The University of Sydney
School of Aerospace, Mechanical and
Mechatronic Engineering
Information
for
New Students
2009Welcome
It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the School of Aerospace,
Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering. I wish you a very
successful and enjoyable association with us and I urge you to make
the most of what this university has to offer both academically and
socially.
This booklet provides you with some initial guidance which will
help you settle down to a normal university life as soon as possible.
It also attempts to give quick answers to some of the most
commonly asked questions during first year at the University.
We value any comments or suggestions you may have regarding
your experience at the University of Sydney, so please feel free to
come and talk to us at any time. The names and contact details of
your year advisers are listed in this booklet.
There is a student-staff meeting every semester. You are
encouraged to attend these meetings and raise any issues of concern
regarding teaching or administration. Our staff value your
comments and suggestions which help improve our services.
Once again, I welcome you to the School and look forward to
meeting you in the near future.
Professor Steve Armfield
Head of School
Contents
page
Getting started
A note about safety
4
8
1
Answers to commonly asked questions:
How do I confirm my enrolment?
10
How do I change my enrolment and by what date?
10
How do I discontinue a unit of study?
11
By what date should I discontinue?
11
Textbooks: how many, how much and where from?
12
Do I have to attend lectures and tutorials?
12
Do I have to attend all laboratories?
12
What are my assignment and laboratory schedules?
13
How many hours should I study?
13
How do I access the computing facilities?
13
How do I legally obtain software that is coursework related? 15
What is the Advanced Engineering Program?
15
How do I access the library?
15
What if I copy an assignment or a report? (Plagiarism)
15
Whom do I talk to if I have difficulty?
17
How do I know of upcoming events?
17
How do I complain about a unit of study?
17
What about exams?
18
What about calculators in exams?
19
What if I am ill or have a misadventure during semester?
19
How do I get special consideration for a supplementary
exam?
19
When are supplementary examinations held?
20
What do I need to know when repeating a unit of study?
21
What about extra-curricular activities?
21
Does my performance in first year count toward Honours? 23
UNIVERSITY MAP
2
3
Getting started
By now you have probably finalised your enrolment but have not yet
got a timetable. Timetables will be available during orientation week
just before the start of semester by accessing your “MyUni” account
via the Intranet. Study the timetable carefully and try to locate on
the university map where each lecture is. One of the problems in
first year is the long distances between lectures. All lectures start at
5 minutes past the hour and run for 50 minutes. The ten-minute gap
between lectures is intended for transit time which tends to be "just
enough" considering that in first year consecutive lectures may be
located about 1km apart.
It is a good investment to buy the Faculty of Engineering Handbook
which is available from the Student Centre or the Engineering
Faculty Office or can be accessed at the University website address
http://www.usyd.edu.au/handbooks/. The handbook gives essential
information about units of study, course structure and the list of core
and elective subjects. Students enrolled in a combined degree
program can also purchase their other Faculty Handbook from the
Student Centre. Remember to visit the School web page
(www.aeromech.usyd.edu.au) and follow the [Current Students] link
for the latest information on your course.
Orientation Week is held just before the beginning of first
semester. This is an excellent opportunity for you to get acquainted
with Campus and with the many organisations and clubs that add a
special flavour to university life.
It is useful to know the locations of the following offices:
The Student Centre is located on level 3 of the new Jane Foss
Russell Building, adjacent to the City Road footbridge. Typical
4
transactions there include purchase of the Faculty Handbook,
reporting lost student cards and advice on transport passes.
The Engineering Faculty Office is located on level 2 of the Link
building and is between Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. It
has a shop front along the walkway just outside level 2 of the Link
building. Typical transactions here include paper pre-enrolment,
variation of enrolment, special consideration forms and exemption
forms. Refer to the notice on the office door for normal business
hours during semesters.
