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From the time students enter the college until they become affiliated with a Major, they are under the administration of Engineering Advising, which implements the academic policies of the College Curriculum Governing Board (CCGB). Engineering Advising provides a variety of advising services to help first- and second-year students with academic, career, and personal matters. Students can make an appointment by calling 255-7414 or may stop in to see an advisor on a walk-in basis.
Student Services is responsible for a variety of programs and services that assist in the development of successful engineering students. These include publishing The Sundial, a weekly e-mail newsletter for students that provides information about upcoming deadlines and special programs; organizing Major information sessions and other events to help first- and second semester students choose a major; coordinating the Peer Advisor Program; sending early-intervention letters to students who may need additional support in specific courses; and providing information on tutoring and academic support services available on campus.
All students are assigned a faculty advisor when they begin their course of study in the College of Engineering. They usually keep the same advisor until they affiliate, even though the advisor may not be in the Major in which they intend to specialize. Once students choose a Major, they will be assigned a faculty advisor from that Major.
Faculty advisors help students translate their interests into an appropriate course of study, evaluate their curriculum and workload, monitor their progress toward a degree, and take advantage of the diverse opportunities available at Cornell. Students should consult their faculty advisor when they have questions about the academic requirements of the university, the college, or the schools and departments. Faculty advisors evaluate each semester’s program, approve course changes (except when a student is moving to a different section of the same course), and approve any course to be used as an approved elective. Students must see their faculty advisor whenever they consider adding or dropping a course. Students who wish to petition for an exception to college rules should discuss the matter first with their advisor, who must endorse any petition before it can be considered.
To be effective, a faculty advisor must be aware of a student’s academic and personal goals. Students should make an appointment to see their advisor as soon as they return to campus after intersession or summer vacation. This is an opportunity for the student and advisor to discuss the student’s goals, reevaluate academic plans, and make changes in course enrollment, if necessary. Students must also consult with their faculty advisor during the pre-registration period to receive approval of their course selections for the following semester.
It is the student’s responsibility to stay in contact with their faculty advisor and to ensure that the advisor is aware of the student’s goals and progress. Academic difficulties may be avoided if the advisor is able to recognize problems early. Students often form strong intellectual bonds with their faculty advisors, and this is more apt to happen if the student takes the initiative. Another benefit of developing a relationship with the faculty advisor (and faculty members in general) is that the student may wish to ask the advisor for a letter of recommendation at some point in their career. Such letters are not particularly useful unless they come from people who know the student well enough to accurately assess their capabilities.
What Students Should Expect from Their Advisor
1. Availability. Students should expect to have ready access to their advisors. Most advisors set aside several hours each week for advising and will usually make appointments outside those hours if necessary. Advisors who are out of town for more than a week will usually designate an alternative advisor to handle urgent problems.
2. Personal Contact. Students should expect to have a personal relationship with their advisor, through which the advisor will become familiar with the student’s background, academic record, and career plans.
3. Advice. Students should use their advisor as a resource for planning their academic program and identifying academic and career goals. The advisor will be able to explain college degree requirements, scheduling/registration procedures, and other academic regulations. While it is not the function of the advisor to help students find employment, they should be able to give broad advice on careers in engineering and science and the academic background necessary for such careers. The advisor can also provide information on postgraduate education and general requirements for admission to graduate programs. A faculty advisor may refer a student to other faculty members or offices that are better able to serve the student’s needs.
4. Assistance. Advisors can help students explore special programs, such as cooperative education, international study, dual-degree, and double-major programs. They may also be helpful in obtaining tutorial assistance or transfer/advanced placement credit, as appropriate. Students often ask their advisors to provide letters of recommendation for scholarships, employment, or graduate school.
What Students Should Not Expect from Their Advisor
1. Job Placement. While students should be able to discuss career options with their advisors, it is not the advisor’s responsibility to provide assistance in a job search. Students should contact the University Career Center or the Engineering Career Services office for help in finding employment.
2. Tutoring/Study Skills. Advisors are often able to identify the need for tutoring, remedial course work, or improved study skills but should not be expected to provide the necessary assistance. Students in need of such assistance are generally referred to other resources, such as the Center for Learning and Teaching.
3. Help with Personal Problems. Students should make their advisors aware of problems that interfere with academic progress, but advisors are not trained to provide counseling for personal problems, nor should they be expected to resolve housing or financial issues. They will, however, refer students to the appropriate university office or program.
4. Assessment of Effort Required for Specific Courses. Advisors can deter-mine the appropriateness of a given course in a student’s program, but they cannot predict how difficult the course will be or how much effort it will require.
Student Responsibilities in the Student-Advisor Relationship
1. Initiate Contact. Students are expected to initiate contact with their advisors for scheduling, course changes, and other matters in a timely fashion. Because of teaching commitments, research, and travel obligations, advisors may not be available on short notice. Students are urged to plan ahead and initiate contact with their advisors well in advance of specific deadlines.
