Summary of the Graduate Affairs Committee meeting Nov 15, 2013, 1-3pm

Present: Michael Brudno, Christina Christara, Stephen Cook (Chair),
Ken Jackson, Allan Jepson (Grad Chair), Aida Nematzadeh, Bogdan Simion

Regrets:  Eyal de Lara

The committee continued discussing Allan's draft document
"Policy Proposal for DCS Graduate Student Supervision"
DRAFT Nov 14, 2013.

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Under "PhD supervision and supervisory committees":

Item 1 [PROPOSAL]  "In the case that a new student has multiple
sponsors listed on their offer of admission, the student has up to five
months to select one of these faculty members as a supervisor"

The committee thought that this should be reworded to something like
"...five months to come to an agreement with one of these faculty
members to act as his/her supervisor".
  Also most committee members thought that five months was OK,
although Christina thought the time limit should be shorter.

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Under "Time Limits on the PhD program:"

 [PROPOSAL]  "We should require that the DCS Research Proposal checkpoint must be passed, instead of simply the Qualifying Oral, in
order for a student to achieve candidacy."

APPROVED

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Under "MSc supervision"

Item 1 [PROPOSAL]  Same as Item 1 above for PhD supervision.
A similar rewording applies here.


Item 2a [PROPOSAL]  APPROVED

Item 2b [PROPOSAL] APPROVED

Item 4 [DEBATE]  NO, we do NOT want to require that the second reader
of the MSc research paper should be a member of CS-SGS.

A student's co-supervisor could serve as second reader.

Item 5 [PROPOSAL]  This was approved, with the proviso that the
first line states

"A student who otherwise making good progress decides ..."
(This insertion is to make the wording similar to that of Item 5 for
PhD supervision.
Most committee members thought that the six months time was OK,
although Christine thought it should be shorter.


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Under "Time Limits on the MSc program:"

The [PROPOSAL] was approved, subject to the following rewording:

"In order to transition to the PhD program, one or more full members of
CS-SGS must have agreed that they are willing to supervise and arrange for
funding of the student."


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Under MScAC supervision:

Item 1 [PROPOSAL]  This should be reworded.

Item 2b [PROPOSAL]   APPROVED


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Under "Failure to maintain good academic standing (MScAC students):"

Item 1 [PROPOSAL]  APPROVED

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Other business:  Proposed Departmental Graduate Student Recruting
Scholarships:

   The committee thought that offering 8K for each of the first
two years was better than offering 9K for the first year and 6K for
the second year.
   Tha Admissions Committee should rank students and select the top
students to receive the scholarships.

Other business:  Putting limits on course enrollments:  This is a
problem with no obvious solution.