Presented by the Office of Undergraduate Advising & Academic Presented by the Office of Undergraduate Advising & Academic SupportSupport

Virtual Change of Major Workshop

Welcome to The Clark School of Engineering!

The Virtual Change of Major Workshop is a system which:

– Allows you to learn and understand the A. James Clark School of Engineering academic policies

– Helps you become familiar with new resources– Provides tools to understand degree requirements– Prepares you to have your major changed and

register for courses

What is required of me?

Your major will be changed upon completion of these steps:

Step 1: Review the entire virtual presentation

Step 2: Print and sign the FERPA form explained in the presentation (PDF file)

Step 3: Print the curriculum packet attached in your email from Undergraduate Advising & Academic Support (UA&AS)

Step 4: Meet with your primary engineering advisor for course permissions and schedule adjustment

Step 5: Bring printouts of Workshop Confirmation, FERPA form and curriculum packet to UA&AS in 1131 Martin Hall

How long will the change of major process take?

– The presentation should take approximately 30 mins– Your appointment with your primary engineering

advisor will vary in length– Submission of required paperwork and meeting with

UA&AS advisor will vary in length depending on questions you have

Please note: UA&AS Change of Major walk-in advising times are listed on our website,

www.eng.umd.edu/advising

Academic Advising

In the Clark School of Engineering, there are two types of advisors. Departmental Advisor

– A departmental advisor is a faculty or staff member from your engineering major who you will meet with prior to registering each semester

– Departmental advisors are available to help you with course evaluation, research opportunities, technical elective selection, and 4-year plan questions

• The departmental advisor is your primary advisor

Academic Advising

The other type of advisor is: UA&AS Advisor

– Undergraduate Advising & Academic Support (UA&AS) advisors represent the entire college

– They are available to help with general questions, policy violations, General Education requirements, major changes, etc.

You will meet with both of your advisors during the change of major process

Section 1 – Engineering Resources

What is covered in this section?– Engineering Student Support Offices– Advising Offices

• Undergraduate Advising & Academic Support

• Departmental Advising

– Getting Connected as a new Engineering Student

Student Support Services1131 Martin HallThe Office of Undergraduate Student Retention, Graduation and Career Services

– Undergraduate Advising & Academic Support – Engineering Co-op & Career Services– Keystone Academy of Scholars (ENES)

The Office of Undergraduate Recruitment, Outreach, International, and Special Programs

– Recruitment and Outreach Programs– Center for Minorities in Science & Engineering– Women in Engineering– International Programs

How can the UA&AS Office help me?

We help you with:– General education (CORE) questions– Questions about campus resources and

opportunities– University policies and procedures– Lower level engineering courses (ENES)– Transfer credit evaluations– Graduation worksheets and clearance

www.eng.umd.edu/advising

Advising & Expectations

Advising is mandatory every semester with your Departmental AdvisorDepartmental Advisors can assist you with:

– Lifting your registration block each semester– Developing a 4-year plan and selecting and giving permission for major and

technical elective courses– Reviewing benchmarks and degree audits– Suggesting research opportunities for interested students

Advisors also:– Serve as a campus resource– Respond without judgment

Students’ Responsibilities– Be a proactive and active

participant in the process

– Take ownership of your degree

– Come prepared to advising appointments

Who is my Departmental Advisor?

To find your department’s Advising Office, use the “Contact Us” Link on the Undergraduate Advising & Academic Support Website:

www.eng.umd.edu/advising

1.Click “Contact Us,” on the right side

2.Click the “Departments” link within the top paragraph

3.Call the number provided to request the name and contact information of your advisor

Engineering Your Connections

Special Interest Opportunities

– Study Abroad– Minors– Engineers Without Borders– Alternative Spring Break

12 Engineering student groups

6 Student Honor Societies

There are several ways in which you can connect with the College and your major – here are few examples. On the ELMS/BlackBoard site, you will find an Organizations document providing information for student groups and honor societies. You can speak with your advisor more specifically regarding the Special Interest Opportunities.

Section 2 – University Policies

The University Policies covered in this section include:

– Student Academic Success Policy– Repeat Policy– Withdrawing from a course– Withdrawing from the university

University Policies

Student Academic Success Policy− All students are required to create a 4-Year Plan − Your 4-year plan is your personal map for registration and

progression toward a timely graduation; it is a flexible plan which can be adjusted as needed

First Semester Second SemesterCourse Adjustments Credits Grade Course Adjustments Credits Grade

ENME 331   3   ENME 332   3  ENME 350   3   ENME 351   3  ENME 392   3   ENME 361   3  ENME 382   3   ENME 371   3  ENGL 393   3   CORE Course   3                 

