Advising Handbook
Student’s responsibilities
Each student is guaranteed access to an advisor for the entire school academic year (September 1 through May 31 of the following calendar year) and is required to meet at least once per semester with his/her advisor to plan and register for next semester's courses. It is ultimately the responsibility of the student to ensure that he or she meets all requirements for graduation.
To aid the student in this responsibility, the requirements for each major (computer engineering or electrical engineering) are posted at curriculum & courses. These include detailed program requirements, listed in a semester by semester basis, in the form of flowcharts (computer engineering or electrical engineering) that track prerequisites and/or co-requisites and regular program listings (computer engineering or electrical engineering).
Faculty advisor’s responsibilities
The faculty advisor functions as a surrogate parent for the student during his/her stay in the program. The advisor is the first level interface to the University system and is knowledgeable in the student's curriculum.
At the beginning of each advising period, each faculty advisor will post an Advisor Appointment form on his/her office door showing the times that the advisor is available during the advisement period, or will interact with each advisee via email to schedule a meeting.
All students are processed online using the COIN system. During the advising meeting, the faculty advisor releases the Advising Hold on COIN.
Department’s responsibilities
Because of the special mentoring needs of entering students, all freshmen students are advised by freshmen advisors who are trained to provide the appropriate guidance to entering freshmen. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors are advised by non-freshmen advisors.
The advisor/student relationship will be kept as constant as possible. After moving on from the freshman level, the student will remain with his/her assigned advisor until he/she becomes a senior (this means enrollment in ECE 457 Design Projrct I). Seniors and all students pursuing a dual major in ECE are advised by the Department Chairperson. When the advisor takes some type of leave from the University, another faculty member takes on his/her advising role.
Two frequently asked questions by students are:
- How do I contact my advisor? or Who is my advisor?
- When do I switch to a non-freshmen advisor?
Your last advising session with your freshmen advisor occurs when you pre-register for ECE 201 - Circuit Theory I, ENL 266 - Technical Communications, and MTH 212 - Differential Equations.
The ECE Department will maintain a file folder for each active undergraduate student. This file will include:
- An up-to-date Degree Audit and Progress form
- Any appropriate change of major information including a copy of the signed Request for Change of Major form
- Any other relevant information (e.g., written explanations for any waivers of prerequisites and/or co-requisites)
The list of ECE Faculty Advisors will be posted near the ECE Department's office and posted on the web.
Each faculty advisor has access to the list of his/her advisees through COIN.
University’s responsibilities
The Registrar is the legally responsible book keeper for student records. The Registrar's Office has the most complete information including high school recommendation letters and other pertinent application for admission materials. All changes to a student's record (e.g., registration, transfer credits, certification for graduation) must be recorded by the Registrar.
The Registrar makes some student records (e.g., transcript and on-line registration) available through a computer interface called COIN (UMass Dartmouth's Student Information System).
Requirements
In addition to the required courses, both the computer engineering and electrical engineering undergraduate programs have university-wide University Studies electives and Technical Electives.