Graduate student recruitment is upon us. The eager novitiates arrive later this week, and we have interviews and festivities planned. The graduate students have been pressed to serve as hosts and hostesses. A glorious time will be had by all.
But there is a new phenomenon, which seems to be affecting students in our discipline more than others. At least one in the group will show up with a family member in tow, a wife, husband, partner or parent. This person will participate fully in all planned activities, including, much to our dismay, the one-on-one interviews with faculty.
Two years ago, two students brought their wives. OK, fine. It's good for everyone in the family to see Ellesiouville and I understand that travel funds are limited for students. Whereas one student's wife realized that it would be inappropriate for her to be interviewed along with her husband (now my student) and found activities to amuse herself around campus, the other student's wife did not. She accompanied her husband to each interview, except mine.
(I told my secretary that it was unacceptable for her to be present during my interview of her husband, and so she was told as she headed my way. She was told I was "very old-fashioned," and she pouted angrily in the hall for 30 minutes.)
No, I wasn't being unreasonable. I was the student's fourth or fifth interview of the day, and I had already been warned that she had monopolized the earlier interviews with questions like, "How much will my husband be paid?" and "What kinds of jobs will he be able to get when he graduates?" So mine was the first foot to be put down, and the student's wife decided he would not be pursuing graduate studies at LSU.
Good riddance.
We just received word about the recruitment festivities at one of our top competitors for graduate students. One of our potentials visited there last week, with her mother. And she didn't say a word. Her mom dominated all discussions, even regaling the graduate students at lunch with her baby's GRE scores. I'm so glad that I'm going to be out of town for this one.
I would like to start sending out a little blurb with our invitations, something that makes it clear that family members are not welcome at those interviews and events that we use to measure someone's fitness for our program. Maybe a list of area attractions, directed to traveling companions? Or maybe we just need to grow spines?
Monday, March 05, 2007
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17 comments:
Maybe the prospective grad students are the ones who need to grow a spine. Can you imagine if your husband (or your mother, hah) had accompanied you on your interviews? I would've been so embarrassed.
Ick! That is really ridiculous that parents are chaperoning. I "get" having family/spouse/partner come along to check out places to live, etc., but not to take part in the interviews.
Interestingly, I recently read about a new trend of parents attending job interviews and job fairs with their gen 'y' progeny. You can probably make a good guess as to whether or not 'junior' gets those jobs. one of my students told me that a college-age young man came to The Gap, where she works, with his mother to apply for a job and the mother gave son instructions for how to ask for the application and then fill it out. Apparently his application was thrown away the second they left the store.
Sheesh! Incredible.
Wow. Just...wow.
That sounds like a FERPA violation orgy and a lawsuit (class action lawsuit, perhaps?) just waiting to happen.
How on earth can they do good research if they can't do this much on their own?
When I first read this, I thought you meant cactus spines. Maybe those too.
The world is a hard, cold, unforgiving place. These parents/partners are not doing their loved ones a favour. Though, perhaps it is a good weed-out strategy.
No, don't deliberately disinvite people, but have a list of attractions available. Or at least bars.
William the Coroner
I'm with William. Just use the presence of other people in the interview as a reason to cross them off your list. It's not like you have a shortage of applicants, right?
I'm just trying to imagine what a mother/husband/wife thinks they are doing at an interview. Have people no sense of truly inappropriate and also bad form?
I would simply allow the other person in and continuously shut them up ...
"I was asking little Timmy the question and I need to know little Timmy's answer, not his mommy's in order to evaluate his ability to be in this program." Or, something like that. They'll get the hint.
Someone already mentioned it but it bears repeating: FERPA FERPA FERPA!
I've noticed this trend in our graduate program also. Anyone else?
"I've noticed this trend in our graduate program also. Anyone else?"
I haven't, but then again, I have yet to interview potential graduate students. As graduate recruitment season is upon us, too, however, I may end up in this position. If Timmy's mother/aunt/wife/whatever thinks that he/she can sit in on Timmy's interview, I'll stomp my foot down and require a signed FERPA waiver.
My boyfriend is coming along with me on an out-of-state graduate recruitment event, but just to see the city and make sure that this is somewhere he would want to move. I wouldn't dream of bringing him along on tours or interviews. I figure the professors there won't even know that I brought someone with me.
Holy helicopter parents/spouses, Batman.
I'd have to seriously question th ejudgement of any grad or post-doc who had to bring support people to an interview. I'd probably make that an interview question: "Why would you need to bring mommy/spouse to a professional interview?"
Our establishment has a specific lounge for them, though -- complete with munchies and a few grad spouses and faculty members to answer their questions.
I am amazed by this.
From rank and file undergrads, sure. But from people who are planning to continue their education? Did they not grow a spine or develop any sense of responsibility or accountability during those four years? What the hell are they going to do when they get their first rejection letter from a journal? Sic Mommy on them?
Look at it this way. At least you know right up front what a doofus the candidate is and you can just cut him loose at the first opportunity. And NOT give him the interview.
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