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[pathanalysis]

I'm actually the potential student here... One of my co-RAs is a grad student who will be teaching a class I wish to take (on the same topic as our lab, actually). We're both getting the feeling that this could be a potentially sticky situations. Thoughts? Experiences? University policies?

Thanks!

[mountainguy]

Would it be possible for you to simply audit the course? This is fairly common at PepsiU. Taking it for credit seems likely to produce too many potentially weird situations.

[svenc]

Assigning a grade to a labmate would raise a potential conflict of interest for your colleague.  Auditing seems to avoid most, if not all, of the opportunities for ickiness (or is that spelled ickyness?).

[snowbound]

When I was an undergrad, I took a language class that was taught by a grad student.  Nearly all the other students in the fairly small class were grad students (some grad programs required this particular language).  The language had two different forms of "you," and I remember a rather lengthy discussion in the class about the importance of addressing one's teacher with the formal "you."  I didn't quite know what was going on at the time (being a naive undergrad), but I later realized that the grad students viewed the teacher (same age, fellow grad student) as their peer, so they were insistently using the familiar "you" with her just as she used it with them.  Her hints about how to address people in authority such as teachers got more and more pointed--as did the students' comments about students using the informal "you" with fellow students.  English doesn't  have such instant linguistic indicators of power relationships, but that doesn;t mean to say there is no power relationship and ensuing resentment.

Would you be able to subordinate your sense of this person as your peer and colleague, and think of her/him as your teacher?  If so, go for it--with credit.  And tell them that you'll expect to be a student, just like any other student, in their class.  If you realistically don;t think you can park your ego that successfully (and it will take an effort), then yes it could be a difficult semester. 
 

[pathanalysis]

Actually, I speak a language which is more governed by politeness and rules than perhaps any other (Japanese), so I totally get what you're saying. :)

One good point is that the course is a "block" course during winter break, so it would only be 3 weeks, not a whole semester. I emailed my co-RA about this, who said she would check with the department chair.

The main issue is that this course (and, I imagine, our conceptualization of the topic) is very closely tied to the work we do into our lab and the mentorship of our PI, in terms of content, and that this RA and I work literally in the same office and on the same projects. If it was one of our" floater" RAs who works on different projects, I would think it would be less of an issue. Ironically, the reason I want to take this course is that it ties so closely into our research area!

I'm not sure if auditing would work into terms of credit and due to our university's fairly tough audit policies--maybe taking it pass/fail would be an option?

Thanks.

[grasshopper]

How well are you able to keep grades separate from learning? How much of your identity/ego is tied to being an expert in this area?

If this were to work, you'd have to be prepared to be graded by your friend and colleague. You would also have to be okay (I mean, really, really okay - not just pretending to be okay) with admitting that your friend and colleague can teach you things in this particular subject.

For me, truthfully, it would depend on the colleague (which, of course, says more about me and my insecurities than it does about my colleagues).


Another thought: have you ever taught a class before? There's also strong potential for weird dynamics for your colleague. Will you be able to let colleague teach the class as s/he wants to teach it, even if you disagree with some things? That would be important, or the whole thing could blow up in your faces.

[kedves]

I think it's a bad idea.  You'd be putting a giant amount of faith in a fellow grad student in your program.  If it goes right, it will be stressful for both of you.  If it goes wrong, even through good intentions (e.g., other student holds you to a very special standard to avoid implications of favoritism), the result could cause emotional turmoil, work problems, and academic distraction for both of you.  It's very hard to predict how we or other people will act and feel until we and they are actually in the situation.  If it were a course taught by a grad student in another program, I think there would be less potential for problems.  Audit or don't do it, that's my advice.

[pathanalysis]

Thanks for the advice! Yes, I certainly realize that my co-RA knows things about topic X that I do not and would be more than willing to learn from her. However, the whole situation just feels like it could be awkward in so many ways, and I don't want to put either of us in an awkward situation. The sad part is that this would be my last opportunity to take the course before I graduate (I'm getting my BA this year), but oh, well. I'll see what the chair says. but I agree that it's looking like a probable "no-go."

[scampster]

Thanks for the advice! Yes, I certainly realize that my co-RA knows things about topic X that I do not and would be more than willing to learn from her. However, the whole situation just feels like it could be awkward in so many ways, and I don't want to put either of us in an awkward situation. The sad part is that this would be my last opportunity to take the course before I graduate (I'm getting my BA this year), but oh, well. I'll see what the chair says. but I agree that it's looking like a probable "no-go."

If you are an undergrad, I think the dynamic is totally different than between two graduate students.

[prytania3]

If you are an undergrad, it's fine. Just don't expect special treatment. I take a lot of classes at my own college for credit, but I *never* ask for anything that other students don't get. I never ask for a professional courtesy.

So just because you know her and work with her does not mean you can take advantage.

[pathanalysis]

Thanks for the advice! Yes, I certainly realize that my co-RA knows things about topic X that I do not and would be more than willing to learn from her. However, the whole situation just feels like it could be awkward in so many ways, and I don't want to put either of us in an awkward situation. The sad part is that this would be my last opportunity to take the course before I graduate (I'm getting my BA this year), but oh, well. I'll see what the chair says. but I agree that it's looking like a probable "no-go."

If you are an undergrad, I think the dynamic is totally different than between two graduate students.

It would be, except for the fact that we are equals in our work in the lab, so there's no power differential there.

I would never ask for special treatment.

[scampster]

Thanks for the advice! Yes, I certainly realize that my co-RA knows things about topic X that I do not and would be more than willing to learn from her. However, the whole situation just feels like it could be awkward in so many ways, and I don't want to put either of us in an awkward situation. The sad part is that this would be my last opportunity to take the course before I graduate (I'm getting my BA this year), but oh, well. I'll see what the chair says. but I agree that it's looking like a probable "no-go."

If you are an undergrad, I think the dynamic is totally different than between two graduate students.

It would be, except for the fact that we are equals in our work in the lab, so there's no power differential there.

But I wouldn't be surprised if she thought differently.

[pathanalysis]

Huh? These fora have some serious attitude issues... *shrug*

[kedves]

An analysis of a situation is not a personal opinion that the situation reflects things as they ought to be.  It's important to understand the difference.

Regardless of your personal characteristics and your value as human beings, you and the graduate student do not occupy the same social position.  You have different responsibilities and different things are expected of you, not because of personal opinion but because the social organization of the department, like all organizations, has created social statuses and puts people into them rather than vice versa.  I agree that the grad student is likely to recognize these differences.  If you want to take this course, you should be glad of it, because it is part of what will enable your coworker to perform in the role of your instructor in a way that is comfortable for both of you.  

[scampster]

Yes, what kedves said better than me. My comment was not a reflection on you personally, but rather on the typical social structure in academia.