Summary of the Graduate Affairs Committee meeting March 14, 2014, 3:30-4:30. Present: Stephen Cook (Chair), Eyal de Lara, Allan Jepson (Grad Chair), Aida Nematzadeh, Bogdan Simion Regrets: Michael Brudno, Chistina Christara, Ken Jackson The committee discussed a draft proposal by Allan Jepson (see attached) for the PhD checkpoints and supervisory committee meetings, based on the the discussion at the February 28 meeting. Eyal proposed an alternative version in which beginning PhD students would take a mandatory graduate course to prepare them for the first checkpoint (something like the Qualifyfing Oral), followed by committee meetings every 12 months with descriptions of what was expected (similar to Allan's checkpoint proposal). Eyal will writeup his proposal, and it will be discussed at the next GAC meeting, along with the Jepson proposal.