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[ozman]

A grad student responds even to mild advice with long, aggressive emails littered with moral jabs and sarcastic pseudo-compliments/insults. Several faculty, here and at other institutions, have commented on this, as well as on his hostile public behavior, with concern and alarm. When student was told of this, he escalated.
The student is otherwise brilliant.
Question: what to say in any recommendations.

[ptarmigan]

I'm just an undergrad, but...why would you agree to write a recommendation?  Can you honestly recommend this person?

[pink_]

I would decline to write a letter for this student or others like him/her.

[ozman]

Thank you for the responses.

Just to be clear: no one thinks that brilliance trumps collegiality?

(For the undergraduate contributor, to clarify: sometimes these things take years to emerge as a pattern. At first I and my colleagues separately thought that the student was hostile only with each one of us, and each assumed the behavior peculiar to our own relationship, or even blamed themselves somehow. Each thus gave the student the benefit of the doubt because the work is excellent, but then found out that others were similarly treated.)

[mouseman]

Thank you for the responses.

Just to be clear: no one thinks that brilliance trumps collegiality?

Think of it this way: would you want to work with this person?  Or, another way:  how would you feel if somebody sent this student to you, knowing how they behave, without warning you?
Unless, of course, this is a job that needs no personal interaction, like manning a lighthouse.  In that case, a glowing recommendation would be justified.

[pink_]

Brilliance does not trump anything in my book.

It would be one thing if they were applying to work in an isolation tank, but that's not how academe works.  As someone who works in a small department at a small college, I might be more sensitive to the issue than others who work in a larger institutional environment.

I would not feel comfortable writing a letter if I could not endorse the candidate for whom I am writing as a teacher, a scholar and a potential colleague.  I guess I am fortunate that I haven't had to decline under these particular circumstances, but recommendations are not a right, they are a courtesy.  

On preview: What Mouseman said.

[the_hanged_man]

Personally, I would tell the student that I would write the letter but with complete honesty. At the same time I would let him know that the letter would say that he is brilliant but has trouble accepting criticism and tell him he can take it or leave it.

This puts the ball in his court and allows him one final chance to see the error of his ways. In all likelihood he will not break the cycle of behavior and you won't have to write the letter.

[embitteredhistorian]

I would decline to write a letter for this student or others like him/her.

And I, as well. This person does not seem like he would be a good colleague or teacher.

I have to agree with the "teacher" part of this. Someone who is consistently snide and aggressive cannot possibly be a good teacher, although I imagine they could easily be a good researcher.

[ucprof]

one could write about the brilliance and simply allude to the "does not play well with others" syndrome. a letter can point out strengths and weaknesses.  i suggest to be tactful about the weaknesses.

[prof_smartypants]

I had a colleague like this in my PhD program. He was an absolute terror. He was well on the way to alienating the entire faculty, particularly his dissertation committee. He wasn't exactly "brilliant", but he was very smart and an excellent researcher with an interesting (and hot) research focus.

The faculty started pushing him toward non-academic jobs that were research focused, and he ended up leaving ABD for a really good job. Perhaps this might work with this person.

Of course, now he puts Douchy Colleague, ABD on his business cards, but that's a tale for a different thread.

[regards033]

I am a graduate student. Would you ask the student to write the letter and you both can discuss the content?

Just a thought.

[ucprof]

I am a graduate student. Would you ask the student to write the letter and you both can discuss the content?

Just a thought.

Not my OP but I would say never discuss the letter with the student.  These are meant to be confidential and they should remain so.  I might ask a very strong student to help write a first draft of a letter - but that is as far as it goes.  They have no additional influence on the final content.  A problem student would have no involvement in the letter.

Another thought is that there might be some school willing to take someone with an attitude problem given their "brilliance".  I would not second guess other depts.  Which is why I suggest to write the letter and be honest but diplomatic in case there is a place for whom this person happens to be a good fit.  Of course it depends on the level of the problem.  If what they are doing constitutes a criminal act that's another story. I think it's important to disclose things in general.  My students often have weaknesses when they graduate.  I try to point out both strengths and weaknesses in my letters, along with suggestions for improving upon weaknesses.  I also try hard to sell the strengths.  I want to get them jobs but I also want my colleagues to continue to take me seriously when they read my letters.  If I tell them a student is the best I've seen in subarea X in years but neglect to mention that they can hardly speak English and don't like to talk to people in general, I could see people annoyed with my one sided information.

[regular_joe]

I had a colleague like this in my PhD program. He was an absolute terror. He was well on the way to alienating the entire faculty, particularly his dissertation committee. He wasn't exactly "brilliant", but he was very smart and an excellent researcher with an interesting (and hot) research focus.

The faculty started pushing him toward non-academic jobs that were research focused, and he ended up leaving ABD for a really good job. Perhaps this might work with this person.

Of course, now he puts Douchy Colleague, ABD on his business cards, but that's a tale for a different thread.

Doesn't he know "ABD" isn't an official title and is not even understood outside of academe anyway? Yeah, ProfSP, I agree that he isn't "exactly 'brilliant.'"

[southerntransplant]

Doesn't he know "ABD" isn't an official title and is not even understood outside of academe anyway? Yeah, ProfSP, I agree that he isn't "exactly 'brilliant.'"

On more than one university website, I've seen a web page with "Prof. Dead End, ABD" emblazoned.

You're right that it's not an official anything, but interesting how many people either think it is, or all have the same sardonic sense of humor.

[mouseman]

Another thought is that there might be some school willing to take someone with an attitude problem given their "brilliance".  I would not second guess other depts.  Which is why I suggest to write the letter and be honest but diplomatic in case there is a place for whom this person happens to be a good fit.  Of course it depends on the level of the problem.  If what they are doing constitutes a criminal act that's another story. I think it's important to disclose things in general.  My students often have weaknesses when they graduate.  I try to point out both strengths and weaknesses in my letters, along with suggestions for improving upon weaknesses.  I also try hard to sell the strengths.  I want to get them jobs but I also want my colleagues to continue to take me seriously when they read my letters.  If I tell them a student is the best I've seen in subarea X in years but neglect to mention that they can hardly speak English and don't like to talk to people in general, I could see people annoyed with my one sided information.

On the other hand, what about something like being a bully.  Nothing criminal about that, but you wouldn't want to try and soften it.  True, if we're talking about somebody who is extremely introverted, or somebody who is somewhat anti-social, than some departments may be willing to take that on, in return for brilliance.  But if we're talking about somebody who will make grad students, postdocs and junior faculty's lives miserable, would you really even want to recommend them?