New Student Orientation SCE

1. New Student Orientation SCE School of Science and Computer Engineering

2. Academic Advising Office Bayou Building 3611 281-283-3711 sceadvising@uhcl.edu Advisors Available Monday through Thursday 10:00 am – 5:30 pm www.uhcl.edu/sce/advising Times occasionally change due to meetings and events that require advisor participation. Call 281-283-3711 to verify advisor availability.

3. Academic Advising Office Staff KialynYendell Advising Coordinator/Advisor Beryl Ricard Academic Advisor Becky Morton Secretary Chris Baker Receptionist 281-283-3712 281-283-3713 281-283-3715 281-283-3711 yendell@uhcl.edu ricard@uhcl.edu mortonv@uhcl.edu bakerc@uhcl.edu three advisors , two staff members, to serve 1,800 students

4. UHCL - Overview SCESchool of Science & Computer Engineering BUS School of BUSiness SOE School Of Education HSH School of Human Sciences & Humanities BIG CHANGE: Now we offer all 4 years of the bachelor’s degree

5. Getting Advice SCHOOLS Have different policies about • Admission • Foundation courses • Degree plans (CPS) • Grade requirements. MAJORS within SCE Have different policies about • Admission • Foundation courses • Degree plans (CPS) • Grade requirements. • Changing majors DANGER!!! What is true for your friend often is NOT true for YOU.

6. Getting Advice: Too many choices! • Advising Center: for Freshmen ONLY Bayou 1408 • Help for your first semester • Help you select a major • Review what classes will transfer • Select classes for your FIRST semester. • May refer you to an SCE Academic Advisor • UG Transfer Academic Advisor SSB 1202 • Help for your first semester • Help you select a major • Review what classes will transfer • Select classes for your FIRST semester. • May refer you to an SCE Academic Advisor • SCE Academic Advisor Bayou 3611 • University rules and policies • SCE rules and policies • Draft your official degree plan (CPS) • Updated CPS for Financial Aid and VA • Updated CPS for International documents • Holds for excess credit or probation • Reinstatement from suspension • SCEFaculty Advisor - see Web for personal offices • Finalize your degree plan (CPS) • Selecting degree electives • Anything else involving the content of your degree plan. • Career possibilities

7. Candidate Plan of Study The single most important document for your successful graduation is your INDIVIDUAL Degree Plan. At UHCL, the degree plan is called the Candidate Plan of Study

8. Candidate Plan of Study • Your CPS specifically states: • Exactly which classes you must take to graduate • The number of credit hours you must earn to graduate • The minimum grades you must make to graduate

9. Graduate CPS

10. Candidate Plan of Study You will get your CPS DURING your first semester. You will not get it now. Sometime mid-semester, you will be notified in your campus e-mail that your CPS draft is ready. You will meet with your faculty advisor to finalize your degree plan. A copy of the final plan will be e-mailed to you.

11. CPS vs. DPR DPR E-Services Generic Does NOT include foundations Does NOT include U.S. transfer credit Is NOT an official document, Is NOT used for graduation CPS Faculty approved Individualized Includes foundations Includes U.S. transfer credit Official document Used to determine graduation

12. CPS vs. DPR • If the DPR is different from your CPS, FOLLOW YOUR CPS. You may e-mail sceadvising@uhcl.edu to request corrections to the DPR, but you are not required to do so.

13. Graduate Foundation Waivers Waiver requests: all degrees except Computer Science and Computer Information Systems • First Semester Your first semester at UHCL, do NOT register for any assigned foundation courses for which you believe you have completed equivalent class work with grade of C or better. • Faculty advisor When you meet with your faculty advisor, take class descriptions and syllabi for any courses for which you wish to request a waiver. • Waiver committee If your faculty advisor declines to waive a class and you do not agree, you can appeal to the waiver committee.

14. Graduate Foundation Waivers First step for Computer Science /Computer Information Systems Final appeal for all other majors. Do this ONLY if you faculty advisor has refused a waiver and you feel you have grounds for an appeal. • Fill out Waiver Request Form (available in B3611) • Attach all supporting documentation • Make a copy for yourself • Submit to Academic Advising Office B3611 • Do not take the class until you have a final answer from the waiver committee.

15. Graduate Foundation Waivers Technical Writing or Scientific Writing No Waivers WRIT 3135(3315) Technical Writing or you may choose to take: BIOT 5035 Scientific Writing - or - CSCI 5035 Technical Writing • These classes are assigned IN ADDITION to the other degree requirements. • They DO NOT count as electives toward the degree. • The DO COUNT toward the GPA.

16. Registration for Graduates FIRST SEMESTER GRADUATE STUDENTS • Academic Advisors do not advise graduate students which classes to take. • Your first semester it is best to register for assigned WRITING classes (if required), for any foundation classes which you do not plan to question, and for standard core classes for your degree program • If you are not sure if you first semester classes are appropriate, or if you must register for an elective, be sure to contact your faculty advisor prior to or during the first week of class, when you can still add and drop.

