Mission Statement

The mission of Wake Tech’s AET Division is to provide education and training in applied engineering and design technologies, skilled trades and construction, and transportation, to prepare students for successful employment and rewarding careers in those fields.

The AET Division also promotes STEM initiatives and events to enrich students’ lives with real-world knowledge and practical experience, supporting them in becoming informed, engaged citizens and good stewards of community resources.

Core Values

In keeping with Wake Tech’s core values, AET Division courses promote the following:

• Accountability: Instructors and students stand by their words and actions, taking full responsibility for what they create and contribute to the community.
• Respect: Instructors and students foster an environment that is respectful of all.
• Responsibility: Instructors and students foster an environment that promotes taking responsibility for one’s actions and obligations.
• Critical Thinking: Instructors and students strive to improve the critical thinking skills of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
• Communication: Instructors and students strive to ensure that both written and oral communications are clearly understood.
• Collaboration: Instructors and students strive to develop collaborative skills.

Attendance

Wake Tech expects and encourages regular class attendance: Students are expected to be in class at least 90% of all scheduled class hours. Attendance policies are detailed in the College Catalog.

Absences can hurt academic performance and are not consistent with good scholarship. Students are expected to take personal responsibility for their attendance and to use discretion when making schedule choices to meet the demands of work, family, and other responsibilities.
Students anticipating absences should notify instructors in advance; if that is not possible, students should contact instructors as soon as they return to determine how to proceed.

Students are expected to arrive to class on time and remain for the entire class period. If circumstances necessitate a late arrival or early departure, students should notify instructors as soon as possible. Patterns of late arrival or early departure that cannot be justified to the instructor’s satisfaction will be considered violations of the attendance policy. Two late arrivals or early departures will equate to one absence. Students should consult course handouts or instructors for further information.

North Carolina law requires that students be allowed at least two excused absences per year. Wake Tech students are allowed two class days of excused absences per academic year for religious observances. It is the student's responsibility to contact the instructor for each course in which work will be missed. The student must provide written notification to the instructor within the first two weeks of the semester, identifying the religious observance and date of the planned absence.

Faculty members must provide suitable accommodation for affected students. Specific accommodations may vary, depending on course content, mode of instruction, and size of the class. Students are responsible for missed class content. Students must request and should be provided with any instructional materials given out during their absence.

Field Trips

Some Applied Engineering & Technologies Division courses include field trips. Students enrolled in courses with scheduled field trips are expected to attend those trips. Alternative assignments may be made available upon request. Students should consult instructors for further information.

Inclement Weather

Closing of the college due to inclement weather will be announced on local radio and television stations and posted on Wake Tech’s website: https://waketech.regroup.com/signup. If inclement weather occurs after the college has opened, closings will be announced by instructors as well as through Wake Tech Warn. All students are encouraged to sign up for Wake Tech Warn to be kept informed of any campus closings.

Student Withdrawal

Students who find it necessary to withdraw from a course can initiate the process through the Student Portal or inform their instructors of the reason for withdrawal via Wake Tech email. The published withdrawal deadline is the 60% point in the semester or term. 

Students who withdraw or request withdrawal for any reason (including attendance policy violations) by the published withdrawal date will be given a grade of “W.” Students who withdraw after that date will receive either a “WP” or “WF” grade, depending on their status in the course at that time.

Instructors can withdraw a student at any point in the semester due to a violation of the attendance policy, as explained in the College Catalog. It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her instructor in advance of any absences.

Student Code of Conduct, Rights, and Responsibilities

Applied Engineering & Technologies Division programs abide by the academic policies set forth in the College Catalog. Please review those policies governing student conduct in the expectations of student conduct on campus section.

Expectations of Students

Students are expected to be actively engaged in and responsible for their own learning:

• Verify completion of pre-requisite or co-requisite requirements for courses.
• Purchase all textbooks, software, and supplies required for class.
• Attend class regularly, and be on time and prepared for lectures, labs, and exams.
• Complete work outside class as required, including team assignments and projects.
• Monitor Blackboard and Wake Tech email regularly to stay informed and up to date.
• Respect instructors’ position as classroom leaders.
• Respect themselves and their classmates and support everyone’s right to learn.
• Participate in class by asking relevant questions and making appropriate comments.
• Listen attentively to instructors and to other students’ comments and questions.
• Use classroom technology for academic work only.

Academic Integrity

Education requires an environment that is conducive to learning, and both students and instructors are responsible for creating that environment. It is based on a shared commitment to honesty, truth, fairness, respect, and individual integrity.

Students may be asked to sign a statement of academic integrity upon entering class at Wake Tech. Cheating and plagiarism are dishonest and violate the integrity of the academic process. Academic penalties for cheating and plagiarism will be evaluated according to the Student Code of Conduct.

NOTE: Sharing information and collaborating are essential to the academic process – they become violations only when they involve dishonesty. Instructors should establish clear

expectations about collaboration among students. Students should make sure that any work submitted for individual or group assignments is original work. When in doubt about what constitutes cheating or plagiarism, students should contact their instructors promptly for clarification.

Communication & Email

Every curriculum student is provided with an official Wake Tech email account through the student portal (my.waketech.edu). This college-issued email account is to be used for all email correspondence with instructors and other college officials. Once the account has been activated, students may choose to re-direct their email to a personal account; however, students are reminded that official correspondence from the college (communications from instructors, information about registration or financial aid, etc.) will be sent ONLY to the Wake Tech email address.

Faculty are expected to:

• Promote a respectful and positive learning environment for all, demonstrating an understanding and appreciation of diversity
• Be prepared for classes and labs with lessons promoting student engagement and active learning
• Administer class and college policies fairly and consistently
• Maintain accurate records of attendance and academic performance
• Protect every student’s right to a positive learning experience
• Report test and assignment grades within a reasonable period of time, recording major grades on Blackboard or other course learning management system within 1-2 weeks
• Use all scheduled class time effectively
• Assign student grades according to methods that are:
  • professionally acceptable
  • communicated to everyone in the class
  • applied to all students equally

Most classroom issues can be solved with prompt, respectful communication. For a student complaint or grievance, the AET Division abides by the Student Code of Conduct, Rights, and Responsibilities and follows the AET Division chain of command. 

Steps for resolving issues or concerns:

• The student communicates concern to his or her instructor, outside of class time.
• If not satisfied with the instructor’s decision, the student then speaks with the program director.
• If the matter is still unresolved, the student then schedules an appointment with the department head or division dean. The student should be prepared to explain the reason for disagreement with the decisions of the instructor and program director.

Late Adds: Courses may NOT be added after the end of Schedule Adjustment Week (the drop/add period). Students who have extenuating circumstances should speak to their program director or department head before the end of Schedule Adjustment Week.

Pre-requisites/Co-requisites: Students who have not met pre-requisite or co-requisite requirements for any AET course will NOT remain registered for that course. Registered students who have transcripts, grades, or work experience proving completion of pre-requisite or co-requisite requirements must see the program director or department head before the beginning of the semester to obtain an override. Official transcripts must be sent to Wake Tech’s Admissions Office to initiate the transcript evaluation process.

Full Classes: Wake Tech cannot guarantee any student entry into a class that is full. It is critical that students register as soon as possible. Any student purged from a class due to non-payment will not be guaranteed entry into that class once it is full.

Time Conflicts, Exceeding Retake Limits, and Overload (≥ 20 credit hours): These issues will be resolved on an individual basis. Students should contact their program director or department head.