Carnegie Mellon University provides many services to students to help them thrive on and off campus, and in and out of the classroom. The university's service-oriented departments and offices focus on executing critical administrative functions to provide daily services to students, families, the campus community, and visitors. Listed below are some of the services offered by the university.

Academic Advising

University Statement on Academic Advising

Carnegie Mellon University commits to support excellence in academic advising. Even with the university’s diverse offerings, a cohesive academic advising approach can directly impact the educational success of every undergraduate and graduate student. High quality advising rests upon (1) robust central resources, (2) discipline specific variations at the college- and program-levels, (3) skilled academic advisors of all types, and (4) engaged, committed students.   By conceptualizing advising as an ecosystem, CMU creates an environment that fosters long-term outcomes that benefit students while studying at CMU as well as making a difference as lifelong alumni.

The Advising Ecosystem at CMU

Goals

The advising ecosystem centers attention on the growth and development of CMU students while they are enrolled and beyond.   Excellent advising is as varied as our disciplines and students; yet, centralized standards, systems, and resources must connect seamlessly so that students make well-informed decisions.  Advisors are supported in their work allowing for professional growth, intellectual satisfaction, and institutional recognition.  

The ideal advising experience at CMU should reflect qualities of the academic environment: integrated, collaborative, innovative and data-driven. From guiding the transition into the university, movement through the curriculum, and exploration of careers or post-graduate studies, the advising ecosystem supports students in utilizing resources and setting and achieving their goals.    

The CMU advising ecosystem seeks to facilitate:

• Goal setting and planning 
• Leveraging support network 
• Accessing resources  
• Understanding policies 
• Planning for career and post-graduation  

advising practice, tools, and strategies

In order to realize our vision of excellent advising, CMU invests in an advising ecosystem that includes a host of resources and strategies designed to engage and facilitate students’ academic and personal development.

• Adequate advising staffing and resources within each department/program
• Advisor training and professional development`
• Intentional focus on student success
• Collaboration to support student success
• Implement technology
• Contribute to career planning goals

student engagement in advising

Based on research at the national level and years of experience working with CMU students, the CMU advising ecosystem is designed to facilitate student behaviors that are proven to lead to success at the university. By engaging with the broad range of advising resources and student success strategies, students are expected to exhibit these behaviors indicating that they are on the path to successfully complete their degree requirements and attain personal development goals.

• Set goals and plan 
• Engage the CMU support network
• Access resources
• Know and follow the rules 
• Oriented towards the future  

STUDENT outcomes

By engaging with the advising at CMU advising, students have opportunities and resources to exhibit the success behaviors outlined above.  By conceptualizing advising as an ecosystem, CMU is creating an environment that fosters these long-term outcomes that benefit students both while they are students at CMU as well as lifelong alumni.

As a result of being advised at CMU, students are able to:

• maintain good academic standing in the university,
• feel a sense of belonging and inclusion within the university and their department,
• have individual and supportive relationships with their advisors and professors,
• maintain adequate progress toward completing their degree,
• find employment or further education directly related to their education plan or degree program after graduation; and
• use the skills and knowledge they have gained at Carnegie Mellon University to advance their professional and personal goals after leaving the university.

Computing Services

Stan Waddell, Vice President for Information Technology & Chief Information Officer
Location: Cyert Hall 285
Phone: 412-268-4357
it-help@cmu.edu
www.cmu.edu/computing

Computing Services maintains and supports computing resources for the campus community, including the campus wired and wireless networks, public printing, computer labs, email and software catalog.

Visit the Computing Services website to explore the services available to you, including how to:

• secure your devices
• connect to the network
• collaborate with your group
• access software
• manage your email
• use public printers and computer labs.

For help with these services, contact the Computing Services Help Center at 412-268-4357 (HELP) or it-help@cmu.edu.

Disability Resources & Equal Opportunity

Catherine Getchell, Director of Disability Resources
Location: Margaret Morrison Plaza, A30, 5136 Margaret Morrison St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: 412-268-6121
access@andrew.cmu.edu
www.cmu.edu/disability-resources

Disability Resources provides responsive and reasonable accommodations to students who self-identify as having a disability, including physical, sensory, cognitive and emotional disabilities. Through our office, the university can provide guidance, support services and accommodations to ensure that all students, regardless of ability, have equal access to the world-class education, campus programs and activities offered by CMU. We work to ensure that qualified individuals receive reasonable accommodations as guaranteed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

Students are also welcome to discuss concerns about support for disabilities with members of the admission staff, housing office and/or health/counseling and psychological services. Upon enrollment, students with disabilities should contact the Office of Disability Resources to discuss their needs and to develop a Student Individual Accommodation Plan. Accommodations are made with the intent to maintain the academic integrity of each course and the academic program as a whole, while also meeting assessed needs.

Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Policy

Carnegie Mellon is committed to equal employment opportunity for all and to affirmative action. Diversity is a source of strength for Carnegie Mellon and affirmative action is one of the tools that we use to achieve and sustain diversity. All personnel actions are administered in accordance with the university's commitment to non-discrimination and in compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws, statutes, orders and regulations. View the University Policy on Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action. 

Honor Societies

Phi Beta Kappa Society

Carnegie Mellon shelters a chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, sponsored by the three colleges (Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mellon College of Science, and the School of Computer Science) that comprise the University's “arts and sciences” equivalent. The chapter's name is “Upsilon of Pennsylvania,” and was formally installed in April of 1995.

Founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., Phi Beta Kappa is the nation's oldest honorary society, with chapters at 276 of the foremost institutions of higher education across the country. Almost all members are elected by the chapters from among candidates for degrees in liberal arts and sciences, usually from the top 10% of the graduating class.

Membership in Phi Beta Kappa key has become a universally recognized mark of academic achievement in the liberal arts and sciences. The key's venerable pointing finger proclaims for all to see the wearer's commitment to Phi Beta Kappa's ancient principles (represented in the three stars) — friendship, morality and learning. The society's name is formed by the first letters of the phrase Philosophia Biou Kybernetes, Philosophy (wisdom) is the Guide of Life. In line with the conviction that the test of education lies not in what people know but in what they are, the objectives of humane learning encouraged by Phi Beta Kappa include not merely knowledge but also intellectual honesty and tolerance, a broad range of intellectual interests and understanding.

The Carnegie Mellon chapter is active in sponsoring visiting speakers, on-campus roundtables that focus on current issues, community service activities, scholarship opportunities, student research involvement, and the like.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi has been an important presence on campus since 1933. Phi Kappa Phi, a national honor society that began in 1897 at the University of Maine, takes its name from the initial letters of its adopted motto, Philosophia Krateito Photon, “Let the love of wisdom rule humanity.” Phi Kappa Phi recognizes and honors persons of good character who have excelled in scholarship, in all fields of study. Members are nominated by their department or their school or college and then invited to join the society.

To be eligible, seniors must be in the top ten (10) percent of their class and juniors in the upper seven and one-half (7.5) percent of their class at the time of invitation. Graduate students, alumni, faculty and staff are also eligible for nomination. The chapter inducts new members once a year, each spring, and provides information to its members on all sorts of opportunities, including study abroad, internships, and graduate fellowships, recognition and awards.

Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development

Undergraduate Research

Richelle Bernazzoli, Director of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development
Location: Cyert Hall A64, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: 412-268-5702
Fax: 412-268-6159
Email: bernazz@andrew.cmu.edu
www.cmu.edu/uro

At Carnegie Mellon, undergraduates are building mobile robots, creating documentary films, investigating cultural trends, and developing new digital communication technology. These student researchers find themselves in the heart of the university intellectual community, where they discover the thrilling (and often messy) process of creating new knowledge.

We use a broad definition of research that includes appropriate activities in the arts and humanities, and social sciences, as well as the sciences and technical fields: "Research, scholarly, or artistic activities that lead to the production of new knowledge; to increased problem solving capabilities, including design and analysis; to original critical or historical theory and interpretation; or to the production of art or artistic performance."

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development supports student research in every field of study. We give SURG grants to cover research expenses; Fellowships and Apprenticeships for full-time summer research and part-time academic year research; and Presentation Awards to support students presenting at academic conferences.  In May of each year, we hold our campus-wide celebration of undergraduate research, the Meeting of the Minds.

How can we help?

• Advising: We meet with students to discuss how best to move forward on their interests and engage in undergraduate research at Carnegie Mellon
• Workshops: We offer writing workshops each semester to assist students in the proposal writing process
• Research Development: Each of our programs comes with complementaryy workshop instruction in researcher development topics, such as communicating your research, building a research network, and understanding research design.

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National and International Fellowships and Scholarships

Location: Cyert Hall A64, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: 412-268-9987
Fax: 412-268-6159
Email: fso-general@andrew.cmu.edu
www.cmu.edu/fso

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development works with current Carnegie Mellon undergraduate and graduate students, as well as alumni, in fulfilling their intellectual and professional goals by pursuing nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships.  We promote awareness of external scholarship and fellowship opportunities, advising, writing support, overall management of the process, and interview preparation.

