First Year Committee Meeting

Once a Certification Committee is established, you must hold your first committee meeting by August 31 of your first year. The goal of this meeting is to discuss appropriate coursework and briefly introduce your research project/direction to the committee. At least three committee members, including the Advisor, must attend. If necessary, you should meet individually with committee members who could not attend after the meeting. Students who do not meet with their committees in a timely fashion may be prevented from registering for the next semester.

Scheduling your First Year Committee Meeting:

1. Poll Certification Committee members regarding availability.
  1. Your First Year Committee Meeting must be held by August 31st of your first academic year.
  2. Ask a committee member to serve as your meeting’s chairperson (this cannot be your mentor).
  3. Reserve a meeting room for 2 hours. First-year meetings typically last 60-90 minutes.
  4. Complete the appropriate sections of your First Year Committee Meeting form and save an electronic copy.
2. Notify Program Coordinator of the date of your First Year Committee Meeting by May 15th by completing online form: https://cancerbiology.wisc.edu/annual-committee-notification-form/

Preparing for your First Year Committee Meeting:

1. For detailed instructions and pointers, review the Cancer Biology Graduate Program Handbook.
2. Project Summary
  1. Write your initial draft of your project summary and ask for feedback from mentor.
  2. Writing is an iterative process. Be prepared for more than one round of feedback from mentor.
3. Oral Presentation
  1. Create a 20-minute oral presentation.
  2. Practice your 20-minute presentation with your mentor and lab members and incorporate feedback into new presentation.
4. Sharing your meeting materials with your committee members.
  1. Distribute your project summary, a complete copy of the First Year Committee Meeting form, and meeting information to all committee members at least 10 days prior to your meeting.
  2. Send a meeting reminder a day before your meeting to all committee members
  3. Bring a printed copy of your First Year Committee Meeting form for the meeting chairperson to complete.

Following your First Year Committee Meeting:

1. Return your completed and signed First Year Committee Meeting form to the Program Coordinator.

ACTION ITEM

You are required to have your First Committee Meeting scheduled by May 15th of your first academic year and notify the Program Coordinator by completing this online form: https://cancerbiology.wisc.edu/annual-committee-notification-form/. Your meeting must be held by August 31st the end of your first academic year.

Failure to submit required information will result with an academic hold being placed on your account and could result in late enrollment fees up to $100 and delayed payroll.