|
|
| |
Mechanical & Nuclear
Engineering Undergraduate Programs
MNE
Home | Links | Comments
| Contact Info | Site
Index |
|
| |
| Who’s in charge here? |
| |
The person ultimately responsible for all activities within the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering is the Interim Department Head, Dr. Karen A. Thole. Dr. Thole came to Penn State in Fall 2006. She was previously professor and Assistant Department Head in Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech. Assisting Dr. Thole are three Professors-in-Charge who have administrative responsibilities in specific areas: |
| |
|
| |
Dr. Martin Trethewey (E-Mail) is the Professor-in-Charge of Undergraduate Programs for Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering. He is responsible for all activities in the Undergraduate Program Office. |
| |
|
| |
Dr. Stefan T. Thynell (E-Mail) is the Professor-in-Charge of Graduate Programs for Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering. |
| |
|
| |
Dr. Jack Brenizer (E-Mail) is the Chairman of the Nuclear Engineering Program and the Professor-in-Charge of Administration and Planning. |
| |
|
| |
In general, complaints and comments about activities in the department should be addressed to the appropriate “Professor-in-Charge”. If you feel you have not received an adequate hearing, you can schedule an appointment to see Dr. Thole directly by contacting Michelle Alterio (E-Mail) in 137B Reber, (814) 863-0663. |
| Where do I go to get advice? |
| |
The first place you should seek advice would be from your adviser. In the event your adviser is unreachable or cannot answer your questions, you may see Juls Kralik, Brenda Chambers, or Dr. Martin Trethewey in the Undergraduate Programs Office, Room 139 Reber Bldg. In addition, you can obtain answers from Tara Sulewski (the Curriculum Adviser) who is also located in 139 Reber. |
| Who is my adviser? |
| |
An adviser is assigned to you when you enter the MNE Department. Your adviser's name appears at the top of your degree audit on elion. Juls is responsible for assigning an adviser for you. You can check with her in 139 Reber Building, call her at 863-1503, or email her at E-Mail. |
| How do I add or drop a class? |
| |
After registering, a student may add and/or drop courses through the tenth day of the semester the drop/add period). After this point in the semester, a student can only add a course with permission from the instructor by submitting a drop/add form (available from 139 Reber or on-line) signed by the instructor, submitted to Juls, Tara, or Brenda in 139 Reber Bldg. Students can late-drop a course using eLion anytime up to the late drop deadline for any particular semester. A $6.00 fee is charged for each late add and/or late drop after the tenth day of the semester. |
| Can I change sections in a class? |
| |
Yes, as long as there is enough room in the class you want to get into. You can check the enrollments with Juls, Tara, or Brenda. If there is room in the class, a section switch can be easily performed in 139 Reber. Enrollment into a full technical elective course will only be allowed with permission from the instructor. Enrollment into a full MNE required lecture course will only be allowed with permission from Dr. Trethewey. No students will be added to a laboratory course that is full. For courses in other departments, you should contact their undergraduate programs office. |
| Is there a way to find out when seats open up in a class that is full? |
| |
Yes, http://www.Lionschedules.com offers a free “Course Opening Notifier” feature on its website. You can enter the 6-digit schedule number of the course you want and Lionschedules will notify you via email as soon as a seat opens up. In addition, you can enter the courses you want to take for a given semester, and Lionschedules can map out all of the possible schedules for you, even with regards to seat openings. |
| How do I choose Technical Electives? |
| |
Descriptions of all the ME technical electives are in the ME or NucE Program Planning Manuals given out at Orientation when you enter the program, or you can check out the following websites: http://www.mne.psu.edu/undergrad/Suggested_TE.htm and http://www.mne.psu.edu/undergrad/specialty.htm for advice on grouping your technical electives according to your interests. You may also take any 400-level engineering course (that is not required for your degree) as an Engineering Technical Elective, ETE. The General Technical Elective, GTE, can be satisfied with any math, science, or engineering course beyond the level required for the degree. See http://www.mne.psu.edu/undergrad/ugmanuals/ME_Manual/MEGeneralTechElect.pdf for a list of approved GTE courses. However, be sure you have satisfied the requirements for the technical electives described in Section 7. |
| Why do I have to take these Arts/Humanities/Social Science courses? |
| |
The Faculty Senate of the Pennsylvania State University has established “General Education Requirements” http://www.mne.psu.edu/undergrad/ABET/MECourses/AHS.htm is a website which gives the AHS requirements for Mechanical and Nuclear Engineers. These requirements include 6 credits in each area of Arts, Humanities, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. In addition, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) http://www.abet.org/ requires that all engineering programs include a broad-based educational experience. |
| |
|
| |
Requirements aside, the faculty of the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering feel that it is important for students to gain an appreciation for the larger societal context of technology in addition to the technical aspects of their education. Exposure to new ideas in such diverse areas as theater, philosophy and psychology are essential for well-rounded and rewarding careers. |
| |
|
| |
Students are encouraged to look upon the General Education Requirements as an opportunity to broaden their horizons, interact with colleagues with different points of view, and enhance their technical education with different ways of looking at the world. |
| How do I choose my AHS electives? |
| |
There are websites that have listings of GA, GH, and GS courses. |
| How do I know if I've met the AHS requirements? |
| |
You can check your degree audit to see if you have fulfilled your AHS requirement, or meet with your adviser to confirm that you have. If you have any further concerns, you may ask Juls, Brenda, Charlie, or Dr. Trethewey. |
