Welcome to one of the best undergraduate engineering schools in the nation! Our curriculum is rigorous and challenging but you will find a community of faculty, staff, administrators, and peers who will support you and help you navigate these next four years.

As you prepare for your first year at The Cooper Union, please review the below, key school policies that are particularly important and timely.

All Cooper Union-wide policies relating to code of conduct, alcohol, drugs, smoking, copyrights, sexual assault, nondiscrimination, and anti-harassment can be found at the policy page. Please ensure that you read these policies before classes begin as you will be responsible for abiding by the rules and regulations found there.

E-mail, Mail, and Lockers: You should have received an e-mail with information about your new Cooper Union email address with an @cooper.edu extension. If you have any difficulty, please contact itsupport@cooper.edu for assistance. It is essential that you check your Cooper Union e-mail regularly as this is the primary way we will communicate with you. Additionally, please make sure you check your physical mailbox (color-coded by major on the 5th floor) regularly as information will also be shared with you there. Information about lockers will be sent via email from the Facilities Department, please contact facilities@cooper.edu with questions. The Facilities Department Office is located in 41 Cooper Square, Room 111 and can be reached at 212.353.4160.

Placement Exams: The Mathematics Department will administer a Calculus placement exam during Welcome Week. The time and place of the placement exam will be communicated via e-mail. Students should arrive by 8:30 am and bring an ID. This examination is required for all students who are requesting credit for Calculus I and/or advanced placement in mathematics courses (including transfer students). Pre-requisite: a 4 or 5 on the BC Calculus AP Exam, or, in the case of transfer students, at least a B in a college-level calculus course worth at least 4 credits.

Students will be notified of the placement exam results prior to the beginning of the semester. Students who either do not take or do not pass the placement examination will be automatically registered for Ma 111 during their first semester. Students who pass the placement exam are not required to “place out” of Calculus I and start in Calculus II. Students with passing scores on the placement exam will be contacted by Associate Dean Ruben Savizky (ruben.savizky@cooper.edu) and will have the option to register for Ma 113 or Ma 111. Transfer students with passing scores must schedule an appointment with the Chair of the Mathematics Department in order to discuss placement. Please send your official BC Calculus AP Exam scores to the office of admissions if you have not done so already.

The Chemistry and Physics departments do not offer placement exams. All students are required to enroll in the chemistry and physics course sequences. For more information, please review our course listings.

Registration: You will be automatically registered for your first semester and we will register you for your required second semester courses as well, sometime in November. You can access your educational plan (i.e., the list of courses you will be taking throughout your career at Cooper Union) through the Student Self-Service portal. As a first-year student, this plan requires Associate Dean Savizky’s (ruben.savizky@cooper.edu) approval before it can be accepted by the Office of the Registrar. For the subsequent three years, you will be assigned a departmental advisor or advisors who will review and approve your annual plan.

Registration Changes are currently handled through an “Add/Drop” process that also requires the approval of Associate Dean Savizky (ruben.savizky@cooper.edu). The Office of the Registrar will process these changes. If a course is dropped between the second and eighth week of the semester, the letter “W” will appear next to the course on your transcript for that course. Please extend the courtesy of promptly informing the instructor by email that you are dropping their course. After the eighth week of the semester, students cannot withdraw from a course unless a documented medical or other such extenuating circumstance exists.

Academic Advisement: Associate Dean Ruben Savizky (ruben.savizky@cooper.edu) is the first-year advisor. In conjunction with your respective department chairperson, he will guide you regarding issues with scheduling, course sections, and any other aspects of your academic pursuits. Associate Dean Savizky can be found in the Engineering Dean’s Office located in 41 Cooper Square, Room 204. He can be reached at 212.353.4372.

Departmental Advisor: After the first year, your department chairperson (see below) will assign a full-time faculty member to be your advisor. Only a full-time faculty member may serve as an advisor. During your sophomore, junior, and senior years, you will complete your course registration with the guidance and approval of your assigned faculty advisor before it is accepted by the Office of the Registrar. It is your responsibility to contact your advisor and set up an appointment in a timely manner before you register. This meeting must be conducted in-person.

