Welcome! This is a hub for resources about Graduate Studies' new software platform, GradSphere. It is not intended to replace direct assistance, though, and we are always happy to help. Please write to us at gradsystems@ucdavis.edu if you have a question not answered here. As with any new software tool, we'd also love to get your feedback, feature requests, and hopes for future development. We look forward to hearing from you!

Form Initiation

One of the benefits GradSphere brings is much wider access to Graduate Studies forms. While in the past all forms needed to be submitted to Graduate Studies by a Program Coordinator, in GradSphere forms can be started not only by Program Coordinators, but also – depending on the form type – by students and faculty. Here's a quick guide to "who can start what":

 

In widening access to each form, we hope to be most respectful of graduate program/group cultures and practices, but compliance with campus and system policy (e.g. requiring QE Chairs to submit the Report on the exam they've chaired) dictates that certain forms require more specific submitters. 

Faculty

GradSphere gives you a powerful new way to gain insight into Graduate Studies workflows affecting your students. At the same time, however, there are a few new responsibilities, as there are some forms in which others can no longer review and sign forms on your behalf. Apart from being glad to help with any questoions, we are also always glad to get your thoughts and feedback at gradsystems@ucdavis.edu.

• Logging In to GradSphere
• 
  A look at how to log in to GradSphere.

• A Tour of the Landing Page
• A tour of GradSphere's landing page.
• Getting Info on a Form
• A look at how to get information on a specific form, including its content and whereabouts.
• Reviewing a Form
• A look at how to review a form on your "to-do list", and take action on it.
• Submit a Form
• A look at how to submit a form. Generally-speaking, forms you need to submit as a faculty member include PhD Plan A/C Exam Reports, QE Reports, and MFA / Master's Plan II Reports on culminating work (e.g. MFA Projects, or Plan II Comprehensive Exams).

Examination and Culminating Work Chairs

While the general model of GradSphere is that the platform attempts to defer to program culture where possible, to ensure compliance with campus and system policies there are certain forms which you as the Chair of a student's milestone committee (e.g. the committee overseeing a QE or Plan II Exam) must submit. While your Program Coordinator, Graduate Program Advisors, and Graduate Studies ourselves are glad to provide assistance, it is ultimately your digital imprimatur which certifies the student's completion of their milestone.

Faculty Advisors

As Advisors, you have access which represents a superset of the permissions granted to non-Advisor faculty in GradSphere. As noted above, you're able to launch several forms on students' behalf, including consequential ones like QE Applications and Degree Filings. 

These powers are accompanied by the freedom not to use them, to use them only very judiciously, or to seek outside advice before using them. If you have any questions, your Graduate Program Coordinator and Program/Group Chairs are tremendous resources, but you are welcome to write to gradsystems@ucdavis.edu if you have any questions on how (or even when) to wield your powers; we're glad to put you in touch with Graduate Studies advising pros and/or faculty leadership as appropriate.

Graduate Program Coordinators

GradSphere's launch is a first step, and one we'll be following up on through continuing workflow development, and adjustments to existing forms to respond to your feedback and feature requests. Please get in touch at gradsystems@ucdavis.edu to pass along either – or both! 

• Logging In to GradSphere
• A quick guide to logging in to GradSphere.
• A Tour of the Landing Page
• A look around GradSphere's landing page from a GPC perspective.
• Getting Info on a Form
• A quick guide to getting info on a specific form in-flight.
• Reviewing a Form
• A look at how to review a form on your "to-do list", and take action on it.
• Submitting a Form
• A guide to initiating a form on behalf of a student.
• Getting Info On and Submitting Legacy Forms
• A little guide to legacy forms – those workflows which (for now!) live on in GradSphere as submittable PDFs.

Program Membership

GradSphere is reliant on data in People and Role Manager (PRM). PRM allows GradSphere to know the relationship between you and your students, or individual students and their Major Professors. Part of your superpowers as GPCs is the ability to affiliate faculty with your major code(s) in PRM – without your data, GradSphere can't tell if "Professor XYZ" is a faculty member in your major. So, it's important to ensure this data is correct.

For more information, and guides on how to review your faculty membership, add faculty, and remove faculty, we have a whole special page!

Students

GradSphere's intention is for you to get more transparent, accessible insight into Graduate Studies' processes, with less administrative overhead for both you and your faculty and staff advocates. While your Program Coordinator is always a tremendous first resource, from a Graduate Studies perspective we're glad to help however we can (and get any feedback on GradSphere we might). Please let us know if you have any questions or feedback at gradsystems@ucdavis.edu.

• Logging In to GradSphere

• 
  A brief description of how to log in to GradSphere.

• A Look Around the Landing Page

• 
  A quick orientation to GradSphere's home page.

• Finding Info About a Form

• 
  A look at how to get information on an in-flight form.

• Initiating a Form

• 
  A view of initiation for a Qualifying Exam Application.