Advisement

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Chemical Engineering Advisement

The University of Florida Chemical Engineering Department is committed to quality academic advising for chemical engineering students. The academic advising mission is to assist students in the attainment of their educational goals. The following is a description of the active advising program provided.

Department Advisement Office

The Academic Advisement Office, directed by Dr. Spyros Svoronos, Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Coordinator, administers the programs of all undergraduate students.  Cynthia Sain is the Undergraduate Advisor. This office is the repository for student records, processes all applications for admission, processes all applications for degrees, and issues course and teaching schedules.

The main functions of the Academic Advisement Office related to undergraduate matters are as follows:

• Coordinate undergraduate academic activities in the Department
• Act as liaison to other colleges and departments on campus on matters relating to undergraduate education.
• Administer an active and viable academic advising program.
• Provide advice and direction to students in matters outside the scope of the faculty mentors.
• Receive, process, and validate all petitions for the Bachelor's degree.

• Getting information on how to add or drop a course, or register
• Getting information about degree requirements
• Finding out about research and career opportunities
• Finding out about student activities and organizations
• Getting copies of academic forms and publications

Advisement Structure

The Chemical Engineering Department undergraduate advisement structure consists of an undergraduate coordinator, undergraduate advisor, and faculty mentors. The Undergraduate Coordinator will help you efficiently navigate the chemical engineering curriculum, while faculty mentors will help you make choices in your development as a professional engineer.

Undergraduate Coordination

The department believes that providing a central coordination system will give you more accurate and consistent advice on successfully completing the Chemical Engineering curriculum. The Chemical Engineering Department coordination system includes both access to people and networked-based information. 

• Receiving timely advice on the proper sequencing of required courses such that all prerequisites are observed.
• Resolving course scheduling problems
• Recommendations for courses to satisfy the humanities, social sciences, and elective requirements.
• Obtaining career advice if your faculty mentor is unavailable

Faculty Mentors

The second part of the Chemical Engineering Department advisement approach is faculty mentors. The role of faculty mentor is to provide you guidance on issues related to your professional development. This may take the form of discussing career options, helping you articulate long term goals, guiding you to other professionals that may help resolve issues in your life, and offering encouragement to achieve your potential. The faculty mentor is not expected to help you with the mechanics of being a student, but to be a person you can talk to about becoming a successful engineer.

Faculty mentors are the primary source for:

• Information about the profession of chemical engineering
• Help in formulating career objectives 
• Assistance in dealing profession issues
• Discussing undergraduate independent study projects
• Help in deciding whether to add or drop a course
• Learning about graduate school
• Getting recommendation letters

The department holds a mentor week once each fall and spring semester during which many faculty mentors offer open times to provide counseling to students. The department asks that you sign up for an appointment with any faculty mentor of your choice to begin to discuss your career objectives. Although students are encouraged to meet faculty mentors during the mentor week, most faculty members are available for counseling throughout the semester. You may contact faculty mentors individually to make an appointment as frequently as the need arises. Do not wait for an invitation if you feel things are not going as they should; contact faculty mentors or the undergraduate coordinator for advice.

Faculty mentors are just that - friend, and advisor, but they are not psychic. They cannot know the educational and life goals of the student. Only you, the student, can express needs and objectives in terms of a concrete program leading to graduation.

Professors and students build professional relationships to their mutual benefit. We believe that the advising program will enable faculty mentors to act as excellent professional references for the students. Moreover, students learn what chemical engineers do by direct contact with people who are chemical engineers: the faculty mentors. 

The advisor system is essential to the efficient operation of a flexible program and you are encouraged to participate actively in the system. Faculty mentors are generally available during posted office hours and at other times by appointment in addition to the assigned times during the mentor week.  Students should be aware that, because of faculty travel, commitments, etc., the scheduling of same-day appointments will not always be feasible. Thus, students are encouraged to make appointments in advance, particularly if the posted office hours are not convenient. Students may also consult with the Academic Advisement Office (room 219) regarding all academic matters.

We hope this advisement structure will provide you with accurate and timely advice with considered guidance.

Curriculum Advisement

The faculty mentors are available to help students with career decisions and with information about the various areas of chemical engineering and the department. Questions, for example, about which courses are more relevant to a particular career path should be referred to the faculty mentors. Questions about SASS, dropping courses, completing honors requirements, and the like should be referred to the Academic Advisement Office.

It is emphasized that although the department provides academic advisement to aid the student in scheduling courses, it is the student's sole responsibility to make certain that the courses taken and the grades earned satisfy the requirements for the degree.

Record Maintenance

Responsibility for updating student file records rests in the Academic Advisement Office. Students should check with that office if there are any questions about their SASS audit reports or concerning their academic folder and any information contained therein.

It is the student's responsibility to ensure that their current address (US Mail and E-mail) is up to date in the Registrar's Office AND on file in the departmental office.  Correspondence from the Academic Advisement Office will be handled through US Mail, campus mail, e-mail, and/or the bulletin board outside the Academic Advisement Office (Room 219). Students should check their mail box weekly and e-mail on a daily basis.

Each student must prepare and maintain a Curriculum Plan which defines when the student expects to take what courses to satisfy the BSChE degree requirements. 

During their first registration period, the student should complete the Emergency Information Form. If at any time there are changes in this information, a revised sheet should be prepared for the student's file.

Registration Advisement

During the middle of Fall and Spring Semesters, advanced registration (also known as pre-registration) takes place according to an appointment schedule issued by the Registrar's Office. The student's individual appointment time appears in the Registration Preparation portion of the Integrated Student Information System (ISIS).

The Chemical Engineering Department begins pre-registration advisement appointments prior to the official pre-registration period. The advisement appointment is mandatory. An announcement to make the advisement appointment is emailed to each student. An advisement hold is placed on each student by the College of Engineering preventing registration without speaking with an academic advisor (i.e., Undergraduate Coordinator or Administrator). Only after the advisement session does the Academic Advisement Office release the advisement hold.

ChE Undergraduate Bulletin Board

Each student should periodically check the undergraduate bulletin board for changes in course offerings or room schedules, for special examination dates, and for other matters of interest to undergraduates. This bulletin board is located next to the Chemical Engineering Academic Advisement Office.

If at any time you should have problems, please contact Dr. Svoronos, Undergraduate Coordinator or Cynthia Sain, Undergraduate Advisor [219 Chemical Engineering (352) 392-0852].