vammov

I am in Computer Science. I agree that he has spent a lot of his resources, but after looking at the university profile that he is going to - i feel it would be detrimental for my career if I go along with him. The comp science dept in the university is not even ranked in the usnews top 130 universities. Currently I am arranging for a co-advisor here in the current university and looking to continue work with him. I am planning to ask him to keep me posted with all the arrangements being made, and how it would work if there are going to be some unforeseen circumstances and my advisor and co-advisor are not on talking terms. I want to make it clear that everything (funding, role of each advisor, have both the advisors as active, fallback solutions,etc) should be transparent and mutually agreed. Is that a right thing to ask? If that doesnt work out, I am planning to talk to the department head and decide the next course of action. In worst cases, I would come out with a masters and apply for a better univ next academic year. I now have a chance to quit and make sure the damage is little, if any thing doesnt work out, and if I am half way through the thesis, I would be stuck with no where to go. Thats the reason, I am insistent on keeping everything clear and transparent and choosing the best thing to do. you might think I am selfish... but I am not altruistic to place myself in complex situations considering other's situations.

Thanks for the advice. When I had discussions with him, my current advisor keeps saying I have spent two years of time, effort and money on you and he gives me a sense of guilt. I am not comfortable with that. The reason, I am not wishing to move with him is that my interests changed a little during the course of 2 years and when I took some new courses. Currently I am planning to set up a co-advisor kind of situation with another advisor in the current university and stay back, and continue working with current advisor and change the line of work to reflect my new interests. If that does not work out, I dont have any intention of moving out as the new university does not give hope of good personal life. I am fine with extending my phd for 1 year, if I get to work on my current area of interest and get to associate with the senior faculty. But I was requested not to approach any professor until talks with the current advisor are finalized. Is that a good thing to keep waiting when things are going haywire?

Hello everyone, I have a peculiar problem. I started the Phd program immediately after my bachelors with the hope that I will be able to finish up the phd early and get to work in a research lab. During the admissions I actually contacted one senior faculty , and since he was not recruiting anyone that year, he forwarded me to a new tenure-track faculty in the same field. I was interviewed and taken in by that new faculty. When I joined, I heard strange stories about this new prof, that he was arrogant and forced students to work hard. But, I seriously felt that was more of a personal issue with the previous students and carried along. I had worked with him for two years and published few papers and finished up the phd course requirements and was about to start the thesis topic. The work I did during these 2 years, did not give me much satisfication and I was seriously considering changing the area of work. My advisor even sent me abroad to present my papers at conferences. During the 4th semester, I had been getting hints from other sources that his tenure-track was going to end and he might leave the university. I tried to contact my advisor and ask him if everything was going fine and if he would be leaving the univ - since I need to make sure of my future and apply to other universities and have my options open. My advisor just said, he had another year to stay and I was relieved. After a month after I contacted him regarding his tenure, the advisor indicated he was leaving the university and he wanted me to move with him to the new university. His new university was very low ranked, and I do not want to spoil my career by making that decision. Since I already passed the qualifying exam, I was planning to stick to the old university and find a new advisor and start the thesis topic. During this 2 year span , I had interacted with the senior faculty, with whom I actually intended to work and developed a comfortable rapport. I am sure that senior faculty would accept me into his research group. When I stated my intentions to stay back and continue with another advisor in the old university, my current advisor started asking me for reasons why I dont want to make a move. I told him clearly that i do not wish to move to lower ranked university and that I also have some family issues to move to a far away place. But he just keeps trying to convince me to go along with him. I dont know how to make things clear to him. I had been reiterating my opinion and he doesn't seem to care. After a long discussion for a day, I told him I wont be coming along, he started proposing other solutions like getting co-advised by him and another faculty in the current university, or coming with him as a visiting student. I am looking at this opportunity to explore the working area of the senior faculty, since I am more interested in his work than in my current area of research. But my current advisor doesn't seem to understand it, and due to his personal ego problems with the senior faculty he is forcing me not to go and work with him. I am seriously confused. How should I go about convincing him and staying back in the old university, what other options do I have? Thanks in advance for your guidance.