Policies

Academic Integrity

The university’s academic integrity policy is described in the GVSU Student Code, Section 4. Every student has the responsibility of reading and understanding these policies, especially the consequences for engaging in academically dishonest behavoirs.

There are many times where you can collaborate on tasks throughout this course; however, at times collaboration may not be allowed. Collaboration guidelines for each kind of activity you complete in this course follow.

• Preparation and Follow-ups: You may collaborate with others, but your write-up must be in your own words. You may not copy someone’s work or copy the ideas from someone and simply change the wording to submit it as your own.
• Exercises: You may discuss the general ideas of Exercise problems with others (including asking questions on the discussion board), but you may not use other’s work as your own. You may not ask for specific details of a solution.
• Applications and Projects: You may not interact with another person or with unauthorized sources. Any evidence of using information from another person or source will be investigated as academic dishonesty.

All suspected instances of academic dishonesty will be thoroughly investigated, and whether a student has committed academic dishonesty is my determination to make based on the evidence. If I determine academic dishonesty has been committed, I will file a report with the Dean of Students, and the minimum penalty will be:

• Preparation, Follow-up, and Exercises: A grade of “not complete” ().
• Applications and other Learning Targets work: A grade of “not yet” () and you may be barred from reattempting.
• Projects: A grade of “Incomplete” ("I") and you will not be allowed to revise or resubmit the Project for the rest of the semester.

Note that these are minimum penalties. Additional penalties may be given from the university including reduction of course grades and potential suspension.

A friendly reminder: There is no need to commit academic dishonesty in this class since you can revise and resubmit almost anything. If you come to believe that cheating or plagiarism is necessary given your situation, do not do it! Get some help instead and remember that you can submit your best effort, get feedback, and try again.

Late Work

Deadlines for course work will be clearly indicated on the Course Calendar. If there are apparent conflicts between dates, let me know so I can correct the issue.

• Preparation, Follow-up, and Exercises: No extensions on deadlines are available.
• Applications: Up to two Application deadlines may be extended 12 hours if I am contacted in advance.
• Projects: There is only one set deadline for Projects: the last day of classes (11:59 pm EST on Saturday, December 12). Otherwise, you submit your work when you are ready for it to be graded (subject to the two-items-per-week rule). No extensions on this deadline are available.

Technology

Your instructor is not able to provide support for any technological issues. If you encounter issues with technology, use one of the following resources:

• For help with Blackboard: Email the GVSU Blackboard Help Desk ( bbadmin@gvsu.edu) or call (616) 331-8526. For hours and more information see https://www.gvsu.edu/elearn/help.
• For help with the GVSU network, email, or printing: Email the GVSU IT Help Desk at helpdesk@gvsu.edu or call (616) 331-2101 or toll-free (855) 435-7466. For hours and more information see https://www.gvsu.edu/it.
• For help with GVSU’s RStudio Server: Email GVSU High Performance Computing support at hpcsupport@gvsu.edu.
• For specific help with your computer or device: Contact the GVSU IT Help Desk (see previous bullet) or contact your equipment manufacturer of computer store.
• For help with course tools or applications: Ask a question on the discussion board, seek out the help documentation in the tool or application, or do a targeted Google search.

Recordings of Blackboard Meetings

Blackboard meetings will be recorded and will be available to students enrolled in this course as a study aid. Students who do not want their likeness during class participation included in the recorded class session may elect to turn off the camera and change their name in the Blackboard window. Recordings will be available for viewing during the Remote Instruction Period subject to the following:

• Only students enrolled in the [subject class/section] may view the recording.
• Students may not post or use the recordings in any other setting (e.g., social media) for any purpose. Students who violate this will be subject to student discipline, up to and including expulsion.
• If faculty have any plan to use the recording for a different class in the future, the faculty member will need written FERPA consent from those students in the current class who are identifiable in any of the recordings. A FERPA consent form signed by all students in the course will also be needed if the recordings are made available to others beyond the classroom on a non-secure digital platform.

Equitable and Inclusive Learning Environment

I strive to create an equitable and inclusive learning environment in our class. It is my goal that you feel able to share information about your experiences as a student. I will keep information that you share with me private to the best of my ability; however, there is some information that may need to be shared with the university, especially regarding sexual misconduct or information about a crime that may have occurred on GVSU’s campus. Below are additional resources available for support.

Title IX, Sexual Misconduct Policy, and Gender- and Sexual-Based Harassment Policy: Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender are Civil Rights offenses subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, etc. Title IX’s sex discrimination prohibition also protects students from discrimination based on gender identity or failure to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity or femininity. If you or someone you know has been harassed, assaulted, or denied services on the basis of sex or gender, you can find the appropriate resources at https://www.gvsu.edu/titleix or contact the University’s Title IX Coordinator, Theresa Rowland at (616) 331-9530 or rowlanth@gvsu.edu.

Special learning needs: If you have special needs because of learning, physical, or other disabilities, it is your responsibility to contact Disability Support Resources (DSR) at (616) 331-2490 or https://www.gvsu.edu/dsr. DSR will help you arrange accommodations. Then, set up an appointment with me about how I can help in making those accommodations and ensure that they are consistent with your arrangements with DSR.

