The Big Picture
Gradiance replaces the whiteboard list, the sticky notes, and the "just stop by" system with something that works from your phone. When your instructor opens the queue for the day, you join from wherever you are, pick what you need help with, and watch your position in real time. No more hovering outside the office door.
Joining the Queue
Go to gradiance.org on your phone, laptop, or tablet — any device with a browser works. Your phone is the recommended choice since you can keep it in your pocket while you study and glance at it when your position changes.
Log in
Use the email and password from your welcome email. If you haven't set up your password yet, check your school email for a setup link from Gradiance.
Wait for the queue to open
Your instructor opens the queue when they're ready to start seeing students. If you see "No active queue session," check back in a few minutes.
Pick what you're here for
You'll see a list of competencies — the topics your instructor has defined for the course — plus a Questions option at the bottom. Select one and tap Join Queue.
Watch your position
Your position number updates in real time. No refreshing needed. When you're #1 in the queue — get to the chair.
The Chair Rule — This Is Important
When you reach position #1, your screen will show a message telling you to get to the chair. This is your signal to physically move to the waiting area outside your instructor's office — not to sit there and keep studying remotely.
When your instructor opens the door and you're not in the chair, they will look down the hallway briefly. If the next student in the queue arrives before you do, that student gets pulled in instead. You may need to re-enter the queue and wait again. This isn't punitive — it's to keep things moving efficiently so every student gets seen.
The system is designed to be fair. If you miss your spot, you can rejoin and you'll be delayed by roughly one position — not sent to the back of a long line. But if the day runs out of time, missing your spot means missing your opportunity for that session.
Where to Study While You Wait
Since Gradiance works from your phone, you don't need to camp outside the office. Study somewhere productive nearby and watch your position. When you hit #1, you have a short walk to the chair. Here are the labs closest to the CS office suite:
Karlgaard Lab
General-purpose computing lab. Good for working on assignments while you wait.
JAMF Lab
Available during open hours. Quiet environment, good for focused review.
CS Programming Classroom Lab
When not in use for class, this is a solid spot to work through practice problems.
Marshfield Software Engineering Lab
Great for project work and collaborative study while you wait for your turn.
Daily Limits
You get one interview session per course per day. This applies to any competency — Knowledge Review, Algorithm, whatever you choose. Once you've been called in and interviewed, you've used your session for that course today.
Questions are unlimited. If you just have a quick question, select Questions when joining and you can do that as many times as you need throughout the day.
Some competencies count across multiple courses — for example, if Welcome Interview is shared between CS 255 and AI 250, one attempt counts for both. Gradiance handles this automatically.
Leaving the Queue
If you need to leave before you're called — class starts, you solved your problem, life happens — just tap Leave Queue. Your spot is released and the queue moves up. No harm done.
Queue Policies
Your instructor can run the queue under different policies depending on the day. You'll see the current policy displayed on your screen.
| Policy | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| First-Come, First-Served | The order you joined is the order you're seen. Simple and predictable. |
| Points-Based | Students who have waited longest across multiple sessions get priority. Rewards patience over time. |
| Randomized | Order is shuffled. Everyone has an equal shot regardless of when they joined. |