======= Date Modified 07 Aug 2011 16:19:42 =======
My situation is that I suspended from my PhD for health reasons. I have until October to make up my mind. The last year has been the nightmare from hell and I've been on the verge of quitting countless times. I have no faith whatsoever in my supervisor who has been a right barsteward to put it mildly.
Now, here's the thing, a renowned academic in my field but outside my uni has offered to help (on the quiet). Has anyone ever done this and it is a potential solution? I'm funded (although this is suspended atm) so I can't up sticks and move unis.
If it might be a way of completing, I'd seriously consider the idea.
All thoughts welcome, don't know what to do!

Hey Buzzy! I see your point, but I think this could be really awkward to be honest. What sort of support has this academic offered? Supervision, general guidance, commenting on written work etc? Is he/she likely to deliver on what they've promised and do they know about the current situation with your existing supervisor? I think it would be hard to keep this sort of support a secret from your supervisor, and there might be problems further down the line. For example, would this person be named on publications, or acknowledged in your final thesis? Is there any way you can accept this sort of support without keeping it a secret from your sup? I'm guessing from what you say that this probably wouldn't go down well... KB

Seems like a no brainer to me if the outside academic can be trusted to keep quiet. Essentially a Phd is the student's work, not the sup's, so it's up to you to do it. In my mind completing it with minimal contact with your official supervisor (whilst meeting under the cover of darkness with the other guy) is entirely plausible and shouldn't raise too much suspicion. With funding you have at least a thousand reasons a month to go for it.

Thanks guys, basically the support offered would
be all one would expect from proper supervision and not what I get now! There's
no way I could tell my current super. I would basically have to bite my lip in
the meetings with that one (they're always useless anyway). Current sup is
chippie AND has no experience bar losing another Phd student after one year (I
didn't know that at the time). I can see reasons for concern and am not entirely
sure of the 'quiet' super's motivation apart from knowing of the support for my
project (and interestingly a very low opinion of current sup!). This has already driven me to health problems so have to be v. careful. Feel
confused.com!

I'd be tempted to try and get another internal supervisor who can be the internal supervisor for office box-ticking and then ask this other person to be your main supervisor, albeit external.

How could I do that though if I've got funding from current uni? It's difficult to explain all but the past year has been a nightmare since I got ill and my sup has managed to make it out that I'm the bad guy so relations with department not great.

I had three sups, one uni sup and two external sups. External sups are not unheard of though my uni was aware and agreed to my external sups. My external sups were justified as they were more specifically reknown in my field. Does it need to be under a cloak?

That's really interesting, thanks. I just don't know if my uni would accept me having an outside sup, and I think merely asking at this stage would put me back. 'Quiet' super suggested this informal basis and no, there are no strings. And yes, I would prefer this super to take credit not the current one (second supervisor completely disinterested and in any case anything that has been suggested has been slapped down by main super, which has been a nightmare!)

I dunno, I think I agree wtih Keenbeen. While it may be ok for 6 months, eventually it will become tricky. What happens if your actual supervisor doesn't agree with edits you've made due to the 'hidden' supervisor for example? WHat happens if 'hidden' supervisor wants to be named on publications? I don't think its possible to hide it in the long term.

I think you'd be better off either formalising the relationship and asking him to become a supervisor of some sort, or asking this external one to be an informal advisor (with your actual supervisor's knowledge).

I know, I can see the potential probelsms, although do know 'quiet' super won't feel the need to be co-author on publications (they have way enough already in their own right!). Current sup hasn't added anything useful to the thesis and in fact changes direction all the time which has been a major problem.
Thing is, I can't go back and work with current sup - will leave - hence dilemma!
thanks for talking to me about it, really helps

but it sounds like you'll have to work with your current sup anyway - its not like you can just ignore him/her and go off with the 'quiet' one. Also, in my experience, people who have a lot of publications, have them for a reason and are therefore very savvy in knowing how to a) produce good work b) push out publications but importantly for you c) jump on other peoples work. It is definitely something worth considering. I know if I was supervising someone and picking up the slack for another supervisor, I'd expect to be at least a 3rd author on papers.

Well there is no co-authorship contract in place with current sups (haven't signed and have checked uni handboook) and in fact have done my own thing with conferences and have an article published solo (tho not directly on PhD topic). I think it will be basically a case of going through motions with current sup, ignoring and doing own thing.....still asking myself whether it's workable. but again, the answer is if it is not I cannot work with current sup so will quit.....mmmmmm

Is there any way you could get through the PhD by having your supervisor still 'officially' on board but you have the knowledge and skills to make it on your own?

Terrible position to be in. Hope it works out.

I think I could with the 'quiet supervisor' in the background and we'd have regular meeting to discuss (whereas current sup is monologue about nothing useful just trying to be 'clever'. Completely on my own? Nope, v much doubt it..............

It is a horrible situation. My only thinking is that you shouldn't have to go through this in the first place and therefore complaining about the existing supervisor and finding a solution where you can formally get the other one on board as an external supervisor seems like the 'proper' solution. Although I don't envy you the politics of the situation!