PDF of instructions Printable Annual Report form.pdf
2025-26 Summary of Steps to Completing Your Annual Progress Report Meeting Requirement
1. Schedule your meeting to take place by June 1, 2026. The IPiB Steering Committee recommends that you schedule 1.5 hours, but a well-prepared and efficiently run meeting should be completed within an hour. If you plan to defend your thesis by August 3, 2026, you might not be required to hold an annual meeting. Please talk to Kate Ryan (cryan7@wisc.edu) if this applies to you.
2. Reserve a room for your meeting and confirm everything with your committee members, attaching a copy of the annual meeting form for context. At a minimum, your thesis advisor and two committee members must be present. Please see Section 3.10.3 of the 2025-26 IPiB Handbook for minimum committee member attendance. Ultimately, you must meet with all members of your committee, so it is to your advantage to have all your members present at your initial meeting.
3. Let Kate Ryan (cryan7@wisc.edu) know the date of your meeting.
4. Meet with your thesis advisor well ahead of your committee meeting to discuss how best to present your progress since your last committee meeting and your plans for the coming year. In general, the written progress report should contain detailed information, and the oral report should be a high-level summary. You should ask for feedback on both from your thesis advisor before presenting them to your committee.
5. At least two days prior to your meeting, provide each of your committee members with a 2- to 3-page (single-spaced) summary of aims accomplished in the last year and plans for the coming year. Attach a cumulative list of your submitted and published papers, if applicable.
6. Prepare a maximum 20-minute oral presentation (the actual talk may go longer if the committee asks questions during your presentation) summarizing your progress and plans going forward. A maximum of 20 slides is recommended. Remember to focus on your activities for the past year and plans for the next year.
7. Allow at least 30 minutes for discussion, which may occur during or after your presentation.
8. Toward the end of your meeting, it is appropriate for your thesis advisor to leave the room for a few minutes to give you the opportunity to confer with your other committee members. Likewise, when your thesis advisor returns it is appropriate for you to leave the room for a few minutes.
9. With committee input, your thesis advisor completes and submits your Annual Progress Report Meeting form to Kate Ryan (cryan7@wisc.edu), and she in turn sends copies to each committee member and to you. Committee members may add comments via email at this point but otherwise the form is considered signed and your annual meeting complete.