Queen's eng parent guide 2016 online

Parent Guide

CONTENTS “Scientists dream about doing great things.

Engineers do them.”

James A. Michener

3

Message from Lynann Clapham

4

Key Areas of Student Transition

5

How Can Parents Help

6

A Year in the Life of a First-year Student

8

Upper Years: Choosing an Engineering Discipline

9

Engineering Frosh Week: Dispelling the Myths

10

Understanding the Structure

11 Glossary Photo Credits Greg Black, Queen’s University Photographer, pages: front, 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 Geoff Crowson, pages: front, 2, 3, 6 Lauren Sharpe, page 6 2

A MESSAGE FROM LYNANN CLAPHAM, ASSOCIATE DEAN (ACADEMIC)

Welcome to the Queen’s Engineering family!

University is a time of major transition in your child’s life and also in yours. Gone are the days when your daughter or son is dependent on you for every need and subjected to the usual

house rules. Suddenly, their boundaries are expanded considerably,with nearly every critical

aspect of their life left to their own judgment. As parents, we desperately want them to make

good choices, and while encouraging their new found independence we also want to help them optimize their chances for success.

At Queen’s we recognize that many students turn to their parents on a daily basis for advice and support. Therefore, we have prepared this Parent Guide to help you understand what

your son or daughter will encounter when they are in their first foray away from home, and to provide you with information on how best to advise them when they meet the typical hurdles associated with university life.

I’d like to assure you that at Queen’s Engineering and Applied Science we expect every one of our students to graduate successfully, and we consider it our job to help each and every one of them achieve his or her academic potential. Our record in this regard is exemplary—we

are number one amongst Canadian engineering programs when it comes to the percentage of

incoming students who successfully graduate (91 per cent). Why have we been so successful?

In part, it is because we recognize that first year is a very difficult transition year, and we have a number of special measures and programs in place to help our students. For example: n Our

First Year Coordinator, Aphra Ropers, is available for questions and to help first-year

students with any problems.

n J-Section

(described on page 10), which is designed to allow students who have difficulty

in the fall term of first year to repeat fall courses before proceeding with their winter term subjects.

n Queen’s

has a Learning Strategies Development program to help students develop the effective

studying habits and time management skills that are so critical in the university environment.

In upper years, each engineering discipline has a Faculty undergraduate chair and a staff

undergraduate advisor who monitor each student’s progress and are there to answer questions

and provide advice. Futhermore, opportunities such as dual degrees, internships and exchange programs also have special Faculty advisors who meet with interested students to help build custom-made degree programs.

Queen’s Engineering and Applied Science is extremely proud of our students and strongly

committed to their success, both in and out of the classroom. Together with you, we strive to

provide a strong support system that will help them make the transition from a teen to a young adult and prepare them for a vibrant, exciting and promising career.

Regards, Lynann Clapham, PhD, PEng Associate Dean (Academic)

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

3

Key areas of student transition Even for the most successful high school student, the transition to university life can be a challenge.

This is particularly true in Queen’s Engineering and Applied Science, where academic expectations are high. We have listed a few key areas where students will need to adapt to new and exciting demands.

Socially Residence life, Frosh Week and common classes with other firstyear engineers mean that students will be making a fresh start with new friends in an environment of new-found freedoms.

University life may require your son or daughter to challenge long-standing beliefs as they encounter tremendous diversity and non-traditional ways of thinking. Remaining connected

with those who care about them is important as they grow and mature as individuals in response to new opportunities and pressures.

Intellectually All Queen’s Engineering students were at the top of their

classes in high school. Now their classes are filled with peers who all have similar intellectual abilities, and the academic expectations are raised accordingly. The workload is heavy right from the first class. Students are expected to solve

complex problems that require them to apply multifaceted

approaches. Self-motivation and time management skills are

critical because it is up to each student to monitor and maintain his or her own daily progress.

Emotionally Living away from home for the first time presents many

challenges. Initially, students may experience loneliness,

lack confidence, and even question their decision to attend

university. Gradually these feelings will resolve themselves

as students begin working together with their peers, establish close friendships, and develop that sense of community and spirit that characterizes Queen’s Engineering. n

4

How parents can help Recognize the boundaries

Encourage and motivate

Since your child is now an adult, all interaction with the

All students go through difficult periods when they are under a

marks) information is communicated only to an individual

it is useful to have someone to remind them of their strengths

University will be through them. transcript information (i.e., student, unless they provide a written statement indicating that another specified person may have access to this information.

Although we encourage you to provide advice and guidance,

it is important that your son or daughter becomes the decisionmaker in his or her life.

