Student/Faculty Code

Student & Faculty Code

Code of Conduct

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is committed to fostering excellence in our community of scholars and leaders. We recognize that diverse and inclusive teams are most likely to produce creative and impactful scholarship, and are eager to ensure that each member of our academic community is respected and valued for their unique contributions. This Code of Conduct upholds the department’s commitment to conduct graduate education according to the highest ethical and professional standards in compliance with all applicable University, state, and federal regulations

The department is committed to providing a safe, harassment-free environment for everyone. Harassment includes offensive comments or denigrating jokes related to nationality, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, or veteran status; sexual images in public spaces; deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording; inappropriate physical contact; unwelcome sexual attention and harassment through social media.

The department is committed to an environment free of discrimination at all levels and one that is equitable, diverse, and inclusive.

All University faculty, staff, and students are expected to comply with the applicable anti-harassment, anti-discrimination, and scientific and professional ethics laws and policies in effect at the University of Utah and at the institutions where they may be visiting.

Report a Violation

Members of the University of Utah community who wish to report a violation of this Code of Conduct are encouraged to speak to or contact the appropriate administrator or Dean, including the Department Chair or Director of Graduate Studies, the Dean of the Graduate School, the Dean of Students, or the University’s Title IX coordinator.

Informal Dispute Resolution

Students should first attempt to resolve disputes with the party(ies) involved. If unable to resolve the issue on their own, students should next contact the department's Director of Graduate Studies for conflict resolution. Students are also able to contact the Graduate School regarding complaints or concerns that cannot be resolved within the department (info@gradschool.utah.edu or 801.585.5529).

Formal Dispute Resolution

A student who engages in academic misconduct may be subject to academic sanctions including but not limited to a grade reduction, failing grade, probation, suspension or dismissal from the program or the University, or revocation of the student’s degree or certificate. However, if the student believes that academic sanction given by the faculty member is arbitrary or capricious, they should discuss the academic sanction with the faculty member and attempt to resolve the disagreement. If the student and faculty member are unable to resolve the disagreement, the student may appeal the academic sanction to the Academic Appeals and Misconduct Committee in the college. The student must submit their appeal to the college’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Dr. Sneha Kumar Kasera at kasera@cs.utah.edu.

A student who believes that an academic action taken in connection with academic performance requirements is arbitrary or capricious should discuss the academic action with the involved faculty member and attempt to resolve the disagreement. If unable to resolve the disagreement, the student may appeal the action to the department chair. If the student or the faculty member disagree with the department chair’s decision, they could appeal the decision to the Academic Appeals and Misconduct Committee by submitting their appeal to the college’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Dr. Sneha Kumar Kasera at kasera@cs.utah.edu.

Please refer to Policy 6-400: Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities for more details especially the timeline of the appeals process.

Title IX

The Office of Equal Opportunity And Affirmative Action (OEO/AA) is a professional resource dedicated to the University of Utah’s commitment to provide a fair and equitable environment for individuals to pursue their academic and professional endeavors and to equally access University programs.  In order to further this commitment, the OEO/AA is responsible for ensuring University practices and nondiscrimination policies are in full compliance with all federal, state and local anti-discrimination laws, and provide processes to fairly and effectively resolve complaints, provide reasonable accommodations, and to make appropriate corrections.  The OEO/AA acts as a point of contact with state and federal agencies that enforce anti-discrimination laws.  In addition, the OEO/AA assists the University in meeting its commitment to achieving a truly integrated and diverse work force by preparing the University’s Affirmative Action plans, monitoring and reporting on their effectiveness, and by acting as a resource for University department’s in their recruitment processes.

The Director of the OEO/AA, serves as the University’s Title IX Coordinator and is responsible to oversee the University’s response to reports and complaints that involve possible sex discrimination to monitor outcomes, identify and address any patterns, and assess effects on the campus climate so the University can address issues that affect the wider school community.

The Director of the OEO/AA serves as the University’s ADA/Section 504 Coordinator and is responsible to oversee the University’s efforts to comply with the ADA and Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act; to ensure that University programs and facilities are accessible for faculty, staff, and student employment, as well as for public access for University health care,  services, and programs; and to provide prompt and equitable processes for responding to requests for reasonable accommodations and for resolving complaints.

by Davey Stevenson

Financial support

Financial Support

Financial support for graduate students comes primarily from one of three separate sources: Research Assistantships, Teaching Assistantships, and fellowships. Additional support is provided through the Tuition Benefit Program (TBP).