Total 15 Total 15Winter Summer                                

                 Third Semester Fourth Semester

Course Adjustments Credits Grade Course Adjustments Credits GradeTechnical Elective   3   ENME 462   3  Technical Elective   3   ENME 472   3  Technical Elective   3   Technical Elective   3  Technical Elective   3   Technical Elective   3  CORE Course   3   CORE Course   3                 

Total 15 Total 15

University Policies

Repeat Policy− Students may repeat up to 18 credit hours− Any course may be attempted twice (repeated once)− A “W” counts as an attempt− Both attempts and grades earned will appear on

transcript− Both attempts are calculated into the cumulative

GPA……except for courses originally taken during your first 24 credits (or for transfer students, courses taken during your first semester as a UM student), in which case there is a grace period. If the course is repeated, only the higher grade will count in your UM GPA.

University Policies

Drop Policy– After the schedule adjustment period ends, students cannot

drop more than 4 credits in any given semester • Dropping a course (withdrawing) results in a ‘W’ on your transcript

– In the event of an extenuating circumstance, students may withdraw from all classes one time

Probation and Dismissal Policies– Students with a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0 are placed

on academic probation for the following semester– Students who do not raise their cumulative GPA to a 2.0

during their probationary semester will be academically dismissed from the university and the Clark School of Engineering

Section 3 – Engineering Policies

The Engineering policies covered in this section include:

– GPA and credits– Permission to Enroll – Exception to Policy– Successful academic progress

• Benchmarks

• Probation & Dismissal

Engineering Policies

Graduation Policies– 2.0 (C+, C, C-) or better in all technical courses (non-CORE)– 120 credits minimum (124 credits minimum for Aerospace)

• No more than ½ of your UM degree credits can be from a community college• You may apply 90 credits from a four-year institution toward your degree

– All degree applicable courses must be regular grading method– Graduation will be denied if any Incompletes (I) or No Grades

(NG) have not been resolved

Non-Maryland Coursework Policy– A ‘Permission to Enroll’ (PTE) form must be submitted and

approved prior to taking any course at another institution• Students MUST be in good academic standing (GPA ≥ 2.0)• Students must meet all prerequisites for the requested course

Engineering Policies

The Petition for an Exception to Policy is a form used to request special consideration or allowance

when you may need to violate a policy.

– Form is found online at the UA&AS website• Click “Student Forms” in the Important Information box

– Common exceptions include, but are not limited to, • Enrolling in more than 18 credits in a semester• Repeat Policy: 3rd attempt of a course• Repeat Policy: exceed the 18 credit repeat limit• Residency Rule: taking a course outside of UMD

within the last 30 credits of your degree program

2nd and 3rd Benchmarks

A benchmark is a progress indicator that looks at coursework completed by a certain point in a student’s academic career

– The first benchmark review was satisfied by meeting the admission criteria.

– The 2nd and 3rd benchmarks evaluate coursework completed by the end of the second and fourth semesters after you are admitted.

– Failure to meet the benchmark requirements could jeopardize one’s status as a student in the Clark School.

– Students can track their benchmark progress on Degree Navigator.

In your meeting with a UA&AS advisor,you will sign a form acknowledging your

understanding of these performance reviews!

Section 4 - CORE

CORE information covered in this section includes:

– Fundamental Studies– Distributive Studies

• Humanities & the Arts

• Sciences & Mathematics

• Social Sciences & History

– Human CulturalDiversity– Advanced Studies

CORE – Fundamental, Distributive, and Advanced Studies

Fundamental Studies

Sciences & Mathematics Distributive &

Advanced Studies

Introduction to Writing

ENGL101

3 Science & Math courses

Met by major Requirements

Mathematics

MATH140 1 Advanced

Studies

Professional Writing

ENGL393

1 Advanced Studies

• Fundamental Studies– 3 courses required

• Sciences & Mathematics– 3 courses required

• Advanced Studies– 2 courses required

• A three-credit 300/400 level course outside the major

• A three-credit 300/400 level course outside the major OR a major CORE Approved Capstone Course

CORE - Distributive Studies• Humanities and the Arts

– 3 courses required

• Social Sciences and History– 3 courses required

• *Only ONE (IE) course (3 credits) may count towards CORE

• Human Cultural Diversity– 1 course required– Can be satisfied by one of

the 6 distributive studies courses if chosen carefully

Humanities

and the ArtsSocial Sciences

and History

1 Literature

(HL)

1 Social or Political History

(SH)

1 The History or Theory of the Arts

(HA)

1 Behavioral and Social Sciences

(SB)

1 other Humanities and the Arts

(HL, HA, HO)

or Interdisciplinary and Emerging Issues (IE*)

1 additional Behavioral and Social Sciences

(SB)

or Interdisciplinary and Emerging Issues (IE*)