Be informed Study the parent guide! This will help you understand the

university environment so that you may respond in ways that are helpful. Remember that this is not high school; the typical student’s marks will drop by an average of 15 per cent from

high school to university, so students and parents should adjust expectations accordingly.

Communicate Maintain an open, non-judgmental channel of communication.

There is little you can do to directly solve the problems that

your son or daughter faces, but you can offer guidance and ask questions that help them make day-to-day decisions.

great deal of intellectual and emotional stress. During this time and help them to keep life in perspective.

Promote healthy choices New-found independence can often mean poor eating and

sleeping habits. Residence meal plans offer a wide variety of

healthy choices; encourage your child to eat well and maintain a regular sleep routine.

Suggest support when they need it Often students feel stigmatized by their problems, or are

too embarrassed to admit they need help. As a result, they may seek advice long after it is needed. As a parent, you

can familiarize yourself with the support services available at Queen’s and encourage your child to ask for help before

problems escalate. If they aren’t sure where to turn, or they just want someone to talk to, remind them that a quick email to the Engineering and Applied Science Faculty Office (engineering. reception@queensu.ca) can set up a meeting with an advisor within 24 hours. n

Self-motivation and time management skills are critical because it is up to each student to monitor and maintain his or her own daily progress.

5

- getting ready! I can hardly wait! All my high school friends are also making plans for their moves to different places.

- receiving lots of stuff from Queen’s these days, including an assignment.

- found out I’m going to be in Victoria Hall residence, I got my new computer, I am all packed and ready to go!

- Frosh week was sort of scary at first, but after the first day I really got into it. The grease pole was the best, but I’m so hoarse now I can’t talk. Ate nothing but ice cream and cookies for dinner last night. I love Queen’s!

- Week 1- intense... tonnes of homework in my first class! Good news tho—I’ve got a couple of other engineers on my floor, and we’ve decided to study together.

- first Physics quiz - brutal. I passed (barely).

Must read through notes before class!

- Miss my bed back home.

- Heading off to Douglas Tutorials for some help in Physics - Thank God for Thanksgiving -sort of strange though loved being home but missed Queen’s.

- got to get a louder alarm! It’s hard to get up for an 8:30am class when you don’t sleep until 4am!

- midterms next week are freaking me out! No time to cram like in high school!!

6

- midterm marks back—pas sed everything—never thought a 65 would look so good!

- Gotta stop these late nights and early mornings, friends all have colds I can feel one coming.

- Classes done!! I survived!

- study break for exams, we ’ve staked out a room in the ILC to work together.

- Exams went OK except for Calc, we’ll see... I think a few of my friends will be headed for J section in the winter.

- DONE DONE DONE! and heading home for Christmas!!

- marks back—I passed!! John and Sarah going into J-section.

- I know I can improve my marks, I’m going to be healthier this term and not put stuff off as much. Maybe I should attend a Learning Strategies session?

- got to start thinking about my engineering program.

- orientation evenings were great!

I know where I’m headed.

- started house hunting!

- term going much better - I’m really getting my math and physics, quizzes going well.

- midterms... then READING WEEK! A bunch of friends are going skiing but I’ve got a midterm after and project work so I’ll take my books.

- oops. Not much reading in my Reading week. Messed up the midterm.

Need to pull a couple of all-nighters to get back on track.

-sealed the deal on a house, just 10 minutes away with 4 friends. A bit grubby, Mom and Dad will hate it but it’s so cool.

- this term is taking so long! Time management better since talking with Learning Stategies counselor.

- Wouldn’t survive without my Engineering buddies. Judith really knows this stuff, and Peter makes us laugh.

- class-study-sleep-class-study-sleepclass... can’t remember the last time I went out.

- Term done and APSC100 presentation went great!

Final exams start next week.

- Aced my Algebra and Calculus exams, Physics OK, but worried about Chemistry...

- All done, heading home!!

- Marks back... I PASSED!!

So long, first year!

7

Upper years Choosing an Engineering discipline (Program) Many of our incoming students don’t know what branch of

engineering they are most interested in; still others change their mind by the middle of first-year. At the end of January, each

department holds a discipline orientation evening to inform

first-year students about programs and careers. Students make their discipline choices after the orientation sessions in early

February. Provided students pass their First-year courses (in the regular sections or J-Section), they have an unrestricted choice of discipline.

Below is a table of the program and option choices within

important terminology: Discipline (program or plan): The fundamental type of

engineering a student may choose (e.g., Chemical, Electrical, Engineering Physics, etc.)

Option: The sub-discipline or sub-plan within the program. The program/option combination is accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB).

