Graduate Assistant wanting to resign TA duties

[mamselle]

Can she get "instate" tuition support as an international student, whether or not covered by a spouse's visa status?

I.e., does she qualify as an "instate" resident? Or is her primary residency going to be seen as her home country?

This gets really tangled.

Instead of coming up with all these finger-in-the-dam solutions, I echo/second/tenth the motion: talk to the DGS.

At the same time, pregnancy needs to be seen as a standard human condition, not a pathology.

Even when it involves AM sickness and other unpleasant side-effects, people have worked long and hard for several decades to clarify it's not an illness or an injury.

At the same time, I can emphathize with a young woman away from home, expecting, and worried about all the outcomes and her survival.

(In fact, there's a seasonal narrative about that at the moment in some settings, today being the first day of Advent and all.)

The basic question seems to be, how can mercy season justice in this case?

You need to ask your Portia.

M.

[dismalist]

I see a TT assistant professor building their grave (i.e., tenure denial).
My advice is to suck it up with this student, then reflect and learn for your future recruitment. What went wrong? How to avoid it? Etc.
Talking publicly about it (with other senior colleagues and program directors) will create an image of a poor supervisor. In addition, it will be material for gossiping among your colleagues and other students.
Always present (or sell) yourself as a caring mentor and express worries (when needed) about your students and their development. Otherwise, people will see you as a naive assistant professor who lacks experience and exposes their students (you know the difference in power argument). This won't be good for your promotion case.

My advice is the opposite.

This is a problem that must be kicked upstairs, precisely to avoid being blamed for this impending catastrophe. In fact, it should have been done weeks ago.

The pregnancy is a red herring.

[kerprof]

Can she get "instate" tuition support as an international student, whether or not covered by a spouse's visa status?

I.e., does she qualify as an "instate" resident? Or is her primary residency going to be seen as her home country?

This gets really tangled.

M.

Yes. The student forwarded me the approval decision letter (through email) in regards to the student's application to convert the tuition rate to instate rate.

[Ruralguy]

I get  what TheTeacher is saying, and it might play out that way. However, you really have to just do the right thing, which is involving the DGS because the situation has a number of complexities.

[dismalist]

...

Yes. The student forwarded me the approval decision letter (through email) in regards to the student's application to convert the tuition rate to instate rate.

Student's taking care of herself. No surprises there.

Is there anything left for you to do? If so, do it!

[soccer]

My analysis of your situation is that the student has serious problems and there is no remedy. You need to work to contain the damage. You need to be cold-blooded. But you should never turn yourself against this student.

I think one of the two following scenarios is happening
  1) the student has no interest in completing the Ph.D. with you and is using you as a stepping stone to move forward her own agenda in life.
  2) the student may not be doing all this intentionally, but she might have a serious mental health problem (depression, adhd, etc.) that prevents her from carrying out regular research and teaching duties.
I don't see what else can explain the situation.

  If 1) is true, the problem is that you will never be able to prove her intent. At every turn of the event, you have to give her the benefit of the doubt but you may very well be taken advantage of.
  If 2) is true, there are so many possibilities. She may not be aware of it. She may be aware of it but may not disclose it to you. She may disclose it to you. Either way, you should be supportive of her, but offering her a RA should not be part of the treatment.
I agree with some comments earlier. You have to suck it up. Stopping support after you are made aware of her pregnancy would be a very bad move. But summer support should be off the table, as she plans not to do any research in the summer. She should continue to work as a TA in Fall 2022 and beyond, unless and until there is a significant improvement in her research productivity and her conduct. You need to compartmentalize your dealing with her. It should be kind and professional, but it shouldn't be open-ended and it should not consume any significant fraction of your time.

[kerprof]

My analysis of your situation is that the student has serious problems and there is no remedy. You need to work to contain the damage. You need to be cold-blooded. But you should never turn yourself against this student.

I think one of the two following scenarios is happening
  1) the student has no interest in completing the Ph.D. with you and is using you as a stepping stone to move forward her own agenda in life.
  2) the student may not be doing all this intentionally, but she might have a serious mental health problem (depression, adhd, etc.) that prevents her from carrying out regular research and teaching duties.
I don't see what else can explain the situation.

  If 1) is true, the problem is that you will never be able to prove her intent. At every turn of the event, you have to give her the benefit of the doubt but you may very well be taken advantage of.
  If 2) is true, there are so many possibilities. She may not be aware of it. She may be aware of it but may not disclose it to you. She may disclose it to you. Either way, you should be supportive of her, but offering her a RA should not be part of the treatment.
I agree with some comments earlier. You have to suck it up. Stopping support after you are made aware of her pregnancy would be a very bad move. But summer support should be off the table, as she plans not to do any research in the summer. She should continue to work as a TA in Fall 2022 and beyond, unless and until there is a significant improvement in her research productivity and her conduct. You need to compartmentalize your dealing with her. It should be kind and professional, but it shouldn't be open-ended and it should not consume any significant fraction of your time.

Are you suggesting that I can continue to advise her towards PhD for now but should not use my startup  fund for her tuition support. This can be done by suggesting her to go after TA duties. Also I should be very mindful of how much time and energy I spend on mentoring her with respect to the research.

When I meet with the program director today, I will discuss the whole issue (except pregnancy) with him but highlighting TA issues she had with other instructor and research related issues that she had with me in Fall 2021 and that the student is now only requesting tuition support , without working as TA /RA  for the stipend.  I will also request the program director if it is OK to push the student to go after TA for supporting her PhD studies.

