that you did not earn a passing grade. In the end, the professor of the course has the final say, and it is my experience that if the professor believes the grade is correct and justified it will remain.
Finally, take a moment to ask yourself the following questions. And ask them independent of whether your efforts result in a change from fail to pass.
1. Why did you put yourself in this position?
2. What is going wrong in your life that you are arguing about which assignments will count, etc. just to pass? and,
3. Why didn't you excell and pass without even the slightest concern?
Best of luck, let me know if you think I can help you along.
Upvotes: 0
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| 211
| 756
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<issue_start>username_0: I am in math, and we usually apply to most academic jobs (in the US) through a generic application at mathjobs.org. Is there an equivalent in physics?<issue_comment>username_1: I am not aware of any physics-wide collection of jobs. The closest thing I know of is the HEP (particle physics) rumor mills, where jobs are linked and results are posted.
Theory:
<http://particle.physics.ucdavis.edu/rumor/doku.php?id=current>
Experiment:
<https://sites.google.com/site/hepexrumor/>
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: In particle/nuclear physics there is <http://inspirehep.net/collection/Jobs>
More generally, many (but definitely not all) physics jobs are announced on <http://academicjobsonline.org>.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]
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| 505
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<issue_start>username_0: I am in a weird spot. I have been a PhD student for 1.5 years and in May 2018 it will be 2 full years. I already have an MS in the same subject from another school. I was told recently that I will be asked to leave the program at the end of this semester due to lack of research funding. I asked if I can be given a MS instead since I fulfilled all the requirements for that but that cannot be done as I already have a MS from in the same subject from a different place. I will try really hard to see if I can plead some leniency but I just wanted to ask if you people know of cases where students were able to plead successfully. I am really scared because if I am terminated from this program, I will be forced to leave USA because I won't have any status and I will have nothing to show for these 2 years.<issue_comment>username_1: You are likely being given correct guidance that they cannot grant a second master's in the same discipline as the one you already have. From what you describe, this probably does mean what you think it means at the end of semester. You may find it helpful to consult an immigration attorney to lay out your options.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: In addition to the suggestion given in username_1's answer, and provided that you are making good progress in your degree, you still have several options:
* You could see if someone else in the department has funding to support another student.
* You could see if colleagues in other departments at your institution doing work related to your thesis area.
* You could ask if the department will help you in transferring to another program.
The big question here is why you're being let go. If it's really that funds are low, and it's through no fault of your own, then the department owes you the right to continue in the program, or help you to continue your studies. On the other hand, if they're saying "we don't want to spend more money on you," then it'll be a lot harder to get help.
As far as awarding a duplicate degree, that's probably not decided at the department level, but instead probably requires a higher-level signoff.
Upvotes: 4
|
2017/12/22
| 569
| 1,952
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<issue_start>username_0: 
I would like to know the specific meaning of *<NAME> Professor* in the above screenshot. It is a title for MIT faculties or the award with the same name (<NAME>)? Or something else?<issue_comment>username_1: It's a named professorship, which means a couple things. Generally, endowed chairs are better paid and have some extra funds associated with them. These are typically funded by a gift to the Institute. In this case, somebody presumably gave a gift in honor of Prof. Collins, who was a pioneer in low-temperature work.
>
> Dr. <NAME>, Professor Emeritus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, internationally known as the father of practical helium liquefiers and founder of the MIT Cryogenic Engineering Laboratory, died on June 19, 1984 in George Washington University Hospital, Washington, DC.
>
>
> In 1946, Dr. Collins and his colleagues at MIT built what became know as the Collins Helium Cryostat. The device provided for the first time reliable, relatively in expensive and adequate supplies of liquid helium. His invention was of great interest to physicists because it opened the door to extensive experimental low-temperature physics
>
>
>
The existence of the endowed professorship is a honor to the memory of the eponymous Samuel Collins, and it is an honor for the current faculty member who holds it.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: The speaker, Professor Leonard, holds a [named or endowed chair](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/12607/what-is-an-endowed-chair-exactly-how-does-it-compare-to-a-normal-position), which is quite an honor in academia. His chair is named for [<NAME>](http://web.mit.edu/hmtl/www/collins.html), an MIT professor *"known as the father of practical helium liquifiers and the founder of the MIT Cryogenic Engineering Laboratory"*.
Upvotes: 0
|
2017/12/22
| 1,089
| 4,742
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<issue_start>username_0: So I'm doing my senior thesis (undergrad) on the politics of emerging technologies and how that applies to artificial intelligence policy. I've been trying to look at past examples of technologies as they were emerging and how research communities, industry, civil groups, and governments react. A good example being developments in recombinant DNA leading to the Asilomar Conference, or fetal tissue stem cell therapy leading to George Bush's executive order on federal funding on the subject. However, I'm running into a few problems:
1) Research is slow because the main search engines I'm using (G-Scholar, JSTOR) bring up a bunch of irrelevant papers. Even if I use quotes, something like (
"emerging technology" politics ) will bring a lot of stuff I don't need. Is there something I can do to help narrow it down to papers that are more relevant for my topic, such as additional terms, or another search engine?
2) I feel like I don't know how to do this kind of research efficiently. I've never done something this complex, and I'm pressed on time, so I can't make any mistakes. At this point, I'm just putting in search terms and finding papers that seem to fit within the general area of my paper and taking notes on Evernote. But, I feel like this could be structured/targeted so much better. What's the best meta-research strategy?
Thanks for your time, and if you have any other relevant suggestions, I'd love to hear.<issue_comment>username_1: Regarding literature search I can give you the following suggestion: It sounds you already found some papers that are somehow related to your topic. Maybe your advisor already has some related work in this area? That would also work.
With this publication at hand there are two options to find new interesting work in this area: The reference section of this publication and the publication venue. Look up where the publication was published and read more papers from the same venue.
>
> At this point, I'm just putting in search terms and finding papers that seem to fit within the general area of my paper and taking notes on Evernote. But, I feel like this could be structured/targeted so much better.
>
>
>
However, for me it does not sound that literature search is your main problem. It is structuring your work. It sounds odd, but whenever I come to this point, I start to write the paper or thesis or whatever your goal is.
So just start writing up any thoughts you already have, include the notes you already have with the citations to the papers you already found. This does not have to be a coherent text, just a bunch of unfinished text segments. Eventually you come to the point where you have no notes and no own thoughts left. Then you will see what is already covered by related work and where you still have to find other publications. But now you know what to search for and you can use more precise search terms! Be prepared to rewrite every sentence several times afterwards, but you get the feeling that your work is proceeding and that is a huge motivation boost.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I teach a doctoral course on doing a literature review, and if one of my doctoral students proposed a topic as broad as yours, I would definitely require them to narrow it down. I don't believe you can successfully treat such a broad topic in such a limited time. I think many of your frustrations arise directly from your topic being overly broad.
For a doctoral student taking on such a topic for a doctoral dissertation, I would recommend that rather than treating "emerging technologies" as a broad topic, the student pick three or four very specific technologies, trace their individual histories, and then compare them thoroughly. That would be a concrete and meaningful way to take on such a topic.
For you, I recommend that you do just one part of that: pick just one specific emerging technology and then focus on the political issues concerning that. It's up to you to decide which specific technology to pick, but I recommend one for which you can find 10 to 30 articles. (A rarer topic with fewer than 10 won't give you much to review; a very popular topic with much more than 30 articles would yield too much for you to work with in your limited time.)
For specific tips on how to search for keywords, you could refer to the tips I gave to the question "[What strategies are there for finding literature for a literature survey when the terminology used is diverse?](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/96941/20418)".
Finally, I echo the recommendation in a comment above that you meet with a research librarian. They are trained to help people in situations such as yours.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]
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2017/12/22
| 1,073
| 3,718
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<issue_start>username_0: I'm trying to get an engineering post doc which I will conduct at a company's R&D labs, however I need to jump through all of the sponsoring university's hoops. I just received their application form and some of the questions are very personal. I thought such questions would be illegal in any European country. Are questions like your marital status, number and name of your children, date, place of birth...normal?
The number of ways a candidate maybe discriminated against based on their responses would be exponential.<issue_comment>username_1: When applying to US and UK, I remember answering questions regarding to race, disability etc. Of course, it was mentioned that this information is collected only for ensuring that there is *no* discrimination (for this, you need statistics), and probably the people deciding who to hire did not see that (I hope). So yes, it seems to be normal that you may be asked some weird questions.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: No, it is not "normal". According to the [French labor code](https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichCode.do;jsessionid=0C2B40C6B888E1D16A994F678C0B6F41.tplgfr23s_1?idSectionTA=LEGISCTA000006189415&cidTexte=LEGITEXT000006072050&dateTexte=20090630):
>
> *Les informations demandées, sous quelque forme que ce soit, au candidat à un emploi ne peuvent avoir comme finalité que d'apprécier sa capacité à occuper l'emploi proposé ou ses aptitudes professionnelles.*
>
>
> *Ces informations doivent présenter un lien direct et nécessaire avec l'emploi proposé ou avec l'évaluation des aptitudes professionnelles.*
>
>
>
Translated by myself:
>
> The only purpose of any question asked, under any form, to a candidate for a job must be to evaluate their ability to perform their work duties or to evaluate their professional aptitude.
>
>
> These questions must have a direct and necessary link with the offered job or with the evaluation of professional aptitude.
>
>
>
It is straight up illegal to ask these question (and it has been since [at least 2008](https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichCodeArticle.do;jsessionid=0C2B40C6B888E1D16A994F678C0B6F41.tplgfr23s_1?idArticle=LEGIARTI000006900845&cidTexte=LEGITEXT000006072050&dateTexte=20090630)). You shouldn't answer them, and provide them a link to the labor code (and perhaps offer to call the labor inspectors to clarify the situation) if they get upset. Your age, your marital status, your possible children have no bearing on your ability to perform your duties as a postdoc (there are some exceptions, postdoc is certainly not one of them).
Now, is it "normal" in the sense that it is the norm? Employment law is unfortunately not the best-respected law around here...
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: No it is not normal. These question are not posed by an university office in France ( the same probably applies in most of Europe , surely in Italy and Austria as well) as far as professional competence and attitude must be evaluated.
It is likely that the university has provided you with formular emanating from immigration offices, inherent to getting a stay in France as prerequisite or concomitant requisite to obtain a post doc position.
If you are EU citizen than our work laws and workers protecting laws are indeed in danger if not already totally dismantled...
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: In fact this is normal. In France, public employees can have more money if they have children. Wife and children health care can also be managed by the university.
So university will need all information about your familly. It's not legal to use it to decide to take you or not, but you have to give it if they hire you.
Upvotes: 0
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2017/12/22
| 765
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<issue_start>username_0: I will be teaching a new course for the first time.
Fortunately,
I found a massive open online course (MOOC) on [edX](https://www.edx.org/)
which is similar to the course that I want to teach.
However, the difficulty of the MOOC is significantly higher than
the level of the students at my institution.
Consequently, I will be teaching
4 basic topics which I will develop own my own,
in addition to 4 topics which I will adapt from the MOOC.
For the 4 topics which are covered both in the MOOC and my course,
I am thinking of using some of the same or similar material
(e.g., ideas + slides + assignments) from the MOOC.
There are two advantage's of this approach:
It will lessen my workload,
but also reduce the chance that something will go wrong.
Are there any (copyright / ethical / other) issues with this?
### Edited in response to comments
1. [Karl] claims that "There's surely nothing wrong with borrowing some problems like you say in your original question, but just using a complete existing course is very low. How big do you think the chances are you will have time next year to put more work into it?"
I have edited my question to make it more clear that
I am **adapting** the existing MOOC rather than **copying wholesale**.
However, is there a problem with using very similar material
for the topics which are covered in both the MOOC and my course?
2. [<NAME>](https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/4453/brian-borchers)
mentioned one potential problem which is
"that students can find solutions to the problems in the MOOC and submit them in response to your assignments. Mixing up the sources of your questions is one way to stop this kind of cheating."
To complete the assignments,
I will ask the students to submit both the code as well as the answers.
I could also change some of the problem parameters
so the answers are not found directly in the MOOC.<issue_comment>username_1: "some of the same problems" - fine and then you add others, re-work some to highlight some specific parts of the course and before long those ones you started with are in the minority...
You can even mention, if you want, where some problems come from - if the solutions are not supplied in the book or maybe that is an advantage... That all depends on how you see the students working - copying / regurgitating existing solutions by rote or having to apply themselves...
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: Check if the MOOC has a license assigned to it. If it is for example Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) you are allowed to use the questions as long as you give a reference to the original creator. You don't need to ask the MOOC in this case. CC-BY-NC (non-commercial) might be a difficult case, because you teach this course as a business and earn money for it.
A second option is to directly ask the MOOC creators.
Adapting the question significantly is a third option, as long as you don't copy directly texts from the original question and just base it on the general idea this would be fine.
Upvotes: 2
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2017/12/22
| 339
| 1,150
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<issue_start>username_0: [Browsing academia.SE](https://academia.stackexchange.com/q/100956/9646), I discovered the existence of "endowed chairs" or "named chairs", i.e. professorships named in the honor of someone else and paid for by a donor with a gift to the university. I've never heard of anything like that before (I live and work in France so I mostly meet European academics).
Apart from the US (where this apparently exist), do endowed chairs exist elsewhere in the world?<issue_comment>username_1: Yes, endowed chairs exist outside the USA.
An example is the [Lucasian Professor of Mathematics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucasian_Professor_of_Mathematics) at the University of Cambridge, which (according to Wikipedia) was founded in 1663 by <NAME>, the then Member of Parliament for Cambridge. The post has been held by the likes of <NAME>, <NAME> and <NAME>.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: In Nigeria , Endowed chairs exist; an example is the University of Lagos which has the Enoch Adeboye professorial chair for Mathematics, Named after the University's top donor, Pastor Enoch Adeboye.
Upvotes: 2
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2017/12/22
| 1,915
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<issue_start>username_0: The following is an extension of the question [Job applications reviewed "until the position is filled" (i.e. soft deadline): What does that really mean?](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/18025/job-applications-reviewed-until-the-position-is-filled-i-e-soft-deadline-w).
In most US job announcements of faculty openings (of any rank) in computer science I've seen no hard deadlines for applications and no hard subdiscipline designations. (In Europe, this is different: the deadlines and the subdiciplines are typically hard restictions.) Most of the time, we see sentences such as
>
> The search will focus on candidates in the areas *X1*, *X2*, and *X3*. However, outstanding candidates in all research areas will be considered.
>
>
>
and
>
> Preference will be given to applications submitted before *Date Y*, but we will continue accepting applications until the positions are filled.
>
>
>
Wee see such phrases way too often and may consider them boilerplate in the meantime.
