Should I quit the PhD?

[debs40]

I am so pissed off. Trying to finish my PhD over the last year whilst unfunded in my completion year has been a nightmare.

I couldn't do it within the 12 months completion period and so my fees increased from £100 to £250 a term leaving me with a bill of £500 to be paid in 28 days.

The Uni know all about the problems I've had with DS this year - constant appointments, Early Bird Plus course, SEN problems with the school, the day to day management of ASD as well as working and they say if I was a student with these problems, they would reduce the fees. As I'm a parent of a child with these problems, they can do nothing.

Will do nothing more like.

It annoys me so much as the law is supposed to be changing so that 'associative discrimination' will be against the law - this would include parents of disabled children. As it is, the Equality Act is not yet in force so they don't have to apply it so they don't. They could take a broad view but choose not to.

This is a Uni - Essex University- which markets itself as a human rights centre and leader in rights and equality work. My arse! The only reason I decided to do my PhD there was because my supervisor is a leader in my field and because of their commitment to human rights. But they have done nothing to support me or offer me assistance without me fighting for every small accomodation.

I feel like jacking in. What is the bloody point? I've been working my arse off to finish this and all they have ever done is make things more difficult for me.

My supervisor is useless. He leaves me to it and I see him at Panel meetings once a year (they were only implemented three years in to my PhD as the Uni was under pressure from the AHRC because of its low completion rate).

Any ideas?

Don't give up debs, you've come this far. Is it the fees which are the main problem at the moment?

Have you been to Student Services? They're usually helpful in pointing students to other sources of funding.

Do you know if you're eligible for the Access to Learning fund? Postgraduates are normally able to apply and you usually get priority if you have dependents (not sure about eligibility if you're writing up and not in attendance though).

I say don't give up. If you do how will you feel -- it would be terrible for your sense of self-worth to give up now. And it does help to have a Phd for all sorts of reasons. Have you thought of going to the University ombudsman? You should have a right of appeal higher than your department and/or the registry if you are being treated unfairly and not being supported properly. If you are not being supervised properly you should have a right to take a grievance outside your departmental structures. (Ring the registry and ask for a copy of the regs concerning complaints by students.)

I really hope you do finish it, it'll be so good for you and for your son that you've managed this massive achievement -- and you are nearly there.

And one day you will be able to say 'it's ok, you can take your clothes off, I'm a doctor' which will make it all worth it

Thanks guys. Now I have told them I might have to withdraw they have come up with a couple of suggestions. They are complete crap though.

niminy - do all universities have their own ombudsman?

Student Union? Don't you have to cough up fees for this? Get them to help out?

TRy not to pack it in (easy for me to say).

NUS campaign site

They should do it used to be called the University Visitor but the system was revamped following some very high profile appeals that went to court. The University statutes should say what the system is but there should definitely be a procedure for you to make a stink. The student union if it is any cop and is bothered about graduate students should also be able to advise on the regs.FWIW if it were my institution and dept you would be seeing someone else apart from your supervisor at least every year for monitoring purposes (monitoring the supervisor as well as you!) and there would be a director of graduate students you called talk to. I'm really shocked to hear about the shoddy supervision you've had and the lack of support from your department!

Debs
Don't jack it in - BUT DO ASK FOR THIS THREAD TO BE REMOVED.

Anyone googling would find it and you're easily identifiable. You don't want to antagonise them.

Best wishes

they do sound absolutely crap, but don't give up. surely if you see the head of dept or admin manager the the dept have some sort of funds to help in special circumstances? also there should be an independent adviser outside your depart that should assist in such matters (we have one who supports any issues that arise within the faculty), trouble is as i am finding dept/uni all so different it just may not be the case . In total agreement with niminypiminy.

Are you FT Phd?

Thanks. This has been going through the registry so far but I will speak to student support and NUS.

I'm not sure I care about them identifying me to be honest. They are crap, they have been crap and others should know. I wish I'd chosen another university.

KEEP GOING X