Is it inappropriate for a student to attend their mentor's dissertation defense?
I'm an undergraduate student at a research one university. My former instructor and current research mentor is defending their dissertation soon. I asked if I could attend and they said they would be fine with it.
My primary interest in doing so is to see how the defense process works for when I attend graduate school. I am also just genuinely interested in supporting them since we both research the same material and they've been incredibly encouraging and helpful to me.
I know defenses are open to the public, but, in your opinion, would a student attending your defense add more stress or disrupt the process? I just want to make sure I'm not making anything more difficult for them or overstepping a boundary, even though they say they are totally okay with me attending.
thesis students defense
edited 3 hours ago
cag51
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asked 3 hours ago
NicoleNicole
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add a comment |
I'm an undergraduate student at a research one university. My former instructor and current research mentor is defending their dissertation soon. I asked if I could attend and they said they would be fine with it.
My primary interest in doing so is to see how the defense process works for when I attend graduate school. I am also just genuinely interested in supporting them since we both research the same material and they've been incredibly encouraging and helpful to me.
I know defenses are open to the public, but, in your opinion, would a student attending your defense add more stress or disrupt the process? I just want to make sure I'm not making anything more difficult for them or overstepping a boundary, even though they say they are totally okay with me attending.
thesis students defense
edited 3 hours ago
cag51
17.7k73765
asked 3 hours ago
NicoleNicole
26
New contributor
Nicole is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
3
Welcome to Academia.SE. I changed "professor" --> "mentor" ... though undergrads in the US frequently refer to instructors as "their professor," I suspect the person in question is a graduate student and in fact not a professor.
– cag51
3 hours ago
How are you defining "professor"? It could be possible for them to be both, right? It's possible to get an academic position before you finish your PhD; I'm doing a Masters degree, one of my lecturers hasn't finished his PhD yet (though he does have 3.5 years of sessional teaching experience), and he's listed on the university website as "Associate Lecturer".
– nick012000
27 mins ago
1
@nick012000 In Europe (including the UK) you often only call full professors a professor. Others are a doctor or something regional and specific.
– Vladimir F
7 mins ago
add a comment |
I'm an undergraduate student at a research one university. My former instructor and current research mentor is defending their dissertation soon. I asked if I could attend and they said they would be fine with it.
My primary interest in doing so is to see how the defense process works for when I attend graduate school. I am also just genuinely interested in supporting them since we both research the same material and they've been incredibly encouraging and helpful to me.
I know defenses are open to the public, but, in your opinion, would a student attending your defense add more stress or disrupt the process? I just want to make sure I'm not making anything more difficult for them or overstepping a boundary, even though they say they are totally okay with me attending.
thesis students defense
edited 3 hours ago
cag51
17.7k73765
asked 3 hours ago
NicoleNicole
26
New contributor
Nicole is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I'm an undergraduate student at a research one university. My former instructor and current research mentor is defending their dissertation soon. I asked if I could attend and they said they would be fine with it.
My primary interest in doing so is to see how the defense process works for when I attend graduate school. I am also just genuinely interested in supporting them since we both research the same material and they've been incredibly encouraging and helpful to me.
I know defenses are open to the public, but, in your opinion, would a student attending your defense add more stress or disrupt the process? I just want to make sure I'm not making anything more difficult for them or overstepping a boundary, even though they say they are totally okay with me attending.
thesis students defense
thesis students defense
edited 3 hours ago
cag51
17.7k73765
asked 3 hours ago
NicoleNicole
26
New contributor
Nicole is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 3 hours ago
cag51
17.7k73765
asked 3 hours ago
NicoleNicole
26
New contributor
Nicole is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 3 hours ago
cag51
17.7k73765
edited 3 hours ago
cag51
17.7k73765
edited 3 hours ago
cag51
17.7k73765
17.7k73765
asked 3 hours ago
NicoleNicole
26
New contributor
Nicole is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 3 hours ago
NicoleNicole
26
asked 3 hours ago
NicoleNicole
26
26
New contributor
Nicole is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Nicole is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Nicole is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
3
Welcome to Academia.SE. I changed "professor" --> "mentor" ... though undergrads in the US frequently refer to instructors as "their professor," I suspect the person in question is a graduate student and in fact not a professor.
– cag51
3 hours ago
How are you defining "professor"? It could be possible for them to be both, right? It's possible to get an academic position before you finish your PhD; I'm doing a Masters degree, one of my lecturers hasn't finished his PhD yet (though he does have 3.5 years of sessional teaching experience), and he's listed on the university website as "Associate Lecturer".
– nick012000
27 mins ago
1
@nick012000 In Europe (including the UK) you often only call full professors a professor. Others are a doctor or something regional and specific.
– Vladimir F
7 mins ago
add a comment |
3
Welcome to Academia.SE. I changed "professor" --> "mentor" ... though undergrads in the US frequently refer to instructors as "their professor," I suspect the person in question is a graduate student and in fact not a professor.
