The Grainger College of Engineering
Academy for Excellence in Engineering Education

Student Information for Faculty

The Grainger College of Engineering Undergraduate Programs Office – UPO

The Grainger College of Engineering’s Undergraduate Programs Office (UPO) provides many resources and opportunities to help all Grainger Engineering undergraduate students succeed. The UPO is spread across several locations. If all else fails, students can contact us at engineering@illinois.edu and be pointed in the right direction (either within their department, the college, or campus) 

College Academic Advising and Records and Engineering Undeclared 

  • We are in the east wing of the 4th Floor in Grainger Library. 

Access Point 

  • We are located on the east side of the 3rd Floor in DCL. Students can check-in in 3300 DCL. 
  • Access Point is where to send students looking to get involved through Engineering Career Services, International Programs in Engineering (IPENG), Undergraduate Research, The Grainger First-Year Experience (GFX), Engineering City Scholars, and opportunities in Public Outreach & Engagement 

Engineering Hall 

  • We are located on the 2nd Floor in Engineering Hall. Students can check-in in 206 EH. 
  • Engineering Hall is where the college’s embedded counselor is located, as well as our Morill Engineering Program, ARISE Program, and Women in Engineering. 
  • It is also where our external Transfer and Engineering Pathways Program and Academy for Excellence in Engineering Education are located. 
  • Students may also have scheduled advising (not express advising, which is on the 4th Floor of Grainger) in Engineering Hall, depending on who they are meeting with. 

Center for Academic Resources in Engineering (CARE) 

Student in need of various resources you are not sure about (test anxiety, etc)

If you are not sure how to best connect students with resources on campus, please direct them to either their departmental undergraduate advising office (or contact the office yourself) or to the College Advisors in the Undergraduate Programs Office. Departmental and college advisors interact closely with each other as well as campus’ Student Assistance Center to support all of our students, and can get students to the right resources if you are unsure where to direct them. 

Student not doing well during the semester and in need of options/help

Please direct engineering undergraduate students who experience extraordinary circumstances to the college UPO to discuss possible options. Students might benefit from counseling (we have an embedded counselor), be able to late drop your class, or even withdrawal from the semester. There are many details about all of these processes that you need not worry about, but the college advisors are available to assist students in distress.  

Students considering a medical withdrawal should be directed to the Office of the Deans of Students (ODOS) or https://odos.illinois.edu/community-of-care/resources/medical-withdrawal.  

If a student is experiencing an emergency that involves an imminent risk of harm to self or others, please call 911. 

Student sick at End of Semester, unable to complete final exam or final project – Incomplete Grade Option possible?

If a student is unable to complete the final examination or other requirements at the end of the semester due to illness or other extenuating life circumstances, a temporary time extension may be granted to complete the small amount of outstanding coursework in the form of an Incomplete (I) grade – See http://studentcode.illinois.edu/article3/part1/3-104/ .  

For graduate students, instructors are in charge of issuing incomplete grades, but for undergraduate students, it is a college process. 

Important things to know (undergraduate students): 

  • See detailed information all in one page! 
  • Only the student’s college may authorize an extension of time. We review and evaluate each case, individually, based on gathered information. 
  • The college will verify the extenuating circumstances. 
  • The college will ask that you, as the instructor, provide information on the student’s overall performance (this requires timely attention during a very busy time of the semester. Your prompt collaboration is much appreciated!). 
  • If a student discusses with you the possibility of an Incomplete and it looks like an incomplete is appropriate, direct them to their college to start the process as soon as possible. For a Grainger Engineering student, they should be directed to the advising team in the Undergraduate Programs Office; students in other colleges can be referred to their college advising office. Please keep in mind that Incomplete (I) grades are not granted to students who: 
  • had the opportunity to complete the work, but did not (e.g., overslept the final exam); or 
  • need to make up a large portion of the course (that is, they have many missing assignments, not just a final exam) or to students who are clearly not passing the class. 
  • Grades: if the incomplete is granted prior to the deadline to report grades, simply report any current grade. 
  • The college will issue an Incomplete (I) that will override the grade you entered. 
  • After the student has completed the work, you will need to update their grade (at https://registrar.illinois.edu/faculty-staff/staff-grades/grade-change-system/). This update must be completed by the 8th week of the following semester or the grade will automatically revert to a Failing (F) grade by rule per the Student Code. 

Student with irregular attendance or participation – What to do?

