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[confusednewphd]

I'm set to defend my dissertation in the spring and I'm pretty happy about that. However, one of my committee members is on leave this year and I need to find a replacement. My advisor is really pushing a new hire who is ABD. This alone makes me a bit uncomfortable as does their personality. Also, I know this person from conferences and we approach our field in VERY different ways. I would rather get another outside reader. Am I over reacting?

[goingcrazy]

That is so strange that I do not even know what to say! Normally, one would have to be qualified to tech graduate level classes in order to serve on a dissertation. Although special permission is granted for undergrad professors, it is not the norm.

Having a professor who does not have a PhD sit on a dissertation committee just seems wrong in every way.

[t_r_b]

Yes, it's weird, but I assume the primary concern here is your own need to cease being ABD, not the new hire's. Will having the new hire on your committee hinder you in any way? I doubt it. Presumably your advisor is happy with your project and is looking for a warm body to fill the committee seat. The new hire is extremely unlikely to offer any serious objections to your project if you have the support of the other committee members. This is a person in a very tenuous position who knows he/she is lucky to have a job at all, and is certainly in no position to start alienating new colleagues by shooting down a student they want to pass.

So set aside the issue of propriety and whatever personality issues there may be. The bottom line is getting your degree as planned, and you need someone to sign off on it. This person is more likely to do so than some other random faculty member who is better established.

[dr_stones]

If the ABD is not on the graduate faculty, they cannot serve on your committee.  Or they should not. Hell, sounds like you need to be mentoring them.

[t_r_b]

Regardless of what "should" or "should not" be, presumably the OP's advisor knows whether or not the ABD hire is eligible for the committee. The OP does not seem to have any doubts about the advisor's judgment on this point. OP's doubts center not on the question of ABD-ness per se, but on her misgivings about this particular ABD.

I say that having this person on your committee does not mean marrying them. It doesn't even mean that you like them. It means that they'll help you get through a particular hoop that must be jumped. So do what you have to do to get through that hoop, and don't look back.

[dr_stones]

Regardless of what "should" or "should not" be, presumably the OP's advisor knows whether or not the ABD hire is eligible for the committee.

Don't be so sure.  The degree of ignorance we faculty exhibit regarding our own rules never fails to amaze me.

[daniel_von_flanagan]

I agree with Dr. Stones.  Membership of the "Graduate Faculty" is often not in the hands of the department, and there is no reason to assume that a particular faculty member knows the criterial for being graduate faculty.  I cannot imagine a reputable university allowing someone without the PhD serving on a committee. - DvF

[ludicrous]

Even though I seem to be killing all threads of late, I'm still asking this question:

Clambake, why is it that you need to replace the committee member who is on leave?  Even if the person were out of state, can the defense still not go on?  I know this has happened before, and the person who was on leave simply "attended" the defense via phone (conference call). 

I don't know.  If I had a committee (even if it were an outside member) who abandoned me at the tail-end of the diss, I would be pretty ticked off.  Maybe I am misunderstanding something though.

[confusednewphd]

Even though I seem to be killing all threads of late, I'm still asking this question:

Clambake, why is it that you need to replace the committee member who is on leave?  Even if the person were out of state, can the defense still not go on?  I know this has happened before, and the person who was on leave simply "attended" the defense via phone (conference call). 

I don't know.  If I had a committee (even if it were an outside member) who abandoned me at the tail-end of the diss, I would be pretty ticked off.  Maybe I am misunderstanding something though.

I knew well in advance that this person was going to be on leave this year. Unfortunately, they are doing a residency overseas so a conference call is not practical. There isn't much that one can do about a senior faculty member's sabbatical time.

[confusednewphd]

  I cannot imagine a reputable university allowing someone without the PhD serving on a committee. - DvF

I thought the same thing. My university is a top 10 in my field but the department is small. I wouldn't mind except that the ABD in question has an axe to grind for some reason. We have butted heads at a conference before and my advisor is not unaware of that. I'm confident that I will pass the defense since I seem to be well liked in the department and have been given quite a bit of responsibility in terms of teaching and research (not trying to toot my own horn. I'm grateful for it). I just want it to go smoothly and I think that this person will do everything they can to prove their own smarts given the opportunity.

[iomhaigh]

In all seriousness, call the graduate school dean and ask --without giving specifics -- if someone:

1. needs to be on the graduate faculty in order to sit on a diss comm.
2. needs to have a terminal degree to sit on a diss comm.  (MFA or PHD, etc.)
3. needs to have a terminal degree to be a member of the graduate faculty, etc. 
etc. etc. etc.

My colleague had someone who was not on the grad faculty on his diss comm, but he had to fill out all kinds of paperwork to make that happen. 

[racketsports]

This sounds really dodgy, clambake.  I guess the question to ask yourself is also: "What does Bitter ABD stand to lose if s/he tries to shoot me down?" Is Bitter ABD tenure-track? Is Bitter ABD hoping to get in good with your dept.? Or is Bitter hoping to burn some bridges and go on to bigger and better things?

Also, I would learn more about the rules of defenses, committees etc just in case Bitter actually wants to sink your defense. (I have no idea of any of these things.  I am still a few years away from being where you are.)  But still, you want to make sure that procedurally, Bitter can't really mess things up for you.

[larryc]

I disagree with my friend Iomhaigh, you do not want to be placing telephone calls behind the back of your advisor.

Since you are so well liked go buy your advisor a cup of coffee and talk this over. Express your concern that you want the defense to go smoothly. Ask specifically about the ABD issue. Then if he reassures you that everything is going to be fine, accept that and defend.

Congratulations.

[daniel_von_flanagan]

I disagree with my friend Iomhaigh, you do not want to be placing telephone calls behind the back of your advisor.

Not a big deal in this situation, it is not a breach of advisor-advisee protocol for advisee to check technical Uni regulations.

Clambake, your response to me implies that you in fact did check with someone in authority outside your department.  Is this correct?  - DvF

[t_r_b]

I just want it to go smoothly and I think that this person will do everything they can to prove their own smarts given the opportunity.

Whether or not it goes smoothly, you will pass. In a few short months, you'll be PhinisheD. Nothing else matters. If Bitter ABD-boy (or girl) wants to make a fuss, you will smile, offer thanks for the constructive feedback, and promise to consider these suggestions closely when revising the mss. for publication. And smile again, and think about being done. All will be well.

Keep in mind that the worst case scenario here is that bitter ABD looks ridiculous and makes an enemy or two and you go on to get your degree anyway. And smile, and think about being done. You're almost there.