GPC Network Toolkit

GPCs counsel students on a variety of issues they may encounter throughout their program. GPCs are often the first people to work with students as they begin to think about a program or have questions throughout their career. They represent their program to students, and support them throughout their career. The responsibilities of a GPC can be divided into a number of interconnecting areas and levels of responsibility but may be done by GPCs regardless of program size or if the GPC is full-time or part-time with the program.

Direct Counseling of Students

Standard Responsibilities

• Counsel students to guide them through Program, College, and University Policies and Procedures, including providing direction on approved curriculum and program and/or college specific requirements to meet degree requirements.
• Monitor students’ degree progress and ensure timely completion of their degree plan, assignment of preliminary and final oral exam committees, and graduation procedures.
• Counsel students on individual issues that may arise and direct them to the best resources for resolving those issues.
• Place or remove holds on student accounts and authorize registration, curricular, and some policy exceptions (e.g., extension of leave of absence).
• Guide international students through their unique processes and work with ISSS to assure proper paperwork and compliance throughout the program.

Advanced Responsibilities

• In collaboration with program leadership and/or DGS, College, and/or central University offices, identify opportunities and strategize on solutions to improve student and program success and growth. This includes involvement with student support initiatives and influencing outcomes (e.g., time to degree).
• Define and execute best practices within program and/or in collaboration with the College and central University offices. This includes leading other GPCs in the development of best practices as needed to maximize efficiency across the University system and strengthen our programs.

Admissions

Standard Responsibilities

• Oversee overall program admission process.
• Guide prospective students, applicants, and admitted students through the admission process and coordinate faculty involved in final admission decisions and post-admission recruiting.

Advanced Responsibilities

• Design and implement program admissions and recruitment strategy, from prospective student through orientation.
• Build program reputation and “brand identity” with prospective students, applicants, and admitted students.
• Assess effectiveness of strategies and processes and make changes as needed.

Fellowship and Financial Administration

Standard Responsibilities

• Present individualized financial packages to admitted students.
• Track changes to student funding throughout program, including related budgets, and coordinate with departmental and collegiate staff as necessary.
• Counsel students on all aspects of award (benefits, non-financial terms); understand policies related to fellowships; counsel students in order to maintain compliance.
• Represent program to the Graduate School, College, and central University offices as needed for any questions related to student funding packages for the program.
• Oversee international financial packages and ensure ISSS and I-20 guidelines are met.

Advanced Responsibilities

• Represent graduate program in overseeing external fellowship awards.
• Analyze, assess, and adjust student funding package as needed (impact to original financial commitment if student receives fellowship award).

Teaching Assistant (TA) and Research Assistant (RA) Administration

Standard Responsibilities

• Counsel department chair, director of graduate studies, and faculty regarding TA and RA assignments to ensure matches are compliant with graduate education policy and meets the needs of the program.
• Monitor TA/RA/Grad. Instructor eligibility per University, college and program requirements (e.g. registration appropriate to job class; language proficiency).

Advanced Responsibilities

• Decide which TAs and/or RAs are assigned to specific course.
• Assign TAs/RAs to faculty members.
• Advise TAs and Grad Instructors on important policies and procedures required of those teaching undergraduate students.

GPCs are integral to the success of graduate programs and graduate students as they develop and manage processes that support policy compliance and program-specific needs. GPCs connect their program to their college and the University as a whole and often serve as the only link between the faculty and the policies that all programs must follow.

Coordination for Program with Wider University

Standard Responsibilities

• Serve as a liaison to College and central University offices and represent program and/or DGS (Director of Graduate Studies) on committees and working groups.
• Communicate and disseminate to the program information learned from central University committees such as RAC (Registrar’s Advisory Committee).

Advanced Responsibilities

• Influence College and central University offices toward adopting more efficient systems and policies that better serve students.