Regular class participation is expected from all students. Irregular attendance might be the sign of many other issues that need to be addressed. We recommend reaching out to the student and encouraging the student to come see you and/or advise the student to contact their college. We recommend instructors to notify our college using http://go.grainger.illinois.edu/Concern4Student (UPO will connect with them). You can also refer students you are concerned with to the Office of the Dean of Students. https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article1/part5/1-501/ (part h)

Student who may miss or missed an assignment – What to do?

This is your class, and so you have broad latitude in how to appropriately handle this situation. However, the university encourages faculty to be sensitive to each student’s individual circumstances. 

Students who are absent from class for more than three days due to prolonged illness or other situations outlined in the Student Code will be able to request a “absence letter” from the Office of the Deans of students (ODOS). These letters are intended to provide information to the instructors who require them and can be used to help the instructor determine whether or not to excuse the absence and allow make-up work.  

If the student is absent for less than three days or for reasons not specified in the Student Code, no absence letter will be provided by ODOS, but that does not necessarily mean their absence was not legitimate or cannot be excused by you. It is up to you to decide whether to excuse students who miss class because of job interviews, and similar situations.  

We strongly recommend that you have a clearly posted policy in your syllabus on missed assignments/exams and under what circumstances accommodations will be made and what process a student should follow to request such an accommodation.  

We notice an increase of stress around career fairs, engineering open house, and final exams week, and would recommend a bit of leniency if possible around those times (many students, especially incoming undergraduates, get really stressed out).  

Please note that The Grainger College of Engineering does not issue incompletes for students who missed their final exam because they “forgot the day/time” for example. It is really up to you to decide what to do, while being fair to the rest of the class (let the student take your conflict exam, or any option that you feel is appropriate). Again, this is entirely up to you. For unusual requests, you may want to reach out to the Associate Head for Undergraduate Programs in your department. 

Failing My class – Special Examination Option?

Special examinations offer students who failed a course another opportunity to pass the course and earn academic credit counting towards degree completion. This option is typically used for graduating seniors who need the class credit to fulfill the requirements for their degree.  Refer to the Student Code for complete information at https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article3/part2/3-204/ 

Important things to know: 

  • Please make sure to discuss with your department to double check eligibility. For example, students on drop status are not eligible for a special examination. 
  • Once the student has been in conversation with the instructor about the special exam and there is an agreement that such an exam will be offered, the student needs to go to the Registrar’s Office (901 W Illinois St, Suite 140, Urbana) to pick up the Special Exam Request form. Administrative offices are typically open Monday –Friday from 8:30am to noon and 1-5pm.  
  • The student is responsible for gathering the signatures on the form. This form needs to be signed by the instructor, the Head of the Department offering the course, and the College Dean (do NOT send them to the Dean in 306 Engineering Hall; rather the advising deans in the Undergraduate Programs Office act as proxy) for approval. 
  • The department will need to create a special exam section CRN for the term the exam is taken.  
  • Once all of the signatures have been obtained, the student will need to drop off the form to the Undergraduate Programs Office on the 4th floor of Grainger Library for the final signature (we take care of sending the form to the Registrar’s Office).  
  • The exam must be administered after the close of the semester during which the course is offered and before the end of the next semester in which the student is registered following failure in the course. 
  • The instructor that administers the special exam is responsible for submitting grades to the Registrar’s Office within 4 weeks of the date of the exam. 
  • Student earns a passing grade in the course (and will be given course credit) if the student earns at least a C- on the examination. If they earn a D+ or below, the student will receive a non-passing grade (F) in the course. This is the same rule as the Credit/NonCredit Rule (C- and above grants credit).  
  • The instructor will need to obtain a grade report from their department, supply a grade on the grade report form, and sign/date it. The instructor is responsible for turning the completed form into their departmental office for processing. 

Adding classes

Students may register for any class with available seats for which they satisfy pre-requisites until the posted add deadline (see  http://registrar.illinois.edu/academic-calendars). Instructors should have clearly posted policies in their syllabus about making up missed work for students who add the course after the start of the semester. Students need special permission from the instructor about adding classes after the add deadline. Please refrain from giving very late permissions to add classes (after the 4th week of classes), as it is oftentimes difficult for students to come up to speed in the course. Also check with your department about space constraints: while there might be apparent available seats in your lecture, your class might actually be full. 

Specific policies for dropping classes in The Grainger College of Engineering College

Students in The Grainger College of Engineering  are encouraged not to drop engineering/technical courses after the 10th day of classes without consulting their departmental advisor, as dropping these courses may compromise their progress towards their degree. All students must remain full time (12 hours credit and above). Please direct students to the Undergraduate Program Office for any questions they have, or any concerns, regarding dropping courses. Student-facing information related to adding/dropping courses is available on the college’s advising website. 

