here are a lot of curriculum changes occurring in MEAM's Undergraduate Program, and new Peer Counselor Scott Partridge (BS ME '96) is helping students understand them.
Partridge was hired in November 1997 to help meet the needs of MEAM's undergraduate students. Initiated and supported by the Mechanical Engineering Student Leader Board (MESLB), his position was created as part of the expansion and reorganization of the Academic Services Office (ASO). (See page two.)
In addition to answering questions about MEAM's new 4x4x8 undergraduate course structure, Partridge is available 20 hours a week to help students understand graduation requirements, fine-tune their course loads to meet their graduation needs, weigh the pros and cons of summer internships and co-ops, debate career choices, and talk about graduate school programs.
And Partridge speaks from experience. He's a MEAM master's student who received his undergraduate degree at MEAM and then worked full-time for one year for United Technologies--including an eight-month co-op during school.
"I'm readily available to talk about a wide variety of subjects," says Partridge. "I've been there before. This makes students feel very comfortable. Students want straight answers.
There's a lot of information available--in printed materials and on the web--but sometimes people just want to talk to somebody."
Associate Professor Michael Thouless, the new undergraduate program chair, says the peer counseling is already making a difference for students. "After such a short time, it's working like a charm," he says.
Thouless, who assumed his position in October 1997, is in the process of making other important changes to the undergraduate program. For example, he has increased the involvement of the Undergraduate Program Faculty Committee, which is comprised of faculty members from each of the four instructional areas. The committee meets at least twice a month and takes an active role in most aspects of the program.
Students are very happy with Partridge and his support. "I now know precisely when I will need to take my required classes to graduate in four years," says student Michael J. Ott. "And the walk-in appointment also eliminated the usual three-day wait. Overall, I found my sessions with Scott to be extremely informative and productive."

Above: Peer Counselor Scott Partridge, left, talks with MESLB members Michelle Sanborn and Hilary Wilson. The MESLB originally proposed the creation of this new position to help MEAM undergraduates. Below: Partridge consults with MEAM undergraduate Sarah Wasageshik.