Student Well-Being: As a student, you may experience a range of issues that can negatively impact your learning, such as anxiety, depression, interpersonal or sexual violence, difficulty eating or sleeping, loss/grief, and/or alcohol/drug problems. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance and affect your ability to participate in day-to-day activities. In order to support you during such challenging times, GVSU provides a number of confidential resources to all enrolled students, including the University Counseling Center https://www.gvsu.edu/counsel or (616) 331-3266 and the Student Ombuds, Takeelia Garrett garrettt@gvsu.edu.

If you have difficulty affording groceries or accessing sufficient food to eat every day, or if you lack a safe and stable place to live, I encourage you to visit Replenish, a food resource for GVSU students. GVSU also provides Special Circumstances and Financial Hardship grants that can be used to assist in paying for many expenses. Contact the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships at (616) 331-3234 or visit Special Circumstance & Financial Hardship Requests.

If you are comfortable doing so, please speak with me about your circumstances so that I can advocate for you and connect you with other campus resources.

Gender expression and identity: If your state issued identification does not match your preferred name, your name can be updated in some areas (such as Blackboard, mailroom, and your GVSU ID). At GVSU, this is called “myName” and you can request a myName by following these steps:

1. Login to myBanner, select the Personal Information tab, then select My Profile.
2. You will be directed to another authentication page where you will be prompted to enter your network credentials.
3. On the Personal Details section, select Edit on the and enter your myName.

When your myName has been received and reviewed, you will receive an email letting you know either that it has been approved or requesting further information. Once approved, allow up to two days for the myName to be updated across the campus system. More information about myName can be found on the Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center’s page.

COVID-19

As you are well aware, we will be having class this semester while trying to navigate a global pandemic that seems to change every day. Although these plans can be scary and demoralizing, I want you to know that GVSU is doing everything in its power to keep people safe from Covid-19. I believe that if we observe reasonable precautions like the ones described here, then while the risk of Covid-19 is still present, there is no reason to be afraid. We will still learn and grow intellectually just as in “typical” times if we stay focused and work together.

What follow are general guidelines for how we can work productively together during STA 215.

Taking care of yourself

Of the utmost importance is taking care of your own physical and mental health during these difficult times. Make sure you are getting sufficient rest, staying connected to friends and family, and giving yourself time and space to do things you enjoy outside of college. The Mayo Clinic provides several tips for maintaining good self-care in our situation.

While we will not be coming to campus for STA 215, you are still implored to perform a self-evaluation each day and if you feel even the slightest bit of sickness or Covid-19 symptoms, stay home. If you have a class that meets on campus, you should be on campus only if you feel completely healthy.

Contingency plans for the semester

We will be “synchronously online” for the semester, but several things could happen that might alter this setup. Here are the initial plans for the most likely of those things.

If the professor is in self-quarantine, but not because of illness:

For example, if my partner becomes sick or if my daily self-assessment directs me to stay at home. In this case, we will continue synchronous online meetings and an asynchronous option might be introduced.

If the professor has a Covid-19 infection:

The entire course will be moved to an asynchronous online format until I am well enough to resume my responsibilities. A substitute instructor may be appointed to grade and give feedback on Preparation and Follow-up tasks and all other graded work will be suspended until I am well enough to grade.

In either of these two cases, you can expect a slowdown in the grading process and substantial changes to the course calendar or syllabus. Please monitor your course announcements daily to ensure you have correct information. Note that these plans may be changed or overridden by university-wide directives as the semester unfolds. Again, the course announcements will be where I post any information.

GVSU Policies

This course is subject to GVSU’s Course Policies.

General Education

The mission of the Grand Valley State University General Education Program is to provide a broad-based liberal education experience that fosters lifelong learning and informed citizenship. The program prepares students for intelligent participation in public dialogues that consider the issues of humane living and responsible action in local, national, and global communities.

STA 215 fulfills the Mathematical Sciences requirement in the Foundations portion of the General Education. Student Learning Outcomes associated with this portion of the General Education program are:

1. Explain the principles and questions that define computer science, logic, mathematics, or statistics
2. Apply techniques for problem solving including recognition of key elements, the choice of suitable methods for solving a problem, and the appropriate application of these methods
3. Quantitative Literacy — competently and confidently work with numbers. Students will:

• Interpret information appearing in different forms (e.g., graphs, tables, equations, and text).
• Evaluate assumptions or biases associated with the chosen method.
• Solve quantitative problems using appropriate techniques.
• Draw valid conclusions based on data analysis and critically evaluate conclusions made by others.

4. Problem Solving – design and evaluate strategies to answer open-ended questions. Students will:

• Construct clear and insightful problem statements that prioritize relevant contextual factors.
• Identify multiple approaches for solving the problem within the given context.
• Design and fully explain solutions that demonstrate comprehension of the problem.
• Evaluate the feasibility of solutions considering the context and impact of potential solutions (e.g., historical, ethical, legal, practical).

Changes to this Syllabus

Changes to this syllabus may occur during the semester. These changes will be announced in class and online, and if appropriate, students will be given an opportunity to voice on how the changes will be implemented.