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[birainia]

Committe question 2:

I have a new doctoral student in our program who needs to set up a three-person committee for her academic review (happens in their first year in our program, before they finish coursework). I am her chair. There are two other professors in our area of expertise, and she is taking one of their classes this semester. My student likes this prof and wants him/her on the committee.

BUT the plot thickens. This professor dislikes this student intensely and thinks her politics are in the wrong place; that she is snotty because she went to a well-known slac; etc. There is no question that the student's work is very strong -- she was our top pick for admission this year.

Unfortunately, the professor will consent to being on the student's committee even though he/she dislikes her.

Do I try to steer the student in a different direction? It will be pretty strange to do so. But I also don't think it is useful to work with someone who dislikes you for things like this. Help!

[anon99]

Have you been on a committee with this person before?  Do you think they are capable of keeping their personal dislike of the student out of their decisions?  If you don't think they will be objective or provide constructive feedback, then tell the student that they should find another person to be on their committee.  If they ask why, tell them to diversify the committee and give her a broader view of her project. 

[pathogen]

Ugh. Steer her in another direction. I feel personally about this- I had a doctoral committee member who really disliked me. Not a good experience.

[username2]

There are plenty of reasons why you want to have committee members from areas different from your specialization. If you are in the subfield, to me that is enough. Why not have a conversation or think about what the personality characteristics of that 3rd person could be. Would she benefit from a hard ass? From someone who is cynical and detail oriented, to give perspective? From someone in a different university, if that is allowed?

What you absolutely don't want is to have someone hanging around on the committee, being negative, who might at some point be called upon to write meh letters. Someone who can be professional but not engaged is fine, but if your colleague can't do that, don't force it.

[zharkov]

Definitely keep that prof away, perhaps using the "vetting" approach I suggested in another thread.  You don't need to share the dislike, but just tell the student that the that fit or something would be off.

PS:  I find it very unprofessional to "dislike" students, just as it would be for a physician (say) to dislike a patient.

[kaysixteen]

Zharkov is absolutely correct-- I had a guy refuse to serve on my committee for more or less the same reason, and had to choose a fellow who was significantly less qualified to judge my work in this area, and who never even bothered to show up to the defense, just signed on.  It was unedifying.

[birainia]

I did steer her away. She asked why, and I said something vague about balancing committee work among different faculty, and then turned really quickly to why the other choices would be super.

Which is funny, since I am directing 8 doctoral students to his/her 2. Oh well. I actually love all of my graduate students, so I don't complain. Just about the paperwork and personalities!