Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Advising

Category: Succeeding in ChE

What is the Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS)?

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One of the frustrating things about registering is the uncertainty:  what classed do I need?  Does this class I’m looking at count as tech elective?  as gen ed?

One resource you have to sorting this out (besides seeing Katie) is the DARS tool in Banweb (Degree Audit Reporting System).  This tool checks your records (according to Michigan Tech) against the requirements for your degree.  If you’ve met the requirements, it goes GREEN.  If the requirements are not met, it stays RED.  See our advising video on this subject.  Degree services also have their own tutorial video (March 2018).

I would like to suggest that everyone try it out.

To get to DARS you log onto your Banweb account and under Student in the middle column look for “Degree Audit”.  Click there and run the current year audit.  Sometimes you have to wait – look for the circle above to see if it’s thinking.  It always has to generate the report to get the most current version.

When the DARS opens, you will see some graphics and a long column of red or green “buckets” of courses or requirements.  They are:

1.  Two buckets that check your GPA for both the department and for overall.  Both must be over 2.0 for you to graduate.
2.  Major requirements:  This is all your core math, physics, chemistry, and chem eng courses.
3.  Chemistry option:  here whether you take Organic 1 or Hydro Pyro you chose a different audit path.  In this section you will see the technical electives and the various categories of the electives.  Take a close look to see what classes you may choose from in each category.
4.  Six gen ed buckets that check if you meet all the gen ed requirements.  It checks if you have the freshmen courses, the sophomore courses, the HASS, etc.  It checks that at least 6 credits of HASS are at the 3000 level.
5.  Co curricular bucket – your phys ed courses.

The DARS system is what actually checks you out for graduation.  If it says you graduate, you do.  We have worked long and hard with the programmers in the Admin Building to get this system to accurately check you out for graduation – please use the DARS tool to guide you as you plan for registration.

There are some things that the DARS system will not do right until Katie “touches” your audit and makes an adjustment.  If something you chose or transfered puts you into this situation, you do need to come see Katie.  She’ll be happy to look at DARS adjustments after registration is over.

Hope this eases your registration experience!

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If I fail MA 2321 (or MA 3521) and re-take it as MA 2320 (or MA3520), how will that affect my GPA?

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The two course pairs you mention are equivalent courses.  If you retake the first course (half semester version) by taking the second course (full semester version) the first grade is replaced by the second grade in your GPA.

 

  1. MA 2321 Elementary Linear Algebra
  2. MA 2320 Elementary Linear Algebra

 

  1. MA 3521 Elem Differential Equations
  2. MA 3520 Elem Differential Equations

 

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Where can I find info on industrial safety?

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From C&EN, May 20, 2013:

Dow Chemical has launched a laboratory safety website that includes a comprehensive set of training videos and additional resources, the company announced on May 19.

Publicly accessible at http://safety.dow.com, the website incorporates 30 professionally produced videos. Several more are still in production. Pankaj Gupta, a research and development leader in Dow’s oil, gas, and mining business, unveiled the site at the Council for Chemical Research annual meeting being held this week in Arlington, Va.

“It appears to have a lot of very good resources, and we will look at them very carefully,” says Peter Ashbrook, director of the division of research safety at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. “I think Dow should be commended for putting this material out for public consumption.”

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How can I succeed in ChE at Michigan Tech?

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Thanks for asking!  We have a whole handout on that.  The main idea is this:

Build a good foundation in math, physics, and chemistry (C or better).

It takes a long time to get to junior classes in chemical engineering, and yet it is only really in those junior classes that you will use much of the preparation that you are building.  In the fall junior classes we use:  calc 1, calc 2, calc 3****, differential equations, physics 1, and freshman chemistry.  Thus, it is important to build a good foundation.

Another good tool to look at as you plan your college experience is the prerequisite map.  The interdependence of the chemical engineering courses with the foundation courses is clear from the course prerequisites for the chemical engineering classes.

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What are the rules for repeating classes?

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  • You may only retake a class in which you receive a CD, D, or F.
  • The second grade always replaces the first grade, even if the second grade is lower. If you retake a class and receive a better grade, the new grade replaces the old grade.  This will improve both your semester and overall GPAs. However you can retake a class and get a worse grade. For example if you have a D (a passing grade) and retake a course and receive an F (a failing grade), you now have a failing grade in the course and would have to retake the class a third time.
  • You may only take a class three times. You must receive permission from the Office of Student Affairs and your academic advisor to register for a class the third time. If the class that you are retaking is a required class for your program, and you do not pass the class during the third attempt, then you may no longer continue in the program.
  • You may retake a class at another institution and transfer in the credit.  If you earn a C or better (note that CD and C- do not transfer) in a course that transfers in as one you wish to replace, the credit will transfer and the original grade will be removed from the calculation of your GPA.  The grade you earn at the other institution does not transfer; only the credit transfers, and only if you earn a C or higher.

The University’s policy on retaking classes is posted on the Registrar’s website.

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What are the implications of being on probation?

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Students who are not making satisfactory progress toward a degree are placed on academic probation. Academic probation is a strong warning to students that their scholastic performance is less than that expected by the University.  A student seeking an undergraduate degree is placed on academic probation when any of the following is true:

  1. The University cumulative GPA is below 2.00.
  2. The GPA for the most recent semester is below 2.00.
  3. The cumulative departmental GPA is below 2.00, based on at least 16 credits.

Students on probation are limited in the number of credits they may take.  For more on probation, go to the Registrar’s website (search for probation Michigan Tech).

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Where can I get help at Michigan Tech?

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There are many support services for students at Michigan Tech, and the best place to look for the kind of help you need is the Student Support Services page of the Michigan Tech Student Handbook.  There are links there for Counseling and Wellness Services, Career Services, Disability Services, and many more types of student services.

For help with academic subjects, please see our FAQ page on Where can I get help with my course work?.

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Where can I get help with my course work?

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Michigan Tech has in place many resources to offer if you find you need help with the challenging chemical engineering curriculum.  Resources include:

In addition, there are some web-based resources that may be helpful with chemical engineering subjects:

  • Khan Academy – This website has a large number of short videos that can help with math, statistics, chemistry, physics and other subjects.
  • DrMorrisonMTU – Michigan Tech’s own Dr. Morrison has a YouTube channel with short videos on mass and energy balance problems as well as fluid mechanics problems.  Email her with suggestions for new videos for the site.
  • LearnChemE – The University of Colorado at Boulder with support of the National Science Foundation has created a large website of screencast lectures on chemical engineering topics.  If you find some favorite videos on this site, please let us know and we’ll share them with your classmates.
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