Rules for midterms

Any in-person examination, except a final, given at other than the regularly scheduled class time, and when the University is in session, will be scheduled between 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. If an evening exam is given, students are to be excused from one or more regular class periods for an amount of time equivalent to that required for the evening examination.  

Midterm exams administered in the college’s Computer Based Testing Facility should be available for students to self-schedule over at least a 24-hour period. Similar to in-person exams, students are to be excused from one or more regular class periods for an amount of time equivalent to that required to take the exam in the CBTF. 

Conflict or makeup examinations: 

  • must be arranged for those students who cannot take the scheduled evening examination because of the conflicts arising from participation in activities as mentioned in the Student Code, such as other examinations, regularly scheduled classes, etc. 
  • should be held within one week of the regularly scheduled examination. 
  • Please note that the Office of Deans of Students does not issue absence letters if a student has been sick for fewer than 4 days, and that the Deans in the Undergraduate Programs Office do not issue absence letters. 

Midterms rules (Student Code) may be found at https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article3/part2/3-202/ 

Rules for final exams

Scheduling:

  • Final examinations will be given during the scheduled final examination period for each course, except in a course that has a character that renders a final examination unnecessary or impracticable, as determined by the instructor.
  • If a take-home final examination or final project is assigned instead of an in-person final examination, they should be submitted at the time and date of the regularly scheduled final exam. If you would like to deviate from that due date, you must gain approval from your department.
  • No student should be required to take more than two consecutive final examinations. If a student has three consecutive final examinations, the student should be allowed to take any offered conflict exams for the impacted courses. If no conflict final examinations have been scheduled, the student must contact the instructor of the course having the largest number of students before the last day of classes for accommodations. The instructor of the course with the largest number of students must provide a final makeup examination. A guide for resolving conflicts may be found in the Student Code.

More information may be found at URLs below:

Religious Accommodations

  • Attendance conflict:  University policy and state law require that all instructors reasonably accommodate conflicts with class attendance and academic work requirements resulting from a student’s religious beliefs, observances, and practices. https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article1/part5/1-501/ 
  • Exam conflict: the University must reasonably accommodate a student’s religious beliefs, observances, and practices in accordance with § 1-107 and § 1-501. Students must inform their instructor of any conflict within one week after being informed of the examination schedule. https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article3/part2/3-201/ 

Students registered with DRES

The University provides reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities admitted to study at the University. Students registered with DRES may provide their instructors various letters of accommodations (extended time on exams, assignments, taking examinations at DRES facility, etc). Instructors are expected to make all reasonable accommodations and to contact DRES with any questions or concerns. 

The American with Disabilities Act: https://adata.org/learn-about-ada 

When and where to enter my grades?

  • Enter Final Grades by the deadline - see http://registrar.illinois.edu/academic-calendars - Not entering grades by this deadline generates Non Reported (NR) grades that may create a lot of issues for graduating students (pending degree), for financial aid assessment, and academic status reviews (progress to graduation). 

Enter Final Grades at https://registrar.illinois.edu/faculty-staff/staff-grades/final-grades/

Changing grades

To make any correction to a grade or to enter grades after the Campus deadline (or to change Non Reported (NR) grades after the reporting deadline), follow the instructions provided by the Office of the Registrar. Please fill out grades on time to avoid having to go through this process! 

Should I Assign F for ABS?

  • An ABS grade should be reserved for students who were absent from the final exam, or missed your class’ final graded assignment (final project, essay, group presentation, etc). A student who missed the final exam, but who was otherwise failing the class should be assigned an F instead. 
    • For an ABS grade, the last day of attendance must be Reading Day (see http://registrar.illinois.edu/academic-calendars for dates). 
    • For a F grade, the last day of attendance is the last day the student participated in the class in any way (turned a quiz, an exam, attended class, etc). 
  • For ABS and F grades, the last day of attendance (e.g., last handed-in assignment, lecture attended) should be recorded in the grade entry system with care and accuracy: they are an important part of Financial Aid and withdrawal processes. See https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article3/part1/3-102/ 
  • For GPA computation, both F and ABS will be computed as a ”0″ grade point. Please note that: 
  •  
  • For a F grade, the last day of attendance is the last day the student participated in the class in any way (turned a quiz, an exam, attended class, etc). 
    • An Incomplete grade is different from an ABS and is not factored in the students’ GPA computation. 
    • Instructors may not enter Incomplete (I) grades for undergraduate students.  See Incomplete for more information. 