[Kron3007]

I agree with others that you need to make sure to keep good records and start giving warnings to creat the paper trail.  You also need to be very aware of the regulations in your department and make sure you are compliant.

My first PhD student was a complete disaster, and ended up failing the qualifying exams (twice).  After they failed the first time, I contacted graduate studies and got them involved to make sure everything was done by the book.  I also met with the student weekly leading up to the second attempt to help them prepare, but they were just too Ill prepared. 

As I said, they ended up being kicked out of the program, but I came out ok because I knew and followed protocol, and gave them as much support as could reasonably be expected, with the paper trail to prove it.

This was a major learning experience fore, and a mistake I hope I never repeat. 

Screening students and emplotees is absolutely one of the most important parts of the job.  A good student is so great Md rewarding to work with, but a bad student is an equal but opposite drain.  I just wish there was a good way to know in advance

[bio-nonymous]

I am not saying this is the case for OPs situation (not knowing students background at all of course), but I am privy to the following anecdote from a friend's lab:

PhD student came to US, did almost nothing (bare minimum); after a couple years student passed USML1&2, then left for a Residency. Essentially, this student used the lab as a way to enter US and get paid while studying for the exams (student is now a practicing physician in US). Brilliant con for the student, very expensive mistake for the PI.

Moral of the story?: Things aren't always what they seem.

[filologos]

I am not saying this is the case for OPs situation (not knowing students background at all of course), but I am privy to the following anecdote from a friend's lab:

PhD student came to US, did almost nothing (bare minimum); after a couple years student passed USML1&2, then left for a Residency. Essentially, this student used the lab as a way to enter US and get paid while studying for the exams (student is now a practicing physician in US). Brilliant con for the student, very expensive mistake for the PI.

Moral of the story?: Things aren't always what they seem.

I don't know much at all about the USMLE, but it seems that you have to be in or have finished med school in order to even register for it. Was the student simultaneously enrolled in the PhD program and in med school? Or did the student already have a medical degree from the home country and claim in the PhD application that he/she wanted to shift from practicing medicine to doing research?

[ciao_yall]

I am not saying this is the case for OPs situation (not knowing students background at all of course), but I am privy to the following anecdote from a friend's lab:

PhD student came to US, did almost nothing (bare minimum); after a couple years student passed USML1&2, then left for a Residency. Essentially, this student used the lab as a way to enter US and get paid while studying for the exams (student is now a practicing physician in US). Brilliant con for the student, very expensive mistake for the PI.

Moral of the story?: Things aren't always what they seem.

Sounds like a win for the USA in that we have another well-trained, capable physician.

[Ruralguy]

...and its not as if American students don't do similar things.

[research_prof]

I am not saying this is the case for OPs situation (not knowing students background at all of course), but I am privy to the following anecdote from a friend's lab:

PhD student came to US, did almost nothing (bare minimum); after a couple years student passed USML1&2, then left for a Residency. Essentially, this student used the lab as a way to enter US and get paid while studying for the exams (student is now a practicing physician in US). Brilliant con for the student, very expensive mistake for the PI.

Moral of the story?: Things aren't always what they seem.

And that's why the OP probably has done nothing wrong while recruiting/interviewing the student. Students have different motives for coming to the US. Some of them use graduate programs as a way to make it here and then find a job. You cannot predict such kinds of situations. It has happened to the best faculty I know in my field.

[kerprof]

I am not saying this is the case for OPs situation (not knowing students background at all of course), but I am privy to the following anecdote from a friend's lab:

PhD student came to US, did almost nothing (bare minimum); after a couple years student passed USML1&2, then left for a Residency. Essentially, this student used the lab as a way to enter US and get paid while studying for the exams (student is now a practicing physician in US). Brilliant con for the student, very expensive mistake for the PI.

Moral of the story?: Things aren't always what they seem.

And that's why the OP probably has done nothing wrong while recruiting/interviewing the student. Students have different motives for coming to the US. Some of them use graduate programs as a way to make it here and then find a job. You cannot predict such kinds of situations. It has happened to the best faculty I know in my field.

As per student's CV, the student worked as a research scientist in a federal government agency equivalent to NASA in the foreign country and the projects that she handled in that job appear genuine. I believe that she has the potential to do good research but then I also understand the people's priorities do change.

[mamselle]

Before we go all zenophobic and INS-crazy on her, one needs to remember that sometimes a cigar is also just a cigar...

I wasn't trying to imply she's necessarily gaming the system, only that she might not understand it fully.

Kerprof, something about your style of dealing with your students suggests the need for something our drivers' training teacher used to say.

"Learn how to pump the brakes gently, like stepping on egg-shells, before applying them fully. If you jam them after not slowing down to begin with--especially on the ice--you'll put yourself into a tailspin. If you tap them a couple times, your brake lights come on behind you--telling others you're about to stop--and you (and they) will decelerate better overall."

It seems like you do nothing, then slam on the brakes, then do nothing for awhile, then bang! go the brakes again.

Everyone ends up with whiplash that way--including you.

So, I'd reconsider the aesthetics--i.e., the "how, when and where and in what manner" you work with students.

It isn't getting you the results you need, so it's worth re-visiting as a style issue for yourself, whatever the student's issues are.

An orchestra's sound is made up of all its performers' sounds (to switch metaphors).

You may need to adjust your pitch, it seems to me.

M.