Academic Services Center
The Academic Services Center (ASC) is the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering’s home for course and lab support. ECE is the largest academic department on campus, with roughly 90 course offerings per semester in multiple campus locations. ECE is also home to 7 course-facing lab facilities offering students access to cutting-edge equipment. The ASC facilitates course scheduling and delivery from creation to submission of final grades.
Meet the Team
Course Support
The ASC is a one-stop-shop for course support each term. The Academic Services Coordinator contact for course support in Pittsburgh is Cassie Pfannenstiel. This person will also liaise for needs in Silicon Valley.
Students
Professors (in Pittsburgh) may instruct you to pick up or drop off coursework from us during our office hours. We look forward to seeing you, and always remember to bring your student ID!
Homework and other coursework is kept during the term in question. Final exams are kept for one year.
Faculty
You may send any printing/copying or grade submission requests to ece-asc@andrew.cmu.edu. Please contact the Academic Services Coordinator for incidental requests (e.g. room reservations for grading meetings, etc.). Feel free to stop by or contact us as needed!
If you are interested in proposing a NEW course, or updating the information for an existing course (e.g., title, description, prerequisites, etc.), please contact the Director of Advising & Academic Services. For further course support needs, see additional services.
Course Scheduling
The course scheduling process begins during the prior term: in fall for spring offerings, and in spring for fall offerings.
Students
Faculty
Waitlist Management
The Academic Services Center manages waitlists for all ECE (18-XXX) courses, in all locations. ECE undergraduate students are prioritized in all ECE undergraduate courses, and ECE graduate students are prioritized in all ECE graduate courses. Waitlist clearing is primarily a manual process that is ongoing from the beginning of registration through the Add Deadline for each term. Course waitlists may accrue for a variety of reasons: students are waitlisted who do not receive priority in ECE courses, students are waitlisted who have scheduling and/or max unit conflicts, students are waitlisted when a course is full, etc.
Students
If you would like further information about the likelihood of clearing an ECE (18-XXX) waitlist, feel free to inquire at ece-waitlists@andrew.cmu.edu. This will not change the likelihood of being enrolled one way or another.
Note that Professors and Academic Advisors do NOT manage ECE waitlists.
If you are on a waitlist for a course, and enrolling would create a scheduling and/or max unit conflict, then if you clear the waitlist you will receive a timed invitation via email to resolve the conflict(s) and enroll in the course. The invitation window shrinks as the Add Deadline approaches, to a minimum of 24 hours. It is very important to monitor your university email at all times.
You may be on a maximum of 5 waitlists at any given time. Registration planning (including alternatives for waitlisted courses) should be discussed with your Academic Advisor.
Faculty
Feel free to direct student waitlist inquiries to ece-waitlists@andrew.cmu.edu. All ECE waitlists will be cleared on an ongoing basis through the Add Deadline, up to the max enrollment stated in S3 and according to departmental priorities. Waitlists cannot be reordered. If you have questions or concerns about enrollment, please feel free to contact the Director of Advising & Academic Services.
Teaching Assistants
ECE hires on average over 150 Teaching Assistants every term, across both Pittsburgh and Silicon Valley. TAs are often an integral part of successful course delivery. All TA hiring is managed through the application system TAPS. Further information is also available on the TA webpage: https://www.ece.cmu.edu/insider/teaching-opportunities.html
The Academic Services Coordinator contact for TAs is Stephanie Bolla.
*TAs are hired separately for courses in Kigali.
Students
The TA application system (TAPS), is turned on for all ECE courses in Pittsburgh and Silicon Valley around the time of registration for the upcoming term. You will be notified of this by the Academic Services Coordinator. Students are encouraged to speak with the instructors of the course(s) they are interested in working for, but student applications in TAPS are a necessary first step in the hiring process. Students may submit applications for up to 3 courses.
*If you have NOT been hired in TAPS, you have NOT BEEN HIRED.* This is equally true for doctoral students doing TI credits.
Faculty
The TA application system (TAPS), is turned on for all ECE courses in Pittsburgh and Silicon Valley around the time of registration for the upcoming term. You will be notified of this by the Academic Services Coordinator. The typical TA to student ratio is roughly 1 TA per 15-20 students. In order to select a TA applicant, click "Request" within TAPS and the Academic Services Coordinator will then be able to extend an offer.
If you hire a TI (Teaching Intern - a doctoral student receiving credit), you will be expected to provide a letter grade at the end of the term.
If you are interested in having a doctoral student support your course who has already completed both TI requirements, the student is in "TI+" status and departmental approval must be sought. Please contact the Director of Advising & Academic Services in such cases.
Lab Services
ECE has a number of course-facing lab spaces in Pittsburgh, managed by the ECE Lab Specialist, Quinn Hagerty.
Students
If you are a student and/or a TA in a lab course, please promptly notify the ECE Lab Specialist about any equipment issues. It is everyone's responsibility to use the labs respectfully, avoid food and drink, and put everything back as it is found.
Faculty
Lab Spaces
Come check out our newly remodeled Hamerschlag 1300-wing and A-level labs!
