Faculty Administrative Resources

(Required Quarterly) Check Pre-req Petitions
(Required Quarterly) Check Your Assigned Courses and TAs
(For Reference) Faculty Guide

MAE Faculty - Teaching Administration Overview

Along with teaching, research and department involvement, the MAE Administrative team understands that keeping track of important deadlines, documents and policies is challenging. This website will serve as a central location that will outline the most common questions MAE faculty may have regarding quarterly administrative processes when teaching graduate/undergraduate courses.

Note: As a faculty governed institution, the policies/procedures of academic administration uphold the most current version of the UC Davis Bylaws and Regulations of the Academic Senate.

If you encounter a student who is experiencing hardship (mental/emotional/physical) during the quarter, please reference Aggie Compass for additional support.

If you are CONCERNED about a student's wellbeing, please submit a Student Support Referral.

Faculty Onboarding

  • Campus Onboarding
  • All new faculty are encouraged to review/attend/participate in the onboarding activities hosted by Office of Academic Affairs. Click here for more information and resources.

    Faculty may also reference the resources posted by the office of Undergraduate Education, by clicking here.
  • MAE Specific Onboarding
  • The MAE Department suggests that faculty meet:

    - Faculty mentors (assigned during hiring): to learn more about navigating teaching/research.
    - Chief Administrative Officer (CAO): for questions about budget/start-up.
    - MAE Chair: for questions about teaching load/assignments.
    - Student Services Manager: for questions on navigating teaching/student administrative tasks.

Course Scheduling Questions 

  • Undergraduate/Graduate Courses (General Assignment Classrooms)
  • Courses are scheduled according to the teaching plan (by chair of department) for general assignment spaces (all across campus) during the open maintenance period. During these times of access, the department scheduler (Student Services Manager) will update courses according the following:

    - Student Throughput (current number of FR/SO/JR/SR in the department)
    - To ensure students have proper access to courses for degree progress.
    - To ensure core major requirements do not have time conflicts.
    - To ensure enrollment equity in placement (at lease 20% of courses will be taught after 4pm).

    With the above in mind, faculty may reach out to the department scheduler if they have extenuating circumstances that warrant a change in course time/room placement. These requests must be approved by the department chair prior to the student enrollment period for the quarter. 

    Requests made are not guaranteed to be approved.
  • Bainer Classroom Scheduling (Internal Lab Placements)
  • While the majority of our courses are placed in general assignment classrooms, there are some courses that request to have separate lab spaces. 

    Example: EME 050 - Manufacturing Processes holds its labs in the Engineering Student Design Center (Bainer 1545), and EME 109 - Experimental Methods for Thermal Fluids holds its labs in the Bainer 1120. 

    As these areas are not controlled by the Office of the Registrar's, it is the Instructor of Record's (IOR) responsibility to secure the time/date for these spaces and communicate them with the department scheduler. The department scheduler does not maintain any external calendars for campus classrooms.
  • Room Requests for Presentations/Office Hours
  • Faculty may elect to request rooms in Bainer Hall for special presentations/office hours.

    In this case, MAE faculty are encouraged to contact maefrontdesk@ucdavis.edu at least 20 business days prior to their event to ensure accommodations can be made.

    If MAE is unable to accommodate your request with MAE space (Bainer/Academic Surge), faculty may submit the General Assignment Classroom Reservations form for a course-related reservation at least 3 days prior to the activity. This form is reviewed and processed by the campus scheduling team.
  • Testing Accommodations Room Requests
  • During the quarter, faculty may receive requests for accommodations from the Student Disability Center (SDC) for students enrolled in their course. We encourage all faculty to review additional information on this process: Click Here

    Please Note: Testing accommodation classroom requests must start with the SDC directly.

    If there is no space available, faculty may email: maefrontdesk@ucdavis.edu to inquire about MAE availability (this is not guaranteed). 
  • Waitlists/Course Updates During Enrollment Periods
  • Waitlists

    The MAE Advising Team may reach out to faculty if their course is full, and there is a waitlist for student enrollment. 

    Typically, this will happen during second pass enrollment, and the department scheduler will check to make sure the general assignment classroom can accommodate the number of students enrolled and on the waitlist. Depending on the number of students, faculty may request additional Teaching Assistant (TA) support. This is subject to the approval of the Teaching Plan committee. 

    Course Changes (Time/Day/Max Cap/Room)

    The department scheduler will send an email to all teaching faculty at least 40 days prior to the start of the enrollment period. Please review and respond within 2 business days if you have questions about your course. 

    Once enrollment begins, any requested changes, require the approval of the MAE Chair AND the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies. Changes are also only implemented if sufficient general assignment classroom space is available.
  • Course Creation - MAE 298, EME/EAE XX, 1XX
  • Faculty interested in creating an undergraduate/graduate course must follow the proper protocol. 