1. Does the search team actually sometimes look at applications outside of the mentioned areas (*X1*, *X2*, and *X3*) and at the applications submitted after the deadline? Or are the above phrases introduced for some other reasons (legal, politics, ...), and the search team never looks at anything beyond the mentioned subdisciplines or anything past the deadline?
2. Has anyone already been hired despite being outside of areas *X1*-*X3* or beyond the date *Y*?
3. In practical terms, if the applicant is a normal scientist but has missed the deadline, how long after that he/she should apply?
4. In practical terms, if the applicant is a normal scientist, is on time, but the subdiscipline is slightly off, should he/she still apply?
5. In practical terms, if the applicant is a normal scientist but the subdiscipline is slightly off and the deadline has passed, how long after that he/she should apply?
(An aside: Assume that the applicant cannot get this information directly by asking, e.g., due to the absense of contact data, and that the applicants network, including that of the supporting advisors if there are any, does not cover the location.)
This question seeks answers from folks who have participated in search committees, have supervised their work, or have received feedback as applicants. If it is the case for you, say so.<issue_comment>username_1: As to the research area, whether they really mean that any research area will be considered is impossible to know from the ad. Sometimes the search committee really is open to a broad range of areas; other times, there is really so strong a preference for one particular area that people from outside area have essentially no chance. I have served on search committees of both types; although the relevant verbiage in the ad was the same in either case, in one case, a majority of the committee was committed to hiring somebody from a very narrow area.
As to the deadline statement, I think that is pretty much always meant seriously. The statements is there so that the committee does not have any possible obligation to not consider applications that are not completed until after the deadline. There's no practical reason for the committee not to consider applications that come in a little late, and in my experience, slightly late applications have always been given full consideration.
By "slightly late," I mean a couple weeks. Actual review of the applications by the committee typically doesn't start until that long after the due date. (That's particularly true if the due date is early, falling during the winter break or earlier.) The latest application that I can recall getting full consideration was completed about a month late, but at that point things are probably getting dicey. And (just like in graduate admissions) committee members are likely to be more flexible about the dates of recommendation letters than the package put together by the job applicant.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: It makes sense to approach this question by thinking of the job ad as a contract. The department is making certain promises about the way the search will be conducted. For both legal and ethical reasons, you should interpret those promises in the most literal way possible: every word that is included matters and is included for a reason, and every word that is *not* included is also not included for a reason. Your prospects of being able to second-guess some sort of hidden meaning behind those words are therefore not very good: if the department wanted to let you know its precise intentions, it would have already done so by including that information in the job ad. None of us reading the ad from the outside can know any more than you do.
To put what I said above into practice, let’s see what the ad actually said and what we can read into it:
>
> outstanding candidates in all research areas will be considered
>
>
>
Well, it means exactly what it says: the department will *consider* all *outstanding* candidates. If you apply and your area is not exactly what they said, and if you are outstanding, they will at least consider you. There are obvious advantages to the department leaving such options open for itself. For example, if a Turing Prize winner or some other famous computer scientist applies and they are not in the desired areas, the department may still prefer to hire them.
What if a normal computer scientist applies? Well, normal people can still be outstanding. We can’t say if you should apply, and can’t give any insight about what the department considers outstanding or why they inserted that language into the job ad. But it doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with legalities or politics - it could simply make good sense as a recruiting strategy.
>
> Preference will be given to applications submitted before Date Y, but we will continue accepting applications until the positions are filled.
>
>
>
Again, this means exactly what it says: the department will continue to *accept* applications. If the reincarnation of Alan Turing applied three months after date Y and the position is unfilled, you can rest assured that there is a good chance they will be hired. And as for a normal, non-famous person, again none of us can say what your chances are if you apply two weeks, or one month, or three months, after the deadline. It depends how attractive you look compared to other candidates currently being considered.
As others have said, from a practical point of view the best thing is to apply and hope for the best. Good luck!
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: I'm a department chair (in physics, not CS) and have been involved in multiple searches. The job market is very competitive (for you, the applicant), but second-tier schools are ALSO very interested in getting the best people we can get. We absolutely prefer the areas we listed in the job advert, but we would be fools to reject an application from someone outstanding, and we leave you to define that; we'll know it when we see it.
(Also, discipline boundaries are fluid. You might not be in area X1, but you might make a case in your application letter that X4 (your area) is very similar to X1. Smart search committees know that they can get too focused and that what they really need might NOT be what they asked for)
As far as being late goes, I agree with the other answers. The search committee often takes a couple weeks to have a meeting, and if you are under a month late and you ARE in a desired area, then we definitely want to see your app, because we may have gotten a lot of speculative apps from folks who are NOT in the prescribed area. So yes, it feels tough to you, but search committees also worry. A ''failed search'' (where you didn't find an applicant who fits, or your top choices turned you down) is a nightmare for a department.
Finally, as far as "chutzpah" goes ... we expect it in our applicants. Definitely don't be too chicken to call up and ask, even if it's a cold call. Harvard/Stanford/Berkeley can turn up their noses at you, but smaller schools will take your call. It can't hurt you to try to get more info. That's good advice for ANY job-hunting situation.
Upvotes: 3
|
2017/12/23
| 1,477
| 5,899
|
<issue_start>username_0: This is for a PhD application at the department of computing in a UK university. It says I need a research proposal with the following
>
> Your research statement should incorporate a brief description of the
> general research areas and topics that interest you, as this may be
> used to select suitable academics to whom your application will be
> circulated.
>
>
> Your research statement should also discuss:
>
>
> 1) motivation for the
> research (i.e. why the topic is important and potential applications
> for which your research could be useful)
>
>
> 2) research issues you intend
> to address during your PhD and
>
>
> 3) your initial ideas on the research
> methodology (e.g. what sort of simulation or experimental techniques)
> you intend to pursue to address the research issues.
>
>
>
Nowhere does it ask for a discussion on why I am suitable, my background etc.? Should I then omit these and write the research proposal in a way where I'm simply pointing out an interesting problem and some approaches to solve it?<issue_comment>username_1: I don't have real experience on the matter, but I would say your research statement is meant to be the proposal for your PhD research, and should contain what they tell you it should contain. Other information should appear elsewhere in your application (if at all).
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: While it may be institution/field/country-specific, from the description I assume that you are applying to the program and do not have a prospective advisor who has already agreed to supervise you, nor a project onto which you will be allocated. In this case, that seems similar to the American "statement of purpose" (SOP).
**The first guideline is: follow the guidelines.** They tell you exactly what they want to see in your statement. You should absolutely touch on all of those points.
In fact, many statements add nothing to the profile exactly because the applicants fail to understand its purpose. The only way that you will have the reader's attention is if you **talk research**. The statement should not be the place where you state everything that they could have read (in a more appropriate format) in the CV. Your background is, of course, relevant, and you should absolutely include it, but only as evidence of your motivation and involvement with the field and the tools that you wish to learn or use during your PhD. The key to a good statement is to seamlessly merge your interests, background, experience, fit and the necessary tools to accomplish your goal. You should leave a strong impression that you have a solid (not necessarily deep) understanding of the field you are getting into.
So, for instance, don't write this (parentheses are my comments):
>
> I have always liked to be boring and make people uncomfortable. Since
> I was a child, my parents would roll their eyes every time they read
> one of my essays. Rarely they would be able to finish. As I grey up, I
> felt the need to contaminate my friends with my excitement, and made
> them listen to incredibly long and meaningless talks. (Sorry to be
> blunt, but nobody cares about your childhood.) I graduate in May from
> Boring University and so far I have maintained a perfect GPA. In fact,
> I took several courses in how to be boring, such as Being Boring I and
> I have published a paper where we explored the mechanics of
> self-expression in boring situations, along with Dr. <NAME>. (I
> have your CV and your transcripts, I can see that.) Now, I want to
> further specialize in making people annoyed, and Awkward University's
> program in Social Engineering is certainly the best in the world (I
> know, why do you think I work here?) and will give me a strong
> background to make people uncomfortable while simultaneously being
> boring (nice, but what do you bring to the table?).
>
>
>
Rather, maybe you should word your essay like this (note how I touch on all three topics while simultaneously referencing the background and fit):
>
> The strong background that I acquired in boredom from Boring
> University has motivated me to further specialize in awkwardness.
> Working directly with Prof. <NAME> on the mechanics of
> self-expression in boring situations, I noticed that awkwardness
> emerges directly from personal interactions under these conditions.
> Under the supervision of Boring University's Ethical Review Board
> (ERB), we designed an empty room where we put people who knew each
> other but hadn't talked in several years. Upon examining the data, we
> found that they not only were extremely bored, but also engaged in
> very awkward conversations about their past and how their kids had
> grown up. This very exciting finding was later published in the
> Journal of Awkward Situations. Now, during my PhD and motivated by my
> previous research experience, I want to continue exploring the effect
> of boring situations in the emergence of awkwardness. During my
> research, I became interested in Prof. Clumsy's research on how to
> maximize awkwardness in daily situations. In fact, I believe that
> providing experimental validation for her recent work on finding the
> optimal number of people who will maximize awkwardness in a highschool
> reunion, which she modeled computationally, can be a major
> breakthrough in the field. While Prof. Clumsy has already disclosed
> that she is already working on that, I believe my experience with
> experimental social engineering can be a solid addition to her group,
> especially given that I have had thorough contact with ERBs.
>
>
>
Note, however, that in many cases the SOP is not heavily weighted in admissions, but that's probably field-dependent. And I am not in CS nor in the UK, so take my advice with a grain of salt.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]
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2017/12/23
| 2,257
| 9,479
|
<issue_start>username_0: I am wondering if a professor is already an Associate Professor, do they still care about their reputation in the eyes of the department considering tenureship is already granted?<issue_comment>username_1: I occasionally check RateMyProfessor, and I do care (a little) about what students say: my feelings are hurt by negative comments, and I am encouraged by positive ones. I know some people who do the same; others never check the site at all.
However, these ratings are never taken seriously as an evaluation of effective teaching. I have never heard them seriously discussed in any hiring, tenure, or promotion meetings. Anyone who brought them up would likely provoke a *very* negative reaction from their colleagues.
Why is the site not taken seriously? My *negative* reviews include the following:
* "The amount of homework was unreal. I spent on average, 5 hours a week on this homework, which is also graded on correctness."
* "Only take this class if... you like learning on your own."
* "He is a really tough grader and will take off points for little things (i.e. forgetting an equals sign)."
* "He... marks off on tests if he doesn't know how you got an answer."
* "Also, the homework is graded on accuracy not completion..."
If my colleagues cared at all, they would see these reviews as *positive*.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_2: My subjective answer is that in my environment they are way too busy to read such sites. So, if someone they care about ever drives their attention towards a review of themselves in such sites, they are likely to go and check, otherwise the professors ignore the rating sites.
(That's all, folks, sorry...)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Some years ago, before I knew that "Rate My Professors" even existed, I found and looked at its page of comments about someone I knew. (I had a googled him to find his email address, and the "Rate My Professors" page was the first hit on Google.) What I saw there convinced me that I didn't want to read any more "Rate My Professors" pages. I've never looked at another one; in particular, I've never looked at my own.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: From my experience in the US it does not boil down to caring about rate my professor for professional reasons (i.e. we don't have to worry about getting good grades on the site for tenure purposes), but it does boil down to ego or esteem. At my college, we all have internal review surveys that go out to students every semester before tenure, and then every three years after tenure. These results are then compiled and sent to the professors after the semester grades have been submitted. We also receive semesterly course visits from our dean before tenure, then once every three years thereafter to make sure we are doing our jobs properly and professionally. These are the evaluations that are most important for tenure and other professional reasons. I imagine it is similar to this in other universities. Internal reviews are way more important than rate my professor.
Personally I never want to look at my scores on rate my professor; I know that some students will like me, some will hate me, and I don't want to lose sleep thinking about the nasty things that students can write when they are able to be anonymous. From what little I have seen (especially from the great answer above) ***most of the comments are not at all constructive***. Therefore I see little point in reading them, as I will not be able to take that feedback and improve my teaching from it. (Unless I ever decide to just let my students do nothing and walk away with free "A" grades at the end of the semester.)
However I do have a colleague who bends over backwards to his students and will brag unendingly about how he is one of the highest rated professor on RMP at our particular college. So, I suppose there are some who really do care about it.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: >
> I am wondering if a professor is already an Associate Professor, do they still care about their reputation in the eyes of the department considering tenureship is already granted?
>
>
>
Yes, people generally care about what their department thinks about them even after tenure. But no, nobody in any department that I know about takes feedback at ratemyprof seriously. And does this really surprise you? One of the evaluation criteria is "hotness", and the comment section is just a cesspit of unreflected noise. Instead, universities run their own evaluations, which are then taken into account for tenure and promotion decisions (to varying degrees).
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_6: Just for reference, I know a part time lecturer who after a few years of teaching checked in patatabrava.com (a local equivalent to such webs) and found no reviews, rants, quotes or ratings on her. As a result, she was mildly disappointed, as "important" professors are usually well covered in such webs.
In summary: as other answers have covered, such webs don't matter in practical terms, but they can still be a source of feedback and/or pride - probably a rather bizarre source.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_7: I do read what some students say about me in RateMyProfessors. But I know it's not really relevant because over the years I have been able to compare with the actual evaluations done by the majority of the students. Here are a few examples that show how those rates are largely irrelevant:
* One semester I taught this course with 17 students. One student posted in RMP basically saying that I did everything wrong. On the anonymous course evaluations, 16 students wrote good to very good remarks, and one student wrote "everything wrong".
* Often, reviews in RMP appear two or three weeks into the semester. Complete with opinions on how I grade.
* Many of the reviews are clearly written from a point of view of "the important thing is an easy pass". I definitely do not teach to cater to such students.
Finally, I have never heard any discussion, neither official or not, about RMP in my faculty. The teaching evaluations carried by the faculty, on the other hand, play a role in tenure and promotion, and I know of promotions to full professor being rejected due to poor evaluations.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_8: I did my master’s capstone project on "The Effectiveness of Online Evaluations" at California State University, Monterey Bay. I was also the administrator of online evaluations for faculty at CSUMB, and in addition to being full-time staff as an analyst/programmer, I was also adjunct faculty teaching computer science.
For the faculty RTP (retention, tenure, and promotion) process, the official student evaluations were the only ones considered. Faculty at the time could opt for paper evaluations distributed in the last two weeks of the semester, or online evaluations. I went through all kinds of hoops getting this process up and running. One faculty member claimed students would go home, get drunk, and submit negative evaluations; he wanted the evaluation system to only be available 8am to 7pm. We were about three weeks into the first semester that we tried online evaluations, so I analyzed the data based on time-of-day submitted, and found out that students were actually slightly *more* favorable towards their professors from 7pm to 8am, not statistically significantly so, but at least that killed that argument.
