Where can I get advising?

1) Your Faculty Advisor

All students are assigned a faculty advisor upon entering the department. You are required to meet with your faculty advisor at least once each semester, specifically during the pre-registration mandatory advising period (advance enrollment period) for the coming semester. The purpose of faculty advising is to provide students with career advice and to assist students with tailoring their coursework and experiences (internships, research, study abroad, student societies, etc.) to achieve their academic and professional goals. If students make good use of their advising sessions, their faculty advisor will be an excellent source to ask for letters of recommendations for jobs, graduate school, fellowships, and scholarships.

Prior to scheduling an advising appointment, students should complete the following steps:

Students should also review their Degree Audit (DARS) prior to their advising appointment to look for any potential problems and check degree progress.

2) The MechSE Undergraduate Programs Office (152 CAB)

The MechSE Undergraduate Programs Office is the departmental resource center for undergraduate students and faculty. The office staff includes:

  • Associate Professor Sanjiv Sinha, Associate Head for Undergraduate Programs
  • Missy Biehl, Undergraduate Programs Coordinator and Remote & Online Academic Advisor
  • Stephanie Ott-Monsivais, Academic Advisor
  • Tammy Smith, Office Support Specialist
  • Robbie Vermillion, Office Support Specialist

The preferred method for contacting the MechSE Undergraduate Programs Office staff or advisors is by email at mechse-ug-advise@illinois.edu.

3) The College of Engineering Undergraduate Programs Office (206 EH)

At the college level, students can "walk-in" to see an academic advisor from 8:30 - 11:45 am & 1:00 - 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, in 206 Engineering Hall.  For more information, visit the College of Engineering Undergraduate Advising Wiki page.