COVID-19 FAQ for ECSE Undergraduate Students

  • I am a senior, will I still be able to graduate? I have a job lined up…
    • If you have met all your requirements, and pass your classes, you should be able to graduate on time. The semester is still going forward, classes will just be moved to an online format. If you have any questions about your requirements, please email Rama (hamarr@rpi.edu). 
  • How can I prepare to classes online?
  • How will this effect ARCH?
    • As of now, ARCH 2020 will still be starting as planned.
  • How do I get forms signed by my advisor? How do I submit them to ALAC or the registrar?
    • The registrar and ALAC are accepting digital signatures and forms submitted via email. You should email your filled out forms to your advisor or instructor for signatures, then email the completed and signed forms to either the registrar’s office (registrar@rpi.edu) or ALAC (tedesp@rpi.edu).  
    • For fill-able PDF forms, go to our ECSE Useful Links and Forms page. Some forms are also available in fill-able form on the Registrar's website.
  • Is the Fall 2020 registration timeline still the same?
    • Yes, Fall 2020 registration is still moving forward as planned. Registration will begin on March 23rd – make sure you check your time ticket and email your advisor to discuss classes.  The SAM hold will not be enforced for this term.
  • How can I meet with my faculty advisor or with ECSE Undergraduate Student Services?
    • Email them! You can communicate with your faculty advisors over email and find their preferred way to meet with you and discuss your Fall schedule. They will likely want to communicate via email, WebEx or phone. To meet with Undergraduate Student Services, send Rama an email (hamarr@rpi.edu) or make an appointment to meet via WebEx.
    • Rama will also be having open advising hours from 3:30 - 4:30 PM EST daily, via Webex - just go to her meeting room during that time.
  • What if I am in a different time zone – how should I attend my classes?
    • You should reach out to your instructors and ask! Many faculty are recording their lectures and posting them online for this reason.
  • Do you have any information about move out? What if I can’t go back home?
  • If I am returning from international travel, what do I need to do?
    • Students returning from any country outside of North America must contact the Student Health Center at (518) 276-6287 or by email.
  • Where can I get the most recent information related to RPI and COVID-19?
  • I'm an International Student - how are online classes affecting me? What is my status? How can I meet with an ISSS advisor?
    • The ISSS office has a Coronavirus FAQ page - check there for the most up-to-date information for International Students at RPI. The International Office is now also accepting digital signatures on their forms.
  • Will I still have access to Medical and Counseling Services?
    • See here for important changes to Medical and Counseling Services at RPI.
  • What courses can be changed to P/NC? How do I request to change a course to P/NC? What is the deadline?
    • Students will have the option of converting any or all of their courses this semester to a Pass/No Credit grade. This will apply to courses not normally allowed to be placed on P/NC such as courses required for your engineering curriculum, courses in the Math/Science core, and HASS courses that are part of your depth requirement, communication-intensive requirement, HASS Pathway, or minor program. In addition, courses placed on P/NC for this semester only will not be counted towards the P/NC limits as stipulated in the academic catalog.

      Students will have the opportunity to see their grades for their classes this semester before choosing to designate a course P/NC, because the deadline for designating a course P/NC is May 15, 2020. Courses graded P/NC are not included in GPA calculations.                    

      More details about this change, and how choosing to place a course on P/NC can possibly impact you may be found here:

      https://info.rpi.edu/registrar/grades/#PassNoCreditPNCCOVID19Spring2020

      Some students may have financial aid implications or academic standing issues relating to probation if they choose to place courses on P/NC. In addition, participants in athletics or ROTC may be impacted by the P/NC designation, as well as students considering applying to Medical school or Graduate school. Please see the link above and refer to the appropriate offices in that link for advice!

      Because students, faculty, and staff are not currently on campus, we wanted to streamline this process for our School of Engineering students:

      Class of 2023 and Class of 2022: Go to this link and complete the form for each class you would like to place on P/NC: https://forms.gle/A7V9UvKBqJ9xEqqj6

      Class of 2021 and 2020: Go to this link and complete the form for each class you would like to place on P/NC: https://forms.gle/FSHHtVhTtK7rpbr2A

      You will receive an email confirming that you submitted the form correctly, and your request will be sent to the Registrar’s office for processing.

      These links will be active until the deadline of May 15, 2020.

  • What should I do if my circumstances change due to COVID-19?