My thesis compared one professor who taught the same course for three semesters, two sections per semester. Her first semester, it was both sections paper evaluations. The second semester, one section was paper and one was online, and the third semester both sections were online. (Her teaching did not vary over the three semesters.) The paper evaluations and the online evaluations effectively exactly matched.
When students pressed a department chair for access to the faculty evaluation data, he refused (they are considered personnel information), but told them to just check *Rate My Professors*. (I'll note that many other universities have negotiated with the faculty unions that student evaluation data, at least the numeric stuff in the aggregate, is public record.)
I constantly hear the complaint that RMP responses are self-selected, and only the negative reviews are submitted. I decided to test this, and wrote a program to screen-scrape the RMP pages and compare those ratings to the course evaluation ratings that my official system collected. As long as I required a minimum number of ratings (like ten) on RMP, I found a >0.9 correlation with the official evaluations. So the whole "it's only students bitching on RMP" is not actually true, if you do real data analysis (and shame on you lazy professors for stating "facts" without data!).
Despite being a card-carrying member of the California Faculty Association, I will say I was dismayed by the lengths some of my colleagues would go to to attempt to "game" the evaluations, as well as how much energy they put into trying to prove they were inaccurate. I finally snarled at a faculty meeting that if some of these faculty would put half as much effort into improving their teaching as they did into trying to disprove the evaluations that said their teaching sucked, they would have nothing to worry about during evaluations.
Of course, I say this scoring 4.9 out of 5.0 on *Rate My Professors*. I've since jumped from academia to private industry.
Upvotes: 5
|
2017/12/23
| 530
| 2,261
|
<issue_start>username_0: I am well aware of the decorum and tact expected of professors, teachers and TA's. But in the rare instances where an instructor swore to emphasize a point, the class and I **remembered** the outburst clearly and with vivid detail.
Without going into detail the gist of the situation was that a group failed to prepare for a big presentation that was scheduled well in advance and decided to 'wing' the presentation with a last-minute powerpoint slide of uncited material.
The professor, having lost his cool, chewed out the group in front of the class with a string of f-bombs stipulating how stupid and idiotic it was that the group not only failed to plan but planned to fail. The professor subsequently failed the group for the project. This was a point of discussion and remembrance whenever the class was talked about after the semester was over.
Nevertheless, the learning moment was accomplished and no one after the incident ever failed to produce viable work afterwards.
With this said, what are the ethical, moral, legal, and interpersonal considerations here that I am unaware of?<issue_comment>username_1: No, it is not. Faculty are responsible for modelling professional conduct.
The appropriate response to students who perform poorly is to tell the students what they need to do in order to improve. In other words, assessments should be formative. Under the locus of control theory, calling students names, such as "stupid," will make them less motivated.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: It's one thing to criticize the group for poor work - I've witnessed this and it is fully called for to say that the group has come unprepared and has underperformed. It's a very different thing for a professor of all people to lose their cool and use expletives in front of students. I am in Europe and this is poor personal control, poor personal culture, and by all means unacceptable behavior within a classroom. No matter how bad a group - they will deservedly get a bad grade in the end - but you can simply never - and it is never acceptable to lose your cool like that and pretty much insult students in front of their peers. In school we get grades, not expletives. This is never acceptable. Never.
Upvotes: 3
|
2017/12/23
| 1,098
| 4,272
|
<issue_start>username_0: I am a Ph.D. student in a country where *everyone* is addressed by their first name (professors etc.). I call my advisors by their first names and when we have visitors in our research group I go by this rule. However, now I am visiting a German university and I don't really know how to address the professor who has invited me. Before my stay, I would call him by his first name - but now that I have met him at his university and his Ph.D. students (who seem to call him Prof. X) I am becoming unsure about it. Consequently, I have been very inconsistent with how I have been addressing him.
**My questions are:**
* should I apologize for being inconsistent/possibly being rude? Or am I overthinking this?
* how should I address him?<issue_comment>username_1: By default, write *Prof. <NAME>* (or whatever his name is) and say *<NAME>* at least in German. This is the golden standard. Addressing him in English may but need not be different from the above. In any case, if you start with the golden standard above in any of the two languages, you do nothing wrong, and, after that, it would be up to him to suggest a different form.
If you really wish to touch this topic first, a good manner would be "*Wie möchten Sie am liebsten von mir angeredet und angeschrieben werden?*" (“How would you like me to address you orally and in writing?”)
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: A lot of us who live in both worlds (I am German and frequently visit there, but live and work in the US), we call colleagues we don't know well by their first name when we meet in the US, and by Professor X when we meet in Germany. In other words, we use the common convention of the place we're in. That's probably a good rule for you to live by as well.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: You are certainly overthinking it. Your professor has foreign experience, so he knows that there are different cultures. If he would care about your behaviour, he would signal it to you, e.g. resulting in a dialogue of the form:
You: "Peter, hast Du ... ?"
Professor: "Nein, <NAME>, Sie muessen noch ...".
If you are in a situation where you expect that the use of Du/Sie and first name is important, you can use passive constructions to avoid explicit addresses. Then the other person can decide how to response, and you response in the same way.
Another common technique is the use of "Ihr", in particular in shops, clubs, or other groups. Its literal meaning is informal plural address, but it can be understood as addressing the person you talk to as well as the shop as a whole. Using "Ihr" in such a situation signals that you are comfortable with "Du" without forcing your counterpart. However, "Ihr" should not be used to a person which cannot be identified with a group, because in such a context it would appear extremely quaint.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: I asked my German spouse, who says there's a great deal of variability in German academia, and recommends asking:
>
> Ich bin ein Bißchen verwirrt, wie ich Sie anreden soll. Was wäre Ihnen am liebsten?
>
>
>
In English:
>
> What do you like to go by with students? OR What would you like me to call you? OR How shall I address you?
>
>
>
As language or cultural mistakes go, this one isn't serious, and an apology isn't necessary.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: While I generally agree with the above, allow me some additions. - German Professors usually prefer "Sie" because you are in a relationship that requires some distance: that is, the prof may be your examiner or your superior; and it just doesn't feel right to say "Du bist durchgefallen" (you have failed). However, I usually tell my international students to address me by first name in English because that is the customs in English, but that this does not necessarily translate into German, where we should use Sie for the above reason.
Long story cut short: frankly ask your professor what he or she prefers; if in doubt, stick with Sie (I would expect them to expect that anyway). Some prefer (or accept) Sie + first name, which may be an option for you too and is somewhat easier than changing from first name in English to surname in German.
Upvotes: 2
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2017/12/23
| 3,193
| 12,834
|
<issue_start>username_0: In an upcoming publication, I need to link to the data I used for the publication so that others can see/use the data as well — both for reviewing the given work and also for intended use in the future. However, my institution has not offered any hosting solutions and I have not (yet) found any acceptable external solutions which absolve me of financial and legal responsibility for maintaining the data and the hosting infrastructure. I will not be at the given institution for very much longer, so e.g. putting it on my personal site at the institution is not a solution. The primary data in question is about 12GB in size, so it needs to be a proper "repository" for the data rather than just e.g. an attachment distributed with the publication itself.
Nevertheless, I need to at least have a stable link to *some* place where the data can be located; The stability of the actual location is not as important as the stability of the link itself. **How/where can I procure a permanent URL to link to research data in a publication which does not cost me anything as an individual?**<issue_comment>username_1: There are services that provide enough to support 12 GB of data. For example, [Figshare](https://figshare.com/features) provides 20 GB of free space (file size limit 5 GB) for private storage and apparently unlimited public space. They state they can support larger files but not through user upload.
When you publish data you can assign a doi to the data set (this can actually be done much earlier in the process as a reserved number). Many journals also use Figshare (and likely other services) for their "Supporting information" as well. I do not know if adding such information is associated with costs.
I am only familiar (not associated) with Figshare and do not know limitations of other similar services so see this as an example. Also look in to the possibility to add the data as supporting information to your article.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: If you also have some code associated with this data that you might like to share, another option might be [GitHub](https://github.com/). You wouldn't host the 12GB dataset in a GitHub repository itself; instead you would host your code, and create a readme.md file (GitHub will do this virtually automatically for you) where you write out instructions or other narrative. This is where you would include a link to wherever you've chosen to host the data. You can then update this link any time you want or need (for example, if you change institutions).
This has a number of advantages over simply finding a static place to stick the data and sharing that link:
1. GitHub is almost a decade old and has over 20 million users, so it's not going anywhere
2. Public repositories are free
3. Including any code you want to share in the same place is very convenient
4. The readme.md lets you write out whatever message you would like a future user to encounter, such as guidance not included in the original paper, errata, etc.
5. Everything is updatable by you at any time, but still maintains the static link
6. Using version control on your code is a fantastic habit to form
7. GitHub makes it very easy to include copyright and licensing info
8. You can use GitHub to build an entire website if you want to go that route (GitHub Pages), which can include what you've shared
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_3: Maybe [Zenodo](https://zenodo.org/) or other "Academic Data Repository". Googling this would give you a list. Zenodo have some advantages.
1. Gives you a DOI, Digial Object Identifier, a unique link and a academic standard for citations.
2. You don't need acceptance to publish your data.
3. Is a official EU project, used for giving research grants in Open AIRE project.
4. Is hosted by CERN.
5. Runs [free software](https://github.com/zenodo) in the entire stack.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: [DataPort](https://ieee-dataport.org) is an initiative from the IEEE. You can host up to 2 TB and you will receive a DOI.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_5: >
> I need to link to data used for a publication...I need at least a stable link to some place where the data can be located
>
>
>
Provide a link to your personal site and redirect from there.
---
[E.P.](https://academia.stackexchange.com/users/820/e-p) raised [the issue](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/101026/creating-a-permanent-url-to-put-in-a-publication#comment263662_101055)
>
> Google Drive data is mutable - it could be altered by the owner at any point (and, conversely, viewers do not have any guarantee that the data they see five years after publication, if it is still there, has not been altered in the meantime). This makes it completely unsuitable for this purpose.
>
>
>
This issue is orthogonal to the OP's question, but nonetheless interesting. It can be solved by taking a cryptographic hash of the data and including that hash in the publication.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_6: One recently launched service that addresses your problem is the [Wolfram Data Repository](https://datarepository.wolframcloud.com):
>
> The Wolfram Data Repository is a public resource that hosts an expanding collection of computable datasets, curated and structured to be suitable for immediate use in computation, visualization, analysis and more.
>
>
>
In the [launch announcement](http://blog.wolfram.com/2017/04/20/launching-the-wolfram-data-repository-data-publishing-that-really-works/), <NAME> writes:
>
> With the Wolfram Data Repository (and Wolfram Notebooks) there’s finally a great way to do true data-backed publishing—and to ensure that data can be made available in an immediately useful and computable way.
>
>
>
In another part of the post, he writes:
>
> Each entry in the Wolfram Data Repository has an associated webpage, which describes the data it contains [...] every entry also has a unique readable registered name, that’s used both for the URL of its webpage, and for the specification of the ResourceObject that represents the entry.
>
>
>
Regarding the size of the data sets, he writes:
>
> There’s no limit in principle on the size of the data that can be stored in the Wolfram Data Repository. But for now, the “plumbing” is optimized for data that’s at most about a few gigabytes in size—and indeed the existing examples in the Wolfram Data Repository make it clear that an awful lot of useful data never even gets bigger than a few megabytes in size.
>
>
>
The announcement is very long and has much more about the rationale and vision behind this service and details of how it works. I couldn't find information about pricing -- presumably it's free for now -- or what promises Wolfram is making regarding the permanence of the data storage (except for the vague sentence "The Wolfram Data Repository, though, is intended to be something much more permanent"). But the service is fairly new so I expect those things will be clarified eventually. Wolfram Research is a serious company with high credibility in the scientific community and has been around since 1987, so this looks like an intriguing option for your data storage problem.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_7: If your data is a collection of books, audio, or video files, you may host them on the [Internet Archive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Archive)'s website, <https://archive.org> (upload page: <https://archive.org/create/>).
>
> The Internet Archive is a San Francisco–based nonprofit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge." It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, movies/videos, moving images, and nearly three million public-domain books. As of October 2016, its collection topped 15 petabytes. In addition to its archiving function, the Archive is an activist organization, advocating for a free and open Internet. [...] Founded by <NAME> in May 1996.
>
>
>
It's free to upload and download.
Examples:
* 1 GB of PDF: <https://archive.org/details/LREC2016Proceedings>
* 11 GB of MP3: <https://archive.org/details/cv_corpus_v1.tar>
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_8: You could use a service that provides **PURLs** ([persistent URLs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistent_uniform_resource_locator "Wikipedia: Persistent uniform resource locator")).
Such a URL redirects to a target URL of your choice, and you can update the target URL in case you need to move to a new hosting location.
### Examples
* The best known service is [**https://archive.org/services/purl/**](https://archive.org/services/purl/).
Since 2016, the service is provided by the Internet Archive ([blog post](https://blog.archive.org/2016/09/27/persistent-url-service-purl-org-now-run-by-the-internet-archive/ "Persistent URL Service, purl.org, Now Run by the Internet Archive")). From 1995 to 2016, it was provided by the OCLC.
>
> <NAME> of OCLC welcomed the announcement as “a major step in the future sustainability and independence of this key part of the Web and linked data architectures. OCLC is proud to have introduced persistent URLs and purl.org in the early days of the Web and we have continued to host and support it for the last twenty years. We welcome the move of purl.org to the Internet Archive which will help them continue to archive and preserve the World’s knowledge as it evolves.”
>
>
>
It uses several domain names, including `purl.org`, `purl.net`, and `purl.com`.
You need an account on <https://archive.org/> to create and manage your PURLs.
* Another, younger service is [**https://w3id.org/**](https://w3id.org/), provided by a group of organizations that follow a social contract:
>
> There are a growing group of organizations that have pledged responsibility to ensure the operation of this website. These organizations are: […]. They are responsible for all administrative tasks associated with operating the service. The social contract between these organizations gives each of them full access to all information required to maintain and operate the website. The agreement is setup such that a number of these companies could fail, lose interest, or become unavailable for long periods of time without negatively affecting the operation of the site.
>
>
>
They claim:
>
> All identifiers associated with this website are intended to be around for as long as the Web is around. This means decades, if not centuries.
>
>
>
It uses the domain name `w3id.org`.
To create and manage your PURLs, you need to submit a pull request on GitHub or send an email to their mailing list.
* [Some more](https://sites.google.com/site/persistenturls/purls-in-the-wild).
### Risk assessment
For the objective to get a permanent HTTP URL (with the ability to change the redirect target) without having to pay something, a PURL service would be the best choice:
* Providing permanent HTTP URLs is the primary goal of these services, and their only reason of existence. Their whole focus will be on keeping these URLs working.
