Doctoral students and their DC members should get together at least once every nine months (be sure to check the next report due date on the supervision agreement or the feedback form from your previous meeting and schedule the meeting at least two weeks in advance).

 

1 Introductory Material

Doctoral students and their DC members should get together at least once every nine months (be sure to check the next report due date on the supervision agreement or the feedback form from your previous meeting and schedule the meeting at least two weeks in advance). While combined meetings are preferred, a student may arrange a one-on-one appointment with a DC member if necessary. A student is required to meet with each member of his or her DC at least one every nine months; teleconference meetings are acceptable alternatives. Meetings may include participation from outside parties, and choices about who to invite should be made in consensus.

 

2    Ahead of the Conference

 a. The doctorate candidate is responsible for planning the gathering. 

A thorough research proposal or progress report from the student is sent to the DC members at least 14 days before the conference. You should submit your report to the GSGS Office about this time a month before it is due. Report writing guidelines and alternatives (such as drafting a paper instead) are available.

 

3 While in conference 

The meeting's agenda is mostly up to the student and the DC members themselves.     Still, it's crucial to keep track of the major choices made, thus learning how to take effective meeting minutes is a valuable skill. The student should take notes throughout the conference for this reason. The members of the doctorate committee should specify what should be included in the meeting minutes and how much detail they anticipate. The GSGS Steering Committee wants to have a sense of how things are going for the students. The GSGS office also requires certain information from you to assist organize GSGS resources and events. Therefore, as part of the meeting, please fill out the Doctoral Committee Members' Feedback Form. Everyone present, including the PhD candidate, must sign it. Overleaf you'll find a checklist that will assist you organize the meeting.

 

 4   Following the assembly 

Within two weeks after the meeting, the student should distribute the minutes to everyone who was there. 

The student must be provide the following materials to the GSGS office no later than 14 days after the conference (ideally as a scan or a PDF to gradschool-geosci@uni-koeln.de): 

1. signed "Activities" form and copies of any proof needed to apply for GSGS points;

 2. a PDF of the research plan (due date specified in supervision agreement); 

 or b. a PDF of the progress report (due date specified in feedback form of last meeting); 

3. the signed feedback form(s).

 

Gathering of the Doctoral Committee:

Imagine this: you're a doctorate candidate in an area where fresh knowledge is desperately needed. The doctoral committee meeting for a PhD is like a milestone on the road to completion. At this gathering, you may share the results of your study and get constructive criticism from seasoned professionals.

 

In the course of the meeting,

You're going to be the focus of the meeting. You explain what you've learned so far, how you've done it, and what obstacles you've encountered. Here is your opportunity to shine and learn something new.

Members of the committee, who together have decades of expertise, listen intently before offering their opinions. They may provide advice on how to enhance your study, bring up points you hadn't thought about, and provide helpful feedback.

 

The Importance of Committee Meetings:

One could ponder the significance of these conferences. In a nutshell, they are quality control measures for your study. Think of the committee as a quality assurance check to make sure your work lives up to the standards of the academic and scientific communities. Their opinions are crucial, too. It may aid in the improvement and refinement of your study.

 

Steps in a Committee Meeting's Development:

Meetings with the committee are a common part of the research process. One such time may be just before your research proposal defense, when you explain your approach. One alternative time may be just before your dissertation defense, when you present all of your findings. Input from the committee at each level ensures that you keep on course and may make any required modifications.

The doctorate committee meeting is an essential milestone in the field of academic and scientific study. This is when your efforts meet the knowledge of others, and your study takes on a form of its own.

By attending these conferences, you may be certain that your PhD-level research is of the greatest standard. Therefore, look at these gatherings as chances to further your education.

 

Discussion in Committee:

Schedule a time to meet.

Two months out from the scheduled meeting, you should begin planning. Finding a time when all of your committee members are free might be challenging.

Gather everyone's contact information (email, office phone, cell phone) on the committee, including your Graduate Council Representative, and, over the phone, have everyone choose a day and time within the next week when they're available to meet. Phone calls are sometimes faster than emails.

• Decide on a meeting time and day that is convenient for everyone involved.

Immediately after deciding on a time and day for the meeting, call everyone involved and have them mark that time and date on their calendars or give them an invite.

 

Get a room for a meeting:

If you need assistance locating a classroom, contact the appropriate administration at your institution. Meeting spaces are available for reservation in the Graduate Student Commons. Meeting spaces are available at the Valley Library.

 

Schedule a date:

Time, date, location (building and room), and purpose (program committee meeting, oral test, thesis defense) should be sent to all committee members (and assistants) by email.

You must submit a Graduate School Exam Scheduling Form.

Send a reminder email to the committee members 48 to 72 hours before the meeting with the meeting's time, date, location (building and room), and agenda item(s). Make sure you verify everyone's attendance. You'll have to postpone the meeting if even one person doesn't show up.

 

Brief housekeeping notes:

 • Reserve the conference room. If needed, get the keys to the building and the room.

Take care of the AV needs.

Make arrangements for remote participation (if required).

• Confirm audio/visual needs 24 hours before the meeting.

• If possible, try out your remote connections a full day before the meeting. You will need to reschedule your meeting if the connection fails to establish at the scheduled time.

Check the functionality of all audiovisual components the day before the meeting.

• If necessary, assist remote participant with equipment setup and testing.