The ITS Access Lab is located just next to the Faculty Office
(Room 222 of the Link Building), provided by the University to
give general PC access for students. Web, email, word processing
and printing facilities are available and there is an extended hours
service. On enrolment, every student is automatically allocated a
“MyUni” account and this can be used to obtain personalised
information on timetables, exam arrangements and results and
enrolment variation. For full information on the “MyUni” system
and student information services please contact the Operator in the
Lab.
The School Office is located on level 4, room S452 of the
Mechanical Engineering Building. The School’s Undergraduate
Administrative Officer located in room S450 is another point of
contact. General enquiries about courses, timetables and other
problems can be discussed here.
 Electronic Notice board is available for you to access
Undergraduate information, student messages, employment
information, urgent notices and much more. The notice board is on
the School’s website and is accessible via Internet at the following
address:
http://www.aeromech.usyd.edu.au/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl
5
or accessible from the [Noticeboard] link at the School’s web
page.
Please access the electronic notice board regularly or you may miss
out on important information.
Please also check the notice boards on Level 3 of the Mechanical
Engineering Building.
The School Web Page (www.aeromech.usyd.edu.au) is updated
regularly and has a lot of detailed information regarding your degree
structure, UoS teaching arrangements and timetables.
First & Second Year Advisers: The following academics are your
year advisers. You are welcome to talk to them regarding change
of enrolment or any problems you may have with your studies.
FIRST YEAR ADVISERS
MECH
Mr Paul McHugh
Room S318
Level 3, Mechanical Engineering
Building.
Phone: 93512292
E-mail:
paulm@aeromech.usyd.edu.au
BIO
Dr Qing Li
Room S509
Level 5, Mechanical
Engineering Building.
Phone: 93518607
E-mail:
qing.li@aeromech.usyd.edu.au
Combined Degree :
Mr Paul McHugh
Combined Degree :
A/Professor Andrew Ruys
Room S430
Level 4, Mechanical
Engineering Building.
Phone : 93518610
Email :
a.ruys@aeromech.usyd.edu.au
AERO
Dr K C Wong
Room N312
Level 3, Aeronautical
Engineering Building.
Phone: 93512347;
E-mail:
kc@aeromech.usyd.edu.au
SPACE
Dr Doug Auld
Room N310
Level 3, Aeronautical
Engineering Building.
Phone: 93512336;
E-mail:
douglass.auld@gmail.com
6
MX
Dr David Rye
ACFR
Rose Street Bldg
Phone : 93512286
E-mail : rye@acfr.usyd.edu.au
SECOND YEAR ADVISERS
MECH
Professor Assaad Masri
Room S530
Level 5, Mechanical Engineering
Building.
Phone: 93512288;
E-mail :
masri@aeromech.usyd.edu.au
BIO
Dr Qing Li
Room S509
Level 5, Mechanical
Engineering Building.
Phone: 93518607;
E-mail:
qing.li@aeromech.usyd.edu.au
Combined Degree :
Mr Paul McHugh
Room S318
Level 3, Mechanical Engineering
Building.
Phone: 93512292
E-mail:
paulm@aeromech.usyd.edu.au
Combined Degree :
A/Professor Andrew Ruys
Room S430
Level 4, Mechanical
Engineering Building.
Phone : 93518610
Email :
a.ruys@aeromech.usyd.edu.au
AERO
Dr K Srinivas
Room N322
Level 3, Aeronautical
Engineering Building.
Phone: 93514289;
E-mail:
ragh@aeromech.usyd.edu.au
SPACE
Dr Xiaofeng Wu
Room N314
Level 3, Aeronautical
Engineering Building.
Phone : 90367053;
E-mail:
x.wu@aeromech.usyd.edu.au
MX
Dr Steve Scheding
ACFR
Rose Street Bldg
Phone : 93518929
E-mail :
scheding@acfr.usyd.edu.au
 Correspondence: Students must use their University e-mail
account for all email communication. Please note that due to
concerns about viruses, anonymous emails and emails containing
unsolicited attachments will not be opened or read. All
correspondence to School’s staff members including Year
Advisers, Unit of Study Coordinators and admin staff should
contain both your full name and student ID number.