• Chemical Engineering: Prof. Ben Davis
• Civil Engineering: Prof. Cosmas Tzavelis
• Electrical Engineering: Prof. Fred Fontaine
• Mechanical Engineering: Prof. Melody Baglione
• General Engineering: Associate Dean Ruben Savizky

Changes of Major: Because much of your first-year coursework is common to all disciplines, you will not be allowed to change majors until after your second semester grades are available. To be considered for a change of major, a minimum Overall GPA of 3.0 is required. Additionally, approval from the Chair of the department you wish to enter is also required and each department has its own specific transfer policies. In addition, other factors may influence whether a department can accept a student transfer such as department class capacity. A “change of major” form is available at Forms for Engineering Students, Faculty & Staff | The Cooper Union and you should also schedule a meeting with Associate Dean Ruben Savizky (ruben.savizky@cooper.edu) to discuss your options. Ultimate approval of the change must come from the Dean’s Office.

Disability Accommodations: Students seeking accommodations due to a condition covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act are required to formally self-identify through the Office of Student Affairs. The Office of Student Affairs will work with the students to clarify requested accommodations. It is the student’s responsibility to speak directly with each of their faculty members to see how their accommodations can be met in each unique classroom and/or laboratory setting. The Director, Student Care and Support, Alex Fischer, can be reached by email at: alex.fischer@cooper.edu. The Office of Student Affairs is located on the 3rd floor of the student residence hall.

Academic Standards: Academic probation is the consequence of unsatisfactory scholarship which may involve a compulsory reduction of academic load, interviews with an assigned advisor, and additional academic counseling. The Academic Standards Committee prescribes the conditions that a student must meet before being removed from probation. A student whose semester GPA is 2.0 or lower is on automatic probation and may be considered a candidate for dismissal by the Academic Standards Committee. Additional details can be found at: Academic Standards and Regulations. 

You are responsible for seeking the help you need in succeeding at The Cooper Union. Reach out to your faculty advisor and department chairs proactively. The rigorous curriculum at The Cooper Union is unlike what you have experienced in high school. Faculty and administrators are here to help you, but we need you to take the first step. Take ownership of this experience and take it seriously, as it will set you up for the remainder of your career in college.

Academic Integrity: Professors at The Cooper Union are committed to preserving an environment that challenges every student to realize their potential. You are expected to provide your best efforts in your studies and will be supported to produce original work of the highest caliber. Firm guidelines defining violations of academic integrity are listed in the Course Catalog under ‘Academic Standards and Regulations’. If the definitions of Academic Integrity are unclear to you, it is your responsibility to review your professor’s policies or to ask your advisor to ensure compliance.

Leaves of Absence:Discretionary or medical leaves of absence from The Cooper Union can be granted with a written request to the Dean of Engineering, in accordance with our Leave of Absence policy. In the case of illness, supporting documentation from the qualified treating medical personnel must accompany the request. Similarly, an application for readmission must be accompanied by certification of fitness to return to school in such medical cases. Forms for leaves of absence and readmission can be found here: Forms for Engineering Students, Faculty & Staff | The Cooper Union. 

Illness: We cannot accommodate you in terms of allowances, make-up examinations, etc., unless we have documented evidence from the treating medical professional concerning an illness. You must notify Alex Fischer (alex.fischer@cooper.edu), Director of Student Care and Support so that your professors can be informed of your condition. Debilitating physical or medical issues should be reported to the Director of Student Care and Support also, so that you can be advised about finding suitable help.

Medical Absences: Attendance policies are set for each course by individual faculty members. The expectation is that students will attend every class. Students who have medical excuses for missing class should contact the Director of Student Care and Support promptly. Students will be required to provide the Director of Student Care and Support with documentation from a medical provider justifying the absence. The Director of Student Care and Support will inform faculty when an absence is due to a valid medical issue/condition so that the absence can be considered excused. It is important to note that even with excused medical absences; a student is still responsible for completing all the course requirements. For many courses, attendance is a vital component of the classroom learning experience. If, in the opinion of the faculty member, a student’s absences have resulted in their missing vital components of in-class discussions and experiences, the student may be required to withdraw from a course and retake it even with valid medical excuses. In addition to communicating with the Director, Student Care and Support, students must remain in regular communication with their faculty when they need to miss a class. The Director, Student Care and Support, Alex Fischer, can be reached by email at: alex.fischer@cooper.edu.

