WH Clark - UT dismissal
December 14, 2001David G. Hull, Graduate Advisor (ASE) and Chair of the ASE Graduate Studies Committee
Dear Mr. Clark,
Per your request a committee of graduate faculty in the orbital mechanics area was formed to review the research project "Mars Path Finder" that you submitted to us for review in November 2001. Since you failed to attend the meeting with Dr. Dolling and me on December 11th 2001 to discuss the committee's review I am conveying to you the findings of that review, and our subsequent actions, by this letter. The committee's judgment was that the work was inadequate for either a dissertation or thesis. Further, none of the faculty in the orbital mechanics area is willing to serve as your advisor or on your research committee. Since an advisor and research committee are essential elements of the doctoral program, and no faculty members are willing to serve in such a capacity, you cannot continue in the doctoral program. You will not be permitted to register in the aerospace engineering graduate program for Spring 2002, or thereafter. The oral examination scheduled for December 18th has been canceled. These actions have been approved by the Vice President and Dean of Graduate Studies.
Sincerely yours, (signed)
David S. Dolling, Chairman, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering & Engineering Mechanics (recently promoted to the College of Engineering Dean's office)
DSD:tw(D473L)
C:
Teresa A. Sullivan, Vice-President and Dean of Graduate Studies
(recently promoted to Dean of the UT Law School)
Ben G. Streetman, Dean, College of Engineering
Neal E. Armstrong, Assoc. Dean for Academic Affairs
NOTES:
(1) The material they evaluated was an exact duplicate of this "Mars Pathfinder" website, plus the complete source code. (2) I had called to reschedule the meeting mentioned in this letter until I passed my oral qualifying exams, and Dr. Dolling agreed to do so. (3) It's interesting to note that all that stuff ~ evaluating the project, assembling the Graduate Studies Committee, polling everybody in the Aerospace Department, talking everything over with the Graduate Dean and the Engineering Dean took place in a two week period that included the Thanksgiving Holiday, the UT-A&M football game, final exams, and final exam grading. (4) During the appeal the following spring, the Aerospace Department took four months to evaluate my research - again - which tells me that they didn't even read the material I submitted in November 2001. (5) The day I went in to take my oral Ph.D qualifying exam I was told I had been expelled by letter (which was held up by the holiday mail rush). (6) My Mom had been getting progressively sicker the last few months and the day I got expelled she was told by her doctor she had terminal bone cancer; I pleaded mitigating circumstances to the University ~ they said to my face I was lying and refused to readmit me even as a non degree seeking undergraduate student. (7) Mom died a year later, the day after my last appeal was rejected.