Stream: A suggested grouping of courses leading to a particular specialty.

Queen’s Engineering and Applied Science. But first some

Engineering discipline (program) choices within Queen’s Engineering and Applied Science Discipline (Program Plan)

Options (sub plan)

Streams

Chemical Engineering

Chemical Processing Biochemical

Biomedical/Bioenvironmental

Engineering Chemistry

General Biosciences Evironmental Materials

Engineering Physics

Electrical Mechanical Materials Computer

Mechanical Engineering

General Materials Engineering Biomechanical

Aerospace Engineering Biomechanical Engineering Manufacturing and Design Mechatronic Systems Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics

Civil Engineering Geological Engineering

Math and Engineering

Mineral and Energy Exploration Geotechnical Geo-Environmental Applied Geophysics Applied Mechanics Control and Communications Computing and Communications Control and Robotics

Electrical Engineering

Mining Engineering

Computer Engineering

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Communications and Signal Processing Communications Systems and Networks Electronics and Photonics Power Electronics and Systems Robotics & Control Mining Minerals Processing Environmental Mine-Mechanical Computer Hardware Computer Systems Software Engineering

Engineering Frosh Week Dispelling the myths!

The hype and misinformation around Engineering Frosh week

are significant, and as a result some incoming students find the

thought of Frosh Week intimidating. Here are some facts which will hopefully alleviate some of the fears and help your son

or daughter approach their orientation week with a sense of excitement and anticipation.

First of all, Frosh Week activities are optional, not mandatory. If a student wishes to participate, he or she signs up early in the

week and pays a small fee. However, signing up does not oblige a student to participate in all, or even any, events. If students decide that they just want to watch an event rather than

participate, or drop out entirely, this is possible at any time.

Frosh Week is designed to encourage new students to work

together in a group and to form a strong bond with their year.

Groups of about 25 “Frosh” (new Engineering students) are led

by 4 “Frecs”—two female and two male second-year students— who are the purple, kilt-wearing, crazy-hair-sporting students who usually end up on the front page of the newspaper. And although the initial “Frec encounter” involves a great deal of

shouting and silliness, the Frecs quickly become leaders, friends and mentors to the students in their Frosh group.

the week prior to Frosh Week, and are put through a rigorous

training process that involves leadership, safety and sensitivity training. They are also taught how to recognize and counsel students who might appear to be uncomfortable with their experience.

Engineering Frosh Week involves a number of events that

combine teamwork with friendly competition and a liberal dose of goofiness. The week culminates on Saturday morning with the greasepole, an event where the collective group of Frosh

must figure out how to work together to recover a Queen’s tam nailed to the top of a lanolin-covered wooden pole.

Frosh Week events are closely monitored and supervised with

an emphasis on safety, security and sensitivity. All events must be approved in advance by the Senate Orientation Activities

Review Board (SOARB) and by the Dean of Engineering and

Applied Science. SOARB committee members are present at all events and scrutinize them carefully.

For many Engineering students, Frosh Week is one of the

defining aspects of their university experience. But obviously Frecs undergo a rigorous screening and training process. They

it may not be for everyone. All choices are respected, so it is

and are carefully chosen. They are required to arrive at Queen’s

off and do your own thing. n

are interviewed for the positions by the Engineering Society

completely acceptable to sit and watch the fun or to simply go

9

Queen’s Engineering and Applied Science Understanding the structure One of the keys to communicating with your son or daughter is understanding their academic environment. The next couple of pages will help you to understand the Queen’s Engineering and Applied Science structure and some of the terminology.

First year: Common to all engineering students All Queen’s engineering students do a common first year. The

(teamwork, time management, critical judgment, engineering

provide the technical foundation for upper-year engineering

engineering practice.

table below shows the courses taken in first year; some of these

design, technical communication) that are a necessary part of

courses, while others serve to introduce the non-technical skills

First-year engineering courses: Fall term

First-year engineering courses: Winter term

Course number

Course description

Course number

Course description

APSC 100

Engineering project, experimentation and problem solving

APSC 100

Engineering project, experimentation and problem solving

APSC 111

Physics: Statics and dynamics

APSC 112

Physics: Electricity and magnetism

APSC 131

Chemistry

APSC 132

Chemistry

APSC 151

The Earth’s Environment

APSC 142

Introduction to Computing

APSC 161

Graphics

APSC 172

Calculus 2

APSC 171

Calculus

APSC 174

Introduction to Linear Algebra

First year: Sectioning

Although the first-year class numbers around

650 students, each class is broken down into 18

sections of 25-50 students. This is done to make scheduling more flexible for everything from large lecture courses (about 200 students) to much smaller tutorials (about 50 students).

