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Policies and Procedures

Admissions

Undergraduate applications and admissions are handled through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Registration

Registration is on-line at On-Line Student Computer Assisted Registration, or OSCAR, www.oscar.gatech.edu. You can view class schedules, calendars, course catalog, transfer equivalencies and register via secured access. Generally, the registration process is straight forward if planned properly. However, sometimes, issues can occur. Some of these are listed below.

• Overloads of closed sections. ISyE has an on-line overload system which is turned on at the beginning of Phase II registration. Sometimes classes (especially popular and/or required ones) will “close out.” In order to register for such a class, you must go to the respective school or department and request an (on-line) enrollment permit. Be prepared, however, to have your enrollment request denied if it is not predicated upon compelling reasons. Requests such as ones based on a desire to take a course with a friend, or from a particular instructor, are certainly not considered “compelling.”
  
  
• Enrollment in restricted or graduate courses. You may need permission from appropriate school or department. These can be forms or on-line.
  
  
• Time conflicts. In order to register for two classes that are scheduled in overlapping time periods, you must obtain a signed note from one of the instructors certifying that the conflict will not affect your ability to complete the course successfully. The note should be taken to the person in charge of overloads and permits and a “time conflict override” can be applied.
  
  
• Holds. If your time ticket indicates a hold on registration, check the OSCAR for an interpretation of the hold and instructions for its clearance.
  
  
• Cross registration. Students who would like to take courses not offered at Georgia Tech can do so through the cross registration program administered through the University Center in Georgia. The contact for this at Georgia Tech is through the registration office.

Financial Aid

Please visit the Office of Student Financial Planning and Services website for general information relating to the costs of attending Georgia Tech and additional information relating to Financial Aid, Scholarships, Work Opportunities, Residency, Academic Common Market, International Students, Computer Ownership, Buzz Card ownership, etc.

Degree Petitions

In order to graduate, students must petition. You can obtain this petition (see Appendix B) in the ISyE Undergraduate Office. This petition must be completed and submitted to the ISyE Undergraduate Office prior to the petition deadline shown in the GT Official Calendar. The deadline for the Office of Degree Certification is normally around the middle of the prior semester. The ISyE Deadlines are September 15 for Spring Commencement, February 1 for Summer Commencement, and May 31 for Fall Commencement.

If you do not graduate in the semester for which you filed, then submit a reactivation petition to the ISyE Undergraduate Office for review and forwarding to the Registrar no later than the end of the first week of classes during your final term.

Transfer Credit

Coursework completed at another institution may be considered for transfer credit if (i) it was passed with a letter grade of C or better and (ii) it is not a substitute for a course which was failed previously at Georgia Tech. In most cases and for most lower division courses, the Admissions Office or Registrar, upon review of a transcript, will automatically give credit (if deemed transferable) for courses taken at other institutions. You can find the transfer equivalencies here. Otherwise, the student should contact an instructor or associate chair in the relevant department at Tech that the non-resident course is “equivalent” to the particular one here. If you are seeking transfer credit by this means, make sure to bring all relevant materials (course syllabi, textbook, catalog description, tests, etc.) to the instructor of the similar Georgia Tech course, and ask that a Non-Resident Credit Form be completed and submitted to the Registrar. You should check subsequently that the form did reach the Registrar. Remember, the obligation of gaining approval of non-resident credit in this way is the student’s.

Transfer credit appears as the initial entry on a student’s transcript. When credit is granted for a course which has content deemed identical to a Georgia Tech course, the latter course number will be listed. If the credit is for a course that does not “exactly” match a Tech course in content or hours, the listing will appear in generic form, i.e., Math 3xxx.

Graduate Course Option

Undergraduate students can take graduate courses with approval. If the credits are not to be used toward master degree, there is a minimum GPA requirement of 3.0. Students intend to use graduate credits toward both the bachelor’s and master’s in the same discipline at Georgia Tech may use up to 6 credit hours of graduate-level coursework in the major discipline. To qualify for this option, students must complete the undergraduate degree with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher and complete the master’s degree within a two-year period from the award date of the bachelor’s degree.

Re-admissions

A student must apply for readmission if he or she is out of school for two or more consecutive terms or for other situations below. More details are in GT catalog.

• Voluntary withdrawal after completion of term. Students who are on good standing or warning status may apply for re-admission in any subsequent term and expect positive action by the Registrar’s Office. Students who are on probation status must arrange for an interview with an academic advisor to discuss their application for re-admission. A positive recommendation will normally be given if there is clear evidence that the problems which led to the student’s poor standing have been, or are being rectified.
  
  
• Voluntary withdrawal with all “W” grades. Students who withdraw during a term and receive all “W” grades will not be allowed to re-enter the term following withdrawal. In addition, the application for readmission must be accompanied by a letter which provides a credible explanation of how the problems and/or circumstances that led to the withdrawal have been resolved. As stated previously, students on probation status at the time of withdrawal must schedule an interview with an advisor.
  
  
• Dropped for unsatisfactory scholarship. Students who have been dropped from school because of unsatisfactory academic performance will not normally be re-admitted. They are advised strongly to seriously consider their educational and career aims and to seek educational alternatives accordingly. Among these alternatives are non-technical as well as engineering technology programs at other institutions. The sobering fact that many students who have fared poorly here must often face is that their aptitude, preparation, or work habits may simply not be amenable to a successful experience at Tech. In such cases, neither the Institute nor ISyE does the student a favor by granting readmission.

