Reporting and TAC Meetings

Rules and forms have changed from August, 2023. Should you have any questions, please consult the FAQs or join us during the online consultation hour.

As a doctoral candidate you have to meet with your TAC at least once every 9 months. The first TAC meeting is 6 months after your project start. These meetings are initiated and organised by you. The GSGS suggests to hold TAC meetings with all TAC members at the same time, but depending on the composition of your TAC, joint or separate meetings can be held; also teleconferences are an option.You must meet with all TAC members at least every 9 months.

The aim of these meetings is to discuss and keep track of the planning and progress of your research project and any other important matters, and to identify any training needs. See further information here.

All official TAC meetings are recorded using your personal TAC Status Report.

First TAC meeting

Preparation

About 5 months after your project start you

1. arrange a meeting date with all TAC members (due 6 months after your project start);
2. write a Research Plan (you can find guidelines in the downloads section);
3. create a Time Schedule;
4. download the template "TAC Status Report" from the downloads section;
5. complete the necessary sections of TAC Status Report (marked in blue).

Two weeks before the meeting date, you send the following documents to your TAC members. This ensures that they have time to look at them and give you proper feedback.

1. Research Plan
2. Time Schedule
3. pre-completed 'living' TAC Status Report

In the meeting

In the meeting, your TAC will provide feedback to your Research Plan and Time Schedule. With your TAC, you will discuss at least the compulsory sections of the TAC Status Report, and your TAC will complete at least the sections marked in yellow. In Section 2.5, your TAC members will indicate which documents you will need to supply for the next TAC meeting.

Make sure that at the end of the meeting, your 'living' TAC Status Report contains all necessary information / feedback. THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT SIGNED.

At the end of the meeting, also take your time to meet with at least one of your mentors without your advisor, or agree on a separate meeting date. The mentor will have to sign for this meeting taking place (after it took place!) in Section 2.7 on a COPY of the TAC Status Report.

As soon as possible after the meeting

1. You need to have the ‘living’ TAC Status Report with all entries/information and NO SIGNATURES.
2. Keep your updated ‘living’ TAC Status Report in a safe space (by preference in Docfile G-record)
3. You need to have a signed COPY 1 (or multiple COPIES 1 (e.g. 1_LastNameA, 1_LastNameB) signed by separate TAC members) together containing the signatures of all TAC members and yourself.
4. One of your mentors needs to sign for the meeting without the Advisor (Section 2.7) on  COPY 1.
5. Check which documents your TAC want to receive and when (see TAC Status Report, Section 2.5) and write any action required in your diary.  
6. Upload to Docfile (G-record) at least:

   1. "COPY 1" of TAC Status Report (signatures from all TAC members required; either one copy signed by all or separately signed copies)

   2. your (updated) time schedule

   3. your (updated) Research Plan

7. Send an email to the GSGS office via gradschool-geosciuni-koeln.de to notify us of the upload.

We will check your uploaded documents in the Docfile G-record as soon as possible and give you feedback if necessary.

Subsequent TAC meetings

Preparation

About 14, 23, 32 (and 41) months after your project start you

1. arrange a meeting date with all TAC members (due 15 / 24 / 33 (and 42) months after your project start);
2. update your Time Schedule;
3. prepare any other documents required by TAC for second / third / fourth TAC meeting (see Section 2.5);
4. retrieve the updated ‘living’ TAC Status Report, e.g. from Docfile (G-record);
5. if applicable, record any changes in the Formalities in the TAC Status Report;
6. complete the necessary sections of the ‘living’ TAC Status Report for second / third / fourth meeting

Two weeks before the meeting date, you send the following documents to your TAC members. This ensures that they have time to look at them and give you proper feedback.

1. updated Time Schedule
2. updated 'living' TAC Status Report
3. any other documents required by the TAC

In the meeting

See "In the meeting" section for first TAC meeting.

As soon as possible after the meeting

1. You need to have the ‘living’ TAC Status Report with all entries/information and NO SIGNATURES.
2. Keep your updated ‘living’ TAC Status Report in a safe space (by preference in Docfile G-record)
3. You need to have a signed COPY 2 / 3 / 4 (or multiple COPIES 2 / 3 / 4 signed by separate TAC members) containing the signatures of all TAC members and yourself.
4. One of your mentors needs to sign for meeting without Advisor (Section 2.7) on COPY 2.
5. Check which documents your TAC want to receive and when (see TAC Status Report, Section 2.5) and write any action required in your diary.  
6. Upload to Docfile (G-record) at least:

   1. "COPY 2 / 3 / 4 " of TAC Status Report (signatures from all TAC members required; either one copy signed by all or separately signed copies)

   2. your (updated) time schedule

7. Send an email to the GSGS office via gradschool-geosciuni-koeln.de to notify us of the upload.

We will check your uploaded documents in the Docfile G-record as soon as possible and give you feedback if necessary.

About 43 months after your project start date, the GSGS will check if your fifth TAC meeting was planned to be your last TAC meeting before submission of your thesis. If yes, GSGS monitors your thesis submission; if not, GSGS will contact both you and your advisor (and /or TAC member(s) for consultation.