Departments & Divisions > Mechanical Engineering > Students > Current Graduate > Important Information

Important Information


The information contained here is of interest to currently registered graduate students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.  For further information, or to answer any questions, students should contact their supervisor, the Graduate Secretary or the Graduate Chair.
Further information can also be found in the College of Graduate Studies and Research Policies and Procedures Manual.

Academic Integrity
Academic integrity in research and scholarship is a core value of the graduate program in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.  The University of Saskatchewan's policies on academic and integrity are described on the university's Academic Honesty Website. 
New Mechanical Engineering graduate students must sign a Declaration of Academic Honesty before beginning their graduate program. By signing this declaration, students are also signifying that they have read and understood the following documents:

The University of Saskatchewan and the College of Graduate Studies and Research have clear guidelines, policies and procedures for dealing with cases of academic misconduct.  Information on these policies can be found at the following websites.

Academic Support Services
The University Learning Centre offers a number of programs and services to assist graduate students. These include writing and study skills workshops, assistance with editing and on-line resources. A quick overview of their services can be found on the ULC website.
The Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching Effectiveness hosts an annual teaching orientation session each fall, and puts on workshops and courses throughout the year.  They also offer Instructional Skills for Graduate Students and Introduction to University Teaching courses. Graduate students who will be serving as teaching assistants are strongly encouraged to take advantage of these workshops, resources and courses, especially if they are interested in pursuing an academic career after graduation.
The University Library has a number of on-line resources, which can assist graduate students in their courses and thesis research.
The University also offers Health and Counseling Services to students.

Advisory Committees
All M.Sc. and Ph.D. students have an Advisory Committee. A M.Sc. Advisory Committee consists of a student’s supervisor(s) and two other faculty members, who are typically also from the Department of Mechanical Engineering.  A Ph.D. Advisory Committee consists of a student’s supervisor(s) and three other faculty members, at least one of which (the Cognate Member) is from another department on campus.  An Advisory Committee meeting is scheduled at least once each year to evaluate the student's progress.  Any member of the Advisory Committee, as well as the student, can also request a meeting of the Advisory Committee.

Application to Graduate and Convocation
Information on how to apply to graduate, and Spring and Fall Convocations is available online.

Arrival Information
Students are encouraged to consult the University’s Arrival Guide for important information on the University, as well as getting settled in Saskatoon.

Confirmation of Enrolment Letters
If you need a letter to confirm enrolment (e.g., when applying for or renewing your Social Insurance Number, renewing your Canadian Study Permit or applying for Permanent Resident status), you must email your request to the Graduate Secretary, giving her at least one week’s notice.  Your request MUST include the name and address of the recipient of the letter, and ALL of the information that you would like included in the letter. You will be contacted by the Graduate Secretary by email once the letter is ready to pick up.

Defence
M.Sc. and Ph.D. students must successfully complete an oral defence of their thesis. Information on procedures for the oral defence is available on the College of Graduate Studies and Research’s website. Additional information on the preparation of graduate theses in our department can be found on the Graduate Theses portion of our website (add link to this part).

Department Offices
The Department of Mechanical Engineering main office is located in Room 3B48 of the Engineering Building. The Graduate Secretary is located in room 2B39.

E-mail
The University of Saskatchewan provides e-mail service to all students, in the format of the student's NSID + @mail.usask.ca (such as abc123@mail.usask.ca).  The University of Saskatchewan uses this e-mail service for official communications with students.  Current students should note that all e-mail communications from the College of Graduate Studies and Research, and from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, will be sent to their @mail.usask.ca addresses only.  It is the account holder's responsibility to ensure that e-mail received at his/her official University address is attended to in a timely manner. 
Further information is given in the University of Saskatchewan's Policy on Electronic Mail.

Engineering Computer Centre
The Engineering Computer Centre (ECC) is located within the Engineering Building. The ECC provides computer hardware and software support to students, faculty and staff within the College of Engineering. Assistance with University computer accounts can be obtained through the ECC or Information Technology Services. The University also operates the Campus Computer Store, which is located on the lower level of Place Riel.  

Engineering Library
The Engineering Library is located within the Engineering Building, making it easily accessible to graduate students.  Students are encouraged to contact the Head of the Engineering Library at any time to arrange individual or group instruction on how to make use of the library's resources.

Graduate Secretary, Graduate Chair and Department Head

Graduate students who have questions about their programs should first contact their supervisor. Your supervisor may be refer you to the Graduate Secretary, Graduate Chair, Department Head or College of Graduate Studies and Research. 

The Graduate Secretary can assist you with your questions about registration and department policies and procedures. The Graduate Secretary is also responsible for managing the day-to-day operation of the graduate program (e.g., graduate student desks), maintaining student files, processing applications, and setting up advisory committee meetings and thesis defences.

The Graduate Chair can assist you with your questions about your academic program. The Graduate Chair directs the graduate program, chairs the department’s Graduate Studies Committee, represents the department’s graduate program at Graduate Council and within the College of Engineering, sets policies and procedures, and approves recommendations for admissions, transfers, extensions, awarding of degrees and scheduling exams and defences. These recommendations are forwarded to the College of Graduate Studies and Research for approval.

The Department Head is responsible for the overall administration of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Graduate Students Association (GSA)
All graduate students are automatically members of the University’s Graduate Students Association (GSA). More information on the GSA’s services and activities can be found on the GSA website.

International Student and Study Abroad Centre (ISSAC)
The International Student and Study Abroad Centre provides assistance and support to international graduate students and their families. They can assist graduate students who have questions about immigration, housing, finances and accessing University services. The ISSAC is located in the lower level of Place Riel. More information is available on the ISSAC website.

Laboratory Safety Courses
Allgraduate students in the department MUST complete the Laboratory Safety and Safety Orientation for Employees Courses offered by Workplace Safety and Environmental Protection (WSEP) during their first term of registration. Depending on their area of research, students may be required to complete additional safety courses. Completion of any required safety courses is required in order to remain in satisfactory academic standing in the department.  Furthermore, completion of the course is a statutory requirement for all graduate students at the University of Saskatchewan.  Students are responsible for bringing the certificate of completion from any required safety courses to the Graduate Secretary so that a photocopy can be included in their file.

The Department has also developed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that outlines the basic safety requirements of everyone doing (or supervising) work in Department laboratories. All graduate students MUST read this SOP and sign the official paper copy, which is located in the main department office.

More information on safety at the University of Saskatchewan can be found on the following websites:

 

Mailboxes
Mailboxes for graduate students are located in Room 2B39. Students should check their mailbox regularly.

Office Space
Graduate student office space is available in several research labs (desks are assigned by a student's supervisor) or in dedicated office space on the third floor of the Engineering Building.  New students need to submit a completed Desk Application Form to the Graduate Secretary, to obtain a desk and keys. As there are a very limited number of desks available, students may not get a desk for the first several months of their program. Building keys and lockers for graduate students are also available through the College of Engineering (please see Gwen Jones in the Graham Centre, Room 2A20).

Social Insurance Number, Study Permit and Other Documents

All Students who will be receiving financial support (e.g., a Graduate Stipend, Scholarship, Teaching Assistantship) must apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) card. Please see the Graduate Secretary for the SIN application form.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that their Study Permit, Social Insurance Number card, Student Visa and Passport remain valid during their entire graduate program. Students should apply for renewals several months in advance and must not let these documents expire or their immigration status may be in danger. Each time one of these documents is renewed, students must bring a copy to the Graduate Secretary so that a copy can be placed in your file and a copy can be sent to Human Resources to keep their file current. This is very important.