Assessment
Assessments theoretically serve a purpose of measuring how much you have learned (i.e. how much you have achieved of the course goals). I would recommend you to first focus on your learning, then grades will follow. I really hope you can focus on your own learning. It is my intent to design assessments that are source of intellectual curiosity, joy, and learning rather than a source of stress.Online work
For most of the assessments you will be expected to submit your work online. It is your responsibility to make sure that the file you submit is in the right format, can be opened, is not blank etc. If you submit a work that cannot be opened and read by the reader or instructor of the course you may receive zero points.Attendance
Research suggests that attendance is a better predictor of grades than many other measures such as SAT scores, study habits, and study skills (Credé, Roch & Kieszczynka, 2010). Even though that is not a causal claim , if you would like to be successful in this class, you should attend ALL lectures and discussion sessions. In addition, I expect you to come to class on time. The class material builds on in a linear fashion as the class progresses so if you come in late, you may miss crucial course material.Quizzes
Quizzes will normally be given at the beginning of each class. You should expect to have a quiz every class but there will be few cancellations. The first two quizzes are exceptions. The first quiz will be due midnight after the first class. It is basically a survey about you. The second quiz will be due before the second class. It is solely on syllabus and will test whether you have read the syllabus or not. Starting in the third lecture, the quizzes will be on course content. At the end of the quarter, the two lowest quiz grades will be dropped. Quizzes may be on paper or online. Policies for each quiz will be communicated prior to the quiz. Majority of the quizzes will be completed individually but group work may be allowed for some quizzes. If group work is allowed then this would be communicated. You should assume that quizzes are individual work unless you have been told explicitly that you can work as a group.Homework Assignments
Homework assignments are usually assigned on a weekly basis and they are usually due Fridays at 5:00 pm. The format of the homework and how to submit (electronically or on paper) will be detailed in the homework instructions. Homework assignments have to be completed individually. You may not seek help from anyone except me. For each hour, homework assignments are submitted late, you will lose 10% of the total possible points. Thus if you submit a perfect homework 10 hours later than it is due, you will not receive any points, however, you will still receive feedback.Midterm
There will be one midterm exam and it is scheduled for Feb 10. The midterm will have both an in class and take-home part. For the take-home part you will have a week to complete. If you submit the take-home part of the midterm late, you will lose 20% of the total points possible for each hour the take-home midterm is late. The in class part will be closed book but you will be given equations in the exam. You will need a scientific calculator. You will not be allowed to use a graphing calculator.Final Exam
Final exams is scheduled for Wed, Mar 18 at 08:00 -10:00 am. The final will have both an in class and take-home part. For the take-home part you will have a week to complete. If you submit the take-home part of the final late, you will lose 20% of the total points possible for each hour the take-home final is late. The in class part will be closed book but you will be given equations in the exam. The final will be cumulative. You will need a scientific calculator. You will not be allowed to use a graphing calculator.Extra credit
There are certain circumstances that you will be granted extra credit:- Participation in Statistics and Data Science Related Competitions
- National Competitions
- Statewide Competitions
- Campus Competitions
- Posting "good" answers on Piazza: instructors can mark your answers as good. Students who become one of the top 3 good answer providers in class may receive extra credit.
Grading Scheme
Grades will not be curved and will not be rounded. Please do not email me about any of these. The following weights will be adopted in calculating the total grade.
| Component | Weight |
|---|---|
| Attendance | 5% |
| Quizzes | 15% |
| Homework Assignments | 20% |
| Midterm | 30% |
| Final Exam | 30% |
| Weighted Total Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 96.5 - 100 | A+ |
| 93.5 - 96.499 | A |
| 90 - 93.499 | A- |
| 86.5 - 89.999 | B+ |
| 83.5 - 86.499 | B |
| 80 - 83.499 | B- |
| 76.5 - 79.999 | C+ |
| 73.5 - 76.499 | C |
| 70 - 73.499 | C- |
| 66.5 - 69.999 | D+ |
| 63.5 - 66.499 | D |
| 60 - 63.499 | D- |
| 59.999 and below | F |
Academic Honesty
You are expected to comply to rules set by the Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct. Each assignment will be clearly labeled instructions on whether you can work with others or not. If there are no instructions you should assume that the work should be completed by you only from start to finish. Academic dishonesty includes, for example, cheating on examinations or any assignment, plagiarism of any kind (including improper citation of sources), having someone else take an examination or complete an assignment for you (or doing this for someone else), or any activity in which you represent someone else’s work as your own. Violations of academic integrity will be referred to the Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct. You cannot share or distribute solutions online or offline or in any media now or in the future. You cannot obtain solutions from others. If there is evidence that you have worked with others intentionally or unintentionally YOU WILL FAIL THE CLASS. This rule applies even if you violate the policies of this course on a single problem on an assignment, the whole assignment, or multiple assignments. No matter what the degree of academic dishonesty is you will fail the class. It is your responsibility to protect your answers being copied. Make sure not to save work on shared computers. If you do then make sure to delete it. It may be difficult to distinguish helping each other learn, studying together with violating academic honesty. If you are unsure of the distinction check with me before hand.
