How does your program handle "leftover" PhD students when an advisor leaves?

[polly_mer]

Are there any differences between when the advising faculty member leaves and when they die?'

As in, are there any models from the latter situation that might help craft options for the current one?

M.

The only difference is that a departed faculty member can stay on a student committee for up to a year from their new institution, where the dearly departed cannot.

This assumes the advisor chooses to do so.  Usually that would happen, but if someone is moving to industry, they may not really have the time/interest to contribute to any major degree.

That depends.  At my current non-academic employer, we are strongly encouraged to be members of dissertation committees for students.  I have served on thesis committees while employed in non-academic positions.  For places with graduate pipeline needs, fostering the pipeline can be "other duties as assigned".

Both my thesis and dissertation committees had non-academic PhDs doing relevant work and I have worked at those employers in part because of already having a network in place.

[jerseyjay]

In the cases I witnessed, it all seemed to work fine, but it was the kind of thing that relied on everyone's good will and good behavior.

I guess this is another difference between changing jobs and dying--dead people, however beloved, do not have good will.

Unfortunately, there was very little good will in my case, either. My advisor and senior members of the department had a serious falling out which led to an implosion in the department and I suppose that other members of the department had little incentive to take over my advisor's workload. My advisor did what he could--setting me up with my new advisor in another department--but since he was generally persona non grata in the department, he had very little pull.

I really have never figured out what happened in the department, and who was, at bottom, to blame in the implosion. And now, 20 years later, I have no real desire to do so.

[teach_write_research]

In the physical science R1s I am familiar with, there is no specific handbook process but the depts make every effort to make it work.

Has your department ever considered/discussed making it a specific handbook-documented process? This kind of thing doesn't seem to happen too often, but describing the process in the handbook -- funding, how students are re-matched, to what extent students can remain in their department/program (e.g., would the student be moved to a different research track if no suitable advisors were available in their current track?) -- might benefit leftover students when deciding to stay versus leave with current advisor.

It might not need to be "policy" but it could be included in an appendix as General Guidance and Advice. The purpose being to let folks know that advisor disruptions can happen, the department faculty are committed to a workable solution for all involved within the policies and resources available, and that the circumstances are often unique and individual solutions are the more likely outcome rather than a standardized policy. Include references to specific department/institutional policies and offices that would be consulted. This would at least provide a rough guide as a starting point.

[Kron3007]

Are there any differences between when the advising faculty member leaves and when they die?'

As in, are there any models from the latter situation that might help craft options for the current one?

M.

The only difference is that a departed faculty member can stay on a student committee for up to a year from their new institution, where the dearly departed cannot.

This assumes the advisor chooses to do so.  Usually that would happen, but if someone is moving to industry, they may not really have the time/interest to contribute to any major degree.

That depends.  At my current non-academic employer, we are strongly encouraged to be members of dissertation committees for students.  I have served on thesis committees while employed in non-academic positions.  For places with graduate pipeline needs, fostering the pipeline can be "other duties as assigned".

Both my thesis and dissertation committees had non-academic PhDs doing relevant work and I have worked at those employers in part because of already having a network in place.

Yes, this is common, but not universal. 

[ggplot2]

In the physical science R1s I am familiar with, there is no specific handbook process but the depts make every effort to make it work.

Has your department ever considered/discussed making it a specific handbook-documented process? This kind of thing doesn't seem to happen too often, but describing the process in the handbook -- funding, how students are re-matched, to what extent students can remain in their department/program (e.g., would the student be moved to a different research track if no suitable advisors were available in their current track?) -- might benefit leftover students when deciding to stay versus leave with current advisor.

It might not need to be "policy" but it could be included in an appendix as General Guidance and Advice. The purpose being to let folks know that advisor disruptions can happen, the department faculty are committed to a workable solution for all involved within the policies and resources available, and that the circumstances are often unique and individual solutions are the more likely outcome rather than a standardized policy. Include references to specific department/institutional policies and offices that would be consulted. This would at least provide a rough guide as a starting point.

I think having something written down in a handbook, however broad, would be a good starting point. For graduate students, having your advisor leave is particularly destabilizing - it's an appropriate reaction to consult the handbook to see how your department handles these situations or seek out information on how cases have been handled in the past. Leftover students might interpret the lack of written information as a departmental preference for leftover students to leave (either leave with the departing advisor or 'start over' at a new institution), rather than have them be re-matched with a new advisor within the department.

This is a difficult choice for students; as much information as possible should be provided so students can make an informed decision (although 'as much information as possible' may not be a lot of information). A written statement of support is especially applicable to students whose advisors pass away, since students with living advisors (who are departing to another institution, industry, or retirement) can at least consult with that advisor about what would be the best choice for the student. Like with retiring or industry-departing advisors, students whose advisors pass away can only stay and be re-matched or 'start over' at a new institution, but they receive no guidance from their former advisor.