zoterofan

snowblossom2 - thanks for offering your thoughts To you and Sigaba - i think its fair to say it was an error on my part to name the school. Nothing to really be gained from it. I am trying to handle sudden, forced emigration, at the same time as all of this. That kind of stress can facilitate errors of judgment. I am also not so stubborn as to ignore sound advice, sympathetically or unsympathetically offered. It might be time to withdraw as gracefully as possible. I hope this thread has helped others. Thanks to psychgurl, vertices et al for the helpful advice and shared experiences. Sigaba - no hard feelings. Congrats on successes, and good luck in future endeavors to all.

ktel - thanks for the insight. You might be right about over-estimating my value to the program. If I'm not good enough, I'm not good enough. I could accept that. It's just the discrepancy between the professor's initial praise and tone, and what inevitably transpired. Lesson learned, certainly. And again, I just wanted to come here to see if others had had similar experiences, whether or not they might ultimately describe them as unethical, or just part of a competitive status quo. Thanks again.

Sigaba - I have consulted people with many decades of combined experience in academic departments, and in this sub-field, who have said without reservation that this was unethical. They have a fuller understanding of the facts, and they don't need to divine my character from "turns of phrase" - because they actually know me. These are the same people who I trust to tell me to STFU, whenever necessary. Others here have disagreed with me, and I have considered their views with genuine appreciation. If I felt there was something relevant that they had missed, I pointed it out. The difference being that their critiques didn't involve larger assumptions about my character. I never asked you to perform a critique of my actions or reasoning this deep, multilayered, or personal. And then I asked you not to do it. I do accept and appreciate some of the practical considerations you've mentioned - checking out the insights of others on this forum, for example - if not the spirit behind them, nor your forays into personal territory...and so on.

Sigaba - Is it only because of the alleged ethical defects of others that you went from having an opportunity--not a guarantee nor a promise--to receive a prestigious fellowship to being the guy who can't get his calls and email returned, or did you play some part in the dynamic? It's the first one. At all times my interactions were friendly, patient, polite, and so on... This remained the case, even after weeks and months without a response, and after promised clarification of funding and an in-person meeting had not materialized. I have the "situational awareness" to know that venting my frustration at that time with anyone associated with the department, would have jeopardized both my chances of funding and my working relationship with a key member of the departmental faculty, before it even began. Even after I was informed (in a three-line email), that the funding wasn't there, (i.e. after the decision had been made) I tried to inquire, in a neutral way, as to what happened, what the reasons were, etc... This was met with a perfunctory, "press release" response about how "competition was fierce", etc... that is, a response which didn't in any way acknowledge the professor's previous effusive praise, stated determination to convince me to enroll, and broken promises. It was even topped off with an invitation to mail a $250 deposit in order to accept my place, and go about enrolling and paying tuition. I decided at that point to break off direct contact with him, to avoid becoming embroiled in something that might not serve my interests. Only at that point did my approach change. The professor in question, in my view, had had ample opportunity and prompting from me, to speak honestly with me, to level with me, or to even very simply acknowledge his failure to follow through on his 'big talk.' So I took it to senior administrators, in order to put on record, in a detailed way, what happened, what he did and said, and what he didn't do, and the consequences it all had for me. It would have taken a fairly comprehensive acknowledgement of how it all been handled, either from within the department, or elsewhere, for me to change my view of the department. It wasn't forthcoming, so now I will move on with my career and life. this angle of approach...may not be the way to go If in my position, what would you have done differently, Sigaba? Finally, two housekeeping points: - As I cleary said in my original post, what I was hoping for, in sharing my experience, was to hear the experiences of others. I would like to see whether this type of practice is common. Though I admire your honesty, I wasn't - and am not - seeking 'tough love' from a stranger, albeit an apparently supremely experienced one. This is especially so, given that you really don't have all the relevant facts. I've had that long look in the mirror. And I've had some brutally honest conversations over the last few weeks, but with people whom I know and trust. - "your ability to navigate the human terrain" Please, please, don't patronise me. Aside from the fact that you're operating on very limited information, if you want to call me an a$$hole, just call me an a$$hole.

