In accordance with McGill University regulations, the department follows the standard McGill procedure of annual student progress tracking (further information can be found on the GPS website). For this purpose we use the GPS Progress Tracking Report.
Every year, the student specifies plans for the upcoming academic year, which are filled into Objectives box of the form. First year students meet with the GPD in the days before the fall semester starts to do so, in later years there is an advising meeting in May with the supervisor(s) and the GPD. The filled out form is emailed to student and supervisor and added to the student's record.
At the end of the academic year, usually in April, the students report their progress in the Progress part of the same form.
The faculty in the department then meet (usually in early May), to assess graduate students’ performance during the preceding year, taking into account the student's report, and using criteria pertaining to course work and other degree requirements, research, conferences and publications, as well as departmental involvement (see the list of department expectations, Appendix A.1 of the student handbook). During the meeting, the department fills out the Evaluation section of the form, which includes written feedback from the Department.
Subsequent to the Department’s assessment meeting, each student meets with the Graduate Program Director and at least one other faculty member (usually the student’s supervisor) for an advising meeting. During the meeting, the Department’s assessment will be discussed. In addition, the student, in consultation with the supervisor and the Graduate Program Director, decides on plans and objectives for the upcoming summer and the next academic year, and for this purpose fill out the Objectives section of a new form.
For further information on annual student progress tracking, see https://www.mcgill.ca/gps/students/research-tracking.