Data Management, Analysis, and Recommendations

Standard Responsibilities

• Act as program subject matter expert in systems such as Slate, PeopleSoft Campus Solutions, ImageNow, WorkflowGen, MyU, Reporting Center, GPAS, PCAS, and U of M Reports.
• Serve as a resource for the program to help support students and faculty in understanding how best to use systems and locate information.

Advanced Responsibilities

• Utilize reports to analyze and interpret data and provide recommendations to DGS/faculty.
• Utilize system expertise and analysis and interpretation skills to strategically implement new program solutions with a high level of autonomy. Identify and simplify ways to help students and faculty understand and use student information systems.
• Represent program and/or DGS (Director of Graduate Studies) on committees and working groups with decision making authority.

Program Growth

Standard Responsibilities

• Identify program needs (based on observation, data, and interactions with faculty, students, and other staff) and create optional plans for addressing (e.g., recruitment/retention, funding resources, research opportunities).
• Engage faculty and students in adopting plans.

Advanced Responsibilities

• Analyze current processes, identify opportunities, and with independent judgment, implement program business process redesign solutions.
• Examples might include recruiting graduate students from underrepresented communities; developing alternate “professional” paths for placement post-graduation; providing space for creating stronger social community.

GPCs are the initial analyzers and interpreters of policies for the program, College and University. They are the people on whom both students and faculty rely to have accurate and up-to-date information for whatever issues may arise.

University, Program, and College Policies and Procedures

Standard Responsibilities

• Make decisions for the program on approval of registration exceptions and oral committee assignments. Authorize and initiate changes such as advisor assignment and/or adding a minor or plan type to the student’s record.
• Review all preliminary and final oral exam committee requests for the program and authorize approval of committees that meet University requirements.
• Coordinates approval for external faculty becoming preliminary and final exam committee members and assigning affiliate faculty status within the U of M.
• Alert DGS/faculty when the program is not in compliance with College or University policies and provide information about consequences. Identify plan to resolve as needed.

Advanced Responsibilities

• Interpret and provide clarity to students and faculty on program, College, and University policies governing student degree progress and related procedures.
• Manage graduate program faculty assignments, including advising and committee roles, and determine that they comply with University policy.
• Participate in professional development activities in order to gain knowledge and insight on current trends in higher education policy.
• Seek out opportunities to participate and become actively involved in the development of program, College, and University policy initiatives.

Student Services

Workflow Generation

• Initiate, review, and approve workflow requests
• Serve on behalf of faculty and/or DGS approver as delegated
• Serve as a subject matter expert regarding workflow sequence and required approvals, e.g., Doctoral Exam Committee, Advisor, Registration Exceptions, Minor Plan Type

Image Now

• Search and retrieve documents from Image Now Grad Drawer

Peoplesoft

• Place appropriate holds
• Understand navigation and ability to interpret various degree progress applications (e.g., milestones, committees, advisor center)

Reporting Center

• Access and use all required operational reports and request additional data as needed
• Skilled at interpreting and communicating data

PCAS (Program and Curriculum Approval System)

• Manage curriculum decisions
• Ensure catalog reflects accurate requirements to facilitate timely degree progress and programming of key systems (i.e., GPAS)

Faculty Role List Database

• Manage graduate program faculty assignments including advising and committee roles
• Understand University, College, and programmatic policies related to faculty roles, including exceptions

GPAS (Graduate Planning and Audit System)

• Utilize University systems to identify degree requirements and academic policies in order to effectively translate them into an understandable degree roadmap in PCAS
• Apply and integrate knowledge of University business processes to maximize the delivery of services to support graduate degree progress
• Serve as a subject matter expert to provide timely and accurate curriculum feedback to GPAS team
• Support the overall strategic communications efforts for student records and GPAS
• Serve as liaison between programs and colleges and GPAS team

Admissions

Recruiting, Campus Admissions System (Slate), National System (CAS)

• Manage the application lifecycle
• Configure application review process
• Create queries and export data as needed to support timely application review