Welcome to Graduate Orientation Week!
Use this portal to explore the GROW schedule and orientation details. We look forward to welcoming you to campus on August 15th!
GROW Schedule
Campus Map
In-Person Sessions
Select a date on the calendar to view the day's scheduled sessions. Click on each session's title to view additional details and student requirements.
Schedule Guide
School of Engineering (SOE): Bioengineering, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Environmental Systems, Management of Complex Systems, Master of Management, Materials & Biomaterials Science and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering
School of Natural Sciences (SNS): Applied Math, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Quantitative & Systems Biology, and Physics
School of Social Sciences, Humanities & Arts (SSHA): Cognitive & Information Sciences, Economics, Interdisciplinary Humanities, Political Science, Psychological Sciences, Public Health, and Sociology
On-Demand Sessions
On-Demand Session:
In addition to in-person training, GROW also includes virtual assignments in CatCourses, the campus’s Web-based learning management system for instruction. An invite to join the GROW course in CatCourses was sent to your UC Merced email address. You have been sent an invite to access the modules, each student will have specific assignments and completion deadlines. If you can not find your email invite, please log in via catcourses.ucmerced.edu.
The following CatCourses must be completed by August 28th:
- Office of Research and Economic Development Orientation
- Teaching Assistant (TA) Training
- CARE Training
- Hazing Prevention Training
Additionally, all graduate students are required to complete Sexual Violence and Harassment, Anti-Discrimination, Prevention, and Education (SHAPE) training through CatCourses.
Graduate students who are also employees are required to complete mandatory training for all UC Employeesthrough the UC Learning Center. Additional training requirements based on your job or role can be found on the mandatory training page.
Graduate students who will be working in a laboratory must complete Lab Safety FundamentalsLinks to an external site. and can find additional safety training on the EH&S website.
Instructions and deadlines for completing the courses will be sent to your UC Merced email. You must complete the courses by the due date listed.
GROW Transportation
Parking
Monthly or daily parking permit can be purchased at My UC Merced Parking Portal. Visit the TAPs website for details.
CatTracks Bus System
You will not need a CatCard to board the CatTracks bus during GROW; simply let the driver know you are a UC Merced graduate student attending orientation. Visit the TAPS website to review the stops for CatTracks (UC Merced’s bus transportation system) and determine which route is best for you.
We also encourage you to consider riding your bike to campus, there are many bike paths around campus, including the one along North Lake Road which leads to Lake Yosemite in one direction and connects with numerous paths in the opposite direction.