For information about fellowships and scholarships related to financial aid, please visit Student Financial Services website.

What are fellowships and scholarships?

Fellowships and scholarships are competitive, merit-based monetary awards that support a wide range of purposeful activities. These include research, internships, projects, and study abroad. 

Who is eligible?

Eligibility depends on the particular award.  More detail is available in the descriptions and links to each award.

How do I get started?

Read through the award descriptions on our website and make a list of which you'd like to pursue. Then make an appointment with a representative.

Student Academic Success Center

Renee Camerlengo, Executive Director
Location: Posner Hall, 1st and 2nd floors
Phone: 412-268-6823
www.cmu.edu/student-success

The Student Academic Success Center focuses on creating spaces for students to engage in their coursework and approach to learning through many group and individual program options. The team supports student success by providing academic coaching, subject-specific tutoring, effective communication strategies, accommodations for students with disabilities, language support for multilingual learners and initiatives that coordinate holistic academic support. They also engage with faculty and with staff to improve the coordination and professional development for academic advisors.

Te­­acher Certification

Carnegie Mellon offers a teacher certification program in the school of music but does not offer a degree in education or teacher certification program in other academic areas. Students can take relevant classes through several departments on campus to develop skills and knowledge that will help them to prepare for a career in K-12 education. There are several pathways to a teaching career and interested students can reach out to the Leonard Gelfand Center to discuss opportunities and programs that can be pursued.

University Libraries

Keith Webster, Helen and Henry Posner, Jr. Dean of University Libraries and Director of Emerging and Integrative Media Initiatives
Location: Hunt Library, 4909 Frew St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: 412-268-2444
www.library.cmu.edu

The University Libraries is your partner in discovery, here to get you what you need so you can move faster on the path to your goals. Offering access to extensive resources, study spaces, research support, and low-stakes learning opportunities, CMU’s librarians enrich the student experience by providing support, expertise, tools, and training. You bring the inspiration, we'll find the information.

Access a Wealth of Information and Get Support at Every Stage of the Research Process 

From the Libraries’ home page (www.library.cmu.edu):

• Find: The library catalog is your one-stop, no-cost shop for access to journals, books, newspapers, databases, technology, and tools. Search by course reserves if your instructor has reserved materials for your class.

• Get Research Help – Access topic-specific research guides, connect with a research specialist, or set up a consultation about a research tool or method. Help is available however you need it: in-person, online, via email or chat.

• Services Directory: Information on library services and support, from data and code and GIS to Bloomberg Terminals open science, and open source.

• Workshops – Curious about the command line, data visualization, arts entrepreneurship, or prompt engineering?  Libraries workshops are open to all and cover these topics and much, much more.

• Distinctive Collections: Discover the unique and rare collections housed only at CMU, from first editions of Galileo and eighteenth-century calculating machines to records on Artificial Intelligence from pioneers such as Herbert Simon and Allen Newell.

University Police

Aaron V. Lauth, Chief
Location: 4551 Filmore Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
campuspd@andrew.cmu.edu
www.cmu.edu/police

The Carnegie Mellon University Police Department provides police services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Police officers are responsible for patrolling all university owned or leased property.  In addition to patrol, officers will respond and investigate crimes and other emergencies that are in progress or have already occurred.

The success of the Patrol Unit is largely dependent on the eyes and ears of the community it serves. Immediate notification facilitates a rapid response. All emergencies on campus, including fire and medical, should be reported immediately to University Police. If you see suspicious activity or a crime in progress, call the University Police immediately by calling 412-268-2323.

Students are responsible for their personal property as well as the property of groups to which they belong. Insurance against loss, theft, or damage to such property occurring in the residence hall or elsewhere on campus must be arranged for by students or their parents through an insurance agent.

University Police makes available on its website a wide range of information about the university's security practices. View more information about the shuttle and escort service, community outreach, current investigations, crime prevention and safety education, and other programs and services by visiting www.cmu.edu/police. 

Carnegie Mellon University publishes an annual campus security and fire safety report describing the university’s security, alcohol and drug, sexual assault and fire safety policies, and containing statistics about the number and type of crimes committed on the campus, and the number and cause of fires in campus residence facilities during the preceding three years. You can obtain a copy by contacting the Carnegie Mellon Police Department at 412-268-2323. The annual security and fire safety report also is available online at www.cmu.edu/police/annualreports.