* Providing such a service is not complex, and not hard on the servers, so there is a good chance that it can be kept online in the future, even with a very limited budget.
Other web services might also care about permanent URLs, but they have to care about much more stuff in addition, so their priorities are different, and they might have to discontinue their service because of commercial reasons.
As an example, take Google and look at [how many services they discontinued](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Google_products#Discontinued_products_and_services "Wikipedia: List of Google products: Discontinued products and services") (among them also services that provided URLs for their users’ content). And if there are businesses that could afford (and want) to keep URLs from unprofitable services alive, Google would certainly be among them, right?
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_9: Nothing lasts forever, but free file hosting services exist even *without restrictions on size*. Nothing in the world is really free, so, these services would impose some other kind of restriction, e.g., advertisement, or noticeable downtimes, or low bandwidth, or discomfort for uploading or downloading, or really ugly and long (but stable!) URLs, etc. These services might also ask you for all your private data and sell it later or send you lots of targeted spam. Choose a service that causes you as little discomfort as possible. That would be my solution.
How to find such a service would be a different question. I usually first find a site comparing dozens of free hosting services and then take it from there.
Upvotes: 0
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2017/12/23
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<issue_start>username_0: I just received my (passing) grades for my last remaining courses for my BSc. I’ve completed all my requirements, but the next convocation ceremonies don’t take place until Summer 2018. Likewise, I don’t think I will receive my diploma (the physical, official certificate) until then. Usually when a résumé says “degree expected in \_\_\_\_”, it reads along the lines of: “I’m not done yet, but if things pan out, I’ll hopefully be done by then“.
This is not my case, so in my résumé, how can I communicate across that I expect to receive my diploma in Summer 2018 *as a matter of certainty*?
Am I justified to use the term *graduated?* If so, should I say I graduated December 2017 (when I finished my requirements) or Summer 2018 (when convocation occurs)?<issue_comment>username_1: You can use the formulation
>
> Degree to be conferred MM/YYYY
>
>
>
to indicate that you have passed all degree requirements, but are waiting for the degree to be officially awarded. This occurs fairly frequently, particularly for PhD students, who may finish at any time of the year, especially if their university only confers degrees once per year.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Ask your institution to give you some sort of confirmation to passed all the requirements for the degree. I don’t know about Canada, but at least in Germany such confirmations are the default¹ because all public institutions (and most companies) will require this for any employment or graduate programme requiring such a degree. Even if this is not a thing in Canada, your institution should be capable of doing this for people who intend to go abroad.
Use the wording from this confirmation.
---
¹ But then, while most universities in Germany do degree convocations, they are mostly considered a vanity event that is only attended by narcissists, graduates of law, and people from cultures where such things are common – I know nobody who ever attended such a ceremony.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Although correct, [username_1's answer](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/101041/22768) seems bureaucratic. You've passed your degree, list it on your CV, and list your overall grade too. E.g.,
>
> MM'XX -- Dec'17 BSc Subject (Grade), University, country
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>
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You can list your classes and grades in those classes too. E.g.,
>
> *Class A (X%), Class B (Y%), ...*
>
>
>
Anyone reading your résumé wants to know what subject you studied, possibly what classes you took, and what grade(s) you got. Whether your degree has been conferred is less interesting. Moreover, if you're submitting your résumé in the same country as you studied, then the reader will know that your degree hasn't been conferred (because they understand the local system and they've seen lots of résumés).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: >
> This is not my case, so in my résumé, how can I communicate across that I expect to receive my diploma in Summer 2018 as a matter of certainty?
>
>
>
Based on what you've written, conferment of the diploma is merely ceremonial. An academic degree or title means that the academic institution recognizes that you have met the requirements for that degree, for being addressed by that title. That's it.
Caveat: This may differ between countries and institutions. In some cases there needs to be an actual Academic Senate motion (or equivalent procedure), deciding to recognize you and the rest of your classmates as having met the requirements. While it is unheard of for such motions not to be carried, it can happen theoretically. In that case, as @username_2 suggests, use the wording of whatever confirmation letter you can get.
>
> Am I justified to use the term graduated?
>
>
>
You are justified in using the degree, e.g. "<NAME>, Bachelor of Science" or "<NAME>." etc. But again, only if the institute has formally acknowledged you've met the requirements.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: General answer: Be *absolutely truthful* on your résumé. If you have not had the degree conferred on you, then the first answer applies - but you might even want to say "Expected to be conferred: ". There is no harm at all in being explicitly truthful, even if you sound pedantic and overly formal. But the costs of asserting a falsehood are real, and to put it plainly, misrepresenting anything about yourself is generally cause for dismisal, in most organizations. In a commercial or government environment, no one really cares very much about formal qualifications - but *everyone* hates a liar, and *nobody* wants to work with one. Old wisdom applies: Honesty is best policy.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_6: You're over-thinking this. It really doesn't matter what you say, as long as it's truthful. You can't say that you've graduated until you have actually received your degree.
Upvotes: 0
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2017/12/24
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<issue_start>username_0: Clearly the position must come with some added responsibilities. What are they?
If the extra duties are purely administrative, why does one need a professor to be head of department? Can a non-full professor be the head of department?
If the answer varies by field, I'm most interested in the sciences.<issue_comment>username_1: The answer will not only depend on the discipline but also on the country you are in.
The short summary (in my country) is: You are responsible for everything ;-) - from funding to interpersonal issues, over teaching to relation to the university and external partners. Not forgetting teaching, PhD students, other staff, etc...
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: In the US the situation varies greatly, depending on the university. In some places the head is hired specifically for that position. In some, he/she is chosen by vote of the faculty. In some, the position rotates among faculty every few years. In some, a distinguished academic is hired to add "stature" to the department.
A head is normally a tenured person, but he/she can hold any rank, especially when the position rotates. Non-tenured but tenure track faculty (assistant professors) are normally spared this duty so that they can spend efforts needed to get tenure.
The head normally, but not always, has teaching duties and possibly also carries on research. But the load is reduced to allow for the administrative duties.
The head makes sure that all of the courses are staffed and that everyone gets paid. He/she is responsible for seeking resources from the common university pool, though not necessarily for grant funding. The head may need to approve some aspects of grants when they employ common resources. The head may need to assure funding agencies that the terms of the grant are fulfilled.
The head normally chairs the inevitable periodic faculty meetings that set strategy for the department and distribute duties to the faculty.
The head manages faculty evaluation and may have a voice (or not) in tenure decisions. Usually, the head can veto a positive tenure decision for financial reasons, but I don't believe it is common to have the power to do so otherwise. I doubt that very many places permit the head to veto a negative tenure decision made by a faculty committee.
The head is the manager of record for any professional staff, such as secretaries.
The head is a shoulder to cry on for faculty with problems and for students with complaints. As such, he/she becomes a sort of mediator.
The head answers to the dean when any internal problems spill over into the wider arena. He/she then becomes the defender of anyone in the department who needs (and deserves) defending.
Normally a person who leaves the head position retains faculty tenure and returns to the normal teaching, service, and research duties.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]
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2017/12/24
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<issue_start>username_0: **Context**
I am a double major (in CS and physics) at a top-5 university in both. I was really hoping to do graduate studies in physics and have been keeping up a 3.8 GPA taking 18-19 units per quarter (max is 20). However, my first semester of junior year I began taking serious graduate courses and really overextended myself. Finals week I did not balance take-home finals and studying for actual finals, and ended up with a 3.3 GPA for the quarter. This is pretty bad, considering I took 3 grad courses that awarded solid As to half the class and the other two were core upper-division courses. If I had performed above median in all classes I should have had at least a 3.85 or so. I don't even have an excuse besides taking too many classes at once.
**Question**
How can I best fix this quarter of poor grades in terms of a grad school application? Assuming decent research experience, will retaking the two classes that I earned 'Bs' in next year be a bad sign for admission committees from top research programs? My overall GPA went from 3.78 to 3.70 after this, and I earned Bs in classes closely related to research work that I would like to pursue. I learned a lot and aced most homework assignments, but really just did not perform well on the finals due to insufficient time to study/write them up.<issue_comment>username_1: I teach CS at Michigan. One of my service assignments is undergraduate advising. All the students here are smart and if all they had to do was take one class and let someone else cook their meals, do their laundry and clean their bathroom, they could get an A in anything.
The #1 reason students crater their GPAs is because they take too heavy a load, usually because they think they want to graduate early. They do well with sixteen units then think seventeen's just one more but forget it's not just one credit but one more course. Then there's someone like you (and me, fifty years ago when I was a student and did the same thing!) who takes nineteen units and seems surprised at what happens. There's no way anyone has time to do nineteen units and do them well.
I wish there'd been someone to tell me what I will tell you: No one will ever care very much when you graduate, whether it's a semester or even a year late. They will care how well you did. Twelve units of straight As always beat seventeen (never mind, nineteen!) with a couple of Cs.
If you'd like to improve your GPA, your best strategy is also the simplest: take a lighter load you know you can do well.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: So you overloaded, taking a full load of grad courses as an undergrad plus some undergrad courses, suffering a less-than-perfect GPA for it?
Seems like opinions on that'll vary. [@NicoleHamilton's answer](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/101086/38709) reflects a negative perspective on that approach. To balance that, figured I'd write my positive perspective on it. Then, there's the question of what you should do given that opinions can differ.
So, in short, I like what you did! You took a hard road and kicked butt. And sure you didn't get perfect-A's, but frankly I couldn't care less. All else held equal, A's are better than B's, but you didn't hold all else equal; you went above-and-beyond. To me, this reflects a bunch of positive character attributes:
* You'll take risks and pursue challenges.
* You're able to handle heavier loads than most'd try.
* You're passionate enough to go above-and-beyond your peers.
You sound like the kind of future PhD student someone should want to advise and a department should want to sponsor. That drive and independence are exactly what truly successful PhD students should have!
The problem for you now is that you don't know who'll review your applications. Will they have an opinion like mine, @NicoleHamilton's, or another stance? Kinda hard to guess.
That said, getting accepted/rejected isn't a binary event. Some potential advisors might see your application and want you in their group. And if those potential advisors feel strongly about wanting to recruit you for reasons that reflect your own personality, then that's more likely to result in a good match and a successful PhD career.
So, say that two potential advisors are looking at your application. One would've preferred for you to retake those classes and slow down in the future, and the other likes what you did and would prefer for you to keep at it. Which of those potential advisors do you want to impress?
Of course, it'd be best if you could get higher grades in future courses; I don't mean to undersell that, as most could agree on it. Just, with regards to retaking courses or/and slowing down, that's where perceptions can differ.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: >
> My overall GPA went from 3.78 to 3.70 after this
>
>
>
You took on too many classes and your GPA slipped, next semester, take fewer and your GPA will recover anyway.
I would generally **NOT** recommend retaking a class to go from a B to an A. Some schools don't allow a B grade to be replaced on a transcript, and almost all school severely limit the number of retakes you're allowed.
Furthermore, retaking a class is not seen favorably in grad admissions. Very few students replace Bs on a transcript. If I saw this, I might suspect you were trying to hide something like a cheating scandal. Doing this is more likely to draw negative attention than simply leaving the Bs and vowing to take a more reasonable course load next time.
It's far more believable in a statement of purpose to say "I took too many courses and decided it was better to take more time and really understand the material."
What you're saying by retaking the classes is "I really didn't want those Bs on my transcript, so I retook the classes." That's pretentious at best. At worst, its a cover for something else.
Upvotes: 2
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2017/12/24
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<issue_start>username_0: This happened a few months back. By that time I had just finished my masters and was looking for a research position.
I approached a professor who was working in a field in which I did my masters. After some initial conversation about my masters' work. He asked me if I will be ready to work for free. Puzzled by this, I asked him what he meant by that. He said that he had some projects down the line and will not have access to the funding for another 3 or 4 months. Then to clarify things I asked him if he will pay me for this 3 or 4 months once he has access to the funds. He simply smiled and shook his head implying 'no'. After that, I just took my resume and left his office.
**TL;DR:**
I just want to know, is it very common in academia to ask people to work for free? If so, is it ethical?<issue_comment>username_1: In academia, it is not common to ask people to work for free. It is also not common to ask people to work, full stop. What is quite common, though, is to see people seeking work in academia. This include people looking for funding to help them developing their research ideas, and people looking for opportunities to join someone else's research projects.
You came to the professor seeking an opportunity to work with him. The professor did not offer to fund you, but instead offered you an opportunity to work without compensation for a period of time. You can take this opportunity or leave it. If you take it, the funding may or may not come in 3-4 months. You are free to quit this arrangement at any time, before or after the initially agreed period.
The professor did not want you to do his work. You wanted to do some work with him and he offered it. You also wanted some money and he did not offer it. You make the story look like you were deceived or forced into unfair relations - no you were not.
There is no insult in offering someone to work without payment. In some countries such an offer is illegal, and in some universities it is not permitted to work voluntary. This is done in order to comply with employment laws in a particular country. However, you seem to imply that this is somehow unethical or not normal in a weird way - no it is not.
BSc and MSc students often work on their own projects which contribute, sometimes significantly, to projects run by employed academics. Obviously, BSc and MSc students are not compensated financially (on the contrary, they sometimes have to pay tuition fee), but they use the feedback they receive in order to learn new skills. PhD students in some countries get a stipend, while in others they have to pay tuition out of pocket.
You have just completed your master, and have not yet got a PhD. From what I see, the opportunity to work on a project, receive a feedback and learn from it, with a chance of future employment, is not an unfair offer. Whether it is good enough for you to take it, you have to decide yourself.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: The culture of academia is that non-financial compensation is worth as much, and sometimes more, than certain financial forms of compensation: papers, degrees, prestigious titles, intellectual satisfaction, etc.
So, while I know many people that have worked without pay, I don’t know anyone that works ‘for free’.
It’s ethical because those titles, papers and degrees are worth something to the individual, and the society at large.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Whether asking someone to "work for free" is ethical or not is a complex question.
One of the first parameters is what "free" means. Being asked to work on an academic project without monetary pay is as many comments have pointed out -- a common occurrence. But usually there is some sort of compensation for this -- like progress towards a degree (either credits or progress in research or learning methods) or authorship of a publication. Slightly more questionable could be acceptance into graduate school.
A second parameter is the situation of the person being asked to work "for free." Asking someone otherwise gainfully employed who can count is as "service" or get a publication from it is not generally unethical. Offering little to a desperate student ("the chance at entry into a program") might be unethical if the person offering knows that it does not really affect their odds or that this is work one is normally paid for.
tl;dr -- define "free" very carefully and figure out whether the relation is such that the party with more power is abusing the party with less power in the non-monetary compensation situation.
Looking at your particular case, whether what's being offered is unethical would hinge greatly on whether the person offering it is sufficiently thinking of your long term benefit. So if you came saying "I want to be an expert in blue inks" and he offers something that gives you the experience you need to advance in blue inks, then great. If what he offers will not help you get into graduate school or develop relevant skills, then it can be abusive taking and unethical.
