About Grad SAC

Mission

ECE Graduate Student Advancement Committee (ECE Grad SAC) is committed to representing the concerns of all graduate students inside the department. We strive to foster experiences that all ECE graduate students can enjoy while also creating an environment everyone wants to be a part of.

We meet with members of the ECE Department administration and serve as liaisons for graduate student concerns.
We organize and execute events that allow graduate students to socialize, network, and participate in the greater community that is ECE.
We offer assistance to the ECE Department in planning department-sponsored activities.

Resources

Administrative Questions

People:

Michael Oelze (Academic Head for Graduate Affairs)
Eileen Busboom (Keys, Keycard Access)
Casey Smith (Instructional labs, Equipment, Supplies)
Pascal Youakim (Room Reservations)
Jennifer Merry (TA Assignments, Appointments, General Support)

Orientation Refreshers:

Grad-Orientation-Fall2019

Academic/ Teaching

People:

Jamie Smith
Jennifer Merry (TAships and advising)
Stacy Walker (MEng adviser)

Online Resources:

Mental Health and Well-being

Why students may seek help:

Conflicts with a roommate
Depression
Adjusting to college life
Anxiety
Alcohol or substance abuse
Eating concerns
Academic difficulties
Self-harm behaviors

Things to know:

All students may access services
- Tuition covers the cost of services
Health records are confidential
- Will not be released without your written consent
- Will not impact academic record
After hours, help is available through the Community Elements Crisis Line: (217) 359-4141

Counseling Center (Website)

Short term, individual counseling
Facilitates several group therapy programs
First time appointments must be scheduled on a same day basis
Drop-in service available for urgent mental health concerns
Call (217) 333-3704 for an appointment

The Mental Health Clinic at McKinley (Website)

Provides short-term individual psychotherapy
Prescribes medication
Medications filled at McKinley may require a small co-payment
Call (217) 333-2701 for an appointment

Additional Mental Health Resources

Professional

Who can I talk to for career advice?

Engineering Career Services (ECS)

Where can I find corporate job openings?

Handshake

Other organizations you might want to join

WECE – Women in Electrical and Computer Engineering

GradSWE – Graduate committee for the Society of Women in Engineering

HKN – Eta Kappa Nu (ECE Honor Society)

IEEE – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Who We Are

Our committee is a team effort. We work as a unit to try and ensure that our department can provide the events that best cater to the needs of its graduate students. All of us share the responsibility so feel free to reach out to any of us. However, our main point of contact is listed as our ECE GradSAC Chair.