    Undergraduate Course Creation:
    Undergraduate course additions are subject to approval of the Undergraduate Study Committee (UGSC), majority approval of MAE Faculty (by faculty vote), approval from the Undergraduate Educational Policy Committee (UGEP) with final approval from the Committee on Courses of Instruction (COCI).

    Please contact the Vice Chair of the Undergraduate Study Committee for further assistance.

    Graduate Course Creation:
    Graduate course additions begin by making a proposal to MAE Faculty. This includes outlining the course content and relationship to our programs, presenting during a faculty retreat, having a favored vote to trail run this course and teaching the course as MAE 298. 

    Please contact the Chair of MAE Graduate Studies for further assistance.
Beginning Spring 2024:

Faculty advisors must provide their specific CRNS for MAE 290C and MAE 299 to their graduate students. 

Quarterly CRNs can be referenced here: 

Click Here: Box Link for MAE Faculty only 
 

Course Grading

  • Issuing Grades
  • Generally, grades are due the Wednesday after the term ends and can be submitted via Canvas.

    Please reference the Faculty Guide for additional information.
  • Modifying Grades
  • Grade modifications, whether due to error, or due to a grade update, may be subject to further review by the Grade Change Committee.

    Please reference the academic senate information here.
  • Incomplete "I" Grade Guidelines
  • An "I" grade may only be submitted if the following conditions are met:

    "The grade Incomplete shall be assigned only when the student’s completed work (judged by itself and not in relation to the work required to pass the course as a whole) is of passing quality and represents a significant portion of the requirements for a final grade, but is incomplete for good cause as determined by the instructor. "Good cause" may include illness, serious personal problems, an accident, a death in the immediate family, a large and necessary increase in working hours, or other situations deemed to be of equal gravity."

    Prior to grade submission, MAE Advising requests that all MAE Faculty submit an "I" Grade Contract to maeughelp@ucdavis.edu so there is record for both the student, faculty and department. 

    Please note, "I" Grades will expire after the 3rd academic quarter and convert to an F.

    For additional information, please reference the Faculty Guide.

General Teaching Administration 

  • Final Exams
  • Final exam dates/times are scheduled by the Office of the Registrars (OUR) during the scheduling maintenance period, prior to student enrollment. These are placed based on the time block for course offerings and are held in the same room as the lecture. 

    For additional information, please reference the OURs website. 
  • Petition to Add (PTA) Requests - From Students
  • Petition to Add (PTA) numbers are issued during the scheduling adjustment period (prior to enrollment) if certain conditions are met. As a PTA overwrites all pre-requisites, course time conflicts, finals schedule and enrollment caps, additional screening is required. The MAE department follows strict enrollment policies to ensure enrollment equity for our students. Issuing PTA numbers should only be considered due to administrative error.

    A student request for a PTA MUST be forwarded to the MAE advising team first. Please refrain from approving any PTA requests until provided additional information by the MAE advising team.

    Please review our Department Enrollment Policies here.
  • Course Equivalency Requests - From Students
  • Students are allowed to petition for courses outside of UC Davis to count as course coverage. Traditionally, students will contact the MAE Advising Team first, however, some students may ask faculty directly. Please feel free to reach out to the MAE Advising Team if you have specific questions.

    Students may also contact faculty requesting a syllabus to submit a petition to another institution. In this instance, we encourage providing as much of this information as possible. A class schedule, highlighting topics covered, an assignment list and the primary text book used, is crucial information for an equivalency to be reviewed. 
  • Petition to Drop (PTD)
  • Petition to Drop (PTD) are under the purview of the Engineering Dean's Office (EUO). Faculty MAY NOT approve these requests as they require a review of the student's record. 

    Please forward any students requesting a PTD to EUO.
  • Office of Judicial and Student Affairs (OSSJA)
  • If faculty suspect students of misconduct, such as cheating, disrupting the course, they may reference: https://ossja.ucdavis.edu/academic-misconduct

    If faculty are concerned with a student's wellbeing/performance, they may reference: https://ossja.ucdavis.edu/case-management-student-support
  • Promoting Course(s)/Content/Lab Opportunities to MAE Student Body
  • If faculty are interested in recruiting undergraduate students to their lab, or have specific opportunities they want to share, please forward that information to the MAE Advising Team for disbursal. 

    If faculty have graduate specific content they wish to share, please forward that information to the Graduate Program Coordinator.

Relevant MAE Department Committees

  • General Information
  • Some faculty are nominated/assigned to serve on various committees to develop their scope of practice, and to further the goal of providing informed, equitable and data driven solutions to increase transparency and promote success for the department at large.

    The charges of these committees, along with their term length are listed below.
  • Undergraduate Curriculum & Study Committee (UGSC)
  • The Undergraduate Curriculum & Study Committee (UGC) of MAE is concerned with the undergraduate curriculum for EMEC and EASE.

    The committee is chaired by the MAE Vice Chair for Undergraduate Studies. Further members are the Undergraduate Program Coordinator (non-voting), Student Services Manager (non-voting) and two faculty of MAE.