On the other hand, and sadly, some students perform poorly (and are dropped accordingly) because of emotional difficulties, family and/or personal problems, substance abuse, and the like. Certainly, if this is the case, the student must be prepared, at the time of the readmission application, to present evidence that such problems contributed to the prior difficulties and that they are presently being dealt with appropriately. Helpful in this regard is documentation from suitable professional sources (i.e., physicians, counselors, etc.).

If re-admission is recommended by the School, the student will be asked to sign a contract which will include a program of study and a minimum grade point average which will assure a GPA of at least 2.0 at the end of the period described by the contract. Failure to meet any part of the contract will result in the student’s dismissal from the institute. With this action, the student will also agree that no attempt will be made to seek further re-admission to ISyE.

ISyE policy is that, void of extenuating circumstances, a student who has been dropped for unsatisfactory scholarship must remain out of school for at least 2 semesters (excluding summer semester). During this time, the student is urged to consider taking courses at an alternative institution. Demonstration of an ability to perform in a satisfactory manner accordingly and with regard to meaningful coursework strengthens the student’s case for re-admission to Tech. Again, please take note that the School (ISyE) only provides a recommendation regarding re-admission. The final decision is made by the Institute Undergraduate Curriculum Committee.

Students are advised to review Section VIII, B.6 of the Student Rules and Regulations stating: “A student who is dropped a second time for unsatisfactory scholarship will not be re-admitted to the Institute.”

Examination Policy

The School of Industrial and Systems Engineering follows the guidelines on quizzes and final exams which are set forth by the Institute Academic Senate. These are provided below. Note that these are only “guidelines” meaning that they are subject to some variance in their application across courses, from term to term, and even among professors. The aim of the School is that adherence to these guidelines be met where and as often as possible.

1. Students should receive some form of performance evaluation prior to the withdrawal deadline for a course. This evaluation can be in the form of an exam, a quiz, a graded project or report, or even (if relevant) from consultation with the instructor.

2. Quizzes or exams may not be given during the week preceding final exams. No final exam will be given earlier than the final exam week under any circumstances. All quizzes and tests must be graded and returned on or before the last day of class preceding final exam week.

3. Each regularly scheduled lecture course shall have a final exam, and it shall be administered at the time specified in the official final exam schedule published and distributed by the Registrar.

4. A request for a change in the final exam period for an individual will not ordinarily be granted (i.e., to meet early plane reservations, to avoid a last period final, to miss rush-hour traffic, etc.). Any such request must be justified in writing and submitted to the instructor well in advance of the scheduled exam period.

5. A request for a change of the final exam period for an entire class must have the approval of the instructor and the unanimous approval of the class as determined by a secret ballot.

6. If a student has two final exams scheduled during the same period, it is the obligation of the instructor of the lower numbered course to resolve the conflict by giving a final exam to that student at a mutually satisfactory alternative time.

7. If a student is scheduled to have three final exams on the same day, it is the obligation of the instructor of the class scheduled for the middle exam period to give a final exam to that student at a mutually satisfactory alternate time.

On-Line Withdrawal from Courses

Georgia Tech policy allows students to withdraw from a course without penalty each term, if they are permitted to do so by their major school. The specific drop-date is published in the academic calendar. ISyE follows Georgia tech policy. However, students should be judicious to avoid waste of time and resrouces. More importantly, “W’s” on transcripts often viewed by prospective employers and graduate schools as indicative of poor planning, ineffective time management, gaming the system, lack of ability to complete assigned tasks, or a propensity for simply “bailing out.” Therefore, a decision to withdraw from a course is a serious one and should be made only after substantial deliberation and preferably in consultation with an academic advisor.

Petitions to the Faculty

Students may ask for relief from any of the Institute’s rules and regulations by submitting a formal request to the Institute Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. The necessary form, called a Petition to the Faculty, can be obtained in the ISyE undergraduate office. Typically, these petitions are granted when the student has been unjustly served by the regulations or when relief is requested from the consequences of a mistake over which the student had no control. Note, however, that these petitions will not be looked upon favorably if they seek protection from the consequences of your own carelessness.

A petitioner should complete the form, obtain the recommendation and signature of the undergraduate advisor or the Director of Undergraduate Studies, and submit the petition to the Registrar. Understand, however, that a departmental recommendation is not routine. If your case is not viewed as a legitimate one accordingly, do not expect a positive recommendation.

Change of Major

Any student wishing to transfer into ISyE who has less than 60 semester hours and who has never transferred before may do so. Students with more than 60 semester hours must be on good standing and have at least a 2.8 cumulative GPA.

Students wishing to transferring into ISyE must sign up for a Change of Major Session. Several of these sessions are held each semester.

Students seeking a transfer out of ISyE to another major at Tech, must first check with the other school or department to determine the requirements for admission accordingly. Once approval has been obtained, the student should complete a Change of Major form, secure signatures from both the new as well as the former school or department, and present the form to the Registrar.

Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam

The Georgia State Board of Registration offers Georgia Tech students the opportunity to take the EIT exam before they graduate. This is a privilege not normally afforded to the general public. Students who desire to take the exam must fill out the application prior to the deadline established by the Georgia State Board. The application forms can be downloaded from the Board’s website at 222.sos.ga.gov/plb/pels under “Downloadable Forms.” The student should check with the advisor or with the College of Engineering for deadlines and exam dates.

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