Hamerschlag Hall 1300-Wing
1305
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This lab is equipped with 30 workstations running the Linux OS. |
1307
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This lab features 12 mobile butcher block tables for lab work and project construction. This lab is equipped with soldering irons, tools and a wire rack. Test Equipment is available upon request and will be on a mobile cart equipped with power outlets. |
Hamerschlag Hall A-Level
A101
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This lab features 16 work benches each with a workstation. These benches are on the wall of the lab in order to make the lab feel like an open environment to work in. The OS for the workstations is typically Linux during fall semester and Windows during the spring semester. Test equipment is available upon request and when requested will be installed on the workbenches. 4 tables in the middle of the room allow for group meetings. |
A104
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This lab features 12 mobile butcher block tables for lab work and project construction. This lab is equipped with soldering irons, tools and a wire rack. Test Equipment is available upon request and will be on a mobile cart equipped with power outlets. |
Hamerschlag Hall C-Level
C103
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TechSpark
ANSYS
ANSYS 101
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Prospective Student Tours
We are excited to offer our student tour guide program for prospective undergraduate students interested in electrical and computer engineering. This in-person tour will allow visitors to explore the beautiful Hamerschlag Hall as well as additional student spaces. During this 45-minute to 1-hour walking tour, visitors will get an insider's perspective on undergraduate student life while seeing new laboratories and learning about the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.
Click here to schedule a tour.
Become a Tour Guide
Are you interested in becoming a tour guide and showing visitors around ECE spaces? Looking for a fun job where you can share your experience with prospective students and their families? We encourage you to apply!
Check if there is an open position on Handshake or reach out to Stephanie Bolla for more information.
Resources for Students
- Registrar’s Schedule of Classes - see official listing of university course offerings
- ECE Courses - see a history of ECE course offerings
- Teaching Assistantships - TA info page
- TAPS - Apply for TA positions
- Student Academic Success Center
- Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS)
- Disability Resources
FAQs for Students
How do I audit a course?
Please note that auditing a course is not an alternative to registration. Rather, auditing is an alternative grading option for registered students.
If you wish to audit a course for which you are registered, please contact your Academic Advisor to submit the appropriate paperwork.
How are final exams scheduled?
Final exams offered during the official final exam week are scheduled by the Registrar's Office in Pittsburgh. The Registrar's Office optimizes the final exam schedule to ensure minimal-to-no student conflicts. The schedule is published here, around the middle of each term: https://www.cmu.edu/es/grading-and-exams/index.html (PDF along the right-hand side).
Students are expected to wait to make end-of-term travel arrangements until the final exam schedule has posted. If you have a conflict, please follow the guidelines provided here: https://www.cmu.edu/es/grading-and-exams/conflict.html.
My professor directed me to the Course Hub--what is that?
Resources for Faculty
- S3 information system - course info, rosters, grade submission, etc.
- TAPS - view Teaching Assistant applicants for your course(s) and make requests
- CMU Grading Policies
- CMU Final Exam Policies - also, specifically, Final Exam Conflict Guidelines
- Registrar’s Schedule of Classes - see official listing of university course offerings
- Disability Resources
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FAQs for Faculty
Where can I see my roster(s) and enrollment?
A student has asked to audit my course, what do I do?
Please note that auditing a course is not an alternative to registration. Rather, auditing is an alternative grading option for registered students.
Any registered student who wishes to audit your course should be directed to their Academic Advisor to begin the necessary paperwork.
How do I process a student grade change?
What is the process for giving an Incomplete grade?
All university grading policies, including details for Incomplete Grades, are available on this page: https://www.cmu.edu/policies/student-and-student-life/grading.html
The university also provides an Incomplete Grade Agreement form which all faculty are encouraged to utilize in agreeing to grant an Incomplete and in setting expectations for its completion.
Of note is the expectation that the students work to date has been "of passing quality." Furthermore: "In awarding an I grade, an instructor must specify the requirements for completing the work and designate a default letter grade where no further work is submitted. Students must complete the required course work no later than the end of the following academic semester, or sooner if required by prior agreement."
How do I get a Canvas page for my course?
Instructors should request course pages through the CMU Canvas website, and can reach out to the ASC for assistance as needed. The ASC team will have some access to all ECE Canvas pages so that we may perform various administrative functions.
This document provides additional instructions which may be useful, especially if you have crosslisted or broadcast sections: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iev0Ohd7wyzzkQHl4PPW-8NhpBRexZ60WzJMtPvDwUU/edit
How do I assign proxy access for grading?
Information for grade deadlines and adding proxy access will be sent to you every term by the Registrar's Office and the Academic Services Coordinator course support contact.
DIRECTIONS FOR ADDING PROXIES:
- Go to S3 (https://s3.as.cmu.edu/s3/)
- Click on the Registrar tab
- Click on the “wheel” at the far right of your course information
- Select Add Proxy
What is the process to change the information for a course (e.g., course description, prerequisites, etc.)?
How are final exams scheduled?
Final exams offered during the official final exam week are scheduled by the Registrar's Office in Pittsburgh (thus impacting any broadcast courses with Pittsburgh sections who need a final exam week slot). In order to request a final exam during final exam week, your course must be flagged accordingly in S3 at the beginning of the term. The Registrar's Office optimizes the final exam schedule to ensure minimal-to-no student conflicts.
The schedule is published here: https://www.cmu.edu/es/grading-and-exams/index.html (PDF along the right-hand side). A draft schedule will be provided before publishing for students to view, around the middle of each term. Once the days and times are thus finalized, rooms will be assigned and published before the end of the term.
Who do I call if the technology in a classroom is not working?
Who do I contact if I can’t get in my classroom?
If you are unable to get into HH 1107 or one of the ECE lab spaces, please email ece-asc@andrew.cmu.edu or stop into HH 1113.
For all other classrooms, Campus Police are the only ones who can assist. You are welcome to contact the ASC or call Campus Police directly at 412-268-6232.