Graduate Research Orientation Week (GROW) encompasses a number of workshops, programs and events held at the beginning of each academic year to provide new incoming students with an opportunity to take care of important pre-enrollment tasks and to learn about UC Merced and the Merced community. GROW will have specific events geared toward incoming School of Engineering graduate students which include: TA training, Lab safety training, and specific graduate group events. Resources for incoming School of Engineering graduate students who will be joining Bioengineering, (BIOE), Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Environmental Systems (ES), Management of Innovation, Sustainability and Technology (MIST PhD; MIST MM), Materials and Biomaterials Science and Engineering (MBSE), or Mechanical Engineering (ME), graduate programs, as well as anyone who works as a Teaching Assistant for the School of Engineering (SoE).
GROW is currently scheduled to begin on Aug. 16, 2021. Sessions running from Aug. 16-20, 2021 are mandatory for all incoming students and the remaining sessions are dependent upon school and graduate group. As the date approaches, we will provide specific schedules and information. You must register for GROW no later than Friday, July 30, 2021 by noon (12 p.m.).
REGISTER FOR GROW HERE!
Note: All official communications from SoE will be sent to your UC Merced email address per campus policy.
Before GROW Starts
- Complete all required items on the New Graduate Student Check List.
- Apply for a Teaching Assistant (TA) position at aprecruit.ucmerced.edu. A formal TA application is required from any student who wishes to work as a TA. Students should submit an application for any position that you feel eligible to teach (example School of Natural Sciences and School of Social Sciences, Humanities & Arts). Currently, there is no application required for students who will be hired as a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR).
- Register for courses as advised by your faculty advisor or graduate program chair. All funded graduate students must be registered for 12 units each semester. For information regarding registering for Independent Study (research units), undergraduate courses, and other procedures, visit: http://engineeringgrads.ucmerced.edu/academics/registration-procedures
- Review your graduate group's course requirements (Policies and Procedures/Handbook):
- Required Online Trainings
- Training required by all UC Merced students, staff, and faculty are: 1) Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Prevention 2) Cyber Security Awareness Fundamentals and 3) General Compliance Briefing: University of California Ethical Values and Conduct
- For the Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Prevention, an email will be sent to you including the link to Campus Clarity
- Training due date will be noted in the email or through your training portal
- Training required by all UC Merced students, staff, and faculty are: 1) Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Prevention 2) Cyber Security Awareness Fundamentals and 3) General Compliance Briefing: University of California Ethical Values and Conduct
- Laboratory Training
- All laboratory workers must complete Lab Safety Fundamentals before entering a lab.
- Note that based on the requirements of your research/teaching labs, there may be additional training that you will need to complete. You will need to talk with your advisors about those additional trainings.
- Please visit Environmental and Health & Safety for more information
- All laboratory workers must complete Lab Safety Fundamentals before entering a lab.
- New Hire Paperwork
- New students, you will complete any hiring paperwork during Graduate Research and Orientation Week (GROW). You should have the following information readily available:
- Current address if you already have found a local place to live in Merced;
- Employment eligibility verification documents. We require ORIGINAL documentation for the I-9 form (authorization to work in the United States)
- New students, you will complete any hiring paperwork during Graduate Research and Orientation Week (GROW). You should have the following information readily available:
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL VERIFICATION DOCUMENTS, WE WILL BE UNABLE TO HIRE YOU
- If working as a TA:
- Review your TA assignment memo, which you should receive by July 16th
- Contact your supervising instructor for additional instructions and request a copy of the syllabus for your section
- Attend any additional TA Training Sessions as required by your assignment (i.e. Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math)
- If working as a GSR:
- Contact your faculty advisor for instructions and a research workplan for the semester
- Fee Payments (must be registered in at least one course to generate a fee bill)
- Funded Students (Receiving a Teaching Assistantship, Graduate Student Researcher Position, or an Internal Campus Fellowship): Please pay your campus-based fees (Health Services, Transportation, Recreation Center, Student Life, Early Childhood Center, Grad Student Association) by August 18th at 4pm via online at https://connect.ucmerced.edu
- Self-Funded Students/ Professional Degree Students (MM): Please pay your bill or enroll in the Deferred Payment Plan (DPP) by August 18th at 4pm via online at https://connect.ucmerced.edu
During GROW
Attend all GROW sessions as instructed, especially the following. Attendance will be monitored.
- Graduate Division and School/Graduate Group Orientation
- Office of Research and Economic Development Orientation
- Campus-wide New Teaching Assistant Orientation
- International Students Orientation (international students only)
- ELI Micro-teaching oral English assessment (required for selected international students only - by appointment)
- Students who are assigned as a Teaching Assistant for the School of Natural Sciences in Biology, Chemistry, Math, or Physics: Attend the pertinent TA follow-up sessions during the week of August 16th.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Graduate Resource Center at gradresources@ucmerced.edu
