College of Innovation and Technology Undergraduate Programs

5th Floor West, William R. Murchie Science Building
(810) 766-6807
https://www.umflint.edu/cit/

CIT Faculty and Staff List

Providing students with practical, hands-on learning, as well as theory, is a key part of the curriculum in the College of Innovation & Technology (CIT). CIT undergraduate programs prepare students for careers in such industries as digital design, digital technology, automotive, manufacturing, artificial intelligence, health care, aerospace, cybersecurity and other sectors. CIT builds upon the strong liberal arts foundation already in place at UM-Flint, and its majors prepare students for rewarding careers in Industry 4.0.

Program Assessment

The College of Innovation & Technology participates in the University-wide effort to assess its academic programs, and our Mechanical Engineering major is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

CIT Undergraduate Academic Advising

CIT Student Affairs Mission Statement

The Student Affairs unit within the College of Innovation and Technology (CIT) recognizes that students expect to receive a quality education in a quality environment. It is the role of CIT Student Affairs to ensure that, in the continuum from admission through graduation, the student’s individual educational needs are met while maintaining the academic standards established by the faculty of the college. As a primary source of college information, the professional staff within CIT Student Affairs promote and facilitate excellence through advising. The CIT Student Affairs unit believes that its services should assist in maximizing the academic experience and student achievement in the expectation that students will become lifelong learners and attain their career objectives. These services are provided with expertise, courtesy, and a positive attitude.

CIT Advising

CIT operates under a two-tiered advising model where a student’s degree progress is overseen by one academic advisor and at least one faculty mentor.

Academic advisors within the College of Innovation and Technology serve as representatives of the dean. They are a CIT student’s primary point of contact and work closely with the Registrar’s Office at UM-Flint to aid with the degree certification process. All CIT undergraduate students are assigned an academic advisor upon admission. CIT academic advisors are agents of the college and collaborate with stakeholders within the college, including CIT administration, Directors of CIT Faculty and Academic Affairs, educational committees such as the Academic Standards Committee (ASC), and faculty.

Faculty mentors are faculty within a students area of study who are experts in their field. Students are assigned a faculty mentor upon admission into CIT. Faculty mentors work closely with their students and help foster, guide, teach, and enhance individual learning experiences. Faculty mentors assist students to explore career paths and interests in areas which the mentor has more experience and knowledge.

Both academic advisors and faculty mentors support their students from orientation to graduation, and they both play critical roles in a students academic success. Here is how the roles differ -

Academic Advisors

Academic advisors assist students in learning about campus resources and the way the university works.
Academic advisors walk students through making official updates to their declared curriculum when needed (ie, update a concentration, add a new degree component, etc).
Academic advisors are knowledgeable in the UM-Flint resources available to help you succeed. These include academic advising, career services, counseling services, international student considerations and more! They can answer general questions, and will be able to direct you to the exact person you need to talk to if you have a problem that needs to be resolved.
Academic advisors are experts in reading degree plans and checking your degree progress report to ensure you are on track for a timely graduation. They are well informed about required paperwork and university deadlines and will send out timely reminders so that you never miss a deadline.
After you apply for graduation, your academic advisor conducts a final review of degree requirements and transcripts and determines eligibility for graduation.
Academic advisors are knowledgeable about discipline specific activities held in and around the UM-Flint area and virtually, including - student organizations, guest speakers, conferences, etc.

Faculty Mentors

Faculty mentors are experts in their field, so having a mentor in your major is critical. Faculty mentors talk with students about the current state of the field, job prospects, and new research that might be of interest.
Faculty mentors are knowledgeable about the classes in their field, and help students choose the classes that will challenge them and meet their personal learning objectives. They will also help with graduate research projects.
Faculty Mentors are a great resource if a student is thinking about changing their curriculum (concentration, CIT major, etc.) but they are not sure which direction they want to go in. A faculty mentor will help a student explore all of the options UM-Flint offers and select the option that is right for your future professional goals.
Faculty mentors can give advice about continuing education.
Faculty mentors understand the value of networking, and will support students both in your their professional networking and also in identifying professional organizations they should consider joining. They will also connect students to other mentors and agencies outside of campus to help increase the students professional circle.

In short, both academic advisors and assigned faculty mentors are important members of a students success team at UM-Flint. Students are strongly advised to consult with both often.

If you’re not sure who your academic advisor and/or faculty mentor is, you can find this information listed within SIS.

Mandatory Advising

All CIT students must make an advising appointment with their assigned CIT academic advisor at least once a semester (fall and winter) to be eligible to register for classes for the following term. Students will be contacted via their umich email with additional information about this requirement; however, students should feel free to make an advising appointment at any point during their time in CIT.

MyDegreePlan

MyDegreePlan, also referred to as a degree audit, is an individualized report that displays all courses a student has completed and demonstrates their progress towards meeting their degree requirements. A student’s degree audit is available to them at any time via my.umflint.edu. Students should review their degree audit regularly and always consult with their CIT academic advisor if they have questions. MyDegreePlan also features the ability to view a hypothetical degree audit, which allows a student to see how their completed and in-progress courses would be applied to a major that is different from their current one.

The responsibility for selecting courses and meeting graduation requirements rests with the students, who must plan well to make their programs consistent with their goals and with college requirements. All CIT students will review their degree audit within their Mandatory Advising session.

MyDegreePlan also allows the student, in collaboration with their assigned academic advisor, to create an individualized semester by semester Graduation Plan. This plan will be reviewed each semester during a students Mandatory Advising session and updated as needed.