Grade Replacement Policy

Undergraduate students may repeat courses for grade replacement. See https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article3/part3/3-309/. Please note that: 

  • You will not know if a student is taking your class for grade replacement or not. 
  • There is a campus deadline for students to register their intent to use the course repeat for grade replacement (see https://registrar.illinois.edu/academic-calendars/). For Rules and Policies pertinent to grade replacement, you may direct undergraduate students to the Advising Website.

Academic Integrity

The Student Code is “the law of the land” for academic integrity on our campus, as determined by campus’ Academic Senate. Moreover, the Student Code process (outlined in Article 1, Part 4, 1-401) protects both you and the student in the case of an allegation of breaching academic integrity in a course. By following this process, the student receives due process, and you will be in a good position if a student or a parent should challenge your actions.  

The FAIR portal was built to make it easy for you to follow the Student Code process. The code outlines the general expectations of the university, students, and instructors: 

  • “The University has the responsibility for maintaining academic integrity so as to protect the quality of education and research on our campus and to protect those who depend upon our integrity. 
  • Expectations of Students. It is the responsibility of each student to refrain from infractions of academic integrity, from conduct that may lead to suspicion of such infractions, and from conduct that aids others in such infractions.  
  • Expectations of Instructors. It is the responsibility of each Instructor to establish and maintain an environment that supports academic integrity. An essential part of each Instructor’s responsibility is the enforcement of existing standards of academic integrity. If Instructors do not discourage and act upon violations of which they become aware, respect for those standards is undermined. Instructors should provide their students with a clear statement of their expectations concerning academic integrity.” 

Please refer to https://provost.illinois.edu/policies/policies/academic-integrity/ for general information on the academic integrity process, including a one-page Quick Reference Guide for Instructors that summarizes the process. 

All Grainger Engineering instructors are expected to report Academic Integrity violations using the online FAIR system rather than handling them “internally”. This allows the college and campus to identify students who may have a pattern of academic integrity violations across multiple courses. We provide a FAQ for using FAIR, which may answer initial questions in using the system. 

To help maintain academic integrity and students’ understanding around your expectations, we suggest the following best practices: 

  • Clearly define academic integrity expectations of your students early in the semester and include those expectations in a statement in your syllabus provided to your students on the first day of class. We have provided several sample course policy statements that you can modify to suit your needs  
  • Choose appropriate assessment environments that support the stated academic integrity policies for your course. For example, if students are not allowed to speak with each other during an exam, then the exam should be proctored. 
  • Check for academic integrity infractions as student work is submitted and enter allegations in the FAIR portal. Submitting an allegation of infraction many weeks after an assignment has been handed in reduces the ability of the student to learn from their mistakes. Please only submit allegations if there is credible evidence of an infraction. 
  • This process is meant to be educational, rather than punitive. We specify “sanctions” (not “punishments”) and “infractions” (not “guilt”) in order to educate the students on how to behave ethically and responsibly as future practicing engineers. 
  • Allow and encourage the students to speak with you about a case before entering a final finding in FAIR. This can avoid potential misunderstandings, give the students a stronger sense of being heard, and avoid unnecessary and time-consuming appeals. 

Auditing my class

An “auditor” is only a listener in the classes attended; he or she is not a participant in any part of the exercises. A student desiring to audit your class must obtain your permission. Once obtaining your permission, they should obtain and complete the Registrar’s Auditor’s Permit Form, including the Dean’s authorization (the advising deans in 206 Engineering Hall) by the 10th day of classes. https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article3/part3/3-305/.  

The Grainger College of Engineering does not authorize students to audit a class if their intent is to later obtain credit for that class (i.e., the student intends to register for the class in a subsequent semester, or is attempting a proficiency exam in that class). 

Sharing academic information about my students (FERPA)

Maintaining confidentiality of student records is mandated by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Please visit the Office of the Registrar website for additional information on FERPA. Please do not share student records with anyone but the student, unless the student has signed a FERPA release to the third party (consult with your department to check if a particular student has a FERPA release on file).

  • It is OK to share academic performance with university staff (department or college). Sometimes, we need such information to check a situation (incomplete grades, financial aid, academic progress). Sharing information to a school official for these reasons constitute a legitimate educational interest and is allowed under FERPA.
  • Pay particular attention to returning graded work to your students (privacy should be preserved). Read more at  Student Grades, Privacy and Federal Laws

Students’ Rights and Responsibilities

Make sure to check the Student Code for any question about our university governing rules. Students rights can be found at https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article1/part1/1-101/