Getting Help
You can ask questions about anything at any time without judgment. I want to help you succeed.
Discussions
All asynchronous course discussions will be through Blackboard on the STA 215 community forum. This forum is not a place to discuss personal information such as grades or private concerns - that would be best to email me about. I will be available to assist you, but your peers will also be a great resource. I encourage you to seek help in ways that are visible to others so that all can benefit.
One of our first activities will be to create a post on the Blackboard community forum to help you become comfortable with this process.
Class Sessions
You may prefer to get your questions answered live. This section of STA 215 will meet synchronously in live sessions through Blackboard Collaborate. These sessions will be recorded and available to all students in that section afterwards. Leading up to these sessions, I will solicit additional items beyond what I have planned to cover through the Blackboard community forum. If you post your items to this forum at least two hours prior to the session, I will do my best to plan a brief demonstration, lesson, etc. covering them. Live sessions are an excellent opportunity to ask questions about course material, assignments, projects, or other course details.
Attendance
Again, each class meeting will be live-streamed so that you can participate remotely. It is critical that you actually attend the meetings.
Individual Sessions
You are also welcome to meet with me individually (or with team members). Individual sessions are an excellent opportunity for you to ask questions about graduate schools, research opportunities, or careers in statistics or data science. Additionally, during individual sessions you can ask me about your grades or other personal items.
Due to public health concerns, all student meetings this semester will be conducted remotely unless you have a specific need that requires a physical meeting outside of class. Email me to let me know that you would like to meet in-person and we will arrange a socially-distanced meeting.
I typically check email between 7 am and 6 pm on weekdays and occasionally during the weekend. I do my best to respond promptly to any email, but please do not expect an immediate response. I may need up to 6 hours to respond depending on my schedule and the length of my response.
Student Drop-In Hours
Monday through Wednesday, 1:00 – 1:50 pm I will be available online for drop-in visitors. A Google Meet virtual conference link will be shared with you on Blackboard where you can access these sessions. You do not need an appointment to attend. If you cannot attend these Student Drop-In Hours, you can contact me by email or by scheduling an appointment. A Google Calendar will be shared with you on Blackboard where you can view my general availability and also pick from some time slots to schedule an appointment.
Stats Tutoring Center
GVSU’s Stats Tutoring Center is online with Blackboard Collaborate this semester! You can access virtual drop-in tutoring through a link in our Blackboard course called Stats Tutoring Center or on their website at https://gvsu.edu/tutoring/stats. There, you will need to click on the “Online Stats Tutoring Center” button, which will require a GVSU login. Tutors will be online, ready to help, Monday through Thursday 10 am – 9 pm, Friday 10 am – 2 pm, and Sunday 6 pm – 9 pm starting Wednesday, September 2nd. Bring questions about your calculator, on methods and concepts, or on specific problems. All Stats Center tutoring is FREE, so stop by early and often. When you enter the Stats Tutoring Center’s Blackboard Collaborate room, type your first and last name so they can get you signed in and connected with an appropriate tutor.