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The power structure of academic research is completely lop-sided, with graduate students essentially powerless and professors as all-powerful dictators.

Here is a breakdown of how the research group power structure works.

Shortly after you get to graduate school, you choose a research group you want to join. The professor/dictator of that group will let you in only if she/he thinks you are worthy of such an honor. After you join this group, it is virtually impossible to change your mind and switch groups without causing huge political chaos in your Chemistry department. If you leave a group, you will be branded with the scarlett letter “F” (for failure) and you may not even be able to join another group because other professors will view you as damaged goods. Some people in this position will often change schools to avoid changing labs within the same department. Because of this lack of choice for the graduate student, once you join a group you pretty much stick it out come hell or high water.

So, now that you are locked into a group, you will work for ONE professor/dictator for five plus years. This one professor will have an extraordinary amount of power over you. If at any time during your graduate career this professor decides you suck, s/he can kick you out of the group without any notice or good reason at all. Even if this professor just doesn’t like your personality, it is completely within her/his power to “fire” you from grad school without any justification. The only time you attain some power is when you hold that piece of paper in your hand that says Ph.D. on it.
And who knows when that will be? That is up to this one professor to decide. Have you done enough to earn a Ph.D. or after 6 years do you really just deserve a Master’s degree? Have you done enough after 7 years or do you really need to finish project X first, or project Y, or this additional project Z too?

Whatever the professor says, goes. And when someone is holding that much power over you, what can they ask of you? Just about anything… like…

- long, ridiculous hours in lab
- random personal favors, e.g., babysitting their kids
- little time off for vacations and/or family
- to be in the lab on XMas Eve
- making chemicals which involve very dangerous chemistry because it is a couple bucks cheaper to make them than to buy them- and your safety isn’t a priority
- putting up with sexism in your lab
- putting up with psychological abuse by the professor as well as your colleagues
- constant negative feedback

It is a system that is inherently flawed and we find it curious that it has lasted so long. Basically, if a professor wants to abuse his/her students, it is completely within the discretion of that professor. If a student complains then s/he will undoubtedly be injured as a result. As long as professors bring in the grant money, the University doesn’t care what kind of abuse the professors heap upon their students. It may look like a slave-labor camp in their labs, but as long as the NIH is writing checks made out to the University in question- all is good.

We think the system is completely wrong and needs to be destroyed and rebuilt from a new foundation based upon the empowerment of graduate students. Nothing great is going to come out of a dictatorship. Ultimately, this system is creating trained slaves, not innovators. Although the current system can claim some successes, how many more could it claim if its form actually followed function? The function of graduate school is to inspire, educate, and train young scientists to be the passionate, creative, innovators of tomorrow. When, in the course of human history, has a totalitarian power structure every supported that function? Never. Societies that embrace freedom and individual rights have flourished. Why should graduate school be any different?