Graduate Faculty Program Nominations

Whether you're helping administer a Graduate Program or Group, you’ll periodically be asked to partner with Graduate Studies to appoint your Graduate Faculty Advisors, Admissions Chairs and Fellowship Chairs. This process typically begins in the early Summer, with an ideal target of appointing these individuals by July 31. 

In this guide, you'll learn about the nomination process, what your Program or Group needs to do, and the role Graduate Studies plays in facilitating the process. For clarity, we use "you" throughout this guide to refer to the person responsible for each action. In most cases, the Program or Group Chair leads this process in partnership with their Graduate Program Coordinator. 

Graduate Faculty Advisors (GFAs)

The success of your students depends on a dedicated network of mentors and advisors. Graduate Faculty Advisors (GFAs) play a critical role in this support system, guiding students through their academic journeys and empowering them to translate their academic experiences into meaningful progress toward their personal and professional goals. (or "...into meaningful achievements and future success")

Key responsibilities of GFAs include:

  • Serving as primary sources of academic information and guidance, including supporting students in developing plans of study that reflect their academic interests, career aspirations and personal goals.

  • Collaborating closely with the Program/Group Chair and fellow team of Advisors to maintain a unified, equitable and consistent approach to advising.

  • Providing essential advice that complements the Major Professor's role, including collaborating with the Major Professor during the review and approval of Student Progress Assessments (SPA).

  • Anticipating and identifying student needs, including potential challenges and opportunities, by proactively engaging with and supporting students throughout their academic journey.

  • Reviewing and discussing academic requests and petitions that reflect decisions made with the student and their network of mentors and advisors.

  • Staying current with program, Graduate Council and Graduate Studies practices and policies.

For more information about the GFA role, please visit the Graduate Studies Roles and Responsibilities page.

GFA Nomination Process

Follow the steps below to nominate Graduate Faculty Advisors for your program or group.

  • Step 1: Review Current Advisors in People and Role Manager (PRM)

  • Start by reviewing your current list of GFAs in People and Role Manager (PRM) and determine if you need to nominate (or re-nominate) Advisors. 

    GFAs are typically appointed for a two-year term beginning in September and ending in August. Advisors whose terms expire in August must be re-nominated if they plan to continue serving. Advisors with existing appointments (e.g. those in the middle of a 2-year term) do not need to be re-nominated. If you're unsure how to check Advisor roles, follow these instructions. 

    You can also review your list of current GFAs on your program page; however, this view does not show appointment terms or end dates.

  • Step 2: Identify Graduate Faculty Advisor Nominees

  • Identify nominees from a mix of both experienced and first-time Advisors to ensure continuity, consistency and effective advising support for your students. Aim for a student-to-Advisor ratio of approximately 15 to 1.

    Nominees must:

    • Hold a Senate or Federation title 
    • Complete UC's brief FERPA: Student Privacy, Confidentiality and Data Security eCourse before being appointed and granted access to protected student information 

    Graduate Studies will verify each nominee's eligibility and training completion status. Nominees who have not completed the UC's FERPA eCourse will receive an email from Graduate Studies with a link to do so. Completion of this training is required to protect both students and Advisors by ensuring all GFAs understand the federal law governing student privacy, confidentiality and data security. 

  • Step 3: Complete the Advisor Nomination Form and Submit to Graduate Studies by July 31, 2025

  • After reviewing your list of current Advisors and identifying nominees, you'll want to complete the Graduate Faculty Advisor Nomination Form by July 31, 2025. Note: this document also includes the Slate Admissions and Fellowship Chair Nomination Form, for which additional information is available here.

    Nomination Term

    Advisors are typically nominated for a two-year term beginning September and running through August. However, you also have the option to nominate an Advisor for a one-year term. Please select the most appropriate term for each Advisor using the drop-down menu on the form. 

    Advisor Type

    There are two designations available for Graduate Faculty Advisors: General and Primary. You are not required to designate a Primary Advisor unless preferred by your program. While students are typically assigned to one Advisor, they are welcome to seek guidance with any member of your GFA team. 

    Use the information below to select the appropriate advisor type from the drop-down menu on the form: 
    • General: This is the most commonly selected title for Graduate Faculty Advisors.
    • General & Admissions: Select this title if the faculty member will serve as both the Admissions Chair and Graduate Faculty Advisor. This individual will be listed as "Advisor: Admissions and General" on your program page, providing a clear point of contact for prospective students.
    • Primary: Select this title if you need to designate a primary advisor for the program. 
    • Primary & Admissions: Select this title if the faculty member will serve as both the Admissions Chair and Primary Graduate Faculty Advisor. This individual will be listed as "Advisor: Admissions and Primary Contact" on your program page, providing a clear point for contact for both prospective and current students.