emmm - to be fair, as psychgurl pointed out, the department's website does make it clear that not all admited students will get funding, and that budgets vary. I agree with you though - my strong suspicion is that, once they knew i didnt need to be tempted away from another program, they - in a financial pinch - hoped that I would find some other way of paying, but still enroll in the Fall. What an insane miscalculation. Let me be clear though, at this point they could offer me an apartment, expenses, and a $50,000 stipend, but i still wouldnt take my place, because of how they've handled the whole affair. How could I sign myself up for 5 years of similar shadiness, right at the beginning of my career in - as you note - a VERY competitive and difficult field.

psychgurl - Yes, as I mentioned, I have officially been admitted. My expectation of funding was not based on what the website's guidelines state. I didn't assume I had funding based on my admission. I assumed I had funding based on, as I said, the consistent and unqualified tone of assurance from this professor. The application deadline was Jan. 15th, and he contacted me on Feb. 2nd. I think this quick turnaround also speaks to the fact I was a very highly regarded/ranked applicant. Furthermore, a friend of mine happens to know this professor informally, and in a brief conversation with the Temple professor about me, he got the impression that I was their star applicant this year. So yes, not all students will get funding, but it still doesn't add up that I would go from apparently being held in that kind of esteem, and assured "word" on the 2nd best possible fellowship, by mid-February, to being offered no funding of any kind, in early May. That's why I really don't think it was naive of me. I appreciate your detective work, though!

margarethale - i agree, i had always assumed that funding was essentially part of the deal, though i appreciate that budgets are shrinking these days. To be fair, one of the administrators I contacted made the effort to suggest a grad. assistantship elsewhere on campus. Its at an institute I have no particular interest or experience in, but it is something nonetheless. The problem is both practical and ethical: the GA would only cover 1/2 tuition, but more fundamentally, i just don't think i'd want to get embedded in the poli sci dept. for the next few years, if this is the beginning of our 'beautiful friendship.' How could I entrust my dissertation proposal, conference funding requests, letters of recommendation, etc... to this guy? It does suck. And the more people know that about Temple University, the better. (Sidebar: Get you, playing hardball with SEVERAL billion-dollar educational institutions at once! Glad it worked out for you.)

Thanks reachystik. Appreciate that. I did send a letter, with all the details and correspondence attached, to several senior administrators at Temple. I wanted to give them a fair chance to rectify this, which they haven't done. I would have needed some acknowledgement or explanation of what happened over the past few months, in order to feel comfortable setting foot in the political science department. Infuriatingly (but predictably) no one has been willing to address this professor's conduct. They are happy to express eagerness that I join the dept., but totally unwilling to (theoretically) make that happen by levelling with me. I am too serious about this work to begin my career in a place like that, even though this really complicates things on a practical level. Ever come across anything like this yourself, reachystik?

Thanks for your thoughts, margarethale. I see you have a pretty comprehensive (and impressive!) list of schools you've been dealing with this Spring. Have you ever come across or heard of this kind of dynamic in an application? Congrats on your success!

cafeaulaitgirl, I appreciate that perspective. In a purely formal sense, you're right. There was no official, headed letter. But of course what matters is that at all times the overwhelming tone was one of assurance, and that an effort to recruit me was under way. Let's assume that this was a sincere effort, and that he fought hard to have me funded. Ok. But significant damage has already been done, simply by (needlessly) piling on the "promising noises." The solution would be simple: Just don't talk like that, if there's even a chance you can't follow through. The other question that raises itself: The fellowship he named was, in financial terms, the 2nd most valuable, but there are about 5 separate funding packages below that level. How is it that I went from being such a target for recruitment that he would bribe grad students with pizza, just to talk to me, down all five rungs on the ladder, to being offered nothing?