2. Keep Advisors Informed. Advisors can provide better advice if they are kept informed of their advisees’ academic progress and career goals. Students should feel free to share this information with their advisors and can expect that their advisors will ask questions and provide appropriate guidance based on the dialogue.
3. Accept Referrals. Students should be willing to accept referrals from their advisors and should review the results of such referrals with their advisors after the fact.
4. Work to Develop Rapport. The rapport necessary for good advising can occur only if both the advisor and the student make an active effort to develop it. Recognizing that each advisor has their own style and personality, it is hoped that the student will respond to the efforts of the advisor to get to know the student and their academic interests.
The Engineering Seminar (ENGRG 150), a 1-credit fall course, provides an opportunity for first-year students to get to know their faculty advisors on a more personal and meaningful level. Students meet regularly (as a group) with their faculty advisor to discuss a range of engineering topics. Discussions may include the engineering curriculum, aspects of engineering careers, active research in the college and engineering in general, and study and examination skills useful to engineering students. Groups may also visit campus academic, engineering, and research facilities. All first-year students are preregistered in a section of ENGRG 150.
As part of their participation in ENGRG 150, all first-year students are assigned peer advisors—sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have volunteered to help new students understand the course selection process, meet other engineering students, and adjust to life at Cornell. Incoming first-year students meet their peer advisors during orientation week and as part of their ENGRG 150 seminar. Subsequent meetings are arranged as needed. Students should feel free to call their peer advisor at home during reasonable hours whenever they have questions.
Advising networks have been established at the university level for students who intend to go on to graduate study in law, medicine, or business. The principal function of these networks is to disseminate information and coordinate visits by admissions personnel. Students considering any of these graduate fields should visit Engineering Advising for general guidance and more detailed information.
Premedical
Students interested in medicine or other health-related careers must plan their courses early to meet both the requirements of the Common Curriculum in the College of Engineering and the pre-requisites of the intended professional course of study. Advice for freshman and sophomore premed students is provided by Engineering Advising, 167 Olin Hall, and by Judy Jensvold, the university premed advisor, in her annual premed meetings for engineers.
For upper-class students, premed advising is handled exclusively through the Office of Health Careers Programs. Students must declare their intentions through that office in the fall of the junior year.
Important meetings and deadlines are advertised in The Sundial, the Cornell Daily Sun, and special bulletins published by the Office of Health Careers Programs in 103 Barnes Hall.
Prelaw
Preparation for law school does not require a special structured curriculum, but students are encouraged to take electives in history, economics, government, and other courses that emphasize reading, writing, and oral communication. Prelaw advising is provided by the University Career Center (UCC) in Barnes Hall. During the academic year, the UCC conducts information sessions for students who want to learn more about the legal profession and admission to law school.
Prebusiness
Students who want to prepare for business school should take electives in economics, personnel management, business management, law, behavioral science, investments, or accounting. Special programs offered by the Johnson Graduate School of Management make it possible to work toward degrees in both engineering and management at the same time (see p. 120 for more information). Students interested in these options should visit the Office of Research and Graduate Studies (201 Carpenter Hall) or the admissions office of the Johnson Graduate School of Management.
The College of Engineering Diversity Office (EDO) acts as a catalyst for the enrollment, support, career placement, graduate school preparation, and overall success of minority and women students. Some of the current programs are listed below. Led by Associate Dean Zellman Warhaft, emphasis is placed on creating a productive climate for undergraduate and graduate students and faculty developing new programs including outreach and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. For further information, please contact EDO at 255-0735 or stop by 146 Olin Hall.
Diversity Programs in Engineering Office
The Diversity Programs in Engineering Office operates precollege, undergraduate, and graduate programs to facilitate the recruitment and retention of under-represented minority students and women in the College of Engineering. In addition to the programs described below, the office provides academic support and events to support a diverse community for minority and non-minority students.
Prefreshman Summer Program
The College of Engineering participates in a university-wide effort to promote academic achievement and involve students in the life of the university through this six-week residential program. The program is designed to acquaint students with the challenges associated with the Cornell engineering curriculum that will begin in the fall.
Developmental and specialized instructions are given to students in subjects such as mathematics, computer science, and English composition. Students may take regular or accelerated courses.
Major trips and recreational activities provide opportunities for getting a better understanding of how to navigate and adapt to the college. Seminars and workshops provide a wide range of topics that are relevant to academic and extracurricular life in the university setting.
Engineering Career and Job Fair
In September and April of each year the Diversity Programs in Engineering Office sponsors a networking event that allows company representatives from all over the United States to meet with students historically underrepresented in the field of engineering. Summer internships and permanent jobs frequently result from these annual events.
CURIE Program
The CURIE Academy is a one-week summer residential program for high school girls who excel in math and science. It offers classes, labs, and research experiences designed and taught by Cornell’s world-class faculty and graduate students. Social events, panel discussions, and informal networking allow students to experience life on a university campus and to make new friends from all over the country. The CURIE Academy seeks to advance diversity in engineering and encourages minority students to apply.
