Where can I get advising?
All students are assigned a faculty advisor during their first semester, near the midterm of the semester. You are required to meet with your faculty advisor at least once each semester, specifically during the department's preregistration 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:
- Download the digital flowsheet (an editable PDF) for Engineering Mechanics or Mechanical Engineering, fill it out in Adobe Acrobat per the form instructions, then upload it to the My.MechSE portal.
- Upload a copy of your most recent Degree Audit (DARS) to the My.MechSE portal.
- Upload a copy of your most recent Resume/CV to the My.MechSE portal.
Students should also review their Degree Audit (DARS) prior to their advising appointment to look for any potential problems and check degree progress.
The MechSE Undergraduate Programs Office is the departmental resource center for undergraduate students and faculty. The office staff includes:
- Sanjiv Sinha, Professor and Associate Head for Undergraduate Programs
- Stephanie Ott-Monsivais, Director of Undergraduate Programs
- Samridh Singh, Chief Academic Advisor
- Missy Biehl, Academic Advisor (Remote)
- 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 or by walk-in during regular business hours from 8am-noon or 1-4:30pm, Monday through Friday.
At the college level, students can schedule advising appointments during business hours or drop-in for Express advising at The Grainger Engineering Academic Advising Center. For more information, visit The Grainger College of Engineering Undergraduate Academic Advising webpage.