Hey, I’m a PhD student at Bowling Green State University, and I’m dealing with some crazy issues in my research class. So, my advisor, who was supposed to guide me, was mostly absent, and the instructor on record didn’t know anything about my research area. My grade was low and based on totally irrelevant stuff, which doesn’t feel fair at all. Then, my advisor comes back and tells me he’s not advising me anymore, but no one will explain why. I’m struggling to find a new advisor, and I feel like the whole situation is putting my scholarship at risk. Anyone been through this? I need advice on what to do next.
Yikes, that sounds like a mess. Have you tried reaching out to other faculty members who might be able to help? I had a similar problem once and ended up finding someone else after a lot of emailing. Hang in there!
@Davin
I had a similar issue with my advisor once too. It can feel so isolating when no one is communicating with you. Did they at least give you a timeline to find a new advisor?
Vernon said:
@Davin
I had a similar issue with my advisor once too. It can feel so isolating when no one is communicating with you. Did they at least give you a timeline to find a new advisor?
No timeline, just a lot of ‘you figure it out.’ It’s frustrating because it’s like, they know the situation is out of our control.
That’s rough. Are you sure they can just drop you like that with no reason? It seems like they should have at least given you some documentation. I’d try asking for a formal explanation in writing.
Tegan said:
That’s rough. Are you sure they can just drop you like that with no reason? It seems like they should have at least given you some documentation. I’d try asking for a formal explanation in writing.
Yeah, I asked but the grad coordinator just said it’s the professor’s ‘choice’ to not advise me. Feels like I’m hitting a wall here…
Tegan said:
That’s rough. Are you sure they can just drop you like that with no reason? It seems like they should have at least given you some documentation. I’d try asking for a formal explanation in writing.
That’s crazy. Seems like they should at least have some sort of documentation for a change like that. Maybe you could get a student rep involved?
This is a bit off-topic, but do you think they have to give you a breakdown of how tuition was used? Like, I’m paying for 2 credit hours and they just give me general info, but I want the details on where the money’s going.
@Marley
That sounds reasonable! I’d think they owe you a more specific breakdown of how your tuition was spent, especially when it’s tied to a class that didn’t go as planned.
@Marley
You should definitely ask. The fact that they just give you general info is a bit sketchy. I’d try again and ask more specifically for how that money was used.
I’m no expert, but if you’re worried about your scholarship, have you considered reaching out to the Dean of Graduate Studies? They might be able to help with your academic progress situation.
Tobin said:
I’m no expert, but if you’re worried about your scholarship, have you considered reaching out to the Dean of Graduate Studies? They might be able to help with your academic progress situation.
I’ve been thinking about that. Do you think it’ll help if I go over their head like that? It feels like I might just get more of the same.
Tobin said:
I’m no expert, but if you’re worried about your scholarship, have you considered reaching out to the Dean of Graduate Studies? They might be able to help with your academic progress situation.
I get that, but sometimes going to the Dean can make things more official. At least they might be able to apply more pressure for a resolution.
I’d be careful about how much you push for an explanation, though. Sometimes universities can be weird about giving too many details. But definitely keep everything documented. That’s key.
Zion said:
I’d be careful about how much you push for an explanation, though. Sometimes universities can be weird about giving too many details. But definitely keep everything documented. That’s key.
Totally, I’m keeping everything in emails. But it’s hard not to get frustrated when no one is being transparent.