Teaching Assistant Responsibilities & Policies

Faculty research advisors make TA requests. The TA assignments are made by the department.

Duties

TAs may run laboratory sessions, give classroom lectures, hold office hours, and be involved in grading. The Department classifies classroom assistant positions into three categories:

    • Lab TAs are typically responsible for all aspects of laboratory sections associated with certain undergraduate courses. Duties may include the set-up of experiments, lectures to undergraduate students on particular experiments, supervising undergraduate students during the data acquisition phase of experiments, and grading lab reports.
    • Course TAs typically assist with course instruction. Duties may include conducting problem sessions, occasional lecturing, and grading of student homework and projects.
    • Graders have limited interaction with undergraduate students and are primarily responsible for grading homework.

Stipend Amount

Expected Workload and stipend information for each type of TA position is given in the table below.

Title

Tuition Benefit Support Level

Workload

(hr/week)

Student Contact

Lab TA

100%

20

Yes

Course TA

0%*

10

Yes

Grader

0%*

5

No

*Course TAs and Graders can receive 100% support if their workload totals 20 hrs/week, such as combined TA and RA funding.
Current support level amounts can be found at the Tuition Benefit Program website.

International students and TA positions

In order to qualify for a TA position, international students must attend the International Teaching Assistant Program (ITAP) workshop in their first semester. The Graduate School requires all non-native English-speaking graduate students to be cleared by the ITA Program in order to be eligible for a tuition benefit for teaching assistantships. The clearance process includes screening for oral English proficiency and either online or in-person training ang workshops to prepare ITAs for their teaching assignments. Ongoing training and support is offered throughout the academic year in the form of graduate-level English classes, one-on-one and group tutorials, classroom observations with follow-up consultations, mid-semester student evaluations, and seminars on topics of interest to ITAs.

Summer teaching positions

Occasionally, instructor positions are available each summer semester for advanced Ph.D. students. The graduate student/instructor is given full responsibility for a course, including lecture preparation and delivery, test creation and grading, student advising on course material, and all course administration. The graduate student/instructor is provided a mentor from the regular faculty who provides advice and guidance on all aspects of course management. These positions provide the opportunity for Ph.D. students interested in an academic career to gain experience in teaching. Stipends are based on the class level and number of students registered for the class.

Research Assistant Responsibilities & Policies

RA positions are available to students working on grant-funded research programs. Awards are made directly by the faculty involved in the research. Full-time RA positions are generally 20 hrs/week. Partial RA positions may be awarded by faculty with a corresponding decrease in hourly expectations. The amount of the RA stipend is determined by the funding faculty member. Availability of research funds varies from semester to semester and graduate students are encouraged to discuss potential research projects with faculty.

Fellowships

The Graduate School has both internal and external fellowship listings available to graduate students on a competitive basis. Complete information regarding these fellowships can be found on the Graduate School fellowship web page.

Tuition Waivers/Tuition Benefit Program

The Tuition Benefit Program (TBP) provides tuition waivers to graduate students through assistantships and/or fellowships. All students receiving a tuition benefit must meet minimum financial support requirements paid through the University of Utah for each semester that a benefit is received.

No tuition benefit is granted to students receiving less than the 100% level of support for the semester. The required minimum support level is annually indexed to general salary increases to prevent gradual erosion of established graduate student salaries and stipends. Further information on the Tuition Benefit Program may be found at the Graduate School website.

Tuition benefit does not cover

    • Differential tuition
    • Fees outside of mandatory fees (specialized program fees, lab fees, course fees, e-book/materials fees, etc.)
    • Undergraduate courses
    • Repeated courses outside of courses required for degree to be repeated (namely thesis/dissertation credits)
    • Enrolled credits more than then maximum coverage of 12 graduate credits
    • Non-credit/continuing education courses
    • Withdrawn courses
    • Audited courses
    • International student surcharges

How to Participate

  1. First-time employees must also fill out new hire paperwork.
  2. Students meeting the minimum stipend amount must fill out a Tuition Benefit Enrollment form at the beginning of each semester.
  3. After the department enters their information, students must accept their Tuition Benefit in CIS. Failing to complete this step can result in loss of waiver and a retroactive tuition charge. Please note, students may need to accept their Tuition Benefit multiple times if changes are made by the department.