Thanks emmm. That seems like the right way to do it! I mean - I accept that he might have thought there was funding there, and the funding disappeared, but that means one of two things: 1. Don't assure anyone of funding in the first place 2. If you do, have the integrity to make damn sure you follow through, even if it means extra effort to advocate for that applicant, or to pull whatever strings you need to. To try to play it both ways is just unethical.

Hey all, I've been admitted to the political science PhD program at Temple University in Philadelphia. In early February I was emailed by a senior member of that department, and told how impressive my application was, how excited they were to have me, and how determined they were to persuade me to choose Temple for my PhD. I was told I had been nominated for a specific, named fellowship, and that "word" should be coming on that within two weeks. Having made six unsuccessful attempts to contact/speak with this individual, and almost two months later, without any word on that fellowship, I managed to speak with him by phone in late March. I specifically asked if the delay and lack of response was due to a problem with my application in particular, and was assured that it was not, but rather that there was a general delay in processing funding. His enthusiasm about recruiting me hadn't gone away - we arranged for me to be introduced around the department, and he even assured me he would lure other grad students into meeting me with free pizza. The whole tone was very collegial. I was told that these introductions would happen within a week, and also that, within a week or two, I would certainly have confirmation of my funding. Neither happened. It's really important to note that throughout this whole time, any time notice on funding was mentioned, it was unambiguously in terms of when and not if it would be confirmed. Furthermore, in the course of this phone call, I was asked - very casually, and very much conveying a tone of mere curiosity - whether I was under pressure to accept offers from any other programs. I responded, accurately, that I was not. Having consulted with many friends of mind (including professors and college administrators), the consensus seems to be that this revelation played a key role in this whole episode. Having waited patiently for another five weeks, I made a separate inquiry with the departmental secretary on May 1st (was it possible that a funding notice had been emailed/sent to the wrong address?) Lo and behold, two hours later, this senior member of the department faculty sent me a 3-line email to regret that there was no funding available for me. Since then, I have sent out letters to numerous administrators, repeatedly asked for clarification about what happened, where I was ranked as an applicant, etc... ad nauseam. Nobody is willing to respond to me in a substantive way - to acknowledge that I was misled, ignored, to answer my questions, to explain why I was promised a meeting that never happened, and twice promised notice on funding within two weeks, which never happened. This faculty member's consistent enthusiasm about my standing among applicants, his posture of recruitment, and his failure at any time (despite limitless opportunity) to qualify or mitigate his previous assurances, has had serious consequences for me personally. I am a non-US citizen, and had been relying on this (quite reasonable) expectation of funding, in order to enroll and extend my immigration status beyond July 4th (when my current visa runs out). (To be clear, loans, etc... are not an option for me.) Taking his lead, I had proudly told everyone about my plans for the next few years, and had foregone other possible career and immigration-related options. Now, whatever decision I make (it looks likely I will have to leave the country, placing a real burden on my 3-year relationship with my wonderful and supportive girlfriend), that decision will have to be made in a rush, without proper time for financial preparation, rental lease negotiation, etc... I wanted to share this here, because I haven't yet come across this type of unethical practice, and I really want to hear the stories of others, especially if they pertain to Temple University. (If there is a pattern of behavior here, it may be of public interest). I am not really looking for legal or practical advice about other sources of funding, how to extend my immigration status, and so on, though of course I would appreciate the sentiment of anyone who might offer them. What I really want to know: is this a common practice, a "dirty little secret" of graduate admissions, that they have an incentive to over-promise to good applicants, in order to keep them interested in enrolling? That not having to attract you away from the offer of another program, makes you less of an asset to them, even if your application is of a very high quality. Or is mine really just an egregious case? If anyone has had a similar experience, or heard of one - let's talk, really. The bigger picture here, in my view, is that budget cuts are a scourge on academia, especially liberal arts. I understand that. But competition and rivalry for students, should not lead to an ethical deficit like this. Financial constraints are universal in this country, but most programs still manage to deal with applicants and students responsively and honestly. Thanks guys.