Women in Engineering Resource Collection
In October 1992, the Women in Engineering Resource Collection was established in the reference section of the Engineering Library in Carpenter Hall. With support from the Engineering Library and grants from Digital Equipment Corporation and Kodak, print, audio, and video materials have been collected that target the issues women encounter in a male-dominated field.
Engineering Learning Initiatives, 167 Olin Hall, facilitates academic opportunities for engineering students which enhance the learning environment, support teaching excellence, and cultivate professional development. The following programs are offered through Engineering Learning Initiatives: Academic Excellence Workshops (AEWs), Tutors-On-Call, Undergraduate Research, the Cornell LeaderShape® Institute, and Engineering TA Training.
For more information on these programs, call 607-255-9622, email eng-learning@cornell.edu, or visit
www.enginineering.cornell.edu/learninginititives.
Academic Excellence Workshop (AEW)
Academic Excellence Workshops (AEWs) are one-credit, small-group, cooperative-learning sessions that complement the core engineering courses, including Math 190, 191, 192, 293, 294, Chem 211, CS 100, and CS 211. The weekly 2-hour workshops are led by trained peer facilitators and offer a cooperative environment where students work together on concepts, problems, and projects to enhance understanding of course material. AEWs are based on research showing that cooperative methods promote higher grades, greater persistence, deeper comprehension, more enjoyment in learning, and more positive attitudes toward academic work. To register for an AEW, access the on-line add/drop instructions through Just The Facts under the ENGRG courses. For more information on AEWs visit www.engineering.cornelledu/aew.
Tutors-on-Call
The goal of the Tutors-On-Call program is to promote students’ development of critical-thinking and problem-solving skills through peer guidance and support. Through the Tutors-On-Call program, peer tutors are available free of charge for many first- and second-year core courses for engineering students, including math, chemistry, physics, computer science, and distribution courses. Peer tutors earn an hourly wage and are trained to help their peers master course content and improve learning skills. Tutors must have a 3.0 grade point average and an A or a B in the course(s) they tutor. Tutors can help students better understand key concepts, apply concepts to problems and projects, and review and prepare for examinations. One-on-one tutoring is intensive and provides each student with individualized assistance. To schedule a tutoring appointment, email a tutor listed under the appropriate course on the Available Tutor List. Find the list on the web at www.engineering.cornell.edu/tutoring or visit the Engineering Learning Initiatives office in 167 Olin Hall to pick up a paper copy.
Cornell LeaderShape® Institute
The Cornell LeaderShape® Institute is a dynamic, interactive, six-day residential retreat, emphasizing vision planning and leadership development. The curriculum is provided by LeaderShape®, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that has been helping young adults learn to "lead with integrity" since 1988. It begins with participants engaging in self-reflection and learning about the power of visions and goals, and results in participants creating powerful visions for themselves and for their student organizations. Overall, student participants will explore personal characteristics; expand their understanding about leadership; meet and work with peers; and talk to current leaders of the college, university, and surrounding community. For more information visit www.engineering.cornell.edu/leadershape
Engineering TA Training
New TAs in the College of Engineering become certified by completing the TA Development Program, which includes training in classroom management, diversity, grading, cooperative learning, and presentation skills. While the majority of TAs are graduate students, some undergraduates have the opportunity to be trained and serve as teaching assistants in their senior year. By giving TAs a sophisticated understanding of how human learning occurs, as well as rigorous training in course management responsibilities, we are creating a pool of talent that enriches the pedagogical life of the college. In addition, TAs may also receive credit for their successful participation in the one-credit Teaching Seminar, ENGRG 678. This seminar, offered by Engineering Learning Initiatives as an enhancement to the TA Development Program, aims to upgrade teachers’ skills, increase teaching standards, and improve student-learning outcomes through formative discussion and reflective writing.
The Engineering Registrar’s office, located in 158 Olin Hall, is the main repository of all engineering student records. This office is distinct from the University Registrar’s office located in B7 Day Hall.
The registrar’s office oversees course enrollment, grading, course scheduling, room assignments, and examination scheduling for the College of Engineering. The office is responsible for maintaining the Student Information System, and all grade and course updates are processed by this office. Any official documents relating to academic matters are filed as part of each student’s permanent record and held in the registrar’s office. The registrar’s office also produces reports regarding course, enrollment, and student data. Students who need an official transcript or certification of enrollment should go through the University Registrar’s office.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) requires that students be advised of their rights concerning their educational records. Educational records include records directly related to a student and maintained by an educational institution or party acting on its behalf. The law gives students (1) the right to inspect their own records; (2) the right to challenge incorrect information in those records; and (3) the right to keep their records private. (For more detailed information on FERPA, please refer to Courses of Study.)
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