Student Health Insurance

Health insurance is available to graduate students via two plans: the Graduate Subsidized Health Insurance Program (GSHIP) and the Voluntary (Unsubsidized) Plan. Enrollment is mandatory for international students. Enrollment is optional for domestic students.

Subsidized Health Insurance

Full-time RAs and TAs (20 hr per week assignment) on Tuition Benefit are eligible to enroll in the Graduate Subsidized Health Insurance Program, which provides a 100% subsidy of the annual premium for the student insurance plan offered by the University of Utah. The plan allows students to add a spouse and/or children at the student’s own expense. Further information on the insurance plans is available at the GSHIP page.

How it works

  1. Eligible RAs and TAs elect to enroll in the health insurance when they submit the Tuition Benefit Enrollment form.
  2. Students desiring to add family members or to increase coverage need to fill out additional paperwork. See Grad Advising for more details.
  3. The Graduate School will pay 100% of the premium for single-student coverage at the time of enrollment.
  4. Fall insurance coverage is from 8/16-12/31. Spring/Summer coverage is from 1/1-8/15.

Unsubsidized Health Insurance

The same level of coverage available to RAs and TAs is also available to all graduate students through the Voluntary Health Insurance Plan. This health insurance is unsubsidized, meaning students must pay the entire premium themselves. Students can find more information at the Student Health Center website.

Uninsured

Uninsured students may be eligible to receive discounted health services at the Student Health Center. Charges and Fees can be found here.

Residency

Non-resident students participating in tuition benefit are exempt from paying non-resident tuition.

  1. Graduate tuition benefit is posted to tuition bills at the resident tuition rate.
  2. Tuition and fees not covered by the tuition benefit (see above) are the student’s responsibility.
  3. Domestic non-resident graduate students should apply for Utah residency upon fulfilling 40 graduate credit hours.
    1. A student’s ability to establish residency will not affect eligibility of a tuition benefit.
    2. Visit the Admissions Office website for details on how to apply and qualify for residency reclassification.

Financial Resources

by Davey Stevenson

Important Deadlines/Links to Deadlines

Important Deadlines

Departmental Deadlines

  • Submission of Tuition Benefit forms
    • Due to Grad advising by first Friday of each semester
    • You must submit a Tuition Benefit form every semester that you are eligible for Tuition Benefit, even if your job remains the same
    • Tuition Benefit Enrollment Form
  • Program Declaration
  • Preliminary Program of Study
  • Qualifying Exams
    • Registration forms are due to Grad advising by first Friday of each semester
    • Exams are held during the 12th week of Spring and Fall semesters (counting Spring/Fall break as week)
    • Exam results are provided within 2 weeks following the exams
    • Qualifying Exam Handbook
  • Public MS and PhD Defenses and Proposals
    • Proposal and defense manuscripts must be provided to your Research Advisor at least 3 weeks before the event
    • Proposal and defense manuscripts must be provided to your Supervisory Committee at least 2 weeks before the event
    • Defense and Proposal announcements due to Grad Advising 1 week before the event
    • Signed Defense and Proposal forms due to Grad Advising by 1 week after the event
    • To obtain department approval for your manuscript, you must meet with your Grad Advisor for a format review
    • To graduate in the current semester a Defense must be held at least 1 week before the Thesis Office’s deadline (see below)
      • Defending before the deadline does not guarantee the Thesis Office will have time to clear your manuscript in time for you to graduate in the same semester
      • To streamline your manuscript submission process, work with your Grad Advisor on your manuscript format well before your defense
    • The last day to defend in a semester is the Friday before the next semester’s classes begin
    • Link to Department Forms

University Deadlines

by Davey Stevenson

Graduate Student Advisory Committee

by Davey Stevenson

Orderly Dismissal from Research Group and Grad Program

Dismissal from Research Group

If a student is not performing at the level of their advisor's expectations, the advisor may dismiss the student from their research lab. Before dismissing a student from their lab, the advisor should:

  • Help the student to meet their level of expectations
  • Provide written documentation of the student's shortcomings as a Performance Improvement Plan
  • After providing the student with a Performance Improvement Plan, the advisor must allow the student at least 2 weeks to correct their deficiencies
  • Advisors should try not to dismiss a student during the Fall or Spring semester as the student is likely to have their Tuition Benefit revoked
  • If a student must be dismissed during a Fall or Spring semester and their Tuition Benefit is affected, the department may be able to provide employment to cover the salary required for the Benefit.

