New GPAS training and website content

New training and website content have been developed for the Graduate Planning and Audit System (GPAS). The improved GPAS System Training provides users with a comprehensive understanding of the system as a whole. The new GPAS webpage features system access information, contact information, and eight new user guides. ​​The previous GPAS website, training, and help guides are being retired. Please make sure to update any bookmarks you have. 

On November 18, all current GPCs, DGSs, and College Coordinators were enrolled in the training, and all new GPCs, DGSs, and College Coordinators will be required to complete it before gaining access to GPAS. Faculty advisors and anyone else who uses GPAS would benefit from taking the new training and are encouraged to complete it and review the user guides.

uAchieve project updates

The uAchieve project team is working to upgrade the software and move from “on-premises” to cloud-hosted. The project team recently met with the vendor, CollegeSource, to do a first look at updates to the audit, batch, and transfer articulation. End users should not expect to see any major changes to the interface and functionality. We are moving toward an additional functional walkthrough and then validation and user acceptance testing. Project updates can be found on the project page on the Academic Support Resources website. 

We continue to work with CollegeSource on the uAchieve Planner contract, so the timeline for when that work will begin remains unknown. Our existing Graduation Planner has had a banner message posted to remind students that the planner will be decommissioned on January 30, 2026. 

Academic policy revisions available for review

The Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost is asking for feedback on the Undergraduate Degrees with Distinction and Degrees with Honors policy. Please submit any feedback you may have in the comment form of the policy page by Friday, December 5, 2025. 

For more information about policy revisions, see the academic policy comprehensive review process page. If you have any trouble accessing these policy materials or have general questions about the review process, email barne062@umn.edu. If you have questions about a particular policy undergoing review, please email the listed policy contact.

Grading deadlines

A reminder that the undergraduate and graduate regular session grading due date is 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. Faculty and staff can find grading due dates for other careers and sessions on the ASR Due dates for grades webpage.

A grade entry best practices email will be sent to faculty and instructors on December 3 with more information.

H. R. 1 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act)

Signed into law July 4, 2025, H. R. 1 (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) made several changes to financial aid programs. ASR is awaiting further guidance from the U.S. Department of Education to better understand its impact, effects on students, and future implementation. 

In the meantime, ASR has put together a working group to track updates related to the bill and a webpage on the One Stop website. As we receive official guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, we will update the page and share this information with students.

Quarterly RAC meeting Dec. 1

The quarterly Registrar’s Advisory Committee (RAC) meeting will be at 9 a.m. on Monday, December 1 over Zoom. Agenda items include end-of-term reminders, updates on the “One Big Beautiful Bill” act, and FERPA guidance on communicating with students via email. If you would like to attend, join the RAC Google Group to have the meeting added to your calendar. For more details about RAC and the quarterly meetings, see the RAC information page.