Failing Ph.D. thesis defense?

Edwards Finance > Computer Engineering

Q. I can't really go into details, but someone I know recently *FAILED* his Ph.D. defense. The reasoning (regarding a portion of research that some on the commitee thought should be further investigated) may be valid, but one has to ask - how could he have gotten to this point before someone said anything? It is my opinion that the student's advisor should be rather familiar with the content of the thesis that the advisor could point out any flaws or areas for improvement before getting all the way to the defense. Also, the members of the committee get copies of the thesis ahead of time and (assuming that they read it before the defense) should also have noticed a "flaw" that serious and pointed it out before the defense actualy took place. There's a lot of other technical issues that point to a lack of communication (the student researched in one department but his degree is in another), but I'm curious. How many out there have heard of such things happening? I'm under the impression that its pretty rare (or should be) - even the VP for Graduate Studies here is concerned.

A. I do not know how to view the process of PhD defense. Traditionally it seems to be the final step in finishing a dissertation and you are expected to "pass" it. But is it also a process where your committee members are given an opportunity to review your work and accordingly they may suggest needed changes or improvements? If it is indeed such a situation then the notion of "failing" is probably too harsh. But it seems to be otherwise. We go to the podium to present our work with the hope that "this will be it". And everybody else who attends the defense also seems to see it as a pass fail situation instead of a formal review process. It is so because that is the way the system has worked. Rarely do the commitee create whole lot of problem for the student. Therefore nobody is prepared to accept rejection, particularly after 5-6 years of work. Neither am I. To reduce the possibility of that problem the departments usually have a comprehensive exam or a proposal presentation process. But it can still happen and I have seen it happen to one or two guys where they had to go back and spend little more time (1-2 months) doing some additional experiments. Of course it kills the joy of that final act of passing a defense. Next time around you go back to the podium there is no excitement at all. It is merely a bitter formality that has to be done. Yes the commitee members have copies of the thesis. But 90% of the time they read it the night before the defense unless they are involved with very closely related projects. I do strongly feel that the student should make the extra effort to get feedback well ahead of the prsenentation date; whether it is a thesis defense or a proposal. But very often students do not do that. Because some committe members then come up with all kind of wish lists for you. Yes the adviser should be confident enough about your work to let you present your work. But I have seen situations where the adviser and the student were not in the best of their terms with each other, or where the commitee members had an axe to grind. I will be presenting my proposal very shortly and I am not very excited about it because I know that a few faculty members in my commitee will do whatever it takes to prove that I am wrong

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