– cag51
3 hours ago
How are you defining "professor"? It could be possible for them to be both, right? It's possible to get an academic position before you finish your PhD; I'm doing a Masters degree, one of my lecturers hasn't finished his PhD yet (though he does have 3.5 years of sessional teaching experience), and he's listed on the university website as "Associate Lecturer".
– nick012000
27 mins ago
1
@nick012000 In Europe (including the UK) you often only call full professors a professor. Others are a doctor or something regional and specific.
– Vladimir F
7 mins ago
3
3
Welcome to Academia.SE. I changed "professor" --> "mentor" ... though undergrads in the US frequently refer to instructors as "their professor," I suspect the person in question is a graduate student and in fact not a professor.
– cag51
3 hours ago
Welcome to Academia.SE. I changed "professor" --> "mentor" ... though undergrads in the US frequently refer to instructors as "their professor," I suspect the person in question is a graduate student and in fact not a professor.
– cag51
3 hours ago
How are you defining "professor"? It could be possible for them to be both, right? It's possible to get an academic position before you finish your PhD; I'm doing a Masters degree, one of my lecturers hasn't finished his PhD yet (though he does have 3.5 years of sessional teaching experience), and he's listed on the university website as "Associate Lecturer".
– nick012000
27 mins ago
How are you defining "professor"? It could be possible for them to be both, right? It's possible to get an academic position before you finish your PhD; I'm doing a Masters degree, one of my lecturers hasn't finished his PhD yet (though he does have 3.5 years of sessional teaching experience), and he's listed on the university website as "Associate Lecturer".
– nick012000
27 mins ago
1
1
@nick012000 In Europe (including the UK) you often only call full professors a professor. Others are a doctor or something regional and specific.
– Vladimir F
7 mins ago
@nick012000 In Europe (including the UK) you often only call full professors a professor. Others are a doctor or something regional and specific.
– Vladimir F
7 mins ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
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It's fine. As you say, these are open to the public, and it's common for family members, department members, and friends to attend. Since you perhaps are not "firmly" in any of these categories, asking whether it's okay to attend is probably a good idea -- but you've already done this and been given the green light. Enjoy.
answered 3 hours ago
cag51cag51
17.7k73765
1
I would actually have been more offended if the student I was tutoring did not attend the defense.
– Bernhard
13 mins ago
add a comment |
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It's fine. As you say, these are open to the public, and it's common for family members, department members, and friends to attend. Since you perhaps are not "firmly" in any of these categories, asking whether it's okay to attend is probably a good idea -- but you've already done this and been given the green light. Enjoy.
answered 3 hours ago
cag51cag51
17.7k73765
1
I would actually have been more offended if the student I was tutoring did not attend the defense.
– Bernhard
13 mins ago
add a comment |
It's fine. As you say, these are open to the public, and it's common for family members, department members, and friends to attend. Since you perhaps are not "firmly" in any of these categories, asking whether it's okay to attend is probably a good idea -- but you've already done this and been given the green light. Enjoy.
answered 3 hours ago
cag51cag51
17.7k73765
1
I would actually have been more offended if the student I was tutoring did not attend the defense.
– Bernhard
13 mins ago
add a comment |
It's fine. As you say, these are open to the public, and it's common for family members, department members, and friends to attend. Since you perhaps are not "firmly" in any of these categories, asking whether it's okay to attend is probably a good idea -- but you've already done this and been given the green light. Enjoy.
answered 3 hours ago
cag51cag51
17.7k73765
It's fine. As you say, these are open to the public, and it's common for family members, department members, and friends to attend. Since you perhaps are not "firmly" in any of these categories, asking whether it's okay to attend is probably a good idea -- but you've already done this and been given the green light. Enjoy.
answered 3 hours ago
cag51cag51
17.7k73765
answered 3 hours ago
cag51cag51
17.7k73765
answered 3 hours ago
cag51cag51
17.7k73765
answered 3 hours ago
cag51cag51
17.7k73765
17.7k73765
1
I would actually have been more offended if the student I was tutoring did not attend the defense.
– Bernhard
13 mins ago
add a comment |
1
I would actually have been more offended if the student I was tutoring did not attend the defense.
– Bernhard
13 mins ago
1
1
I would actually have been more offended if the student I was tutoring did not attend the defense.
– Bernhard
13 mins ago
I would actually have been more offended if the student I was tutoring did not attend the defense.
– Bernhard
13 mins ago
add a comment |
Nicole is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Nicole is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Nicole is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Nicole is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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3
Welcome to Academia.SE. I changed "professor" --> "mentor" ... though undergrads in the US frequently refer to instructors as "their professor," I suspect the person in question is a graduate student and in fact not a professor.
– cag51
3 hours ago
How are you defining "professor"? It could be possible for them to be both, right? It's possible to get an academic position before you finish your PhD; I'm doing a Masters degree, one of my lecturers hasn't finished his PhD yet (though he does have 3.5 years of sessional teaching experience), and he's listed on the university website as "Associate Lecturer".
– nick012000
27 mins ago
1
@nick012000 In Europe (including the UK) you often only call full professors a professor. Others are a doctor or something regional and specific.
– Vladimir F
7 mins ago