But how can strangers on the internet make that judgment for you???
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: It is common, because I have heard of many labs doing it. I would say it is ethical, since you don't have to do it. Many PIs expect this sort of "trial period" to suss out people who are not good. Since the professor's attitude bothers you right away I recommend not working in this lab. Depending on where you live these uncompensated work arrangements may not be legal, you would have to contact the Department of Labor to see.
To give the specific details <NAME> asked for:
In my time at "Big State School USA" my engineering lab PI always made undergrads take the first semester for formal "class credit" to see who was worth hiring over the summer. Even if they walked in and asked for a job the response would be "we always ask for prospective undergrad researchers to work a semester for class credit for training and evaluation before paying them over the summer" Seemed slimy but the people we hired over the summer were 100% trained and 100% good after that, so I can't say the process did not yield results. Bio dept was even worse - they had laypeople volunteering as unpaid pipetting robots to "fight cancer".
In my time at "Ivy League Uni" every year I had a new MSc students who were "interested in research" and wanted to work in the lab for class credit. I didn't take any of them on after the first because I realized that with unpaid MSc students, the return on the upfront training you had to provide for only a semester of work was not worth the investment.
In my time at "Big government USA" I was part of group where the individuals that controlled the hiring endeavored to bring in a team of unemployed BSc graduates on a volunteer basis to see who would "work out" and "earn" the 10 month contract position we already had funding for. Seems super depressing, all I could do in the situation was push for the one candidate that qualified and showed up to get leveled up as soon as possible. The candidate published a paper and is now in a PhD program so I guess it worked out for him/her.
Hope these are enough real examples that you would agree the practice would seem "common" to me ;)
Upvotes: -1
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2017/12/24
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<issue_start>username_0: I received an email from a prospective supervisor telling me he'd like me to join his lab and that he'll forward my name to the grad office. Assuming my entire application is strong, does this mean an official acceptance is very likely? Or is there a chance I could still get rejected by the admissions committee? This is for a funded PhD program.<issue_comment>username_1: It depends on where the funding comes from. If the money comes from the professor's own grants, then you're extremely likely to get a formal admission. If the money comes from the department the professor now has to convince the admissions committee that you should get the position. Why not send an email to the potential supervisor and ask what the next step is? That should let you know where you stand.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: If your application is as strong as you claim and you have your prospective supervisors support, your chances are good - but it is not a given.
I once was in a situation where I applied for a PhD program with the support of (and following their suggestion) my professor and supervisor. My application was strong (at least I deemed it so), but risky, since I had a background from a different subject than the PhD I had applied for.
In the end my application was rejected without much ado. From that experience, I have learned the following lessons, that should increase your chances of getting in:
* get familiar with the application process through the official documents and talk to people:
+ who have applied successfully
+ who have applied and got rejected
+ administrative staff!you want to find out not only about formal requirements, but also what the committee is looking for and what breaks the deal for them.
* make sure also your potential supervisor is familiar with the process and have them speak to members of the committee, that they want you as their PhD student and they see you as a good fit. Have them inquire informally whether they see any problems with your application, and what could be done to solve them.
Not getting into the program did not break my neck back then, but it was a reminder that not all things go through perfectly and that more can always be done. Good luck!
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: I was with my group through undergrad and masters. Had funding guaranteed through my professors independent grants. It basically would have been a continuation of what I was already doing. Applied to the PHD and got rejected, it was a shock to everyone. I am still confused what went wrong (GRE score?) but I imagine there was some politics involved since my PI was a research professor but not tenure track. Anyways, I agree with [the answer by username_2](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/101076/112007), get your PI to speak to the committee, they are ruthless.
Upvotes: 1
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2017/12/24
| 4,183
| 18,059
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<issue_start>username_0: I am going to teach a course in algorithms to 2nd-year undergraduates. The grade in this course is composed of 90% exam and 10% homework. The problem is, this year we do not have enough personnel to grade the homework.
Theoretically, it may be possible to change the grade struture and make it 100% based on final exam, but, this will reduce the incentive of students to study and practice during the semester, which I think will harm their learning experience.
So, I thought of the following scheme: the students will have to submit each assignment before the next TA session. The TA will explain the solutions during the session, and then each student will grade his/her own homework.
Sure, some students might be tempted to give themselves 100 on all assignments, but I believe this will not be very harmful since:
* All assignments together compose only 10% of the grade, so every single assignment is less than 1%. Even if many students get 10% for free, the final exam is still sufficient to differentiate the good from the bad students.
* The group consists of excellent students (the top 20%, based on their 1st year mean grade). I believe most of them want to succeed in the exam, so they will take this as an opportunity to track their own progress during the course, rather than an opportunity to just get some points for free.
What do you think about this scheme?<issue_comment>username_1: I see two problems with this approach:
1) It is unclear how the students should grade their assignment. How many points should they deduct?
Even if you give them the right solutions, sometimes students think "oh yes, in principle my solution was right, it was only written down differently" when in fact some important parts are missing. It may very well be that very self- confident students give themselves more points than non-self-confident students.
2) Depending on how your grading structure works, 10 percent more may result in a better grade than the student actually has earned. (In countries where grades are not considered important, this may not be a problem.) While you can probably say who the good and the bad students are - does the grade you have to give the students by your syllabus say the same about them?
Two tips from me:
1) If you announce to sometimes check their solutions and control if they gave themselves the right amount of points, you can reduce "obvious cheating" a little bit. However, you cannot prevent the nonobvious cheating/ misunderstandings (which I described in (1) above).
2) You might actually not grade their homeworks, but grade their effort: You may announce that students get credits for those exercises which they reasonably tried to solve. Then the students hand in their homework and write down the number of exercises where they did reasonable approaches and sometimes you look over the exercises and check if they did not lie. This is much less work. Of course, here also students can make sometimes different claims - but much less than if they really grade their assignments. (You should make a reasonable effort to define "reasonably", though.) And you give them the solutions anyway (as you planned to do).
Merry christmas!
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: I have used a similar technique, albeit in a course for nonmajors and at a time late in my career when I was willing to acknowledge that my grading was often pretty impressionistic even when I had a rubric.
To maximize what students learned from homework and to minimize the time I had to spend parsing their answers, I would go over the homework in class while the students still had their papers. I asked them to comment on their work, with a different writing implement than the one they used at home.
They could correct simple mistakes, flag serious misunderstandings, tell me which problems they were worried about. I encouraged comments like "I didn't understand this at home, now I do" or even "I didn't understand this at home and I still don't".
Then I collected the papers and read and graded them. That took much less time than it would have without their comments. It also gave me better feedback about problem areas.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_3: This might sound a bit weird, but what if you just award points for submission? It doesn't matter if they got any of the questions right, just that they tried to answer them and turned them in. Make this clear at the start of the course.
Then you can leaf through the submissions to gauge what people understood and what still needs some clarification, and fix it in the next lecture.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_4: You are trying to solve the wrong problem.
------------------------------------------
>
> The problem is, this year **we do not have enough personnel** to grade the homework.
>
>
>
Note what I've emphasized. The problem is not "how to make do with not enough personnel", the problem is "not enough personnel". If you try to somehow hide that fact with some kind of a "hack" solution - which you yourself don't think very highly of - you'll just make it even harder to solve the problem.
(While not the focus of my answer, I'll also say that your self-grading system is unfair to students. Feedback from a trained academic is of critical importance to their education, especially the feedback about what they have not thought of themselves, or regarding alternative possible solutions which they may have stumbled upon, or errors they make trying to establish what's correct in itself, and so on.)
"But", I can hear you saying "The dearth of homework graders is a systemic, non-technical problem - not something I can solve merely by my sharpened intellect. And it's not as though I can just tell my department 'we need more people', since other courses probably have a similar issue too."
Well, to that I would say:
It's time to unionize.
----------------------
(or to shake up your do-nothing shell of a union you may officially have.)
Faculty or University management has allowed itself to cut back on the number of positions beyond the necessary minimum. That has been possible for some combination of the following reasons:
1. It can make decisions without consulting with the faculty
2. It can force its own decisions on the faculty
3. The faculty do not have enough sense of professionalism / perspective on the pedagogic process to voice objections when consulted
4. Faculty representatives are co-opted by management
5. Faculty representatives are not subjected to oversight / do not really need to answer back to their public
These are all issues that a faculty union is supposed to - and can - address. Note that I didn't say you need to start the socialist revolution and take over the world, but if you had a working union, you could (in order of the above issues):
1. Demand from, and possibly force, management to only make such staffing decisions when the faculty agrees that they're reasonable
2. Allow for individual course professors to not have to accept the allocation of TAs/homework graders/lecturers they were given from above, i.e. for the individual (like you) to say "that's not enough" and for there to be a binding procedure for addressing this beforehand, rather than you being stuck with the current situation
3. Educate each other, especially new faculty, and more especially new graduate students who become junior faculty, about things like obligation vis-a-vis the students and vis-a-vis your colleagues, what the faculty believes should be the reasonable workload and why, etc.
4. Make sure that faculty representatives to decision-making processes are at least somewhat beholden to the actual faculty and its interests, e.g. through elections, and also:
5. Make your representatives report regularly to their colleagues, both in writing and in the occasional meeting, and that you all make certain decisions together rather than leaving everything to their on-the-spot personal judgement.
If the above happens, I'm sure you will have both the will and the means to rectify the lack of sufficient personnel. In fact, collective power could allow you to do things that are personally less possible, e.g. get the faculty to invest in automatized question generation and grading, at least in some courses (not algorithms probably), which could free up some of the teaching staff.
PS - Since you (seem to be) Israeli, I recommend you read a few relevant chapters of Dr. <NAME> and Dr. <NAME>'s anthology about Exploitative Employment in Israel. It's [available on-line for free](http://sea.org.il/he/precarious_employment_book/) (Hebrew only though) and has quite a few chapters on Israeli universities' teaching staff employment practices.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: So, instead of letting them grade their own homework, remove the name from the submission and put a code / number on each piece of work, hand them out randomly and they grade each others.
My experience shows they are harder graders than I am - establish a control ie check 10% every so often and they respect it.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_6: Self-grading is actually advocated by some education researchers (Phil Race is the one that comes to mind, but there are others).
However, the reason for doing it is not primarily about saving your marking time (although that is part of it). It's also about helping students to learn to assess their own work, rather than relying on the marker to tell them whether they've done it right or not, which is an important skill they will need when they reach the real world.
To avoid upsetting the more honest students, you need to be able to explain why it is good for them, not that it is because you haven't been given a grader (bear in mind that you can do the grading yourself, and they may believe you have little else to do all week).
Also, you need to teach the students how to assess their work. Go carefully though some worked examples with them at the start (bad ones as well as good). Show them what they need to look out for. It's pretty surprising how little they pick up on major differences between their work and the model solution (eg, in maths, random mathematical symbols versus full sentences). The rubric must also be very clear.
One way to reduce the cheating aspect would be to moderate the work - either take in a random sample each week, or get them to hand in all their marked work, and remark one sheet chosen at the end (I chose to use a die to decide which to mark, so they can see you're not deliberately picking the one they did badly on).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_7: The solution I tried in a class where I had no help for grading and too many students was to not grade homework at all, but to make it clear that **a portion of questions from every homework would be on the exam**, nearly verbatim. Mostly I shifted numbers and/or signs around so that they couldn't just memorize what they did before and regurgitate it.
I found this worked quite well. I did give a small grade for submitting each homework on time, but the work was not reviewed and I don't think it was a particularly important part of the scheme.
Advantages:
* Low grading work
* The homework and the exam are connected in a tangible way for the students, making it clear that assignments are worth their effort (as opposed to them deciding something worth only 10% of their grade is worth only 10% of their effort)
* You've forestalled any questions about what is on the exam or will there be a study guide, because the homework always is the answer
* Less micromanagement on your part
* According to my reviews, the students liked it. They hate lack of clarity on how to get good grades
* I like solutions that involve going over the homework answers in class time, but that's very costly in terms of student face time that could be used for other things, and this solution avoids that
Disadvantages:
* Might allow less-motivated students to really fail badly if they neglect the homework, where they might have been motivated to do it by hard deadlines
Combine this with you having TAs who can go over this in sections with students, and I think it would work very well for your problem. Also, as a former TA, I applaud you for not just deciding the remaining TAs need to double their workload!
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_8: Instead of having the students grade their own paper why not have them grade their peer's paper. Peer editing will hopefully reduce the risk of students giving themselves an "A". In addition, peer editing allows students to see how others have attempted to solve the problem and it also allows them to discuss how they came to their solution. This cooperative dialog should hopefully heighten understanding of the topic.
If there is a great concern in terms of dishonesty in using peer editing. I recommend having each student write their name at the bottom of the paper they are peer editing. Then I would also encourage you or the TA to randomly mark a few papers each week just to check the honesty of the grades. It keeps everyone on their toes while keeping the workload to a minimum. This also allows you to identify common mistakes to address during lectures.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_9: I don't know if this would help. But at my uni, we had to submit homework, but it had no grade in itself. It did, however, allow us to participate on a sort of test at the end of the semester (as in, we couldn't participate in it if we hadn't submitted 70% of our homework), in which some exercises from our homework were selected and depending how good we did on these exercises the grade we got. 10% is maybe too little to implement this, but maybe you can think of something similar.
Hope this helped
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_10: One approach is to collect the entire homework assignment, but then only grade one or two problems (chosen at random). Since students won't know which problems will end up being graded beforehand, they are still responsible for completing the entire assignment. However, it drastically reduces the total number of problems that you need to grade.
The system remains fair, as all students have the same problems graded on each assignment. There will, however, be a small amount of griping early on about how "I did the rest of the problems perfectly, but you graded the only problem I didn't do." As long as you make sure to note that the problems you selected to grade were chosen randomly and remind them that sometimes they might get graded on the only problem they did perfectly, students will generally buy into the system. I would further advocate for this system as homework accounts for a smaller portion of the final grade under your syllabus, so any random variations should be reasonably minimized.
I have also tried doing student grading in the past, but as other answers have noted, this can end up consuming a large amount of precious classroom time and you are forgoing your ability to give feedback---one of the most important reasons to do homework.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_11: It seems to me that the amount of work, both on the part of the students preparing and the staff grading, involved with the homework assignments is disproportionate to their share on the grade. 10 assignments worth 1 percentage point each seem a bit too much buck for too little bang, so to speak.
I agree with you about the assignments being useful to improve the course experience and quality; therefore, I think that could be reflected in how they're weighted. If you have 90% weight on the exam and 1% each on 10 home assignments, that seems to me to communicate to students that the assignments *aren't* important. In trying to improve course experience, I'd try to fix that first.
