Committee coming together and apart

Coming together - I told my advisor that Dr. Dept Chair was going to be my chair. Since the "caught with our pants down" incident, she seems to have refocused her energy. Yeah for me! She now thinks that getting my dissertation done sooner rather than later is a good thing because "I don't think they'll be much funding next year." Ah, there is no fourth year funding here unless you get picked up to work on a grant.... and I'd rather slice my wrists. There is a guy here that is on his fourth funded year, but everyone knows that he's kind of a nut-ball. He's decided to do a philosophical dissertation and yet our school doesn't even have a masters program in philosophy. His committee seems to be floundering. Let's just say that the good ones get up and out. That's my plan.

Coming apart - I went to a meeting on the other campus and "ran into" my soon-to-be methodologist. (Yes, purposefully...) We've talked before about my study and she gave me every indication she was on board. She had questions, but nothing that seemed unreasonable considering the novelty of my data collection. She gave me a hug, we chatted, and then I said I wanted to talk to her about being on my committee. She gave me the deer in the headlights look. I figured she'd say something like she was too busy -- she's in a different school and could certainly be a nice cover for letting me down easy. Instead, she asked me about IRB issues, etc. She said she didn't want to be the first. I told her that rumor has it someone else did something similar and I was in the process of tracking it down. I also told her that some folks that serve on the IRB think that it should either be exempt, or expediated under panel B. They see no problems with it. She gave me the "are you sure" look. I let it go and told her I would talk to her later. I mentioned it to Dr. Chair and he said he'd handle it and when we get closer that he'll call her. Okee-do-kee. I have enough to worry about.