    The committee meets commonly once per quarter.

    Tasks:
    1. Discuss and decide on student petitions (Change of major petitions are usually discussed at the UGC meeting; Petitions for course substitutions and requirement substitutions are mainly discussed between advisors and MAE Vice Chair)

    2. Discuss, gather information and decide on course changes (as described in the MAE Undergraduate Course Introduction Procedure) and course modifications (as described in the
    MAE Undergraduate Course Modification Procedure)

    3. Discuss, gather information and decide on curriculum changes

    4. Decide on changes in the catalog description of the curriculum (galley) for the UC Davis Registrar’s General Catalog (due in February)

    5. Decide on the Best Graduating Senior for EMEC and EASE each (due in May to CoE); Astronaut Alumni Award and Chevron Award (moved to Scholarship Office as of 2021-22AY)

    6. Decide on department citations (2 graduating students with highest GPA for each major, due in June to CoE)

    7. Decide on matters from UGEP.

    8. Involvement in Teaching Plan.

    9. Other matters around undergraduate students.
  • Teaching Plan Committee
  • The teaching plan committee is concerned with setting the yearly course offerings (grad and undergrad) for the department based on teaching load, buyouts, sabbaticals and graduation requirements.

    The committee consists of the MAE Chair, Vice Chair for Undergraduate Studies, Vice Chair for Graduate Studies, Chief Administrator (CAO) and Student Services Manager.
  • Teaching Assistant (TA) Committee
  • The TA committee is concerned with the effectiveness and excellence of graduate student instructors, such as Teaching Assistants, and Associate-Ins. The TA committee is also responsible for the selection and appointment of Readers.

    Associate-Instructor (AI) for upper division courses requires the approval of the Committee on Courses of Instruction (COCI) prior to the appointment. Refer to department-specific procedures and guidelines for AI appointment. The committee is chaired by the MAE Vice Chair for Undergraduate Studies.

    Further voting members are the Graduate Advisor, Graduate Admissions Committee Chair, and the Department Chair; the Graduate Program Coordinator and Department Manager are advisory members.

    The committee meets once per quarter to decide on the TA, reader and Associate Instructor (if applicable) offers and discuss other relevant matters.

    Tasks:

    1. Discuss and decide on the TA, reader and AI (if applicable) position offers for the following quarter and develop best practices for selection of TA, reader and Assoc instructor.

    2. Decide on the MAE Best TA award candidates (since May 2020), including the nomination and selection process.

    3. Committee chair communicates concerns with TA, reader and Associate-In based on evaluations from students and instructors.

    4. Develop and implement MAE-specific training or orientation for new, continuing and prospective TAs/readers and Assoc-Ins.

    5. Develop recommendations for evaluating TAs/readers and Associate-Ins.

    6. Recommend and support development opportunities through active mentoring by faculty (or peers and the Center for Educational Effectiveness teaching resources and/or other training workshops.

    7. Develop, evaluate and implement duties and responsibilities of TAs and Assoc-Ins, including laboratory safety training requirements.

    8. Ensure compliance with ASE union contract and UC/campus policies.

 

Frequently Asked Questions 

  • How do I access Canvas to begin preparing for my course?
  • Once you have been assigned as the Instructor of Record (IOR) for your course, the system can take up to 24 hours to refresh before you have access to Canvas.

    If you experience any challenges with the Canvas website, or would like to learn more on how to navigate it's features, you may refer to: https://canvashelp.ucdavis.edu/

    Canvas also has an interactive faculty guide, you may click here to check it out!
  • Who do I speak with about IT Support?
  • Contacting the COE IT Help Desk is the quickest way to get assistance for both educational technology related challenges, and to provide general assistance for computing challenges.

    Reference: https://intranet.engineering.ucdavis.edu/technology/it-service-desk
  • What programs can assist me with improving my teaching strategies?
  • UC Davis has a wide array of resources to assist faculty with assessments of current teaching models, and suggestions to improve classroom effectiveness. 

    You may visit https://cee.ucdavis.edu/ for additional information.
  • I have just finished teaching for the quarter. How do I access my course evaluations?
  • MAE Teaching Faculty have (1) course evaluation issued to enrolled students prior to week 10 of the quarter. A notice will be sent by a member of the MAE Administrative Team to all teaching faculty to encourage their student to complete the evaluation by the deadline.

    These evaluations will be released to faculty within 24 hours of final grade submission for all enrolled students.

    You may access your specific evaluations by visiting: https://eval.ucdavis.edu/Home/About
  • How long do I keep student tests/quizzes/homework?
  • An instructor may release to individual students their original final examinations (or copies thereof) at any time. Otherwise the instructor shall retain final examination materials, or a copy thereof, until the end of the next regular term, during which period students shall have access to their examinations. (En. 5/25/77; Renum. 6/8/87)