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Faculty Mentors

The department holds a mentor week once every 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 mentor 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.

Mentor - Student Relationship

Faculty mentors are just that - friends, and advisors, 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. Visit faculty mentors during the mentor week or at any other time through individual appointment. Visit your faculty mentor more frequently than once a semester so that your mentor will become familiar with you, and you with your mentor. this will make the advising process easier and more productive. For example, your mentor will be able to write more effective employment or scholarship or fellowship recommendations for you if your mentor knows you well.  Mentors want to help, but it is important to note that they also have many other  responsibilities. Like you, their time is restricted.  So, call ahead for an appointment.  That way they are not caught off guard and can be prepared for the meeting with you.

Mentor's Responsibility

The role of faculty mentors 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

Coordinator's Responsibility

The Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Coordinator knows the curriculum well. This includes what prerequisites are required, what course options are available, and the best courses for a certain area of interest. You are required to prepare/update and submit your curriculum plan each term. Your curriculum plan is reviewed by Undergraduate Coordinator. If you have any questions about specific requirements, address these questions to the Undergraduate Coordinator for answers.

Student's Responsibility

Each student, not the faculty mentor or undergraduate coordinator, is responsible for meeting all graduation requirements of the University of Florida, the College of Engineer and the Chemical Engineering Department. Therefore, you should begin now to plan your University of Florida career.  Prepare/update your curriculum plan and try to meet with the undergraduate coordinator or advisor early in the semester. That way many of the details and problems can be worked out before the hectic course registration period. Course pre-registration for the spring term is held beginning in October and for the fall term begins in March.

Planning ahead is often of particular importance for transfer students.  Within the two plus years that transfer students need to complete degree requirements, a carefully planned sequence of curses is often necessary in order to take the prerequisite courses needed for more advanced courses.