On Trygve's birthday, we went out to the mailbox to see if my mother-in-law's gift of cookies had arrived yet. There was only a few pieces of mail in the mailbox and one of them was from the Graduate Student Committee chairperson at OSU in the History of Art Department. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach as Trygve opened the envelope.
The letter states that after reviewing him, the History of Art Department has concluded that the Master's degree Trygve is supposed to be getting next month will be the last degree he gets here at OSU in that department.
Take a moment and let that sink in.
Basically, it was a formally-worded "you're fired" letter.
The shock shook my entire being...the only thing I could think was "what are we gonna DO??" Everything we've been planning, everything we've been aiming for, all dashed to pieces with one crappy letter. I was glad to have the day off-I spent most of it swinging from anger so fierce I surprised myself and sobbing. Trygve spent most of the day just sitting on the couch, staring into space, muttering about how this takes away so much of his work time. The letter cited some issues he had getting grades in on time (last year) and also that they had concluded that he was just "not suited for academe."
Take a moment and let that sink in, too.
Okay, what the crap?!? Do they KNOW Trygve?? Haven't they EVER met him?? Anyone who's ever been in contact with him for more than 2 or 3 minutes knows that this is what he DOES. He has always known that this is what he wants to do and they're kicking him out, just like that? No warnings, no phone calls or emails giving him a heads up? Last year he spoke to the History of Art Department's head chairman once (ONLY once) about the grading thing and we haven't heard a peep since. I would think that, given the circumstances, SOMEONE would mention SOMETHING like this to him LONG before they just cut him. But no. We were blindsighted and shocked and, of course, completely humiliated. Before the day was over, I had already decided to start looking for employment and housing in Minnesota, convinced we'll be moving back in a hurry, our tails tucked between our legs, coming home as failures.
Trygve went in to see this professor who heads up the Graduate Student Department within the History of Art Department (let's call her Dr. Red) and she tells him that his adviser (let's call him Dr. White) didn't bother to actually GO to his review, but sent a note saying that Trygve doesn't want to continue in the program and that, if the grading thing is such an issue, that they should just discontinue their affiliation with Trygve (or something like that) and let him go.
One more time, let that sink in.
He doesn't WANT to continue?? Do you seriously think we'd move over a thousand miles with no money just to give up halfway through? Heck to the no!! It's been very hard and we've complained to each other more than once about just how hard it's been, but really?? His grades are great (he's graduating Magna Cum Laude for his Master's Degree) and it was LAST YEAR that he had a few issues getting some papers graded on time. So he tells all of this to Dr. Red and she's shocked that Dr. White hasn't been in contact with Trygve at all. Any contact between them has been initiated by Trygve and they've had like 4 conversations since the beginning of the year LAST YEAR. So now Trygve has to pull time out of his busy schedule to track down the elusive and uninvested Dr. White and ask him what the heck he's talking about.
There's a very slim chance he'll be able to get back into the department (obviously there's been some kind of miscommunication, whether or not it was accidental we may never know) and if he could get into the History Department, they wouldn't be able to let him in until next fall (2013). There's a chance he could try to get funding through scholarships, also not available until next year.
So, at this point, we're looking pretty schmucked.
I did tell my boss and my coworkers already so they know that I may be leaving at some point. They are as shocked as we are (and probably you, too) and want to be as supportive as possible. I am glad that those we have informed have not yet thought less of us (or have and haven't said anything yet). It's nice to know people are on our side. Even Dr. Red is on our side as far as we can tell.
That's where we are. That's the truth. I'll keep you posted on what happens.
~Steph
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