I realize this may be outside your authority to change, but an avenue that occurs to me is to increase the homework share on the grade. Perhaps to 70-30 for exam-homework? I've had a few assignment-heavy courses where the grade balance ran to 50-50 or even higher (i.e., exam worth less than half the final grade). I'm not saying you need to go that far, especially if the assignments are individually small. But still.
If the balance was changed this way, this, together with presenting the course differently than before (i.e., a course where the homework *matters*) might be a fairly good argument to get additional staff assigned to grade it (at least if that's a realistic possibility at your school), thereby solving your original problem and, IMHO, improving the course in the process.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_12: Does the homework include different parts (for instance, different questions/problems)? If so, you can say that, for every homework, you will only grade one or two questions chosen at random. Because they are chosen at random, they will still need to reply all of them. You can have the additional requirement that incomplete homeworks will not receive any score at all. Then, in class, roll a die to choose the question, so they see it is truly random.
Another approach is that you randomize the homework papers and distribute them, so everyone grades someone else's. That might be delicate if it's a large class and don't know each other very well, or there are frictions that you may not be aware of.
A third approach is that everyone grades their own homework, using a different color/ink than the solution they wrote, and then give them to you. You pick a few papers at random (~10% of the class), or not at random but the ones you think may have inflated the grades, and double-check their grading.
In all these approaches, the *probability* that their homework will be graded by someone other than themselves should deter most of them from inflating their grades.
And, as someone mentioned, if this is not a consequence of a well-thought teaching decision, but of a lack of personnel, join your union and fight for an improvement of your working conditions!
Upvotes: 2
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2017/12/24
| 2,038
| 8,343
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<issue_start>username_0: My brother is severely depressed and has absolutely minimal support, in any form, from my family. He's a very bright guy with no direction and no resources at home. After graduating from high school, he spent 3 years at a dysfunctional relative’s home playing video games, and finally enrolled in college after I badgered him the entire time in-between.
He chose not to enroll for the second year of college. He stayed at home playing games again. He "did not like" school except for one course, where he happened to have a minor friendship with a professor. This professor nominated my brother’s essay for a departmental honor. My brother rarely has good news, and when he does he often does not voluntarily share it. So for him to offer this story up to me makes it stand out.
This professor almost certainly knows my brother has *some sort of* problems. There are cases when you can just look at someone and know; my brother is one of those cases. But, given that this prof nominated my brother’s essay for a departmental honor, I think that the prof at least somewhat believes my brother is capable of some sort of achievement (I think my brother is even brighter and more capable than me, but I know him differently).
I want to reach out to brother’s professor and ask him to inquire about my brother’s situation. Going to college is the best chance my brother has to break a generational cycle, but he does not know this, and he will not listen to me (I am only 3 years older than him, he may think I'm a similarly clueless peer). This prof, on the other hand, is a person who my brother might listen to. Presumably the professor also agrees with my assessment of what an education can do for a life. I sense that this idea might get backlash – e.g. this is not the prof’s responsibility, that it is rude to even ask, and perhaps if the prof cared he would have reached out on his own already. However, on the other hand, this prof probably went into this business with the hopes of changing the world for the better, and thirty minutes or an hour of his time might **change someone’s life**. Plus, he has no reason to know just how dire my brother’s situation is (there are plenty of loser-looking people with average to robust support networks – but my brother does not). I plan on contacting the prof, either via email or phone. What I ask you is for advice on how to tactfully and effectively make this ask.
**The end goal is to get my brother back in school and to encourage my brother to build his own support network, and to know that it is impossible to succeed without one**. I accept that I might get a flat out “no,” but for the sake of this thread let’s assume that he agrees to something small like a phone call or a coffee (I assume he is kind enough to oblige, plus he seems to have liked my brother somewhat). Also, how should I handle the corollary issues that my ask might raise? For example, I don’t want to make this prof feel like I am asking him to be a mentor to my brother or that this will create some enduring obligation. Moreover, I can’t expect this prof to know how to deal with people the same way a therapist would. Is it appropriate to suggest that the professor suggest therapy (which is what’s truly needed here) to my brother? There are more things that may come up, but for the sake of ending this post, I’ll end it here. Many thanks to you all.<issue_comment>username_1: "I plan on contacting the prof, either via email or phone. What I ask you is for advice on how to tactfully and effectively make this ask."
1. If you can wait until January, I would. Your email would seem less intrusive after the break, I think.
2. I suggest you make a connection with the professor, and have a rather open-ended call, rather than making a particular request. Trust the professor's empathy and interest in your brother to (a) perhaps ask if there's anything he can do, and (b) think creatively about what he could do.
The professor is a different person from you, and his relationship with your brother is different from yours. He may have a different way of interacting or influencing your brother, that might not be exactly what you are imagining. But if the professor is interested in getting in touch with your brother, I imagine you'll feel relieved and grateful, and won't mind if he doesn't take a precise Jazzie3-clone approach.
3. I don't know what the professor's reaction would be, but if I were in his shoes, I would go into a conversation with my troubled student with, again, an open-ended approach.
4. Sometimes it's helpful to go with a loved one to a regular medical doctor. See this [other answer](https://interpersonal.stackexchange.com/a/8372/4366).
5. Sometimes it's helpful for the frustrated person (you) to talk things over with a therapist. This can be hard to accept, but surprisingly, it can be helpful.
6. Possible starting point for an email:
>
> Dear Prof. X,
>
>
> I'm Zak's brother. He was really touched when you nominated him for a
> prize, and I was impressed at how engaged he was in your class.
>
>
> Zak isn't doing so well this year.
>
>
> I can imagine that with confidentiality rules, there's not much you
> can say, but it would still be helpful for me to talk with the one professor Zak made a good connection with. May I make an appointment to come and see you?
>
>
>
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: One thing to be aware of is that in the US there is a law (FERPA) that limits what professors can discuss with others about students and their academic performance. The professor might not be in a position to talk about this student at all (even stating that a person was a student at the university could be a FERPA violation.)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: My suggestion is to do what you think can help your brother and not worry too much about what is “appropriate”. With that said, I think you are putting too much hope in the professor’s ability to influence your brother. Depression is a serious illness that among its other effects can greatly distort people’s view of reality, to an extent that often cannot be countered using logic and persuasion (but may be addressed using medication and other medical care).
So go ahead and try if you must, but keep in mind that the professor is quite likely to refuse to intervene, and that even if he agrees, the chances that it would make any difference are not great.
Finally, I think the idea to ask the professor to suggest to your brother to go to therapy is a very bad idea. The professor cannot possibly know your brother well enough for such a recommendation to carry any authority (you said yourself that “he has no reason to know just how dire my brother’s situation is”), so making such a suggestion would only undermine his credibility and make it less likely that your brother would listen to any of his other advice.
Good luck. And just to be clear, everything I say here is my opinion only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, which I think is what your brother really needs.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Your brother's problem is, unfortunately, becoming a common one for many students in relation to getting caught up with cheap distractions because of depression or anxiety. That said, I know that many universities are developing strategies for dealing with students who are suffering from anxiety and depression as it is now becoming well known that university students suffer high rates. We as professors are asked to watch out if students are having difficulties and provide support if we can, or refer them to campus services.
Here's a hard line. The family situation may have contributed to your brother's situation and state of mind, however, he is also responsible for the choices he makes. On the other hand, if you do go to the Professor and ask him to reach out to your brother it seems that you are expecting your brother to appreciate that someone does care about him, other than you, and that he will hopefully respond appropriately. Unfortunately, depression does not respond to this form of intervention. Depression is after all a chemical imbalance in the brain that will not be alleviated by a single gesture or intervention. I wish you good heart.
Upvotes: 1
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2017/12/25
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<issue_start>username_0: Currently I have reached the final stage of my Ph.D study in Germany. Nevertheless, I want to find a new supervisor within the same university or in other German university for Ph.D defense, is this possible?
Long story short, due to the fact that my current supervisor could provide hardly any technical advice nor funding support for my PhD project in the last 2-3 years, the relationship between us became unpleasant and I seldom communicate with him (what can I expect?). Few months ago he told me that he would cancel the duty of supervision because of poor communication, but I can still defense my thesis under his name. I guess the actual reason why he was mad because I was not giving him the source codes of my work (literally for free).
Now my Ph.D thesis is almost finished (time mainly spent on numerical solvers programming based on open-source codes), and I want to find some professor who could at least give me some advice for my final work, and finish my Ph.D defense within 3-6 months. Assuming my future supervisor would agree with this (potentially continue working with him/her after the defense), but does this violate some regulations for Ph.D degree which requires someone staying in the university for a minimum period of time (e.g. enrolled semesters).<issue_comment>username_1: This is doable if the topic of your thesis is hot. In this case, take a look at your *competitors* in the technical sense and, erm, the academic enemies of your PhD advisor! Ask them (if they are professors) or their senior advisors (if not). You might need to change the country, though. You might have to find funding, and this is *the hardest part* - the best of luck with that.
If the topic is cold (very established, perhaps already industrial-level, with books written on it, and without much progress in the recent years), I'd say stay with your current advisor - you could spend more time on searching for a new place rather than on properly finishing. In this case, you could tell your advisor that you would give him the codes *only after* your defence and after you publish on them.
As for the regulations, you need to check with the new department when moving. Some require that you declare with your signature that you've never started the graduation process elsewhere. Find out the exact wording (e.g. "noch keinen Antrag auf Promotion gestellt") and check whether you satisfy this requirement in the formal sense.
Also check that you don't run over the time allocated for graduating. Some universities require you to spend at most 7 years on your PhD. (Don't ask me *when* they start counting and *how* do they count exactly - check this yourself please.)
Personally, I am not aware of any other restrictions in Germany which would be relevant for you (but I cannot exclude their existence, either).
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Most universities that I'm familiar with require an enrollment period of at least one year for doctoral students. Many additionally stipulate that this be an "on-campus" residency—that is, you can't be working offsite for a company or at another school.
So you definitely need to check the regulations of anyone who would agree in principle to such a deal.
However, it is also worth considering the possibility that such a situation is one that a lot of faculty members would be reluctant to agree to participate in. Part of the reason for this is optics: they don't want to be seen as having "poached" another professor's graduate student, even if the reasons for doing so were benevolent. They may agree to a "co-supervision" situation instead, since that doesn't quite come across as badly.
Upvotes: 2
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2017/12/25
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<issue_start>username_0: I’ve led a small research project with another researcher. I’ve proposed a certain approach to a problem, but in fact, this approach doesn’t work, as even its simplest toy version doesn’t work. In retrospect, this toy problem should have been tested right after my part of algorithm was completed, so that two months of my co-worker’s subsequent effort wouldn’t be wasted. But coming up with such a toy problem wouldn’t be possible given the level of our experience, and especially this is my first group project.
Is this kind of situation common? How do I deal with it?<issue_comment>username_1: Failure is intrinsic to science: how can you think of exploring the unknown without ever failing? Alas, it's a certain modern, distorted, entrepeneurship view of science that brought us thinking that science should always be successful.
For my master's thesis, my PhD thesis and part of my subsequent research, I worked on an experiment that eventually didn't work. *Ten years*. But I learned a lot, and now that more than ten years have passed from the moment I realized the failure, I don't regret it.
So, don't be discouraged and focus on what you have learnt and not on the failure.
Upvotes: 7 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I would take it as a lesson on strategic planning and move forward. I grasped from my first supervisor that even in the small group there must be certain sub-projects planned according to [BCG-matrix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth%E2%80%93share_matrix) (yes, this marketing scheme works surprisingly well beyond business-models). Going *va banque* with a single idea or focusing on one problem is never a safe strategy, there always must be a fallback option.
Let me illustrate with the planing for the research group in chemistry using this terminology:
* "**Cash cows**": steady income of results from a well-established procedure. Usually the results of analysis of homologous components (spectroscopic studies, x-ray diffraction, etc.), or continuous collaborative work.
* "**Stars**": sudden success in complex synthesis resulting in a new compound with outstanding properties. The process is tedious, random and requires skillful scientists, but pays off a lot when finally works.
* "**Question marks**": observed side-effects in certain reactions which look suspiciously interesting, but might need further investigation.
* "**Dogs**": ideas which kind of work, but are trivial or hard to reproduce, or obtained using obsolete experimental technique or equipment.
Obviously, "cash cows" is a must-have, that is the only reliable option on the chart. Even if you start from scratch, do some related work aside to have a back up option. If you have talented and/or motivated people in the group, assign *some of them* to the "stars", but by no means the entire group. "Question marks" should be noted and kept track on in the background; often they are turning into "dogs", but sometimes they can be reassigned to the "stars".
This assures that either way you have *some* positive results at the end to present or even to publish. Also, you cover the entire field of your scientific interest, assuring your approach is complete and accurate in details. Long story short: manage, prioritize and divide.
One more thing: if I have a student assigned for a period longer than 3–4 months (typically to accomplish MSc, rarely BSc project), I'd usually ask how this person would like to work:
* **Intensively**: focus on a specific problem which involves complex *sequential* actions. Implies in *heterogeneous* working environment. Best fit for future "*stars*" projects. For example: synthesize, analyze and find the single-crystal structure of a new compound X. This requires work in different labs using various methodologies and contacting a lot of people.
* **Extensively**: perform routine *parallel* actions. Implies *homogeneous* working environment. Best fit for "*cash cows*" projects, also for students who are just passing by (not interested in a subject, but have to attend and perform). For example: spectrophotometric titrations or try-and-error syntheses. This implicates similar day-to-day activities with a little deviation in skill set.
I noticed this often helps to partially sort out psychological issues (e.g. between introverts and extroverts in a group), and people feel that they are treated more or less fairly from the beginning.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: This failure might not be enough material for a paper, but please be sure to mention this experience during your next presentations.
It doesn't have to last more than a minute at the start of your talk. Experienced researchers will smile because you've lost "only 2 months" and younger researchers will be happy to learn that failure is part of the process. It wouldn't be called *research* if every single attempt worked flawlessly.
After this honest introduction, listeners might be more inclined to hear what you have to say because they will know you are not only here to blow your own trumpet and lie by omission.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: Yes it is common. However it is uncommon people to acknowledge the failure, rather, they will issue statements like "a lot of progress has been made on ..." or "unlocking the potential of ... is closer than ever". Remember that you will be evaluated by non-specialists (like administrators, students, etc), which would interpret such an acknowledged failure as lack of scientific acumen.
You are on the right path if you know what has gone wrong, and you have ideas on how to solve the problem. Keep trying, that's all science is about. If you don't know how to continue, you are in disarray, and hopefully you will leave this state behind.
Upvotes: 2
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<issue_start>username_0: This is a follow-up question to [How are junior professors evaluated for promotion?](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/100923/how-are-junior-professors-evaluated-for-promotion) and probably an even more naive question. If I'm understanding the answer correct, professors need funding to do research, but once they get it, the university takes some of the grant as overheads (to pay for office space, electricity, etc), and the cut the university takes is substantial.
