During the first two years, students are required to see their advisor (assigned during freshman orientation/registration) once per semester before registering; however, they are encouraged to see their advisor more frequently. Advisors in the Lower Division Program Office (128 Lind Hall) and the Student Services Office (105 Lind) can answer questions about procedures, liberal education courses, and academic policy. Upper division students (junior and senior years) should see the advisor assigned to them by their department. Honors students meet with their advisors in 136 Lind Hall.

When must my student declare a major?

Students may declare a proposed major at any time during their first two years, but they must decide by the time they apply for upper division status (junior and senior years). Course requirements for various majors are very similar during the first year but begin to diverge significantly during the second year. Ideally, students should choose an academic path early in the second year, so they can plan course work accordingly. Students can obtain information about various careers in engineering and science from the Career Center for Science and Engineering (Lind Hall 50).

When should my student apply for upper division?

Students should apply for upper division after completing certain prerequisite courses for their intended major but before the end of their second year (more precisely, before completing 60 credits). A list of the prerequisite courses for each major is included in the application for upper division, available from the Office of Student Services (105 Lind Hall). A student who has completed 60 or more credits will NOT be allowed to register again until declaring a major. Generally, a student applies for upper division after completing about 50 credits.

Are there any restrictions on admittance to upper division?

Yes. Besides completing prerequisite courses, a student must also meet the minimum GPA requirements for his/her intended major. These requirements, which vary from major to major, help the college manage enrollment in high-demand areas. Students are held to the requirements that are in effect when they enter IT. Current information on requirements is available from advisors and in printed format from the Office of Student Services.

Where should my student go if she/he is having problems with course work?

The student can obtain help from a number of individuals or resources, depending on the problem:

The professor teaching the course. Faculty post and keep office hours and may also be available before or after the lectures. They can also be contacted via email or telephone.
Teaching assistant(s) assigned to the course. TAs also have office hours.
Undergraduate tutors are available to help students in selected introductory courses (chemistry, computer science, math, physics, or engineering). Tutoring services are available during the day on a walk-in basis and by appointment, and during selected evening hours in all the residence halls. Tutoring for IT honors students takes place in the honors student lounge (136 Lind Hall) and in Middlebrook Hall. Tutoring schedules are distributed in mathematics classes at the beginning of each semester.

How do students get involved in study groups?

IT freshman are assigned to teams for advising purposes. Team members can register in “blocks” in the same lecture, lab, and recitation sections of basic courses. These teams help students get to know one another and to develop friendships and opportunities for studying together. However, there is no formal assignment to small groups for study purposes.

Should my student work while in college?

There is no simple answer to this question. Much depends upon the student's credit load, financial need, involvement in extracurricular activities, and family responsibilities. Being a full-time student (course load of 16-18 credits) is the equivalent of working full time: 48-54 hours per week devoted to class work and homework. To do well academically, students must get plenty of rest in order to be alert and receptive during class. The more outside work a student has, the less time is available for academic study. If a student must work 40 hours a week, then it would be best to take only one or two courses per semester. If your student must work, a job on campus is preferable to one off campus. After the freshman and sophomore years, it makes most sense to tie work to academic study through an internship or a co-op, if possible.

Why do students have to pay computer fees?

All IT students registered for six or more credits must pay a fee that supports instructional computing facilities in the college. Without the technology fee revenue, the college would not be able to provide or maintain computer facilities at the level that has become essential for high-quality education in engineering and science.

Three-fourths of the revenue from the fee paid by upper division students supports five “public” computer labs available only to IT students or to students from other colleges who take IT courses that require use of the labs (who must then also pay the fee). The remainder of the fee supports computer facilities in each IT department. The fee paid by lower division students supports the “public” labs and computing facilities used for the basic math and science courses that all IT students must take.

What is the availability of computers in residence halls and in the labs? Should I buy my student a computer? Where would you recommend we purchase a computer? How can my student connect to the University network?

It isn't essential that your student own a personal computer because IT and the University provide all the computational facilities necessary for course work. Some facilities, like the workstations needed for computer-aided design, aren't the kind we could expect or require students to own.

Nevertheless, it's very helpful for students to have a personal computer. The University sends information to all incoming freshmen about the recommended minimum requirements for personal computers that will be used for course work. Your student can purchase a computer through TechMart, the University's virtual computer store. Students are eligible for academic discounts on these purchases.

An “Internet kit” that includes software and instructions for connecting computers to the Internet is available to faculty, students, and staff from Academic and Distributed Computing Services. All freshmen receive a CD-ROM that contains all the software necessary to use the University's internet services.

All residence halls are equipped with computer labs, and student rooms in all halls have jacks for direct ethernet links (about 150 times faster than a fast modem) to the University network. Modems are not required for most dorm residents. If your son or daughter lives off campus or in a room on campus not yet connected to the network, he/she will need a modem.

How should my student handle problems with a roommate?

If your son or daughter experiences difficulties with a roommate, he/she should talk first to a resident assistant (RA) or community advisor (CA) assigned to the hall, RAs and CAs can provide advice and counseling and help ensure that residence hall and University regulations are enforced. If problems go beyond what a resident assistant or community assistant can do, students should see the residence hall director. If longstanding, serious incompatibilities exist between roommates, students can ask to change rooms.

How should a student handle problems with a professor, a teaching assistant, or a college staff member?

If a student encounters problems with a teaching assistant, he/she should bring the problem to the attention of the professor. If a student encounters problems with a professor, the student should see the Director of Undergraduate Studies or the department head. If the student is not satisfied with the department's response, he/she should bring the problem to the attention of the Office of Student Services (105 Lind Hall). In all instances, the student should first try to resolve the problem informally with the other individual(s) involved. If that effort fails, then the student should seek the help of other parties to help find a solution.