First-year sample timetable: Fall term Time

Monday

Tuesday

8:30am 9:30am APSC 131-101 Lecture Ellis Hall AUD

10:30am 11:30am

APSC 161-101 Lecture Etherington Hall AUD

12:30pm 1:30pm

APSC 151-101 Lecture Chernoff Hall AUD

2:30pm 3:30pm 4:30pm

APSC 171-101 Tutorial Chernoff Hall AUD APSC 171-205 Tutorial Jeffrey Hall 234 APSC 151-305 Laboratory Miller Hall 106 and Miller Hall 102

Wednesday APSC 131-101 Lecture Ellis Hall AUD APSC 111-101 Lecture Stirling Hall AUD APSC 100A-101 Lecture Ellis Hall AUD APSC 111-205 Tutoral Stirling Hall 414 APSC 151-101 Lecture Chernoff Hall AUD

Thursday APSC 111-101 Lecture Stirling Hall AUD APSC 131-101 Lecture Ellis Hall AUD APSC 131-205 Tutorial Chernoff Hall 211 APSC 171-101 Lecture Chernoff Hall AUD APSC 161-101 Lecture Etherington Hall AUD

Friday

APSC 151-101 Lecture Chernoff Hall AUD APSC 111-101 Lecture Etherington Hall AUD APSC 171-101 Lecture Chernoff Hall AUD APSC 161-305 Laboratory

APSC 100A-205 Studio Beamish-Munro Hall 213

Beamish-Munro Hall 212 and Beamish-Munro Hall 214

J-Section For years we have recognized that the transition from high school to university is a tough one for students, and that many have academic problems as a result. For students that struggle in the fall term, we recommend a move into J-section. In J-section, the first six weeks of the winter term is spent reviewing the fall term course material. The final ‘rewrite’ exams for these fall courses are held halfway through winter term, during Reading Week. Students in J-section then begin their “normal” twelveweek winter term courses, which will extend six weeks into the 10

spring term*. Final exams for J-section are held in early June.

Students doing J-section are not disadvantaged in any way, and since a sizeable fraction of our students (about 10 per cent) opt for “J” there is little or no negative stigma associated with it.

Most J-section students pass first year successfully, and go on to be academically indistinguishable or even superior to their peers in upper years. *Because it runs into the spring term, there are additional costs associated with J-section

GLOSSARY AU

Academic Units, numerically equal to CEAB Accreditation Units.

Basic Sciences

Physics, Chemistry, Earth and Life Sciences.

Board of Trustees

The senior administrative body of the university.

Bursary

Financial award for a student in need.

Calendar

An official publication of academic regulations, programs of study, descriptions of courses of instruction and requirements for graduation.

CEAB

Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board.

Challenge Examinations

Tests of competence (optional) in first-year subjects at the beginning of the year.

Confidential Examination

An examination paper recovered after the examination and withheld from circulation or publication.

Core

Those courses which are a mandatory part of a program.

Dean

The Chief Executive Officer of the Faculty.

Department

A subdivision of the Faculty responsible for a particular subject or group of related subjects, or a discipline.

Electives

A group of courses from which a specified number must be chosen to satisfy part of the requirements for the degree.

Exemption

A required course replaced in a program by relevant work experience plus an equivalent number of Accreditation Units extra to the program approved by the Operations Committee.

Faculty Board

The committee charged with overseeing all academic matters in the Faculty.

GOTSEP

Group of Ten Student Exchange Program.

H&SS

Humanities and Social Sciences.

IAESTE

International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience.

Internship

A twelve- or sixteen-month period in industry, arranged by the university, for academic credit.

Letter of Permission

A formal document allowing a student to take a course at another institution in lieu of one in the student’s regular program.

Operations Committee

A standing committee of the Faculty Board which deals with admissions, scholarships, academic progress and curriculum matters.

Option

One of two or more streams within a program: eg., the Environmental Option in Civil Engineering.

P.Eng.

Professional Engineer, registered by a provincial licensing authority.

PEO

Professional Engineers Ontario. The licensing authority in Ontario.

Prerequisites

Courses which must be passed before the course in question can be taken.

Principal

The Chief Executive Officer of the university.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Challenge Examinations in first-year subjects (optional).

SAL

Student Assistance Levy.

Scholarship

A financial award based on academic merit.

Senate

The university’s senior academic board.

Session

A period of instruction. A Regular Session comprises two terms, the fall and winter terms.

SOLUS

The Queen’s student admin system - a source for schedules, fee status, contact info, etc.

Sub Plan

Sub-discipline within a plan. CEAB accredited.