Given that then, why do professors need universities? One could just apply for the grant as per normal, and once one gets it, buy a slightly bigger house and convert one of the rooms into a lab. One loses nothing to overheads, gets to work from home, has zero teaching duties, can choose to settle anywhere (no two-body problem!), and can even monitor an experiment 24/7. This gets even easier if one works in a field that doesn't need a physical lab. Further, presumably the grant covers postdoc salaries, so one would still be able to pay for postdocs (although probably not PhD students since a professor without a university will not be able to award a degree).
The obvious answer is that one cannot apply for a grant without a university, but Google indicates that's not the case, e.g. [NSA grants in mathematics](https://www.nsa.gov/what-we-do/research/math-sciences-program/proposal-guidelines/) only looks at one's previous accomplishments & potential applications of the research result, both of which are independent of the university. I suppose one could lose journal access, but there's always stuff like arXiv / ResearchGate, emailing the authors of the desired paper, or even Scihub (oops). It's conceivable that not working for a university loses one some prestige, since one can no longer claim to be a professor. However even then I'd expect at least some academics to choose this path, valuing the convenience & extra research funding over prestige.
If the answer to this varies from field to field, I'm most interested in the sciences.<issue_comment>username_1: It is true that research (even research funded by government grants) can be done elsewhere than at universities. But "professors" mainly do teaching, which is what the universities are set up for.
My answer: researchers do not need universities. Professors do. Even professors who also do research.
**added**
Maybe another way to make my point. If you are doing research but not teaching, then your title should be something other than "Professor".
A line in the musical *The Music Man* asserts that band leaders are called "Professor" by courtesy, and need not actually be attached to a university. That should not apply to non-teaching researchers.
**note** This answer is for the original question title "Why do professors need universities?".
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_2: There are people who do research outside of the context of a university. I work for a government contractor that gets US government money to do AI research.
In the US we also have institutions called National Labs that do research (some are affiliated with a university though), private companies that fund research (especially in math/CS/stats and biology/chemistry/medicine). This is only a partial list, I’m sure there are much more.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_3: Professors need to find students to do their research for/with them. To find good students, the best bet is to teach - it allows you to directly see them work and evaluate how they do in your subject. Being part of a university allows you access to students to use as a recruitment pool.
(Also, not everyone likes to have their co-workers know where their home is, and once you start renting office space elsewhere, you start running into all the administrative issues that a university also deals with and needs those overhead costs for...)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: There are really two questions here. 1.Do researchers need support? and 2. Do researchers need support from an organization that also teaches?
The answer to the first question is: As arrogant as some researchers are, they need support, from any number of other people. From human resources, to accounting to janitorial. If any researcher honestly thinks they are capable of doing all of those things better than professionals they are either laughably naive or simply stupid. If those researchers think they don't need those things and believe they can work in a vacuum, the same statement applies.
The answer to the second question is a bit more complicated but comes down to a couple of ideas, on the concept of giving back. Those researchers learned somewhere, most often a university and want that system to continue because they recognize the value even if it does "cost" them some percentage of their funding. The other is that most people recognize the value of new ideas and having to explain yourself to those with less knowledge than oneself. Universities also provide for continuity of research, very few projects are one and done, the environment of constantly changing students provides a way for ideas to grow and evolve or be supplanted by better ideas.
Finally from a funding perspective, funding entities recognize the value that universities provide to researchers and society as a whole and probably include that in their calculation when choosing what projects to fund.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_5: Another point is about the social environment. Research is a process with many needs, and one of them is contact with like-minded people to share insights, problems, day-to-day peer review, and so on. The lab is not only where the researcher does physical work, but a place where other researchers, students, and whole communities meet to have social exchanges. The university does this at a much larger scale. Even hard sciences like STEM need this social aspect.
The lone and autonomous scientist is a romantic view. Some papers on fringe areas have more than a hundred co-authors today.
Upvotes: 6 <issue_comment>username_6: >
> If I'm understanding the answer correct, professors need funding to do research, but once they get it, the university takes some of the grant as overheads (to pay for office space, electricity, **etc**), and the cut the university takes is substantial
>
>
>
The number of services provided by a university is substantial, of which space and electricity are the least of them.
**Maintenance, janitorial, and IT services** - machines break, rooms get dirty, and technology has inexplicable problems. Universities have infrastructure in place to deal with all of this.
**Access to literature** - Universities maintain subscriptions to the journals, standards, and other references a researcher needs.
**Laboratory equipment and specialists** - Most scientific research requires specialized equipment, which can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to several million. Universities can afford to maintain such equipment, and the expert technicians needed to run the equipment at maximum efficiency.
**Other researchers** - A university department provides ready access to and familiarity with other experts in your field for potential collaboration. Additionally, it provides a way to find potential collaborators from other fields for the times when you find your research leaving the bounds of your expertise.
**Students** - an unfortunate amount of research is tedious. A university provides a ready framework for delegating simple but time-consuming work to students so that a researcher can focus on the parts of the research that only they can do.
**Contacts** - Universities maintain contacts with businesses, governments, and other research institutions that can open more doors than any one researcher could do on their own.
**Reputation** - Being a member of a respected university means that people who trust that university will afford some measure of that trust as well.
**Legal services and other expertise** - While it would be nice if research could exist completely separate from the outside world, this is not the case. Universities have systems set up to support and advise their researchers when problems arise during their research.
Many of these things could be aquired by a solo researcher, of course. But doing so would cost time and money, likely amounting to more than a university takes in overhead. And things like contacts and reputation are difficult to purchase.
Upvotes: 8 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_7: A couple more reasons:
**Job security**. For a tenured professor, it's nice to know that if the next grant application falls through you will still be getting a regular income.
**Economy of scale**. Setting up a lab from scratch for the sole use of one researcher would be seriously expensive. But sharing a lab with another group, in an existing building, and reusing some equipment from a previous grant, that is more feasible.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_8: [Professors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professor) need universities because, by [definition](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/professor) and etymology, a professor is transmitting knowledge by teaching it.
In some systems, you have professional researchers which are not professors and which are paid full time to do their research (since they belong to some other research institution than a University). For example, in France, we have the [CNRS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_national_de_la_recherche_scientifique). See [this answer](https://academia.stackexchange.com/a/100217/19385).
Notice also that, as explained by all answers here, research is a social activity which needs teams to be done.
>
> One could just apply for the grant as per normal, and once one gets it, buy a slightly bigger house and convert one of the rooms into a lab.
>
>
>
Then: how do you control that the grant is paying research? Notice also that management and administration require different skills and mindsets than doing research. Most researchers have to do some management & administration tasks (quite often too much of them) but are not happy and not very efficient at these tasks.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_9: In all these excellent replies and comments, no one appears to have mentioned a critical point about government funding. Even if you found a (U.S.) government agency or organization that was willing to fund a self-employed researcher, you would by Federal law be required to have a FAR-compliant (Google) accounting system. This applies also to corporations and any other recipient organizations.
I have personal experience taking a leave of absence from a university to join a start-up temporarily, to transition some of my research results to practice. One of my research sponsors at the university wanted to continue funding my work at the start-up. That required the start-up to install a FAR-compliant accounting system. Maybe there were or now are less painful ways to get that started and use it, but the start-up's experience was quite a hassle (but worth all the money from the Government sponsor). I hate to think what it would be like for a self-employed researcher.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_10: Your question contains the implicit assumption that the money that goes to the university for overhead would be available to the recipient for his/her use if not at a university. In the US, this assumption in general would not be true. In preparing a grant application the researcher lists the costs of the project, including salaries for the researchers, post-docs, travel costs, purchases,etc. Then the university overhead rate is applied to these costs. All costs must be justified in the grant application, so a professor couldn't just quit the university and double his/her salary for the purposes of the grant application. If somehow he/she could perform the research with no overhead costs, then none will be awarded. The independent researcher could claim overhead costs in the application, but these need to be real and have backup justification, so they can't just be diverted to more research funding.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_11: 1. Some for economical reasons. Their research could cost money and require a lab / equipment that costs more than they could afford to raise individually. Maybe they enjoy having a stable income which being in the employ of a university brings. Usually professorship gives a quite high pay.
2. Some for social reasons. They need the social connections at the university to find inspiration to do research and find collaborators for their research. Maybe they also enjoy teaching, in which case it is easier to find students to teach if you have a formal duty to do so. Also easier to get "padawans" / research students to inspire to carry your legacy forward once your time is over.
3. Some for status reasons. They enjoy the social status that comes with a professor title.
There's probably even more, but these were the first that came to mind.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_12: A few answers to this question, from the perspective of a junior faculty member in a U.S. state university. Let's assume for the moment that this is allowed by the grant in question, which is often (and I'd say nearly always) not the case. But indulging the hypothetical.
>
> One could just apply for the grant as per normal, and once one gets
> it, buy a slightly bigger house and convert one of the rooms into a
> lab.
>
>
>
I am lucky enough to have a grant with a decent overhead rate - but it only lasts for three years. "Buying a bigger house" is an extremely aggressive investment that will obligate me for years in property taxes if nothing else for something that may go away.
>
> gets to work from home
>
>
>
I already spend pretty much as much time as I want working from home.
>
> has zero teaching duties
>
>
>
I already have zero teaching duties...
>
> can even monitor an experiment 24/7
>
>
>
This *really* doesn't strike me as a positive thing from the perspective of work-life balance.
>
> Further, presumably the grant covers postdoc salaries, so one would
> still be able to pay for postdocs (although probably not PhD students
> since a professor without a university will not be able to award a
> degree).
>
>
>
You are vastly underestimating the amount of staff I have access to. I have an HR person who handles things like payroll. I have departmental staff that keep track of my budgets. A person who helps with proposal development (getting things in the forms needed for submission, etc.) and budget prep. Someone else who will review the complex contracts that come with large grants, data use agreements, etc.
And that doesn't even touch on things like the techs who keep the HPC cluster running, the internet up, the parking lot plowed, etc.
My overhead pays for *some* of their time. The overhead on my grant cannot possibly hire all of those people.
>
> I suppose one could lose journal access, but there's always stuff like
> arXiv / ResearchGate, emailing the authors of the desired paper, or
> even Scihub (oops).
>
>
>
This doesn't even get close to replacing proper access via a library
>
> It's conceivable that not working for a university loses one some
> prestige, since one can no longer claim to be a professor. However
> even then I'd expect at least some academics to choose this path,
> valuing the convenience & extra research funding over prestige.
>
>
>
"Environment" is a major part of a grant being evaluated, at least on NIH grants, and not being at a university or research institute makes that a much harder sell. While some researchers undoubtedly choose that path, that depends *very* heavily on their own personal reputations, which many researchers cannot necessarily rely on.
Upvotes: 3
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<issue_start>username_0: Let's assume that some of your applications go for W2 professorship positions at the German universities of applied sciences. One of such potential employers asks the candidates to supply
>
> Lebenslauf, belegt durch Zeugniskopien und Nachweise der beruflichen Tätigkeit [...]
>
>
>
(CV, supported through credential copies and evidence of occupation [...])
Let's assume you have been on *a lot* of academic short-term contracts and stipends since your undergraduate studies. Is it really expected that you supply *all* the documents (over 15 in your case)? Or are documents for the recent *n* years sufficient? (Yes, you asked the person in charge, and that person did not respond. Moreover, you know noone from the faculty...)
On the one hand, you may be afraid that in case of a huge number of incoming applications for the position there could be a pre-selection phase, in which some assistants would reduce the number of applications to look at by simply filtering out the applications which are not 100% conforming. Or that some committee members insist strictly on the rules.
On the other hand, properly preparing all the documents would take you 1 full working day. Reason: the documents are not in easy-to-handle formats (PNG, multi-page TIFF with different-size pages, white paper, etc.), the salary needs to be blackened, all kinds of printer issues have to be dealt with, etc. One day is a lot for you. It is unknown whether any of the next 100 potential employers would need these documents (the previous 60 did not need them), so the work you are doing might not be reusable.<issue_comment>username_1: If you did not get an answer from the person in charge, I see two possibilities:
1. Go all in and send all documents. You have them all ready anyway (you have them, right?) and if they request it, they can have it. If you go for this option, make sure that your CV is well organized and that the whole application document is perfectly ordered as well.
2. Just attach the most recent ones and add something like "Complete documents can be given if needed". This may save you some time and maybe the committee will not need the documents anyway.
From my experience, these rules often sound more strict than in reality and in reality the committee often does not know the exact rules anyway. But there is always the possibility that some committee member insists on following all rules to the single letter.
Another thing: Often there are two people to ask questions about the ad: The dean and the head of the committee. You may also ask other faculty members at the institution if you happen to know somebody there.
Another remark: As a head of a search committee it is pretty normal to receive phone calls close to the application deadline, so it a question is urgent, rather call than write an email.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I would not bother to include any contracts that pertained to your time during your undergraduate days, either at the bachelor's or master's phases, since it essentially represents part-time work during your studies. Nor do you need to show a work contract for your doctoral phase—your diplomas and transcripts represent the needed documentation for those phases.
You do need to account for your time *after* your doctoral studies are complete, and for any significant period of time that elapsed between your undergraduate and graduate studies, if any. (If it's a summer, you don't need to submit anything; if it's a year or more, you should have *some* sort of accounting for that period. If you were working in Germany, you can request *Zeugnisse* from employers to confirm your applications, without having to disclose your salary and other confidential information.
Upvotes: 1
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<issue_start>username_0: Many times topics in courses are week-aligned, i.e., topic1 is studied on week1 (say in lecture1 on Monday/Wednesday and then in TA-section-1 on Friday), then topic 2 is studied on week2, etc.
Say the semester is 10 weeks long, and that there are 5 homework assignment (1st assignment covers topic1 and topic2, etc.)
I wonder what is the best strategy to schedule homework assignments, given that deadlines should be (at least) 2 weeks after publishing a new set of homework.
I see several options:
**Option 1.**
Publish homework 1 (topic1+2) at the end of week2, with deadline at the end of week 4.
[generaly, publish HW No. i on week 2i with deadline on week 2i+2]
Pros: An assignment is published only after the students saw all the relevant materials and have full two weeks to work on it.
Cons: Students usually work towards the deadline. Then, they actually work on the assignment only towards the end of week4, when topic1+2 are already stale in their minds.
(Another issue, of secondary importance, is that the last HW may interfere with finals.)
**Option 2.**
Publish homework 1 (topic1+2) at the end of week 1 with deadline at the end of week 3.
[generally, publish HW No. i on week 2i-1 with deadline on week 2i+1]
Pros: The students exercise topic1+2 immediately after seeing it.