    Signatures

    Signatures are collected during the nomination process from all Graduate Faculty Advisors to ensure proper verification of student-submitted forms and prevent discrepancies. 

    We understand that the timing of these nominations may make it challenging to obtain faculty signatures. If delays occur while collecting signatures, please submit the form without signatures to get your GFAs in the queue for approval. Once signatures are collected, you can submit an updated version of the form. If you are nominating a GFA who has served previously, their signature may already be on file. Please contact Graduate Program Analyst, Ruby Bal (rbal@ucdavis.edu), to confirm. 
     

    Submit Form

  • Step 4: Graduate Studies Reviews Nominations and Announces Appointments 

  • Once Graduate Studies receives your completed form, we will: 

    1. Review Nominee Eligibility 
    • • Verify Senate or Federation title
    • • Confirm completion of UC's FERPA eCourse* 
      • Ensure the student-to-Advisor ratio is approximately 15:1
       

    *Nominees who have not completed the UC's FERPA eCourse will receive an email from Graduate Studies with a link to do so. 

    2. Forward Nominations for Final Approval 

    After the initial review, nominations will be sent to Graduate Studies leadership for final approval. 

    3. Issue Appointment Letter

    Appointment letters will be sent to newly appointed and re-appointed Graduate Faculty Advisors. The Program/Group Chair and Program Coordinator will also be copied on this appointment letter. 

    4. Invite Advisors to Orientation and Provide Information about Advisor Workshops

    An invitation to attend Graduate Faculty Advisor Orientation in the fall is extended to all new Advisors and their Chair in the appointment letter. Attendance for new Advisors is mandatory. 

    5. Update Graduate Information Systems and Email Listserv

    After the appointments are finalized, we will add or update each nominee's role in People and Role Manager (PRM), which will also provide access to all other relevant Graduate Information Systems and email listservs, including:

    • Programs Manager 
    • GradSphere
    • GradHub 
    • Student Progress Assessment (SPA)
    • eDocs 
    • gradadvisers email listserv

Admissions & Fellowship Chair Nominations

These faculty have specific authority in the Slate system, which is used to process Graduate Admissions and new or continuing student fellowships.

Key responsibilities of Admissions Chairs include:

  • Leading and managing the Admissions Committee in accordance with the program bylaws, including facilitating trainings and discussions on the admissions review process.

  • Staying current with program-specific admissions requirements and Graduate Studies admissions policies to ensure all admissions recommendations align with university standards.

  • Understanding program and university admission timelines and review processes.

  • Developing and reviewing program admissions guidelines and rubrics to ensure fair, consistent evaluation of applicants.

  • Reviewing and approving Admissions Memos in collaboration with the Admissions Committee and Graduate Program Coordinator.

  • Managing the incoming student class

Key responsibilities of the Fellowship Chairs include:

  • Managing fellowship nominations for the incoming and continuing student fellowship competition

Admissions and Fellowship Chair Nomination Process

Follow the steps below to nominate Admissions and Fellowship Chairs for your program or group. [Insert information from Brad re: which programs do not need to provide admissions and/or fellowship chair nominations]

  • Step 1: Review Bylaws
  • Consult your bylaws for details on the program's standing committees. Some programs have a dedicated Admissions Committee, while others entrust the admissions process to the Executive (or Graduate Program) Committee.
  • Step 2: Identify Nominees
  • Connect with your program membership to identify faculty interested in leading the admissions and fellowship processes. These individuals are usually current members of the Executive or Admissions Committees, though they don't have to be.
  • Step 3: Complete the Admissions and Fellowship Chair Nomination Form and Submit to Graduate Studies by July 31, 2025

  • After identifying nominees, complete the Admissions and Fellowship Chair Nomination Form by July 31, 2025. Note: this document also includes the Graduate Faculty Advisor Nomination Form, for which additional information is available here. 

    Please note that these nominations grant access to the Slate system, but do not confer the authority to serve in the Graduate Faculty Advisor role. If you want your Admissions and Fellowship Chairs to serve as Advisors, you must submit a separate nomination using the Graduate Faculty Advisor Nomination Form. 

    Admissions Chair

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    Fellowship Chair

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  • Step 4: Graduate Studies Reviews Nominations and Issues Slate Access
  • Once Graduate Studies receives your completed form, we will: 
    [Add information from Brad]