Dismissal from Grad Program

Students may be dismissed from the program for three reasons:

  • Failure to meet the requirements of Academic Probation (i.e., Cumulative GPA < 3.0)
  • Failure to meet the requirements of Due Progress Probation (i.e., not meeting degree milestones)
  • Inappropriate Behavioral Conduct
  • Breach of Academic Integrity of either University or Department policies

by Davey Stevenson

Time Limits to Degree

Time Limit to Degree

This section will provide the timeframe policy for student completion of degree and describe the procedure for when students go over or approach the time limit maximum.

Graduate School policy for Master’s Degrees

All work for the master’s degree must be completed within four consecutive calendar years. On the recommendation of the student’s supervisory committee, the dean of The Graduate School can modify or waive this requirement. If the student exceeds the time limit and is not granted a modification or waiver, the department has the option to discontinue the student. Students whose studies have been interrupted for long periods of time and who have been granted extended time to complete their degrees may be required to complete additional courses, pass examinations, or otherwise demonstrate that they are current in their field. PPM 6-201 III.C

Graduate School policy for Doctorate Degrees

The time limit for completing a Ph.D. degree in the Department of Mechanical Engineering is seven consecutive calendar years. Requests to exceed established time limits must be recommended by a candidate’s supervisory committee and approved by the departmental director of graduate studies and the dean of the Graduate School. Students whose studies have been interrupted for long periods of time and who have been granted extended time to complete their degrees may be required to complete additional courses, to pass examinations, or otherwise demonstrate that they are current in their field. PPM 6-203 III.B

You may wish to provide information about the procedure for petitioning an extension for students who go over the official time limit to a degree. Make sure to list all departmental procedures for this situation, as well as Graduate School policy and procedure for an extension petition.

Graduate School Petition for a Time Limit Extension

by Davey Stevenson

Minimum GPA

Minimum GPA

Graduate students are required to maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA. Students with a cumulative GPA less than 3.0 will be placed on Academic Probation. When applying for graduation students must have at least a 3.0 GPA on the coursework listed on their Program of Study. No course grade below “B-” can be counted as credit towards the degree. Thesis hours, dissertation hours, and 1 credit hour courses should be graded CR/NC in the Department. ‘T’ and 'EU' grades for research hours must be changed to CR/NC as quickly as possible.

by Davey Stevenson

Leave of Absence/Family Medical Leave Policies

Leave of Absence/Family Medical Leave Policies

Refer to the Section IV of the Graduate School's Registration Policies

by Davey Stevenson

International Students (ITAP, Visa)

International Students

International students are responsible for maintaining their international status from admission through graduation. International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) should be consulted regularly through the student's career. Graduate School policy requires all graduate students who are non-native speakers of North American English to be cleared by the International Teaching Assistant Program (ITAP) prior to employment as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (TA). The department recommends all international students attend this training regardless of funding.

All graduate students are expected to have or develop written and oral English proficiency. Any student lacking English proficiency as evidenced by speech, written reports, and/or oral presentations may be required to take additional English or speech coursework. Language courses do not count toward degree coursework requirements.

In response to guidance from U.S. immigration authorities, F-1 visa holders may not request part-time status for a vacation in the Spring or Fall semester. Instead, vacation semesters will be granted automatically to all international students during the summer semesters. However, international students may still take courses in the summer, and eligible Ph.D. students are encouraged to register for dissertation credits (ME EN 7970). Additionally, international students may still choose to take courses from another university during their summer semester, as long as they receive permission to attend another school from ISSS.

Automatically granted summer vacation from registration requirements does not extend to employment status or research effort expectations. Importantly, graduate students receiving a salary or stipend from a research assistantship position — or fellowship, if applicable — are expected to perform research in their lab over the summer; any vacation time must be approved by the principal investigator overseeing their salary or stipend. Students without a source of income directly related to their academic research may participate in Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or on-campus work during their summer vacation semester. However, they may not participate in full-time CPT or on-campus work during non-summer semesters, except during official university breaks (i.e., fall, winter, & spring break).

The Department of Mechanical Engineering values the global community we enjoy, and we welcome students from all countries. We recognize that being an international student has unique advantages and challenges, especially as you adjust to your studies in a new country and culture. We encourage all our international students to make use of the resources available and to seek involvement in departmental, campus, and civic communities.

 

by Davey Stevenson

Admission Requirements and Procedures

Admissions Requirements & Procedures

 

by Davey Stevenson