Agendas

To facilitate planning and collaboration, we work with agenda repositories. An agenda repository is a shared GitHub repository with a README.md file to keep track of meeting notes, TODOs, and items to discuss. It serves as a single location to track information that can be linked and edited by all participants.

Checklist for agendas

Use the following checklist to keep your agenda repository a practical, living resource for planning, coordination, and reflection.

NoteChecklist

1. Make the agenda your own

• Keep in mind: the agenda will remain a private repository, shared between you and your supervisor.
• Treat the agenda as a shared but informal working document (no perfection needed).
• Adapt the structure to your personal workflow.
• Use it regularly as your primary planning resource.

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2. Update the agenda regularly

• Define and revisit shared goals (objectives and key results (OKR)) together.
• Maintain a list of major ongoing projects.
• Keep a running “Items to Discuss” section.
• Maintain a weekly task list:
  • Check off completed items.
  • Copy unfinished items to the next week.
• Share a link to meeting notes before the meeting.
• Add meeting notes directly after each meeting.

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3. Create a clear overview

• Keep orientation easy: structure before detail.
• Use folders and multiple documents where helpful.
• Add internal links between sections.
• Link to relevant external resources (repos, docs, papers, courses).
• Ensure the agenda can be understood quickly by all participants.

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4. Maintain a timeline and planning view

• Create Mermaid timelines (Gantt charts).
• Track contracts and important deadlines.
• Keep an overview of workload / hours.
• Plan development goals (topics, methods, skills).
• Map current and future projects over time.

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5. Anticipate and track key periods

• Note upcoming vacations.
• Mark exam phases or teaching peaks.
• Maintain “waiting-for” items (e.g., reviews, decisions, responses).
• Maintain “upcoming” items (projects, papers, milestones).

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6. Document interests and ideas

• Keep a section for research and teaching interests.
• Collect ideas for new projects.
• Use this as input for strategic discussions about next steps.

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7. Document and celebrate success

• Record accepted/published papers.
• Add positive student feedback.
• Note milestones and accomplishments.
• Use this as a basis for CV building and reference letters.
• Regularly reflect on progress to stay motivated.

How We Use the Agenda in Meetings

1. Review Session (Looking Back)

At the beginning of each meeting, we:

• Review the weekly task list
• Check off completed items
• Reflect briefly on progress toward shared objectives
• Discuss blockers or “waiting-for” items
• Add short notes directly into the repository

The agenda is updated live during the meeting.

2. Planning Session (Looking Ahead)

In the second part of the meeting, we:

• Define or adjust objectives together
• Break down larger goals into concrete next steps
• Clarify responsibilities and expectations
• Identify priorities for the coming week
• Add new tasks directly to the weekly section

This ensures alignment and clear next actions.

3. Use of Issues and Links

To avoid duplication and keep information structured:

• Use GitHub issues for well-defined tasks and discussions
• Link issues directly in the agenda
• Link to relevant repositories, documents, datasets, or papers
• Use the agenda as a coordination hub — not as a storage location

The agenda serves as a shared navigation layer across distributed work.

Template

Clone the agenda template repository.

# Agenda: Person A -- Person B

Regular meeting:

- Time: ...
- Location: ...

## Items to discuss

- Item

## Log

### CW 1

- Meeting note

TBD/TODO

Resources

• Agenda: Example GitLab/Rayana