Substitution

Replacement of a required course, stipulated in the calendar, by another course, with the approval of the Operations Committee.

SURP

School of Urban and Regional Planning.

Term

A period of instruction, usually of 12 weeks duration.

Transcript

Program or Plan

A specified combination of courses leading to a degree in a particular subject.

A document provided by the Registrar’s Office that lists the entire academic recordto-date of a student in the university.

An Official Transcript is certified by the Registrar.

QUIP

Transfer Credit

Reading Week

Withdrawal

Queen’s Undergraduate Internship Program.

A period in which classes are suspended in favour of independent study.

Credit allowed for a course taken in another Faculty or at another institution.

A formal process for discontinuing studies in a course or in a program.

Regular Session

Normally consists of the fall and winter terms of instruction. In the case of firstyear students registered in the Extended Program, the Regular Session includes the spring term.

Regulations

The rules established by the Faculty Board and by the Senate by which a student’s academic progress and deportment are governed.

Reread

The reassessment of a student’s final paper in a course, on appeal.

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WHERE TO TURN FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Career Services

Safety on Campus

(613) 533-2992 http://careers.queensu.ca/ n Undergraduate internships n Career direction n Resumes and interviews

n Walk

Diversity at Queen’s Positive Space Program (613) 533-2529 http://www.queensu.ca/qlc/index.html n Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre (613) 533-6970 http://www.queensu.ca/dsao/4dasc/4D-1.htm n

Engineering and Science Library (613) 533-2610 http://library.queensu.ca/webeng/ n Departmental Library Liaisons

Exam Information (613) 533-2101 http://www.queensu.ca/registrar/exams

Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Office (613) 533-2055 engineering.reception@queensu.ca

Health, Counselling & Disability Services (613) 533-2506 http://www.queensu.ca/campuslife/health n Study skills counselling

Human Rights Office (613) 533-6886 http://www.queensu.ca/humanrights/2main.htm

IT (Information Technology) Services http://www.its.queensu.ca/itsc/home

Learning Commons http://www.queensu.ca/qlc/home Centrally located in Stauffer Library, this enriched learning environment brings together a comprehensive, integrated set of academic support services and resources for Queen’s students n Learning Strategies Development n Writing Centre (613) 533-6315

Policies and Regulations in Engineering and Applied Science http://engineering.queensu.ca/policy/index.html n Academic regulations n Departure from Academic Integrity (DFAI) n Senate and university wide policies n Professional service, consulting and related work n Use of calculators in tests or examinations n Course mark reviews and appeals

Queen’s International Centre (613) 533-2605

http://www.queensu.ca/quic

Residence Services (613) 533-2550 http://residences.housing.queensu.ca n Co-ordinator, Residence Life Activites (613) 533-6790 n Facilities Control (613) 533-3155

Queen’s University Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6 Tel: 613.533.6000 ext. 77324 Fax: 613.533.2535

Home Service (613) 533-WALK (9255) 6:00 pm – 2:00 am Sun – Wed 6:00 pm – 3:00 am Thurs – Sat http://www.walkhome.ca n Campus Safe Walk Program* (613) 533-6080 *Available when Walk Home is off duty n Campus Security (613) 533-6733 http://www.queensu.ca/security n On-Campus Defense Training (613) 533-6733 n Kingston City Police (613) 549-4660 n Campus Watch... keeping our campus safe

Senate Policies for all Students http://engineering.queensu.ca/Calendar/2012-2013/Regulations_ policies_Senate.html n Access and privacy n Student appeals, rights and discipline n Academic dishonesty n Code of Conduct n Student access to final examination papers n Confidential Exams n Computer User Code of Ethics

Volunteer Opportunities at Queen’s There are numerous volunteer opportunities available for students at Queen’s and in the Kingston community. Whatever your interest— from administrative committees, to recruitment activities, to community outreach programs. n Queen’s International Centre http://www.quic.queensu.ca/get-involved n Queen’s Students for Literacy http://myams.org

University Chaplain (613) 533-2186 http://www.queensu.ca/chaplain/ The Chaplain’s Office provides a confidante and advisor to students, staff and faculty. This peaceful and safe space is ideal for bringing problems, concerns or crises with the assurance of a personal, confidential and helpful relationship.

University Rector (613) 533-2733 http://www.queensu.ca/rector/about.html One of the main roles of the Rector is that of student ombudsperson.

The Rector supports and advises students on matters of course mark appeals, residence grievances, disputes with the student government, racism or other forms of discrimination. The Rector can also be a confidential sounding board and source of advice if you’re wondering what to do about a problem you’re facing.