when students delay the thesis process, they prevent their advisers from taking on other students awaiting an adviser, which effectively limits the adviser's income stream So there is a tendency for some advisers to flout the five advisee rule and take on more than the permitted five advisees. In fact this is treating the symptom not the cause of the problem. So like blood-letting, the situation gets worse rather than better. Advisers can rationalize their actions by saying to themselves, that the cause of their interrupted income stream, lies with the student advisees and not with themselves and so why should they suffer financially, through no fault of their own. So they may surreptitiously take on additional student advisees, which makes managing the problem that/much more difficult for the program and university administration.