Cons: They have only 1 week to do the assignment; Students that try to start the assignment early may get confused since some of the material haven't been covered yet in the lecture.
**Option 3.**
Care less, do whatever.
Would love to hear your advice.<issue_comment>username_1: Strictly speaking from the perspective of a student, the more information you provide the better I can plan my schedule to accommodate all of the demands from all of my classes.
At the end of the day, you can (after notifying the class) modify the schedule as needed and the class should consent. However the same sentiment would be not shared when modifying the schedule without a plan whatsoever.
This is from someone who needed to take 24 units a semester (equivalent to 24 units a quarter). If professors didn't plan ahead of time, I would have to allocate flex time as part of my schedule. If assignments ran against big projects, I would have to make trade offs in quality.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: It's indeed an interesting question that I have wondered about myself a few times. In my case it is even worse because I am currently teaching a course that has lectures twice a week, so the scheduling gets even more annoying.
I am not sure if there is a silver bullet. My default nowadays is Option 2 - I publish homework before all relevant topics have been covered in class, just because otherwise it feels like the homework is ages behind the lecture. Another problem of your Option 1 is that the last in-class topics basically cannot be covered by homework at all. With Option 2 you only have like one class that can't be part of the homework anymore.
Of course, the *ideal* schedule in my opinion is Option 3 - publish all homework at the beginning of class and give students agency over how they schedule their own work. If you worry that students get confused because they don't know whether they should already be able to solve a given assignment, you can always note which lectures it refers to.
Upvotes: 2
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<issue_start>username_0: I have started to build my personal phrase bank since I’m a non-native speaker and struggling to build my arguments and sentences correctly. So I decided to mimic the structure of native authors who write in academia in general. To make it clear, I will provide an example:
An established phrase from others’ work:
>
> In recent years, it has become obvious that informal housing and land markets are not just the domain of the poor but that they are also important for...
>
>
>
My use of this phrase in my context:
>
> In recent years, it has become popular that the idea of both big data and open data are important for the development discourse and not just as tools of the government.
>
>
>
I’m actually concerned whether this similarity in the sentence structure might be considered plagiarism.<issue_comment>username_1: I wouldn't immediately call it plagiarism, but there is something you are overlooking.
>
> Writing is not as formulaic as you think. Yes there are standard
> grammar structure, syntax, and punctuation, but when you put sentences
> together into a paragraph, the meaning changes. So when you put words
> in a phrase bank together, the end-meaning might not reflect what you
> intended.
>
>
> So when you put words in a phrase bank together, the end-meaning might
> not reflect what you intended. Yes there are standard grammar
> structure, syntax, and punctuation, but when you put sentences
> together into a paragraph, the meaning changes. Writing is not as formulaic as you think.
>
>
>
In your mind, 1+2=3 and 2+1=3, but in the case of reading comprehension, the sequence and order of which you read the sentences change the meaning. At the same time, not all "1" share the same meaning either so from time to time you would have phrases that seem out of place. As <NAME> suggested, the best way to learn is to read, write, and practice.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: No, this is not plagiarism. You are claiming novelty of your research, not sentence structure. Academic writing is very formulaic on every level of abstractions. Including, but not limited to, what sentences are being used in what situations. Building a "phrase bank" is a good idea. I had been encouraged to do so independently by several researchers, who do the same (maybe not necessarily building a bank of phrases ready to use but using sentences from other papers).
Academic writing books often have sections containing useful phrases ready to be used, therefore even writing pro's think this is a good idea. That being said, having set of phrases is not enough to make you a good at writing academic papers, but it is still better than reading classic novels.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: It is not plagiarism. Some people have actively studied and devised models of academic writing, this is what (some) academic writing courses teach). For example, many introductions in papers use particular signal words in a particular order and the overall structure has a particular shape that we come to expect. Writing according to these expectations helps the reader.
I think rather than devising your own phrase-bank, which essentially aims to reach the same results, it would be much quicker for you to read a book on academic writing. This is the one used where I did my PhD:
<https://www.amazon.co.uk/Getting-Across-Effective-Academic-Writing/dp/9085940389>
But there are many others. The key point to make is that the book (and others) tell you what words to use and when, such as during the introduction of the topic, moving onto the problem statement, and so on.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: **The Academic Phrasebank** (<http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/>) might be what you are looking for.
This is a collection of general resources for academic writers, providing curated examples of "phraseological 'nuts and bolts' of writing".
On the issue of plagiarism, the author <NAME> states that
>
> In most cases, a certain amount of creativity and adaptation will be necessary when a phrase is used. The items in the Academic Phrasebank are mostly content neutral and generic in nature; in using them, therefore, you are not stealing other people's ideas and this does not constitute plagiarism.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 1
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<issue_start>username_0: I’m a low-vision person. I want to print research papers to read. But the font size is very small for me. Is there any way to make it bigger and print it?<issue_comment>username_1: If the paper is in PDF (the standard) you can print using the Poster option. You will need to print the page in a bigger size, to make it fit in multiple pages.
<https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/basic-pdf-printing-tasks.html>
You can try to convert the PDF to word and enlarge the font before printing, but many don't convert well.
<https://smallpdf.com/pt/pdf-para-word>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: If the paper in question has been submitted to the Arxiv as a LaTeX source, you can download its source (*other formats* in the sidepanel → *source*), change the font size to your liking, compile the result and print it. This also applies to other aspects affecting readability such as the font itself, the number of columns, and the image size.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Another option that has not been suggested yet is **printing to A3 paper**, which makes the document larger by a factor 1.414. This is similar to the poster option mentioned in username_1's answer.
Upvotes: 1
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<issue_start>username_0: A lot of backstory but I will try to be brief. I am employee of USA university but work abroad at a research nonprofit serving industry. (industry meaning an industry in general; many companies) My assigned handlers at the research nonprofit have power to ban me from the research non-profit facility, which would lead to unemployment and loss of residency. Access to the research nonprofit facility is a type of funding because academics don't normally get to work on tools this expensive. The (non-scientist) handlers don't help train me on equipment, get access to the research nonprofit facility and its resources, don't plan experiments, don't collect or analyze data, etc. When I was starting out and asked the handlers for help they indicated I was external and any issues I had with access or training were my own problem, and that asking the handlers for help was inconveniencing the handlers from their own work activities.
Generally the handlers are mean to me and take away opportunities to present my data to the industry sponsors which are afforded to my peers at research nonprofit who are internal. The handlers invoke the contract which gives the handlers all discretion in this area. My USA bosses threaten me with the handlers banning me from the research nonprofit facility if I do not make slides about my data and let the handlers present it. When the handlers present my data in situations where they don't think I will be able to see, the handlers just put their own name next to it, not mine or any of the USA people/institutions. My friendly colleagues at research nonprofit who do see such presentations then show me what the handlers are doing. I kept my head down and worked independently of them for a year and a half to get data in this tough situation. Now that my contract is up and the handlers and USA bosses can't hold employment/residency as leverage anymore I would like to publish my data ethically and independent of the handlers that do not satisfy any criteria for authorship I am aware of.
Including the handlers as coauthors would also be against the Publication Policy for the research nonprofit and EU university that handles my Visa. However USA universities I am aware of do not have a written Publication Policy and research nonprofit would likely defer to the USA universities in a formal dispute. USA bosses say I need to put handlers as coauthors because not doing so would threaten the project. Since the handlers presented the slides I authored to industry USA bosses say that counts as coauthorship of any publication resulting from my time here. Also the handlers are managers of some of my peers who did contribute to my work. What I see as threats of being banned from the facility if I do not list them as coauthors USA bosses say is actually a type of direct support of me that I should be rewarding them with coauthorship.
Sorry, I feel that was already too long. Any advice on how to handle this? Just don't write the paper? Create a messy dispute? Acquiesce? I already have 30 or so papers, so while I would like to show productivity from this stint it won't make or break my next career move.<issue_comment>username_1: Moo You need to get a new job, and you need to submit this work for publication the second that these people no longer have any power over you. It sounds like they have copies of all of your things, which unfortunately means that if you just leave and don’t do anything you could wind up with them publishing your paper(s).
If they don’t have the ability to publish your work, you have more flexibility. I have no idea what your professional situation is like or if your work is time-sensitive, but you do have the serious option of delaying publication until you’re further away from them. There are pros and cons to each option, it’s pretty context dependent, but if you can take the hit for not publishing, letting the paper languish they might drop it. On the other hand racing and publishing it without them might make them give up. It depends on the psychology of the handlers, but if you can guess the lengths they’re willing to go, you might able to get out of the situation without having an authorial dispute. Both choices could also lead to further conflict: either ten hounding you about it indefinitely when you don’t publish the paper or them contacting the journal and trying to formally dispute the paper.
Your main goal for an authorship dispute should be to get as many walls between you and the handlers as you can. Straight up don’t talk to them as much as you can. They’re already in violation of their own policies and of the EU University policies (it sounds like there’s a partnership between the non-profit and the EU University), which is a great start. Contact the ethics office at the EU University and explain the situation, including providing any documentation that you have of what work they did or did not do. From then on, you can forward any angry emails to the person in the ethics office working with you. If the non-profit has an ethics office, then you can use them for this purpose too. You should also talk to the ethics office at your university and feel out how receptive they would be to helping you out. This kind of filibustering is incredibly effective in all kinds of disputes.
However, the best wall you can put between you and these people is the journal itself. Submit your paper(s) to journals that have clearly defined authorship definitions, or even better require submissions to document authorial contributions. At the end of the day the journal is the final arbiter of who gets on the paper and who doesn’t.
Another option would be to fake conceding. Split the work up into multiple papers and divided it such that the stuff they’re claiming they touched is all in one paper and the core concepts are all in the other. It’s easy enough for the joint paper to languish in revisions while your other paper gets published. How effective this is can wildly change depending on the exact circumstances though.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I'm surprised I'm going to say this, but acquiescence might be best. If you believe in the work, its not right to withhold publication solely on authorship grounds. While they may not warrant authorship per APA guidelines, it seems a small price to pay given their threats. Also, the APA guidelines (widely accepted) are somewhat vague when it comes to funding support:
"Authorship credit should reflect the individual's contribution to the study. An author is considered anyone involved with initial research design, data collection and analysis, manuscript drafting, and final approval. However, the following do not necessarily qualify for authorship: providing funding or resources, mentorship, or contributing research but not helping with the publication itself. The primary author assumes responsibility for the publication, making sure that the data are accurate, that all deserving authors have been credited, that all authors have given their approval to the final draft; and handles responses to inquiries after the manuscript is published."
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: Just make sure your contract does not have any clause that indicates that they are the owner of data and the intellectual property associated with all the knowledge created.
It is one thing to talk about the ethics related to it, and it is a whole new thing if it gets to a lawsuit due to you publishing something that you would not be allowed. It could end up being an industry espionage/sabotage situation.
I know it sounds dramatic, I just wanted to add the advice to check your contract and maybe get help from a lawyer regarding that.
Upvotes: 1
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<issue_start>username_0: We found that a paper, published in an important CS conference, presents incorrect results in its experimental evaluation section.
Merely reading the paper is not sufficient to spot these mistakes, as the source of incorrectness lies within the the experimental evaluation and none of the algorithms/pseudo-code presented in the paper seems to be affected by it. That somehow explains how the error made it past the peer-review barrier.
We are currently in the process of circumscribing to what extent the results are incorrect. This is made difficult by the fact that the authors did not provide sufficient information to fully reproduce/verify their original experiment (not even upon gentle request), so we can only verify a limited portion of it (although it is substantial enough to draw our conclusions).
We tend to believe that the authors made a mistake in good faith and that they failed to spot it because they did not double-check the correctness of the results they obtained. We also don't have any reason to believe that the unreproducible portion of their results is incorrect as well.
We want to stress the fact that this problem only affects a subset of their results. The mistake they did somehow invalidates some of the conclusions of the experimental evaluation, although it does not seem to affect it as a whole nor to hinder the perceived worthiness of the algorithms presented in the paper.
We would like to ask what would be the best approach for disclosing this *'finding'*.
It would seem the first, and most sensible step, is that to inform the authors about the issue. Then what? What should we expect them to do? Are there any other options?<issue_comment>username_1: Make a comment on PubPeer. Since you contacted the authors directly they will know it is you and you can leave your name.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: In my opinion, the right thing to do is to publish a paper to clarify what could have been wrong in the previous work. This adds to the knowledge and invalidating previous results/beliefs is part of the science.
It is a good practice to inform the authors of your findings if you want to make sure as you said:
>
> We also don't have any reason to believe that the unreproducible
> portion of their results is incorrect as well
>
>
>
By informing the authors, they might provide you with more information that might invalidate your conclusions.
Assume good faith and accept that humans do mistakes.
Upvotes: 2
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<issue_start>username_0: As a junior academic I am beginning to get requests to review papers.
What standards do you people out there use to decide which review requests to accept and which to turn down?<issue_comment>username_1: It comes down to personal preferences to some extent how you'd like to weight the various factors that go into deciding which papers to review. The two major points are:
* **Personal Interest:** Does the paper's content interest you personally? While you can review a paper that doesn't, it's much easier to get through one fully that does interest you. As for why it does, it could be you simply enjoy the topic, or perhaps it directly impacts your research.
* **Scope:** Can you fully assess the merits of this paper for publication? In other words, is it beyond your scope or not? If you cannot confidently say you can understand and assess the paper, then you may not want to accept to review it. While you normally have the option to decide this during the review process and inform the editor, it is best to make a determination of this prior to accepting to review, for convenience sake.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I've found that after you get a few decent papers, you'll soon get far more requests than you can possibly handle (e.g. over the last few years I've consistently received one every week or two).
Besides the obvious issues of whether you're competent AND interested in reading the paper AND are currently available, my calculus usually goes like this:
1. Is this a very high end journal? E.g. in my field that would be JAMA, NEJM, Science, etc. Accept the request. It's good to have input on some of the most influential papers in your field.
2. If not, is it a journal you've never reviewed for before? It's always good to be able to add to the list of journals on your CV. If I haven't, but I HAVE heard of the journal (e.g. I know it's not a predatory journal), I'll usually accept.
3. Is it an editor you have a history with/have a decent reviewer/editor relationship with? Accept the request. It's good to have arms-length senior academics who like you and are aware that you exist and know your expertise--e.g. for external non-collaborator letters when you're up for tenure.
If the answer to all three of those is "No", I'll usually decline and suggest another colleague.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: My answer is similar to the ones above with a small twist. I accept papers based on interest (is it an area I work in or would like to work or know), quality of journal/conference, and familiarity with the editor.
However, I also have a "paper budget" to prevent me from drowning myself in reviews (I used to do it in the past). In my area, it is usual to have 3 reviewers per paper. So, I target to review 3 times the number of papers I have submitted. It helps me focus my selection.
Upvotes: 2
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