Photocopying: Photocopiers are available in both the SciTech
Library and Fisher Library.
Telephone: You are not permitted to use any telephone of the
School for private calls. In an emergency or extenuating
circumstances, permission may be granted for outgoing calls.
7
Your mobile phone must not be activated during lectures or
tutorials. As a matter of courtesy it is requested that such devices be
turned off.
Smoking: The University prohibits smoking in all buildings at
all times and near the entrances.
Eating and Drinking: Eating and drinking should be confined as
far as possible to the student common rooms or canteen areas. Under
NO circumstances should food or drink be consumed in the
Computer Rooms or during lectures or tutorial sessions in the
Lecture rooms.
 Push Bikes: Push Bikes are not to be parked or chained inside
the Mechanical Engineering Building or Aeronautical Engineering
Building unless they are left in the special bike racks that have been
provided. One bike rack is located outside the Mechanical
Engineering Building on Engineering Walk, and another bike rack
on Level 1, under the north exit stairs of the Mechanical Engineering
Building.
A note about SAFETY
In the next four years or so, you will find yourself doing a range of
experiments in various laboratories and under a range of conditions.
Also you might be doing site visits and conducting field tests. It is
important, therefore, to develop safe work practices from the start.
A professional engineer has a special responsibility in the field of
industrial safety. We must all promote and encourage safe work
practices. All engineering students should regard their student days
8
as a period of education in risk management and safe working
procedures.
All employers in NSW, including the University, are required to
comply with Occupational Health and Safety legislation based on a
risk management approach to workplace safety. A risk management
philosophy assumes that hazards will always be present in a
workplace and emphasises the detection and appropriate control of
these hazards. The School’s procedures for OHS risk management
and other health and safety information can be seen via the OHSRM
Resources link from www.aeromech.usyd.edu.au
When using potentially dangerous equipment, the basic rules are:
 At all times, think before you act.
 Never work alone on experiments.
 Ensure that you receive instruction from a competent person on
the safe operation of equipment and instruments before operating
them. If you do not understand something, ask.
 Make yourself aware of any particular hazards associated with
the conduct of an experiment, and discuss with the demonstrator
or laboratory staff member how the hazards are to be controlled
before proceeding.
 Thoroughly inspect experimental equipment before operating or
energising it. Be particularly careful with rotating machinery,
and with electricity.
 Use protective clothing (long sleeves, long pants) & safety
glasses. Tie back long hair. Correct footwear is essential – the
minimum requirement is sturdy shoes with covered toes. Do not
wear sandals or thongs as you will be refused entry to the
laboratories.
 You may not attend a laboratory after consuming alcohol.
9
 All injuries must be reported at the time of occurrence to the
laboratory staff member or lecturer-in-charge of the experiment.
 An Induction form will need to be completed for various
laboratories and workshops. Further information can be obtained
from appropriate lecturers, supervisors and workshop staff.
Answers to commonly asked questions
How do I confirm my enrolment?
Early in the Academic year, you will receive a letter that lists the
units of study in which you have enrolled. You should check this
list immediately to ensure that it agrees with your intended
enrolment. If there are any discrepancies, report them to the Faculty
Office. Be sure to keep this document for future reference.
If you make further changes before the second semester deadline,
you will receive an updated enrolment statement. This statement
should be checked carefully since it is your responsibility to
ensure that your enrolment is correct. You are also responsible
for making sure you complete the requirements of your course.
Refer to the Engineering Handbook Resolutions of the Senate for
information about degree requirements. If you have any questions
about your degree program please contact your year adviser.
How do I change my enrolment and by what date?
You can vary your enrolment on the web using your ‘MyUni’
account or obtain a Variation of Enrolment form from the
Engineering Faculty Office. The form must be signed by your year
adviser and submitted to the Faculty Office for processing. The
deadlines for completing enrolment are very strict. You cannot enrol
in a unit of study after two weeks of the start of semester (after
Friday, 13 March in Semester 1 and Friday, 7 August in Semester
2).
