1. GPS General Meeting October 23, 2008 10:00-11:30 a.m. Kyle Morrow Room

2. Introductions Celeste Boudreaux Paula Sanders, Dean Celeste Boudreaux, Assistant Dean Cindy Wilkes, Budget & Financial Aid Manager Kate Wright, Admissions & Enrollment Manager Carol Schanzmeyer, Technical Projects Manager Neshia Brown, Executive Assistant Oversight of graduate programs Administration of GPS office; assisting dean Stipends, grad PAs, tuition waivers, fellowships, medical insurance subsidies, reduced rate tuition, away status Admissions process, GSDB, academic progress, enrollment statuses CollegeNET applications, GSDB Thesis submissions, answering main line and graduate@rice.edu

3. A word from the Dean Dr. Paula Sanders “We must strengthen our graduate and postdoctoral programs to attract and recruit high-caliber students and young researchers.” Policy 501-01 Our guiding principles: *accountability *institutional integrity *quality assurance *equity *efficiency

5. Celeste Boudreaux Current and Upcoming Projects Online grad PA GradTrack: student tracking system Electronic processing of new matriculants via Esther GradShare NEW!

6. Online Grad PA  Project approved and funded  Admin Systems will be working on this year  Uses Banner Web Apps (Edgar)  When you put in an existing grad student’s name/ID, will pull in info currently in Banner  You change what needs to be changed or added  Route for electronic signatures  Check status of PA in grad PA queue  Let Celeste know if you’d like to be on the development committee

7. GradTrack Grad student tracking system Currently being developed by IT’s Web Services Will pull together info from different systems into a single reporting tool to track students from recruitment through alum Will integrate with existing GSDB and interface with other systems, including Banner and Millennium No data should be entered twice in different systems

8. GradTrack, continued Departments able to customize user defined fields and design and produce custom reports available as Excel or PDF downloads. Produce class lists, graduation lists, create mail merge files, e-mail lists, load prospects from a spreadsheet Conversion of historical data from separate department systems will be separate projects at department expense Working on issue with Banner security

9. Electronic Processing – Esther Virtually paperless processing of incoming grad students Launched in Fall 08 for undergrads Focus group meetings underway Focus groups will develop general templates Each department able to customize own template Includes questionnaires to collect additional data from new students

10. Electronic Processing, cont. Inform them about your department plans for orientation, training, welcome events, academic advising, class registration, payroll documentation needed, etc. Collect electronic forms using electronic signatures Advertise various special interest groups, solicit participation, collect sign-ups Future uses of Esther for communication and/or exchange of documents with grad students: posting of individualized academic deadlines, thesis submission info

11. GradShare Online graduate student community Sponsored by ProQuest (UMI dissertation services) Graduate student issues discussion board When grad students log in as Rice students, will see a column on the right with links to Rice-specific resources GradShare will launch today!

12. Other News & Developments GradNews:  Submission of achievements for 2007-08 starts this week  Due by November 10 th GPS website:  Will undergo major overhaul in next 6 months!

13. GPS Navigators Advisory Group Bridgitt Ayers, Physics & Astronomy Linda Evans, English Joyce Galiette, Technology Transfer Daria Lawrence, CAAM Rachel Miller, Dean of Natural Sciences Ann Mikus, Political Science Debra Purtee, Office of Research

14. Grad Coordinator Support Grad Coordinator Mentoring “Office of Graduate Studies” Oracle calendar Grad Studies Notebook

15. Optional Training Modules Sign up at table by the door:  Recruiting Roundtable  GSDB 2.0 training  Admissions Roundtable  Tuition waivers: qualifications, setting up, relation to stipend, exception requests

16. More optional training modules  Enrollment statuses: Leaves of absence, withdrawal, disenrollment, away status  Stipends and graduate PA forms  Fellowships and training grants: administration of tuition, fee, insurance and other designated funds  Data reporting: getting the info you need from Banner, the GSDB and other sources for reports and surveys

17. OISS Updates Sandra Bloem-Curtis New OISS website Quick procedure updates Summer International College

18. GSDB 2.0 Carol Schanzmeyer “Go Live” Date is Nov. 4 th ! Login is now with NETID New functions will be rolled out on a bi-weekly basis Online letters of recommendation and other online documents added Fee waiver request emails 2009: Focus groups with departments to continue improvements

19. GSDB 2.0 Home Page IMPROVED!

20. GSDB 2.0 Edit Page

21. Online LOR –Student View Link to CollegeNET Help Confidentiality Statement

22. Online LOR – Recommender

23. Online Application - Main Menu Returning applicants can continue application, review activity, change password New applicants have 2 places to link to the application as well as directions and forms for forgotten username/password Currently non-degree seeking applicants must fill out a paper application

24. Online Application – Review Activity Status of online LOR by recommender Multiple applications allowed

25. Kate Wright Changes to Petition for Candidacy REMOVED: Conferral check boxes Date applicant fulfilled requirements Language requirements (now part of departmental checklist) “Return to Graduate Studies” at the bottom

26. Checklist or description of how student has met department’s requirements for candidacy Now either chair or director of graduate studies can sign with their approval. Now coordinators sign so that students don’t turn it in directly without all the needed parts. Returned to the coordinator first, then to GPS so you can make a copy.

27. # 4 on New Candidacy Petition: The Checklist Every department is different, this is customizable to match YOUR department. Will reduce questions and clarifications and decrease turn around time. If a checklist is started when a student starts, it can be used as a tracking system that will help you know when they’ve reached candidacy.

28. # 4 on New Candidacy Petition: Checklist Samples HELPS DEPARTMENT AND STUDENT TRACK PROGRESS Shows each requirement and what was done to fulfill it (and when)

29. Shows what courses the department counts toward total credit hours. NEW!

30. # 4 on New Candidacy Petition: Checklist Samples Color coded to match highlighting on transcript.

31. # 4 on New Candidacy Petition: Checklist Samples IMPROVED!

32. Thesis Submission Website Soon the thesis submission packet (green & blue packets) will be fully available online for students to print before they submit their thesis. One Stop, all the forms…

33. Thesis Submission Website This is so that the forms are up to date and aren’t lost between candidacy and thesis submission (sometimes several years).

34. Designated Thesis Submission Hours Starting January 2009 submission hours will be: 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Monday – Friday or by appointment (x 4002). Hours will extend to 8:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. two weeks before each semester deadline.

35. Cindy Wilkes General Financial Information Tuition worksheets Spring tuition worksheets are due Friday October 31, 2008 Payroll download will show you each student’s current funding source and the student title: RA, TA or fellow Revisions to tuition support

36. Stipends Rule: Must be enrolled fulltime to receive a grad stipend. First spring semester paycheck (Jan. 15) WILL BE HELD pending registration of at least 9 hours! PA’s for the Spring semester-tentative due date will be Monday January 5, 2009

37. Tuition Waivers Full time Graduate Student Must be receiving stipend support as an RA, TA, or Fellow at the minimum levels. When exceptional case arises, you may submit a “Tuition waiver exception request”

38. Tuition Awards Graduate Studies should be made aware of any tuition awards received both within Rice and outside of Rice Outside awards with no specific budget will be applied first to tuition costs. If any funds are still available after tuition has been fully covered, and if the grant allows it, they may be applied next to required fees, then to health insurance. RICE POLICY

39. GPS General Meeting Thanks for coming! (Don’t forget to sign up for training modules!)