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[fiona]

So my colleague and I worked very hard to make our panel at an upcoming conference be balanced with good work by tenured profs, newish faculty and adjuncts, and grad students.

We nurtured before we culled. We were responsible and mentorly.

And just now, one of the grad students cancelled out. "Can't make it. Sorry."

I am very angry.

Kids today, rant rant.

The Fiona

[amewa_silk]

That is a real shame.  I hope this is the type of panel that allows for another, perhaps more appreciative, grad student to step in.

[marigolds]

Put him on The List, Fiona.

I'll fill in for him, if you like. I promise to show up on time, be polite and mildly deferential to the senior folk, and deliver a solid, engaging, focused paper designed to be heard and not read, with several harmless witticisms, one "hmmm"-inducing original idea, and tons of eye contact.

What field, again, now?

[larryc]

Email him.

"Dear Gradflake:

I am so sorry to receive your last-minute cancellation. Obviously you must be having and emergency of some kind not to fulfill this professional obligation, and I hope that you and yours are well. I don't have to tell you that a conference such as this relies on the professionalism of all involved. Sorry that you cannot be present.

Dr. Fiona"

CC the whole panel and the kids advisor and his director of graduate studies.

[sugaree]

While I agree that this is not a great response to an important opportunity, not all grad students are equally funded. And it's embarrassing to have to admit that you can't afford to go. So perhaps some compassion is in order?

But I do agree that such a poor response needs a corrective follow-up so clueless grad can begin to learn standards of professionalization. Do you know the student's advisor? That's who I would contact about it.

[mountainguy]

As a grad student myself, this kind of flakiness by my peers makes me angry. It reflects poorly on the grad student's entire program.  If a true emergency had come up, that would be a different matter. But I'm guessing that's not what happened in this case.

[FWIW, I almost missed an 8AM panel a few years ago because I had been in the ER until 1AM with a bizarre medical problem. I still made the panel, sleep-deprived as I was, but I had already given a friend a copy of my presentation manuscript to read as a placeholder for me "just in case"].

[fiona]

Follow-up: my colleague and I did find another grad student, one who is equally talented and also grateful, to take the flake-out one's spot.

I'm not sympathetic to the argument that the flaker didn't get funding. If you're not going to get funding, you don't accept the slot in the first place.

I don't know if it's a "true emergency," but the conference is still a few weeks away. The flaker didn't say. I would've been more sympathetic if there'd been an illness or family tragedy, not just "Can't make it. Sorry." Stuff does happen, but this does reflect badly on the student, his program, and on grad students in general.

Thanks for listening to my vent, all.

The Fiona

[crowie]

Fiona, when I read your first post I thought that "Can't make it. Sorry" was a pithy paraphrase reflecting in part how much it annoyed you.  But it seems from your repetition of it that this is a direct quote.  Unbelievable!

[scotia]

I'm not sympathetic to the argument that the flaker didn't get funding. If you're not going to get funding, you don't accept the slot in the first place.

To be fair to students, funding problems are not always foreseeable. A couple of weeks ago I had to say to a graduate student "Sorry. I know we normally fund graduate students to go to conferences, but this year we have a hole in our budget. So I am afraid that although your paper was accepted we cannot provide the money". I felt terrible doing it, but the alternative was that a class of undergraduates was left without a teacher. The hole in the budget is because we are having to cross-subsidize deficits in other departments, not because we are in trouble, and we did not know about the financial problems until late last year, after students had submitted papers in good faith. But we are helping students to apply for other sources of funding, and advising on how to contact conference organizers, so I don't think this student is one of ours.

[fiona]

But we are helping students to apply for other sources of funding, and advising on how to contact conference organizers, so I don't think this student is one of ours.

That's exactly what should be done: everyone takes professional responsibility. That wasn't done in the case I mention.

I should also add that the flaker is not that far, geographically, from where the conference is held. He could take a bus. So it's not like thinking you had the money to go from Vancouver to Miami and then discovering you didn't.

Yeah, I'm still fuming. What's an audience for?

The Fiona

[rebelgirl]

But we are helping students to apply for other sources of funding, and advising on how to contact conference organizers, so I don't think this student is one of ours.

That's exactly what should be done: everyone takes professional responsibility. That wasn't done in the case I mention.

I should also add that the flaker is not that far, geographically, from where the conference is held. He could take a bus. So it's not like thinking you had the money to go from Vancouver to Miami and then discovering you didn't.

Yeah, I'm still fuming. What's an audience for?
The Fiona

Cripes.  When I was a grad student, we all understood that we had to build our c.v.s, network, get feedback on our work, etc.  Many a time did I pull out the credit card and just plain charge the travel cost.  It was an investment in building a career.  Sheesh!! 

Sorry, Fiona, no good deed unpunished . .  . glad you did get a non-flakey substitute.

[larryc]

Fiona, I think you should contact the flake's advisor.

[fiona]

Fiona, I think you should contact the flake's advisor.

How would you suggest I word it? "You have a flake, and I'm tattling on him"?

I think it's kinda awkward, so I'm asking for what might be OK for wording.

The Fiona

[corvus_caurinus]

Seems to me there are two adult choices of action here:

1) Talk to the student directly rather than tattling to the advisor
2) MYOB

I'd go route two unless I really felt obligated to help the student succeed.

[mystictechgal]

Fiona, I think you should contact the flake's advisor.

How would you suggest I word it? "You have a flake, and I'm tattling on him"?

I think it's kinda awkward, so I'm asking for what might be OK for wording.

The Fiona

Maybe something along the lines of:

Dear Dr. Flake Advisor,

I was very disppointed to hear from Snowy Flake that he would be unable to participate in our upcoming Basketweaving conference. We were so looking forward to hearing his presentation on ABC/his participation on the panel. As he offered no reason for his withdrawal, I assume it must be something quite serious and do not wish to be appearing to pry; consequently, I am asking you to, at the appropriate time, please extend my best to him, along with my hope that he's been able to successfully deal with whatever difficulties he was facing. Do also let him know that we were able to successfully obtain a last-minute replacement for him, so he shouldn't concern himself about having left us with a hole in our program in the wake of his withdrawal. I do hope all works out for the best.

Sincerely,

Dr. Fiona