10
How do I discontinue a unit of study?
If you wish to discontinue a unit of study (or all your units of study),
you must lodge a variation of enrolment form signed by your Year
Adviser at the Engineering Faculty Office. If you fail to do so you
may be recorded as Absent Fail at the end of the year and you may
be sent a warning letter or asked to "Show Cause" as to why you
have not made satisfactory progress.
By what date should I discontinue?
There are three types of discontinuation results depending on the
time of year you decide to discontinue:
Withdrawn:
deadline: 31 March for Semester 1 units of study and
31 August for Semester 2 units of study
Your enrolment is cancelled as if you have never enrolled.
This does not appear on the official transcript of your
academic record.
Discontinue-Not to count as Fail (DNF):
deadline: 24 April for Semester 1 and 11 September for
Semester 2
This means that you have commenced the unit(s) of study
but you have been given permission to discontinue without
any academic penalty. HECS fees are still liable and a ‘DNF’
shows on the official transcript of your academic record.
Discontinued – Fail (DF):
deadline: 5 June for Semester 1 and 30 October for
Semester 2
This means that your discontinuation counts as a failure.
HECS fees are still liable and ‘DF’ shows on the official
transcript of your academic record implying failure.
11
See the Faculty of Engineering Handbook for a more complete
description.
Textbooks: how many, how much and where from?
Do not buy any textbooks, laboratory or lecture notes before being
advised to do so by the Lecturer concerned. In first year you might
have to buy quite a few textbooks. These are generally available
from the University Cooperative Bookshop in the Noel Martin
Centre (The swimming pool building, just opposite Chemical
Engineering). For $20, you can get lifetime membership of the
Cooperative Bookshop and be entitled to a 10% discount on most
book purchases.
Do I have to attend lectures and tutorials?
You should make every effort to attend lectures and tutorials. The
university has rules for excluding students with poor attendance
records from examinations if reasons for absence are not
satisfactory.
Tutorials are designed to assist you with assignments and with
material covered in lectures. To make the most of the tutorial, you
should read the lecture notes at home and make an attempt on the
assignment so that you attend the tutorials with specific questions.
Attendance at many of the workshop and group work sessions is
included as part of the course assessment. By missing a session you
may be penalised and lose marks.
Do I have to attend all laboratories?
For units of study given by the School which have laboratory
components, attendance is compulsory and a result will not be given
if the laboratory component is not complete.
12
Students who miss laboratory classes will have to attend another
session. If no place is available and it becomes necessary to
schedule additional sessions then students who do not have a valid
medical certificate will be charged the cost of the additional session.
What are my assignment and laboratory schedules?
The lecturer concerned will give you details about when and where
to hand in your assignments. There is normally a penalty for a late
submission. An assignment schedule covering the whole semester is
produced by the School to ensure that the workload is spread out
evenly during the semester.
Laboratory sessions are normally held in afternoons. The schedule
and location of the experiments will be announced by the lecturer
concerned.
How many hours should I study?
A rule of thumb is that one hour of contact at the University should
be paralleled by one hour of independent study. Remember that here
you will not be reminded or pushed to study. It is your responsibility
to hand in your assignments on time so that they are marked without
penalty. It is strongly recommended that you do not delay starting
your assignments or reports until the last minute.
How do I access the computing facilities?
The School has extensive PC laboratories containing over 120
machines. Two are located on level 3 of the Mechanical Engineering
Building (Rooms S322 and S345). An additional PC laboratory is
located in the Aeronautical Engineering Building (Room N216). Mr
Paul Briozzo (Room S319A) is responsible for the management of
the laboratories. Rooms S322 and N216 have access hours from
8:00 am to 5:00 pm. The main laboratory Room S345 is open from
7:00 am to 9:15 pm.
