GRAD go-live
The new record-keeping system for postgraduate research students (the Graduate Record of Achievement and Development, known as GRAD) is now ready to go live for all PGRs.
GRAD has been running since September for new PGRs, but its use will now be extended to all PGRs, fully replacing the PDR.
The go-live date for GRAD has been set for Tuesday 21 March, and from this date the PDR will be switched off, meaning that supervisors and PGRs must use GRAD to record supervision meetings from this time on.
The PDR will remain accessible, on a read-only basis, so please rest assured that no records currently stored in the PDR will be lost.
We recognise that, during the period of transition to GRAD, PGRs and supervisors will need to look back at the records in the PDR. We have made this as easy as possible to negotiate by providing a one-click link to the PDR directly from GRAD. However, you will not be able to use the PDR to record supervision meetings or to upload documents from 21 March onwards.
GRAD can be accessed on its website. From 21 March all links to the PDR from central University websites, including For Staff, the SES website and the Portal will be changed to links to GRAD. Please replace any saved or bookmarked links to the PDR that you may have with the link to GRAD.
GRAD should now be used to set up and record supervision meetings and training plans and activities, and for First Formal Progress Review, Transfer, and Annual Monitoring processes. All the forms that previously had to be downloaded and filled in offline for these processes have been replaced by web forms within the GRAD system.
In the next few months, the final examination process will also be added to GRAD’s functionality.
PGRs can also use GRAD to request annual leave, authorised absence and, in the case of International PGRs on a Tier 4 visa, to report a change of location (e.g. when undertaking fieldwork).
GRAD is intuitive and easy to use, but support can be found within the system itself if anything is not clear. Just click on the heading ‘Guides’ on the left-hand menu when you enter the system, or click here. If you have any problems using the system, please contact your PGR administrator in the Faculty/School. In the case of technical issues please contact the IT Helpdesk in the first instance.
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