Dissertation Research and Committee Meetings

At the conclusion of each committee meeting, including the qualifying exam, the thesis committee, with input from the student, will decide on the date of the next meeting. They have the options of 6 months (~1 hour meeting) or 12 months (~2 hour meeting). The committee can also enter a different date (<1yr) for the next meeting if they feel a different timeline is warranted.  Students are responsible for scheduling their Thesis Advisory Committee meetings in the timeframe indicated to remain in good academic standing. MIC students are required to send a 1-page summary of their progress to their entire committee one week before the committee meeting. Students must inform Jennifer Hamlin (ajr9xq) as soon as they schedule a committee meeting, as she needs to provide the committee with documentation.

The normal operating procedure for committees is that the student leaves the room at the beginning and end of the meeting. To give the student an opportunity to provide feedback to the committee, their mentor will also be asked to leave the room briefly at the beginning of the meeting.

In addition to an update by the student on their research, a formal discussion will take place during each Thesis Advisory Committee meeting to assess the student’s progress toward their research goals and acquisition of the following competencies.

• Acquisition of problem-solving and practical skills.
• Acquisition of a strong knowledge-base in the field of study.
• Generation of a body of work that contributes new knowledge to the field, and which provides the foundation for the student’s first-author original research publication(s).

Students will receive a written summary after each Committee Meeting.

Students from the 2nd year onwards are expected to present their research at the annual MIC retreat and all senior students are encouraged to give a platform presentation. The department strongly encourages all students, to present at forums including the ID RIP, Immunology RIP and Cancer Group meetings, which are additional opportunities for the department to learn about students’ research and for students to hone their presentation skills.

Policies and procedures for monitoring of student progress are available on the BIMS Academic Progress and Achievement Committee (BAPAC) website here.