| What's the "9-6-3" option? |
| |
The usual sequence for the AHS courses is a 6-6-6 sequence – 6 credits (two courses) in each of the following areas: Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. The 9-6-3 option allows students to take 9 credits of courses in one AHS area, 6 credits in a second area, and 3 credits in the third area. Students can elect to do a 9-6-3 sequence by submitting a Degree Audit Reconciliation Form. You can also stop by 139 Reber to pick up the appropriate form or print a copy from the website at http://www.mne.psu.edu/undergrad/forms.htm. |
| Where do I get my Degree Audit? |
| |
You can obtain a current copy of your Degree Audit Report directly from the Internet. To do so, visit the following website https://elion.oas.psu.edu/ and follow the directions to your audit. See Section 2 for help in reading your degree audit. |
| My Degree Audit seems to be in error. What can I do about it? |
| |
If your degree audit shows a deficiency which you believe has been met, there may be a simple explanation. If your adviser cannot sort out the problem, stop by room 139 Reber (the Undergraduate Programs Office) and discuss the issue with Juls, Charlie, or Brenda. Chances are the degree audit hasn’t recognized a course you have taken. You may be asked to fill out a “Degree Audit Reconciliation Form” to help us fix the problem, or you may have to file a petition to ask for special consideration of courses already taken. |
| I wish to get credit for courses taken outside the curriculum, how do I get credit? |
| |
You can complete a petition form as outlined below. |
| What is a petition? |
| |
A petition is a form you need to fill out and submit when you are requesting substitutions or academic exceptions that vary from the usual degree requirements. Petitions are available in the Undergraduate Records Office in 139 Reber or you can print a copy from the website at http://www.mne.psu.edu/undergrad/forms.htm. |
| What happens to a petition once I hand it in? |
| |
Once your adviser has signed it, bring it to 139 Reber and leave it with Juls. She will submit it to Dr. Trethewey, along with a copy of your unofficial transcript, so Dr. Trethewey can see exactly what you have already taken. In the event the petition deals with General Education credits, it will be forwarded to the Office of Student Services in 208 Hammond Bldg. If not, it will remain in 139 Reber. Upon completion of the process, the petition will be entered onto your degree audit and you should see it reflected there when you print your degree audit. |
| I think my petition was unfairly denied. What can I do about it? |
| |
That depends on the nature of the denial. If your academic adviser refuses to sign the petition because he or she does not agree with the nature of the petition, you can appeal that decision to the Undergraduate Programs Office. Dr. Trethewey will either decide to uphold or over-rule the adviser’s decision. If the petition was denied by Dr. Trethewey (Professor-In-Charge of the Undergraduate Program), his decision may be appealed to the Undergraduate Policy Committee at their next meeting. The decision of the committee will be final. If the petition was denied by the Assistant Dean for Student Services, (only for petitions dealing with General Education Requirements), the student can schedule an appointment with Nancy Witherite in 208 Hammond Bldg. to discuss the matter further. |
| How do I find out more about the Co-op program? |
| |
Contact Dr. Martin Trethewey, MNE Co-op Adviser, at 863-1503 or E-Mail. You can also contact the Engineering Co-op Office either by calling 863-1032 or stop by 205 Hammond Bldg. The following website is also a good source of information about Co-op's: http://www.engr.psu.edu/coop/. |
| How do I find information about summer internships? |
| |
You can contact the ENGR Co-op Office at 863-1032 or stop by 205 Hammond Building. The Career Fair in September is an excellent way to find summer and full-time employment. |
| What kinds of student projects are underway right now? |
| |
This question will most likely be answered by clicking to the website right above. |
| What is the Learning Factory and how can I use it? |
| |
The Learning Factory is both a new kind of curriculum, and an integrated manufacturing facility. It integrates a practice-based curriculum that emphasizes manufacturing, design, and business realities; with physical facilities for product realization, in an industrial-like setting. To learn more about the Learning Factory, visit the following website: http://www.lf.psu.edu/lf/whatis.html. |
| What is the Leonhard Center? |
| |
The mission of The Leonhard Center states that, “it strives to improve the quality of undergraduate engineering education by emphasizing design as an integrating force in the engineering curricula, promoting active learning, and developing communication and leadership as essential engineering skills”. To learn more about The Leonhard Center, visit the following website: http://www.engr.psu.edu/LeonhardCenter/eec/lc/. |
| Can I participate in the "Study Abroad" program in Mechanical Engineering? |
| |
Yes, please see Section 3 of the manual for information about the Study Abroad Program. To learn more about The Study Abroad Program at Penn State, visit the following websites: http://www.international.psu.edu and http://www.engr.psu.edu/international/. If you plan to take technical courses during study abroad, you must meet with Dr. Trethewey before your study abroad semester to have courses approved as substitutions for degree requirements. |
| I thought this was a 4-year program. Why will it take me more than that? |
| |
The ME and NucE E degrees takes 4 years to complete, as outlined by our Curriculum Manual (check inside the back cover). In many cases, this time limit is exceeded due to other factors such as Co-op, or when pursuing a minor, for example. |
| I have a complaint against a faculty member. What do I do about it? |
| |
You can speak with Dr. Martin Trethewey about your problem/concern. At this point, he will most likely contact the faculty member in question and discuss your concern with him or her. If need be, he will discuss the issue with Dr. Karen Thole, MNE Department Head. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