13
The use of Computers and Network Infrastructure (including
wireless) within the School of AMME is subject to the University of
Sydney’s ICTR (Information & Communication Technology
Resources) Policy. The ICTR Policy can be viewed via the desktop
link on PCLAB computers or at :
http://www.usyd.edu.au/ICTRPolicy/
Each student enrolled in an AMME Unit of Study by the start of Oweek will automatically have a PCLAB account created with their
“UNIKEY” as username and their “SID” as the default password.
Passwords are required to be changed at first logon. It is suggested
that you use the same password as your UNIKEY account. If you
are unable to logon, see Rod Fiford (S355) or Paul Briozzo (S319A).
Please note that there are many scheduled classes held in all the
AMME PC Laboratories during the semester. These scheduled
classes have priority, and students who are not enrolled in those
classes should leave during those time slots, regardless of whether
there are any spare computers not used during those classes.
Arguments with staff will not be tolerated, and may result in the loss
of PC Laboratory access privileges.
There are three printers that are available for undergraduate student
use. There is a free printing quota of 200 pages per year per student.
If you wish to print more pages you will have to increase your quota
by paying at the rate of $0.10 per page (in 100 page lots). Payments
are to be made in room S444 (Level 4) between 11:00 am and
12:00 noon, Tuesday to Thursday only.
The University also runs a number of general access PC labs. An
Access lab is located in Room 222 of the Link building. Every
student is allocated a “MyUni” account that gives free email and a
limited amount of free Internet access. Much of the student
administration of the University is done through the “MyUni”
system. Detailed information on the “MyUni” system and extended
14
services such as modem and VPN access can be obtained from the
Engineering Access Lab Operator. Visit the “MyUni” site:
http://myuni.usyd.edu.au
 How do I legally obtain software that is coursework related?
The School has obtained agreements with some software companies
to allow the use of their products for educational use only “off
campus”. The details of which may be found at:
http://www.aeromech.usyd.edu.au/pclab
What is the Advanced Engineering Program?
If you have a UAI of 98+, you may apply to undertake a special
interdisciplinary engineering project in a group with other Advanced
Engineering students. You can add this on to your normal enrolment
or may be granted exemption from one of the general 6cp units of
study that you have covered in the HSC. Please enquire at the
Faculty Office about this program or consult with the first year
adviser.
How do I access the library?
The SciTech Library is located on level 1 of the Jane Foss Russell
Building, G02. Your student card will entitle you to borrow books
for a typical maximum duration of eight weeks. You may also use
Fisher Library which is located opposite the Main Quadrangle.
What if I copy an assignment or a report? (Plagiarism)
Avoid this at any cost since it is a very serious matter. It is defined
as plagiarism. If caught, you risk not only getting zero on the
assignment or report but you also risk being dealt with severely at
the University level.
15
The Book of the Year, English III(1986), produced by the
Department of English at The University of Newcastle provides
some straightforward guidance to defining the term: “Plagiarism
may take the form of repeating another's sentence as your own,
adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own, paraphrasing
someone else's argument as your own, or even presenting someone
else's line of thinking in the development of a thesis as though it
were your own. In short, to plagiarise is to give the impression that
you have written or thought something that you have in fact
borrowed from another. While a writer may use another person's
words or thoughts, they must be acknowledged as such."
In the preparation of any report, all material used must be
acknowledged by referral to an entry in a list of references. This
includes material taken from the Internet.
Any assignment, report or submission must have a cover page
which indicates that you have complied with the university policy.
The template for this cover page is contained in the following web
link,
http://www.aeromech.usyd.edu.au/docs/Plagiarism_coversheet.pdf
or refer to the School’s web page and follow the links [Current
Students] then [Information Pages] then [AMME Plagiarism Policy].
If you knowingly allow another student to copy your material then
you may also become involved in a plagiarism offence.
The School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic
Engineering regards plagiarism as a very serious matter. Any
assignment or experimental report submitted which includes
substantial plagiarism will not be regarded as contributing to
the fulfilment of course requirements.