Copyright
I already make many of my course materials readily accesible on this website. However, that does not grant you the right to copy, sell, or distribute any material of this course provided on this website or elsewhere.
Selling and distributing course materials not only violates the student code of conduct, but also violates UC’s policy on the Use of Recordings of Course Presentations.
If you are an instructor who would like to use part of this syllabus, please send me an email and let me know what you would like to use.
Even though the website by default says Copyright Dr. Mine Dogucu some of the materials presented in lectures are product of a collaboration with Drs. Alicia A. Johnson and Miles Ott.
Accommodations
University of California, Irvine is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with permanent or temporary disabilities. This syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. If you have a disability that impacts your participation in this class, please contact the Disability Services Center (DSC) as soon as possible. Students approved for accommodations will notify the instructor by sending out a Faculty Notification Letter from the DSC website. Disability Services Center - Building 313 in Engineering Gateway - www.dsc.uci.edu - (949) 824-7494Diversity and Inclusion
My goal is to make everyone (yes, that includes you too) feel welcome not only in my classroom but also in the field of statistics and data science. If there is any reason you do not feel welcome in this class, please talk to me. If anything is said to you that makes you feel uncomfortable please talk to me. If there is any life event that is interfering with your learning in this class, please talk to me. I may not be able to solve all your problems but I may be able to direct you to the right resources on campus.
Recordings
Please do not take photos of me or your classmates without consent. The teaching materials are also provided to you so you should not feel the need to take photos. In addition, please do not record audio or video during class. If there is a need for any recordings during class please talk to me before class. In addition, this policy does not apply to those who have recordings as an accommodation.Communication Etiquette
Addressing People in Academia
Addressing people in academia might be one of the most difficult part of being in an academic setting. Below I try to lighten the general information with a side note that each academic has their own preference.
- If a person already informs you about how you should call them please respect that.
- Undergraduate degrees may be followed up by master's and doctoral degrees. If a person has a doctoral degree than they can be referred as Dr. folowed by their last name. Yes, just like medical doctors! It may be hard to guess whether someone has a doctoral degree. If you are, for instance, emailing someone for an opportunity, make sure to check their website before emailing them. They may list their degrees. The most common doctoral degree is abbreviated as Ph.D. but there are other doctoral degrees. Since the title Dr. is based on a degree, you can also use this title with anyone outside of academia if they have a doctoral degree.
- Even though many college professors have doctoral degrees, not all do. For instance, in the field of fine arts, master's degrees serve as the terminal degree. In other words, a fine arts professor may not have a doctorate but they have completed all the degree requirements to become a professor. For such academics who do not have a doctorate degree, you can refer to them as Prof. followed by their last name. You can also use the Prof. title with academics who have doctoral degrees. In short, the title Prof. comes with the job.
- The titles Miss and Mrs. are used for unmarried and married women respectively. In formal settings, since you are not aware of marital status of the woman you are referring to you can use Ms.. Use this title only with women who are not Dr. or Prof.. The male title Mr. does not indicate marital status and can be used for men who are not Dr. or Prof.. Similarly the title Mx. does not indicate marital status and can be used for nonbinary people who are not Dr. or Prof.
- Some people may prefer that you call them by their first name and some actually might find this rude. Unless you have been told to use first names, use one of the aforementioned titles.
| Doctoral/Medical Degree Required |
Job Specific | Gender Neutral | Based on Marital Status |
||
| Dr. | |||||
| Miss | |||||
| Mr. | |||||
| Mrs. | |||||
| Ms. | |||||
| Mx. | |||||
| Prof. |
Writing an email
While communicating over email, please make sure the email- has an informative subject line.
- articulates your question or problem well.
- has a closing statement such as Sincerely, Kind Regards etc.
- has your name at the end.
Subject: Stats 115 - Your Subject
Dear Dr. Dogucu (or your grader's name),
I hope you are doing well (or some other humane sentence). I am writing to you regarding ______________. (Your concern or problem) (Any explanations, requests or suggestions for solutions to your problem)
Sincerely/Kind regards,
Your name
Online communication
Most of our online comminication will take place on Piazza. While communicating online please note the following:- Before posting a question, please make sure that the same question has not been posted before.
- Make sure to select the folder your question falls under (e.g. hw1, final exam etc. )
- If you choose to post memes or any jokes, be mindful. Any joke about a person, or a group of people, or cultures is not funny. However statistics jokes are always welcome. Respect opinions of others
- There are absolutely no stupid questions. Do not feel shy about asking questions. Do not judge anyone about any question that they ask.
- If somebody asks a question about homework etc. do not reveal answers for them. Instead, show them in which lecture we have covered the topic.
- You can post questions and answers anonymously, however I will be able to see who posts these.