Advising

Freshmen
Prof. Chris Lent, who operates through the office of the Dean of Engineering, currently advises all first-year students. After their first year, all students enrolled in the traditional curricula (Chemical, Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical) are assigned a faculty advisor from that department. The Associate Dean of Engineering advises students in the Bachelor of Science of Engineering. Each BSE student's program is established in consultation with the advisor, and changes may be made only with the advisor's approval.

Sophomores and Juniors
At the end of their freshman year, all ME students are assigned a faculty advisor for their sophomore and junior years. The faculty advisor ensures that students meet the ABET criteria for graduation, including the selection of appropriate elective courses, and the successful completion of all core and prerequisite courses.

STUDENTS CAN REGISTER ONLY AFTER HAVING A FORMAL MEETING WITH THEIR ASSIGNED FACULTY ADVISOR. It is the student's responsibility to either meet the advisor during his or her regular weekly office hours or to schedule an appointment in a timely fashion. The advisor will review the student's transcript and proposed courses at this time, as well as discuss post-graduation career paths. The Department Chairman is also regularly consulted by any students seeking advice or counsel in curriculum matters. Student-faculty assignments are posted outside the ME Department Office. Please contact Maria Jimenez if you cannot find this posting.

Probationary students are assigned to the discipline faculty member who sits on the Academic Standards Committee. The Department Chairman, the Associate Dean of Engineering, and the Dean of Students are also available for student counseling independently and the students have the option of changing faculty advisors after appropriate consultation.

Seniors
Senior students are advised by the Department Chairman. They should meet with him during their junior spring term for the fall senior registration.

Off-Sequence Students
For a number of reasons, a student may find him- or herself off-sequence from the standard course of study. These students are advised by the Department Chairman until they can enter the normal sequence of study and advisement.

Transfer Students
A very limited number of transfer students is accepted into ME each year. When this situation occurs, it is treated as a special case of an off-sequence student who enters the Cooper Union at a level above the freshman year and who must take lower level required courses (and/or is granted credit for required or elective courses).

Upon the student's first registration, his or her study plan and records would show the transfer credits awarded, including letters of approval signed by the Department Chairman and the Dean. Normally, at the first registration, the student can examine the documentation necessary to determine the granting of transfer credits. In the unlikely event that the decision on granting transfer credits is postponed, a decision is reached by the end of that semester. Additional transfer credits can no longer be awarded after this point.

Students who intend on transferring into the ME Department from another department or school at Cooper Union can do so only if:

Verification of Student Program of Study
The registrar does a "degree audit" at the beginning of the senior year, and students are informed of curriculum deficiencies. The advisor checks with the student each semester, usually at the time of registration or just prior to registration, to ensure that the student is following a standard course of study. If not, plans are made to ensure that the student will meet all degree requirements. An up-to-date transcript is available to the advisor in the department office at all times.