For more information, please refer to the University Policy on
Academic Honesty (Plagiarism) on the School’s website
http://www.aeromech.usyd.edu.au/current/plagiarism.shtml
16
Whom do I talk to if I have difficulty?
If you are having difficulty with a particular unit of study, talk to
your lecturer about it. Make an appointment to see him/her and
discuss your problems openly. Normally he/she will give you useful
pointers that will assist you.
If the problem persists or if you have general problems coping with
the course or with University life, then talk to your year adviser.
The University runs a student counselling service that provides
assistance and counselling to students in trouble. You can contact
them for advice on 9351 2228. The year adviser can also inform you
of other sources of help that may be available to you.
How do I know of upcoming events?
Visit the first and second year notice boards or the school’s
electronic notice board and read the updates. You'll find various
useful notices and announcements posted there including
advertisements for jobs, scholarships and competitions.
The first and second year notice boards are located on level 3 of the
Mechanical Engineering building, just outside room S318.
How do I complain about a unit of study?
Please always ask for assistance if you have any questions or
concerns about a unit of study. Speak to your Lecturer/Tutor in the
first instance who will be happy to help you. If you cannot find a
comfortable resolution to your problem the School has a
comprehensive advising structure you can follow. You can seek
advice from the Unit of Study Coordinator, your Year Adviser, the
Undergraduate Director, or appeal to the Head of School.
17
The School holds Student-Staff Liaison meetings each semester
where teaching and learning issues can be discussed with the
intention of improving your learning practices.
What about exams?
For the examinations in June and November, the room locations and
seat numbers are obtained via the “MyUni” Web service during the
week preceding the examinations. Be sure to write down accurately
your seat number and the location of each examination. Ensure that
you look for the whereabouts of unfamiliar examination rooms some
time before the day of each examination.
Draft examination timetables are published several weeks before the
June and November examination periods. They are displayed on the
Web and various notice boards throughout the University including
the Student Centre. Please check for problems such as time clashes
and report any difficulties to the Student Centre.
Check the final examination timetable personally to confirm dates,
times and locations. Large classes are often split and located in
different rooms for examination purposes.
The final edition of the examination timetable becomes available
about two weeks before the examinations start and is available on
the Web at :
http://www.usyd.edu.au/studentcentre/exams/index.shtml.
You must read the rules regarding examinations as stated on the
Web.
It is essential to inform the Student Centre of any changes to your
semester or vacation address and telephone number(s) to allow your
results and other correspondence to reach you.
18
What about calculators in exams?
Our policy is that only non-programmable calculators are permitted
in closed-book examinations unless otherwise advised.
What if I am ill or have a misadventure during semester?
If you believe the serious illness or misadventure affected your
studies or delayed the submission of your reports or assignments
then you should talk to the lecturer concerned. There are various
measures that may be taken depending on the circumstances. The
lecturer may ask you to submit a special consideration form.
How do I get special consideration for a supplementary exam?
An application for special consideration due to serious illness or
misadventure must be submitted within one week from the end
of the period for which consideration is sought. Once the
completed Special Consideration form and supporting
documentation have been stamped by the Faculty office they
must be delivered to room S444, level 4, Mechanical
Engineering Building. Note that separate forms need to be filled
in for each Faculty.
Procedures and forms that must be submitted for an Application for
Special Consideration can be found on the Engineering Faculty Web
Site.
http://www.eng.usyd.edu.au/policies.shtml
Special Consideration is an opportunity to show that you have
reached the required standard in a unit of study, even if you are
temporarily unable to sit the scheduled examination or complete a
required assignment. It usually takes the form of a supplementary
examination or permission to resubmit an assignment. Special
consideration is not an insurance policy to avoid a scheduled exam,
get an assignment deadline extended or to have a second try.
19
In general, special consideration will not be given in the following
cases:
-If there is no good record of achievement in assignments or other
forms of assessment during the semester for the unit of
study concerned.