What kind of career services does IT offer students?

The Career Center for Science and Engineering (CCSE), 50 Lind Hall, provides information on career exploration, resume writing, corporate site visits, interviewing skills, co-ops, internships, summer jobs, and permanent jobs. Students can obtain individual career-planning assistance or take a credit course entitled Exploring Careers in Science and Engineering (IofT 1312). It's never too early for students to explore their career options. Students should visit the CCSE office during their freshman year!

What are internships and co-ops?

An internship is a work experience in industry or in a federal or state agency. The work schedule can be part-time during the school year or full-time during the summer. The student is generally paid but does not earn academic credit. Internships are a wonderful opportunity to gain hands-on experience and to learn more about the real-world applications of an academic discipline.

A co-op is a professional work experience for juniors and seniors for which they usually earn credit. Over a period of two years (including summers), the student alternates terms of attending classes with terms of working for a particular company or business. The student is paid for the industrial work and is required to write a report to the University that is based on the work experience. To enter a co-op program, the student must be accepted by the department and by the company. Co-ops are a good opportunity to gain “hands-on” experience and to learn more about a given technical profession. Co-ops also give the employer a chance to develop relationships with good students and to identify potential employees. (Note: Although co-ops are typically not undertaken until the junior year, on-campus interviews for students interested in co-ops begin during the sophomore year.)

The Career Center for Science and Engineering is the primary source of information about these opportunities. Students can also consult their department's undergraduate advising offices, academic advisors, or instructors. The mechanical engineering department has an office dedicated to co-op programs.

Does IT offer a mentoring program?

The IT Mentor Program is organized by the IT Alumni Association and cosponsored by the Career Center for Science and Engineering. Most mentors are IT alumni who are entrepreneurs or who are employed by local companies. Students apply for the program in the fall and are matched as closely as possible with mentors in their field of interest. The program has a collective kick-off event in October and a wrap-up event in April. About 450 mentors and students participate in the program each year.

What social/academic organizations and extracurricular activities are open to IT students? How can my student become involved?

More than 35 student organizations are closely affiliated with IT. Each IT department has at least one student organization, and several departments have three or more. Information about these groups is available from departmental advising offices and in the IT Student Survival Guide, issued to all freshman at fall registration. Students can also participate in IT-wide organizations and local chapters of national groups or honor societies, such as Plumb Bob, Tau Beta Pi, and the Society of Women Engineers.

The student organizations offer access to many extracurricular activities. For example, students involved in the annual Solar Vehicle Project design, build, and race a solar-powered car. Each year students in the American Society of Civil Engineers build and race a concrete canoe. The IT Board of Publications oversees production of two student publications, Minnesota Technolog and the IT Connection. Many IT organizations also work in the community, helping to raise funds for food shelves, toys for children at Christmas, and so on.

You can find information on these groups and activities on departmental web pages, on the IT web site and through the Student Activities Office.

Where can my student find information about fraternities and sororities?

Fraternities and sororities associated with IT are included in the list of IT student organizations, which can be found in the IT Student Survival Guide and on-line. Information about fraternities and sororities in the greek system is available from the Campus Involvement Center, which provides a list of all registered student groups. Fraternities and sororities have a very informal rush system, generally held in the fall and spring semesters.

What types of campus housing are available?

The Department of Housing and Residential Life provides housing for individual students in eight residence halls and three apartment complexes. Housing and Residential Life also offers several Living & Learning Communities, in which eligible students live in a "house" with residents who share similar academic interests. Students interested in any of these communities should list it as a preference when they apply for campus housing.

The IT Explorations in Engineering and Sciences House is a popular option for freshmen who have similar academic and career interests in science and/or engineering.

Honors Housing is a living and learning community available to first-year students in IT and several other colleges. To be eligible for honors housing, students must be accepted into the honors program. Students should indicate a preference for honors housing on the housing application form. Honors Housing is located in Middlebrook Hall on the West Bank campus.

Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) House is a new living and learning community for women interested in the sciences and/or engineering. The program creates an environment in which students can learn from other who have similar academic and career interests (peers, faculty, graduate students, and professionals). A community advisor works with WISE faculty and staff to provide various social activities, including lab tours and dinners with faculty and study groups.

How safe is campus?

Statistics show that the Twin Cities campus is a generally safe environment; however, the campus does not take safety for granted. Parking facilities, skyways, and tunnels are monitored 24 hours a day with the aid of security cameras and security monitors. Alarm buttons and emergency phones are located around campus.The University operates a Security Monitor Program, with monitors patrolling the campus and checking buildings 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. An escort service on campus is also available. Students request this service by calling 612-624-WALK.

What does the IT Parents Organization do?

The IT Parents Organization provides a forum for the parents of IT students to meet with college faculty, staff, and administrators in various settings and to discuss issues related to the education of their sons and daughters. ITPO meets several times during the academic year. Key events include: Dinner with the Dean, held in the fall, during which parents can address questions to a panel of deans, faculty, students, and staff; a meeting at which parents can learn about the Career Center for Science and Engineering; and a picnic held in the spring during IT Week. You can e-mail ITPO (itparent@umn.edu) or call us at 612-626-8282 or 800-587-3884.

Where can a parent buy IT clothing?

You can purchase Institute of Technology polo shirts at the main events sponsored by ITPO (Dinner with the Dean, the spring picnic) and at other college events, such as at the parents' session at freshman orientation/registration. IT shirts are not available through the University bookstores.