Summary of the Graduate Affairs Committee meeting Feb 14, 2014, 3:30-4:30.

Present: Christina Christara, Stephen Cook (Chair),
Eyal de Lara, Ken Jackson, Allan Jepson (Grad Chair), Aida Nematzadeh,
Bogdan Simion

Regrets:  Michael Brudno

The committee discussed Allan's proposal to replace the current PhD
checkpoints with mandatory annual committee meetings.

The reason for scrapping the present system of checkpoints is that
they are not working.  Allan's chart (attached) shows that PhD students
are taking much longer to meet their checkpoints (and to graduate)
than they are supposed to.  For example after 2 years into the PhD
program only 20% have passed their Qualifying Oral checkpoint,
and after 5 years only 30% have completed their PhD.

The purpose of the proposed annual committee meetings is to
review the student's progress, and provide feedback and direction for
the next year.  Missing (or failing) a meeting would have dire
consequences.  (See the attached sheet "A possible Direction?"
for more details.)

The committee members agreed to poll their constiuents concerning
the proposal, and report back in two weeks.  Allan assigned 
constiuents to the committee members as follows:

Theory:	Steve

Comp Bio, Learning:  Mike

Vision, KR, CL:  Allan

Graphics, HCI, Scientific Computation:  Ken, Christina

Systems:  Eyal

Grad Students:  Aida, Bogdan

The next scheduled GAC meeting is Friday, Feb 28, 3:30 to 4:30
BA 5256.