Graduate Programs - Committee Meetings

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Committee Meetings

Why have a Committee Meeting

A supervisory committee is there to help guide you in selecting courses, planning your research and preparing your thesis. While your Research Supervisor can do all of the above a committee will provide you with a valuable breadth of knowledge, experience and alternative opinions.

Committees are an invaluable tool in assisting your progress through a degree. In a recent survey of EOS graduate students 92% of people who had held a committee meeting found them useful. Another 50% had been in a situation where a committee meeting could have or did help resolve an issue.

When to Have a Committee Meeting

New students should hold a meeting within the first two to three months of starting the program. After that, a yearly committee meeting is required. Its advisable to hold a meeting before any important stage in your graduate career. For example, before embarking on field work or transferring to a PhD.

Choosing Your Committee

Your committee should consist of:

Your research supervisor (Chair) and at least two but ideally three additional faculty members who are familiar with your research topic.
Usually members are at least an Assistant Professor from UBC.
The supervisory committee membership may include senior instructors, honorary faculty, adjunct faculty, off campus professionals as well as faculty members from other universities. However, special permission needs to be granted for them to serve on a committee. A letter justifying the appointment and a copy of the individual's curriculum vitae should be submitted to the EOS graduate office.
While a committee may contain more than three members the majority of the committee must be members on the Faculty of Graduate Studies i.e. they must be tenured or tenure track (including grant tenured or grant tenure track) faculty members holding the rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor at UBC.

Your First Committee Meeting

You should discuss with your supervisor who you would like to be on your committee. Once you have their agreement, set up a meeting within the first two to three months. A doodle calendar can be help with coordinating schedules.

Your initial committee meeting doesn't require an in-depth exploration of your research nor do you need to provide any results. A general discussion about your project and possible approaches to take is all that is required. Your committee members will also look at your choice of courses.

After the meeting the committee will complete a report M.Sc. or Ph.D to record the meeting. Please provide a copy of this report to the Graduate Coordinator, in the EOS Graduate Office.

Subsequent Committee Meetings

Your next committee meeting should be more involved. A week prior to the meeting provide each committee member with a short (2-5 pages) written description of your project and research/action plan. Please include details about your current progress as well as your future plans.

At the meeting you should make a 15-20 minute presentation, which will be followed by a question and answer period. This isn't intended to be confrontational. Rather its meant to update your committee on your progress and future goals as well as giving them an opportunity to offer advice and an alternative view.