17. Registration for All REGISTER DURING EARLY REGISTRATION YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR COMPUTERTO REGISTER EARLY

18. Registration for All SUBSEQUENT SEMESTERS Track your progress on your CPS. When you complete a class, fill in the grade on your CPS. • Follow your CPS when you select classes each semester • Contact your faculty advisor about selecting or changing electives. • Take a CPS Change form to your faculty advisor to document the changes. Turn in the form to B3611 • Check the 2 year schedule to plan but consult your faculty advisor if you have questions about class availability. The 2 year schedule WILL change in Fall 2014.

19. Registration – Full Classes Contact the SECRETARY in the division office for the class either by E-mail or face-to-face Provide the following information: Your name, student ID and major The semester, class, section number, class date and time Example: Fall 2014, Biology 3333, section 01, TTH 1:30-2:50 3. Reason you have to take the class at this time. Math/Statistics Patty Gibson Bayou 3521 gibson@uhcl.edu Natural Science Maria Winters Bayou 3531 winters@uhcl.edu Computer Science/ Information Kim Edwards Delta 161 edwardsk@uhcl.edu Engineering Janet Brecheen Delta 151 engstudentreg@uhcl.edu

20. Registration - Controlled Classes • Controlled Classes • Certain graduate and undergraduate classes require you to obtain special permission to register. • Senior Projects(undergraduate) • Research Project and Seminar(graduate) • Research Methods(graduate) • Others as requested by faculty • You must e-mail the instructorto receive a permission number which will allow you to enroll.

21. Class Numbering System The first digit is the LEVEL: CSCI 3311 or CSCI 5233 Undergraduate: The SECOND digit is CREDIT HOURS CSCI 3311 Graduate: The THIRD digit is CREDIT HOURS CSCI 5233 The other digits don’t mean anything Graduate Level 5000-6000 Master’s Degree MS, MA, MBA, etc. Undergraduate Level 4000 3000 2000 1000 Upper-level: Junior and Senior Level Lower-level: Freshman and Sophomore

22. Grades & Grade Point Average READ COMPLETE DETAILS CONCERNING UHCL GRADES • In your Catalog • Online • On your CPS

23. You are responsible for knowing the rules

24. Graduate CPS Grade Requirements

25. Grade Point Average (GPA) • Graduate Students • Must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 • Grades of C- will NOT count toward the degree. • No more than 2 grades of C or C+ will count toward the degree, excluding foundations and writing class (SCE rule). THESE GRADE REQUIREMENTS ARE LISTED ON YOUR CPS

26. Grade Point Average (GPA) Cumulative GPA The average of the grades earned in ALL of the classes* for which you have earned credit at UHCL. *If a class is repeated, the last grade replaces the first grade in the GPA calculation.

27. Grade Point Average (GPA) Cumulative GPA includes: • Foundation classes for graduate students • Writing Class for graduate students • All classes (except repeated classes), whether they count toward your degree or not Even if you change your major, the classes that do not apply to your new major still count in your UCHL cumulative GPA.

28. Grade Point Average (GPA) SEMESTER GPA The average of all the classes you take at UHCL in a single semester. This is only important if you are on probation or suspension.

29. Probation and Suspension - Graduates Probation Undergraduate students whose Cumulative GPA drops below 3.00 are placed on probation. While on probation, the semester GPA must be 3.00 or better every semester until the cumulative GPA rises to 3.00, at which time the student is removed from probation. Suspension If, while on probation, a student earns a semester GPA of less than 3.00, the student is placed on suspension, cannot attend UCHL for one semester, and must request reinstatement. A second suspension is for one year. A third suspension is forever. Be aware of UHCL’s +/- grading system: BEWARE! The grade of B- is only 2.667 points

30. Requests to Change Major Graduate Students 1. SCE Graduate students may request to change your major once, and only once, in an academic year. 2. There will be a window of time each semester when SCE Advising will accept graduate student requests to change majors. The window to change majors opens at the beginning of Open Registration. 3. If you request and are accepted to a new major, you forfeitthe opportunity to be accepted back to your former major. 5. Allow 4-6 weeks for a decision on acceptance to a new major. If denied, you will remain in your current major and there will be no change in your status.

31. Campus E-Mail • Secure • Private – keep it private! Do not share your log-in! • Mandatory • Can be forwarded to an outside address • RARELY captured by the SPAM filter http://www.uhcl.edu

32. HOLDS Many departments have the authority to put holds on students which will prevent you from registering. Examples include overdue library books, unpaid parking tickets, unpaid fees. Academic Advisors CANNOT help you with any of these holds

33. HOLDS • The only holds Academic Advisors control are: • Probation holds for graduates or undergraduates • Excess hour holds for undergraduates only • See your ACADEMIC advisor ONLY for one of these two holds • . • Faculty advisors cannot remove any holds

34. And, Finally…… Study Hard Stay Focused Enjoy !!!!!!!!