Section 5 – Accessing Online Tools

This section covers:– UA&AS website

• Student Forms• Benchmarks• Academic Plans (4 year plans)• Departmental Advising Contact

– MyUM Portal • Schedule of Courses• Registration Drop/Add• Degree Navigator

Tools available on the UA&AS website

www.eng.umd.edu/advising

All engineering forms are on our website– Click “Student Forms” in the

Important Information box

Online Forms• Curriculum sheets

• 4-Year Plans

• Exception to Policy

• Permission to Enroll in Another institution

• Graduate Course Request

• Double degree form

• Graduation forms

Tools available on the UA&AS website

“Degree Planning Tools” Link– Click on “Benchmarks” for access to major specific

benchmark requirements

“Four Year Plans” Link– Click on desire major for access to academic plan

template

Departmental Advisor Contacts– Click on “Contact Us” and then the “Departments”

link to access the location and phone number of your department’s advising office

www.my.umd.edu

MyUM is the one stop shop for information about your academics, housing, health services, student account, ELMS/Blackboard, and other useful campus resources.

“Academics & Testudo” Tab– Scroll to the Testudo Quick Links for access to the ‘Schedule of

Courses’ and ‘Degree Navigator’– Registration Drop/Add is a portlet found on this tab

Degree Navigator

Degree Navigator is an online student degree audit listing courses you have taken/are registered for and how they meet the requirements for your benchmarks (bk)

and degree.

–To switch back and forth between benchmarks(bk), minors, special programs, and degree audit view, select the corresponding link in the menu on the right hand side, under your name.

–Review advisor notes by rolling over “Notes” in the top menu bar and selecting “Read Notes.”

Section 6 – Your Curriculum Packet

Included in this section:– Curriculum Sheet– Evaluated Transcript– How to understand your curriculum sheet and

evaluated transcript– The Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act

release form • Available in Documents folder of Blackboard site

Curriculum Packet

The curriculum sheet is a list of all of the courses required to earn a degree in your chosen major.

– Courses and transfer/AP credits are posted on your curriculum sheet to indicate which requirements have been satisfied based upon your current UM transcript

– The symbol T2 indicates that the requirement is satisfied by a course transferred from a two-year school

– The symbol T4 indicates that the requirement is satisfied by a course transferred from a four-year school

Curriculum Packet

The UM transcript lists all UM and non-UM credit (AP, IB, transfer) that the university has on record for you and

has been evaluated for course equivalencies.

– If this is not a complete list, you are responsible for having official transcripts and/or score reports sent to UMCP

– Official Transcripts and official AP/IB scores should to be sent to the Office of the Registrar

Curriculum Packet

The Clark School of Engineering policy on degree applicability is that only credits used to fulfill degree requirements will be counted toward your cumulative

credit total.

– Coursework not used for your degree will remain on your transcript, but the credits for these courses will not count toward your cumulative credit total.

– Only half of the credits used for your engineering degree can come from a two-year institution (approximately 60 credits).

– You may apply 90 credits from a four-year institution toward your engineering degree.

Curriculum Packet

Understanding your evaluated transcript– Codes that may appear:

• MJ = a course satisfying a Major requirement

• GE = a course satisfying a General Education requirement

• FE = a course satisfying the Freshman English requirement

• NE = a course that Needs Evaluation (speak to a UA&AS advisor about the evaluation process)

• NA = a Non-applicable course that does not satisfy a major or CORE requirement toward your degree

Student Rights

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)a.k.a. Buckley Amendment

– You have the right to inspect your education records and seek to correct these records where appropriate

– You have the right to limit disclosure of your education records to others without your written consent (if you are at least 18 years old)

You must COMPLETE the FERPA release form– Access the release form in the Documents folder of this

Blackboard site.– Print the release form and read the form for instructions.– You must print your name, UID, and date on the form. – It is your choice whether or not to sign giving UA&AS

permission to discuss your academic records with your parent/guardian, if they request information.

Section 7 – What’s next?

You must complete the following steps:Step 1: Print out your curriculum sheet and evaluated transcript to

bring to both your departmental advisor and UA&AS meetings.

Step 2: Meet with your departmental advisor for advising and course permissions for the upcoming semester.

Step 3: Print out the Workshop Confirmation (next page) and FERPA release form to bring to UA&AS in 1131 Martin Hall. Please note UA&AS will not accept a fax or scanned version of these documents.

Step 4: Attend UA&AS Walk-in Advising hours to have your major changed and ask any additional questions you may have.

UA&AS will be unable to change your major until you submit the FERPA release form and attend the meetings with your advisors.

Workshop Confirmation

Congratulations! Thank you for completing the Virtual Change of Major Workshop.

We look forward to assisting you as you finish the change of major process.

GO TERPS!

NOTE: Please print this page and bring it with you to UA&AS Walk-In Advising!