1. RIT Mechanical Engineering Transfer Orientation
Welcome to RIT
RIT Mechanical Engineering Transfer Orientation
Dr. Alan Nye
Your Academic Advisor
Associate Department Head
You may customize this page as needed for your group. For example, you may want to retain only your photo!

2. Your Academic Advisor
I will be your academic advisor during your time here at RIT
I can assist you with course selection, career advice, and getting connected with assistance resources available in the department, college, and institute
Please keep me informed of your progress – I can’t help if I don’t know what issues you are facing
Please use this page to describe how you can interact with your student group. Wayne, and Vinnie, you may want to clarify that Wayne is the Honors Advisor, and Vinnie’s leadership of the EMC2 program.

3. History of RIT ME Department
First Accredited by ABET in 1968
Kate Gleason College of Engineering – The Only Engineering College in the USA Named after a woman.
30 Faculty in the Department
About 730 students across all ME programs
Feel free to comment on your own history at RIT, and the legacy of the department. When did you arrive here? Where did you come from? What got you interested in mechanical engineering as a career? In what way has mechanical engineering been a rewarding career for you?

4. Degrees and Options Offered
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Aerospace Engineering Option
Automotive Engineering Option
Bioengineering Option
Energy and the Environment Option
Advanced (Graduate) Certificate in Vibrations Engineering
Master of Science (MS)
Master of Engineering (MEng)
Dual Degree: BS/Meng, BS/MS

5. Educational Objectives
The objectives of the Bachelor of Science degree program in Mechanical Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology are to prepare all of our graduates to:
Apply fundamental knowledge, skills, and tools of mechanical engineering.
Practice mechanical engineering in support of the design of engineered systems.
Accept the professional and ethical responsibilities to function as an engineer.
Contribute and communicate effectively within and across teams.
Continue their development as lifelong learners.
Possess a broad education and knowledge of contemporary issues.
And, to prepare some of our graduates to:
Enter graduate programs and succeed in obtaining graduate degrees at the Master’s and/or Ph. D. level.
Please stress this, and go through our educational objectives. While it may be tempting to breeze through this slide, please take a few moments to review this slide in some detail. ABET visitors can be expected to stop random students in the hall and ask them what our program’s educational objectives are. We need to promote awareness of these objectives, and the Outcomes, very heavily for the next 18 months.

6. Who’s Who Ed Hensel, ME Department Head Alan Nye, Assoc. Dept Head
Diane Selleck, Student Information Specialist
Julie Olney, Student Information Specialist
Connie LaBarre, Dept. Secretary & Receptionist
Sheila Garwood, Staff Assistant - Finances
Faculty, Staff, Student Colleagues
Please explain where the students can go for various needs. In general they will be directed towards Diane and Alan for most of their questions.

7. Student Handbook Review
ME Department Undergraduate Handbook is your guide
Please read this handbook carefully
Use this handbook when you meet with your advisor to plan your academic program
Use the course checklist, and update it each quarter
Keep copies of AP/Transfer Credit/Co-op Evaluations in this folder
Read and understand the academic conduct policy, and the computer use policy – we take these very seriously!
Refer to the course withdrawal procedure in the appendix
Please walk the students through the various sections of the ME Student Handbook. Encourage them to keep and use the handbook, and to bring it to subsequent meetings that they have with you.
Please highlight the academic honesty policy. Make them aware that ME students were held accountable under this policy last year, and that they don’t want to get into a situation that can ruin their career. We don’t want to be negative, but integrity is an important element of being an engineering professional.
Ask the students to sign and return the records release form to you before they leave the advising room today.

8. Liberal Arts Worksheet
Start working on your liberal arts worksheet now!
You must satisfy both the CORE and CONCENTRATION Requirements!
Your Liberal Arts Worksheet needs to be approved by Liberal Arts Office of Academic Advising, not by Mechanical Engineering!
If they want to change a liberal arts course, from Psychology to Sociology, for example, encourage them to do it on their own with SIS.
Note that many liberal arts courses are full now, but that seats may come available over the duration of the next week, as upper-class students change their schedules around.
Discourage the students from making changes to their liberal arts courses today. Encourage them to look closely at their daily schedule and be very careful before changing their liberal arts course. Emphasize that they need to place scheduling priority in this order: Freshman seminar, math class, ME class, chem class, FYE class, and Lib arts class. Our experience indicates that if they do not follow this scheduling priority, it may be very difficult to construct a schedule that fits everything together, especially at this late date!

9. Registration Information
You must register yourself for winter quarter!
Winter registration begins during the 7th week of the fall quarter.
Use the checklist of required courses and the prerequisite chart to make course selections.
Meet with me to to be sure you have picked the right courses.
Register on-line through SIS.

10. Course Withdraw Procedures
Discuss your situation with the Course Instructor. If they agree, ask them to fill a W form.
Discuss your situation with your Academic Advisor. If they agree, ask them to fill a W form.
Schedule a 15 minute appointment with Dr. Nye, to explain your reasoning, and your plan for catching up on your course work.
If all advisors agree, then Diane will withdraw you from the class.
DO NOT USE “W” AS A CRUTCH. USE THIS TOOL SPARINGLY DURING YOUR CAREER!
“W” will appear on your permanent transcript.
DEADLINE IS October 14, 2005!
MUST BE DONE BY THE END OF WEEK SIX!!!
Remind them that the course withdrawal procedures are given in the handbook also, and that they should review the procedure before they come to speak with you. Remind them, that if they come to see you in a few weeks, you are going to hold them accountable to this procedure.

11. Extracurricular Activities
SAE Formula Racing Team
Aero-Design Team
Moonbuggy Team
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Society of Automotive Engineers
Society of Women Engineers
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
National Society of Black Engineers
Pi Tau Sigma Mechanical Engineering Honorary
Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honorary
Encourage students to get involved with extracurricular activities. Remind them that they will have an opportunity to learn more about these extracurricular activities during freshman seminar in the weeks to come.

12. Academic Assistance Resources
Academic Advisor
Faculty – Course Instructor
Engineering Learning Center 
Academic Support Center
KGCOE Office of Student Services
Counseling Center
Math Lab
Physics Lab
Encourage students to take advantage of the help that is available. Statistically, students that achieve a grade of D, F, or W during their first academic year are at high risk of not surviving in the ME department program.
We are on a quarter system – things move fast. Don’t wait until it’s too late to ask for help. If they don’t know where to go for help, tell them to come ask their advisor, and you will help them get to the right place for help.

13. Communication is CRITICAL!
Meet with your Advisor!
Departmental Mail Folders by M.E. Office – Please check them regularly.
RIT is
If you use another account, make sure you forward your RIT address! WE DO NOT RECOMMEND ACCOUNT FORWARDING!
PLEASE CHECK AND USE YOUR RIT REGULARLY -- THIS IS USED FOR MANY PURPOSES THROUGHOUT YOUR ACADEMIC CAREER.
We cannot help you if we don’t know what issues you are facing.
Emphasize the importance of in today’s world.
Encourage them to use the native RIT system. We have had many more problems with the off-campus systems such as hotmail and yahoo recently.
Encourage the students to check their folders regularly – daily for the first week, and at least weekly for the rest of their academic career at RIT.

14. Summary All set for Fall Quarter.
We’re pleased to have you here at RIT with us.
Remember to finalize schedule changes with Diane or Julie in the M.E. Office.
Meet with me in week three to discuss co-op or classes for winter quarter.
Rah Rah Rah!

15. Questions?
We’re here to help!