-If there is no prior medical record or verifiable evidence of claimed
disability; ie. a doctor's certificate for non-verifiable one-day
ailments such as dizziness, nausea, headaches etc. is not
sufficient. A Doctor must supply evidence of severity and
likely duration of any medical condition.
-If the claimed misadventure is avoidable; eg. late train, flat tyre,
wrong timetable etc.
Students who have documented disabilities, and are able to sit for
examinations can always see the Student Centre prior to the
examination for special assistance eg. separate room, extra time etc.
When are supplementary examinations held?
Supplementary examinations are held almost immediately after the
normally scheduled exams. This means that students who have been
offered a supplementary examination are given only a few days
notice.
For units of study given in the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and
Mechatronic Engineering, the notices and timetables for
supplementary examinations will be posted on the School’s student
notice boards and the electronic notice board on dates which will be
specified towards the end of semester. It is the student’s
responsibility to check these notice boards and to attend the
relevant supplementary examination.
There is no personal notification.
20
For units of study given outside this School, please contact the
relevant department for supplementary examination details.
What do I need to know when repeating a unit of study?
If you are repeating a unit of study made up of separate components
you may be given exemption from these components and the mark
from the previous year will be awarded for that component. This
procedure is not automatic and you must consult the academic in
charge of the UoS to determine how much concession, if any, you
will be awarded.
What about extra-curricular activities?
There are many clubs and organisations within the University.
Orientation week is a good time to find out about them.
Within the Faculty of Engineering there are a number of student
organisations which you may like to join:
SUEUA: Sydney University Engineering Undergraduate
Association
This organisation brings together students from all engineering
departments. It arranges many functions and social activities such as
BBQs, Revues, Balls, Harbour cruises, etc. Check it out during the
orientation week.
SUABE: Sydney University Association of Biomedical Engineers
This club was formed in 2004 and has regular social events, such as
pancake breakfasts, BBQs, and lunchtime speakers from the
Biomedical Industry. The most important event each year is the
SUABE Welcome Party in about week 2 or week 3 of semester 1,
where we have a professionally catered dinner and a guest speaker
from the Biomedical Industry. This is a great opportunity for first
year students to meet each other, and other Biomedical Engineering
21
students from senior years, and to meet all of the staff in the
Biomedical Engineering program.
WINDSOC : Sydney University Aerospace Engineering
Student Society
This organisation is run by the students themselves to promote social
interaction between students at various levels. Regular BBQs are run
along with occasional special events such as Aerospace Industry site
visits with the AIAA USyd Branch.
http://www.aeromech.usyd.edu.au/windsoc/
AIAA: USyd Student Branch of the American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics
The AIAA is an international aerospace professional organisation
devoted to the progress of engineering and science in aeronautics
and astronautics. The USyd student branch was the first AIAA
student branch in Australia. This organisation is run by students with
an academic adviser, currently Dr KC Wong. It promotes contact
between members and the global aerospace industry. The branch
holds and sponsors many events each year including field trips, site
visits, competitions, workshops, conferences, and guest speakers.
The branch has a rapidly-growing membership base, which is open
to all students who have any interest in aeronautics, aerospace or
aviation (not just aero engineers!).
http://www.aeromech.usyd.edu.au/AIAA/
MUGS: Mechanical Undergraduates Society
MUGS is a social club for undergraduate Mechanical Engineers,
holding regular BBQs or other functions. The “Purcell” room on
level 3 of the Mechanical Engineering Building is the home of
MUGS.
http://www.aeromech.usyd.edu.au/mugs/
These organisations arrange various social and professional
functions. You are advised to join and contribute to these fun
organisations.
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 Does my performance in first year count toward Honours?
No. Pass and Honours students currently enrol in the same units of
study. Honours is awarded on the basis of results achieved in all
Year 2 to Year 4 Units of Study attempted and is weighted by 2 for
2nd year, 3 for 3rd year and 4 for 4th year units of study. In addition,
the final year thesis is double-counted towards Honours Weighted
Average Marks (HWAM). See the Faculty handbook for details
regarding the award of Honours.
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