Resignation: A student may “resign” at any time in writing; a resignation is permanent and is accompanied by a separation notice that is placed in the student’s file.

Class Schedules and Timing: Classes start on the hour and end ten minutes before the end of that hour. For classes of more than 50 minutes in duration, suitable breaks will be given. If a course is not following this timing, please contact the Office of the Dean of Engineering. Current class schedules can be found at the following link: Class Schedule | Cooper Union. This link also contains a list of textbooks.

Club hours: Club hours are between 12 pm and 2 pm on Tuesdays and 5 pm and 6 pm on Thursdays. Use of club hours for academic purposes is strictly forbidden: this includes makeup classes, examinations (except for placement exams), etc. If a class or other class activity is scheduled during club hours, please report it to the Office of the Dean of Engineering located in 41 Cooper Square, Room 204.

Credits for Internships/Research: The Cooper Union School of Engineering does not grant credit for programs of study or research or internships other than those specifically pre-approved by the appropriate department in the School of Engineering and the Engineering Dean’s Office (engineeringschool@cooper.edu). Credit for programs of study or research or internships is not granted retroactively. In addition, it is never possible for students to receive both academic credit and a salary/stipend (if one is offered) for such an academic program.

Courses taken at other institutions: If you wish to take a course elsewhere and want the credit transferred to The Cooper Union, the course must be pre-approved by the Chair of the appropriate Cooper Union department. Some required courses in many departments may not be replaced by courses taken elsewhere. In order to get a course pre-approved, bring as much course documentation as you can to the Chair of the appropriate department to have the course assessed. These materials must include at least the syllabus and textbook. The course must be judged to be equivalent to one taught at Cooper. Note that credits may be transferred only when a grade of “B” or better (not B-) has been achieved and the grade will not be factored into your GPA.

“Five-Year Plan”: Our undergraduate programs are designed to be completed in four years; extensions are uncommon and are only granted by the Dean in exceptional circumstances. In some cases, students may be required to complete courses elsewhere at their own expense, but only with pre-approval of the departmental chairperson in which the course is offered at The Cooper Union.

“Full-Time Student” Status: You must enroll in at least 12 credits per semester to be considered a full-time student. Failure to maintain a 12-credit load has important consequences for your mandatory health insurance coverage and for any supplemental funding including financial aid. Medical insurance for international students taking less than 12 credits a semester may be affected as well, however, their F-1 status will not be affected.

Humanities and Social Sciences: The Cooper Union is comprised of four faculties—Art, Architecture, Engineering, and Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS). Adding, dropping, or section changes of humanities courses, requires the approval of the humanities faculty. The HSS Dean’s Office is on the 3rd floor of 41 Cooper Square.

Safety, Security, and Campus Emergencies: The Cooper Union is committed to providing a safe and secure learning environment for our students, staff, and faculty. All laboratory personnel and professors will review safety procedures posted in their labs before you start working with them.

If you witness any safety violations, you are strongly urged to report them to the supervising staff member and/or professor. Important campus-wide safety and emergency guidelines are communicated to the campus community. For more information, please check the Campus Safety & Security homepage or e-mail questions directly to: security@cooper.edu. Remember, you are an integral part of keeping our campus safe and secure. Every active student will be provided with a photo identification card that must be swiped to gain entry into 41 Cooper Square, the Foundation Building, and the Residence Hall. Visitors can be signed in through the Engineering Dean’s Office; host students must accompany their guests at all times. Visitor’s passes are issued in the Engineering Dean’s Office located in 41 Cooper Square, Room 204, Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm.

Visiting International Students: Visiting international students will receive their student handbook by e-mail, and an orientation meeting will be scheduled within the first two weeks of classes. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Beth Slack at beth.slack@cooper.edu or 212.353.4287.

Course Substitutions (“Twelve Credit Rule”): In consultation with the student, a department may substitute up to twelve (12) credits of required courses with other coursework at The Cooper Union. The intent of the faculty is to permit flexibility in the curricula and to allow for the possibility of tailoring a program to a student’s particular goals. A waiver request must first be approved by the corresponding department Chair and then countersigned by the Office of the Dean of Engineering. Note that engineering departments have varying policies regarding courses taken outside The Cooper Union. Substitutions are not allowed for core courses.