My Academic Career might be Collapsing...Advice Needed

[Eccentricity]

So,

I am on the first year of my masters, and doing well, except for a  hurdle which has been thrown my way.

 

The person whom I came here to work with, who I plan on working with in the PhD, is trying to go on sabbatical and has said that if he does so, then there's no chance that he would supervise me for the Masters thesis. 

 

There are MULTIPLE huge problems:

 

1. My research is extremely specialised and sequential...i.e., I need to continue down this research and instruction path in order to continue forward in this field. It's not the kind of field where you can easily flick between subjects and still remain within the same area. There are few people able to supervise this research, and the only person at this institution is this professor.

 

2. Because of some neuropsychological conditions I have, the research path that I am going down is the only path that makes sense for me, and it's the one thing that I am overly-talented at...one reason I am here...the one thing I do very well and am unwaveringly committed to doing.

 

3. This professor and I have one of those remarkable working relationships which you rarely find anywhere. This person would be the EXACT individual to work with, because we get along so well. Given the neurological conditions that I have, well, so few people understand them and can work with me and with them. This person can.  With the right supervisor, my condition makes me extremely good at what I do. With the wrong professor, it's a huge disability, and I don't mean that lightly.

 

I am at an impasse, and am absolutely terrified.

[_kita]

This is a good time to turn to your professor for advice and next professional steps. They will have a good idea of who else in the field could help you with this research, and who would be understanding/accommodating. Since they are the reason you need to consider other options, they should be willing to help you figure them out. Even a few names could be a good starting point.

[Eccentricity]

What would be ideal is if during the year of their sabbatical that they would just do the supervision. There is one other person who could joint supervise me and take the major bureaucratic load off of this professor. I'm hoping that I could get a thesis proposal worked up so that that's a convincing option. I am not even REQUIRED to have a thesis proposal at the masters stage...I don't even know how to begin right now.

 

But I'm worried that I look like someone who demands too much effort. This is bad.

 

The FINAL issue is this. The person might not be able to take sabbatical next year. If they take it the year after that, then the problem would be me being accepted to do the PhD under them. They might simply not accept me because they have to provide supervision to PhD students even when on sabbatical and so wouldn't want to take that obligation on.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Eccentricity

[_kita]

It is a confusing problem. Without knowing when he will be available, or won't be, it makes your entire situation unstable.

 

If the professor is on sabbatical, don't expect them to have the availability to help you out. The most recent professor I know went to Greece to be with his family for a year since his father was in poor health, and with a young son, he had no time during the sabbatical to help any students out. So, if your POI saying he's not going to be able to help you out, I suggest just letting go of the idea that he might be there. Talk to him, the department, other researchers, etc. to determine what would be a good plan of attack in place of his assistance. 

[Eccentricity]

I've never wanted someone not to succeed. I never imagined I would be in that position.

 

The thing is, profs on sabbatical here are required to continue supervising graduate students (I just looked up the university regulations). The reason for this person's sabbatical are research-oriented, in which case I would frame the possibility of my helping the research as part of the thesis...that's how desperate I am.

 

I don't know though, if "graduate" in this instance means "PhD only" or "PhD and Masters."

Edited May 7, 2015 by Eccentricity

[dr. t]

Profs on sabbatical everywhere are required to continue supervising their graduate students... aren't they?

[MathCat]

Is he officially your advisor already? Your first post sounds like that's not the case - I can't imagine the regulations would require him to take on a new student while on sabbatical, but he probably can't toss out his current students.

[Eccentricity]

So, we are assigned a supervisor in general, but then can change supervisors when we have thesis topics solidified. The plan was to ask the university to assign him to me (with his agreement of course), for next year.

 

He's not my supervisor right now but I was going to try and make that switch this term, as he's the only person in the faculty who makes sense for this research.

[random_grad]

If he is going on sabbatical during your masters, consider taking a sabbatical too if working with him is the only option. If he is going on sabbatical after your masters it might not be that much of a problem as any prof would be on sabbatical at some point during your phd. if your phd has a course load component, the issue will be minimal. If not you might need to take a year off school. But that does not mean the end of your career. If the prof is interested in working with you, he will be able to work something out.

[fuzzylogician]

You describe a close working relationship with this professor. Have you brought up these concerns with him in conversation? Does he have any suggestions for what you should do or how to solve this problem? If you are working with him and have previously expressed an writing a thesis in his area, he should understand the implications of not being there to advise you. What does he say? 

[GeoDUDE!]

close means being able to express these things to your advisor. If you have fear of doing this, you are not close.

[juilletmercredi]

OP, has this been resolved? I'm curious.

 

As general notes for posterity - most advisers are "required" or strongly encouraged to continue supervising their graduate students when they are on sabbatical. The extent to which they do, of course, depends on the actual professor themselves - particularly since professors with sabbaticals are generally tenured and there are few, if any, actual consequences for not continuing to supervise students. One of my advisers went on sabbatical twice when I was in the program. The first time I was a second-year in the program writing my master's thesis. He stayed in my city and I still met with him every two weeks; he was very available. The second time I was a sixth-year and ABD; he was gone for most of the sabbatical (physically); we had some Skype conferences and kept in contact via email but he was far less available. (That was okay with me, as I expected that).

 

Some supervisors will be willing to advise you on sabbatical, but the point of a sabbatical is supposed to be a research leave for the faculty member to focus on his or her research and get out some kind of tangible product - a book, a set of papers, etc. They're supposed to decrease the other duties that they have, and that includes being available to graduate students. So it's no surprise that a professor preparing for a potential sabbatical would not want to take you on. Even you framing it as helping the research may or may not sway him, since how much you can contribute would be limited by your stage: if you were an ABD student who had been heavily immersed in the research from day one, you might be an asset. If you're still an MA-level candidate who hasn't already been involved in this researcher's work, you might be more of a liability, particularly if you need a lot of training or on boarding to get into the work.

 

If this is truly the only person in the country that you can work with - well, first, that's a problem, because who will you do a postdoc with? But secondly, then you might also need to take a leave of absence until this person returns and is able to supervise you, if he is even willing to do so.

[GradSchoolTruther]

You do have to be flexible in academia and that means working with others. Why is this professor the "only" one that can possibly supervise you?