This page serves as the Course Frequenty Asked Questions (FAQ) page and syllabus for Neil's section (Sec. 1) of STAT 184: Introduction to R course in Fall 2025. Feel free to scroll through the page and/or use the navigation links I've provided. If you find something that doesn't work, please let me know so I can fix it.

Highlighted/marked text indicates a place where the class (you) will have a say in the creation of a course policy. After the first week, we'll have these sections filled out.

Last updated: 8/22/2025

What is this course about? (Course Description)

From the PSU Bulletin:
R is a powerful, open-source programming language used widely for applications in statistics and data science. It is easily extendible, and thousands of user-created packages are publicly available to extend its capabilities. This course will introduce students to data computing fundamentals and reproducible workflow using the R programming language and related tools. Students will be expected to access, join, wrangle, clean, and visualize real data from various sources (e.g., CSV, HTML scraping, web URL, R packages). The course will emphasize use of "tidyverse" R packages (e.g., dplyr, ggplot2), although students will also be exposed to Base R and other packages. In addition, students will be exposed to one or more integrated development environments (e.g., RStudio) and will be expected to write well-documented code using a reproducible workflow (e.g., RMarkdown, Git/GitHub). The course focuses on descriptive and graphical summary techniques rather than inferential statistical techniques.

In essence, STAT184 is an opportunity for students majoring in Statistics and Data Science (along with others interested in working with data) to gain familiarity with the statistical programming language R. Further, this class provides you an opportunity to develop ways of thinking that will assist you in using R (or another programming language) to carry out statistical analysis and communicate your findings.

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When does this class meet? (Course Meeting Info)

I have one section of the course this semester that meets three times a week, in person.

  • Section 1 meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:105am to 9:55am in Willard 371.

When the university closes for holidays, weather, or other unexpected events, we will not meet.

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Who is the instructor? (Instructor Info)

Hi! I'm Neil J. Hatfield and I'm teaching Section 01 of STAT 184 for the Fall 2025 semester. You may call me Neil, Dr. Hatfield, Professor Hatfield, Dr. Neil, etc. I use he/him/his pronouns and am readily reachable via Penn State email. You can also connect with me through Microsoft Teams and by phone--(814) 863-7664.

I also encourage students to come visit with me in person when possible. My office is Thomas 425A. I have an open door policy meaning that if my door is open and I'm there, you can talk with me.

As the semester gets underway, I will announce when I have Student Hours scheduled for this course. Student Hours will be held either in Thomas 424/425 or Thomas 425A.

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What materials do I need for the class? (Course Materials)

There are several different types of materials that you will need. Please review the list carefully.

Required Reading Materials
Readings for the course will be made freely available to enrolled students via Canvas and Perusall. The required readings will come from multiple sources including Data Computing (2nd Edition) by Daniel Kaplan & Matthew Beckman as well as various readings by Tufte and Kosslyn.
Required Hardware
You will need access to at least one of the following: 1) a personal computer running either Windows, Mac OS, or Linux (i.e., not a chromebook) or 2) any of the Penn State computer labs located around campus.
In the event that you only have a chromebook or other tablet device and cannot get to a Penn State computer lab, you can access R/RStudio Desktop via PSU Virtual WebLabs or you can use R via cloud service by creating an account at Posit Cloud. Create a free account and try to avoid any of the paid tiers. The Statistics Department has a limited number of loaner laptops available on a first come, first serve basis.
You will also need internet access to ensure that you can get to all of the course content as well as complete any assignments.
Required Software
You will need to install the R language on your computer. You can download the latest version from the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN). You will need to have the most recent version of R installed. As of 6/13/25, this is R Version 4.5.1 "Great Square Root". Activity #00 will help you get R installed.
If you already have R installed, you must make sure that your version is up-to-date.
Strongly Recommended Software
While you can use R directly after installing it, we strongly recommend that you also install an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) to help you work with R.
If you want to use an IDE, we ask that you use RStudio Desktop (Free). If you already RStudio Desktop installed, please make sure that you have updated to the current version.
Other IDEs such as Visual Studio Code and Positron *should not* be used for this course.

If you are using a Penn State owned computer (physical or virtual), both R and RStudio Desktop are already installed.

Beyond the above elements, I've done what I can to minimize additonal costs to you. You should not need to purchase any other items or materials for the course. If you are asked to, please reach out to me before you do so to get clarification.

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What will I learn in this class? (Course Goals and Objectives)

Course Goals

The overarching goals for this course are to provide students with opportunities and experiences with statistical software so that they may develop their programming skills, capabilities to use software in data analysis, and productive ways of thinking for data analysis and problem solving.

Learning Objectives

To achieve these goals, we've established the following learning objectives--themes/categories for your development and growth.

  • Computational Thinking: Students will develop ways of thinking that make use of R’s computing power to solve problems.
  • Programming: Students will develop their skills in programming (creating code) with statistical software.
  • Data Analysis: Students will develop their skills in using statistical software to engage in data analysis.
  • Reproducibility: Students will develop their skills in creating reproducible code and data analyses.
  • Communication: Students will develop their communication skills as related to statistical programing and data analysis.
  • Professionalism: Students will develop their professional identity through self-reflection and working with others.

Learning Outcomes

Each of the learning objectives are broken down into smaller learning outcomes that we have tied directly to all assesment items in the course (Activities, problems, questions, projects, etc.). You can view the current learning outcomes (and objectives) by examining this shared document: Stat 184 Learning Outcomes PDF. You can also find these in the Standards Based Grading Progress Checker app that will be linked in Canvas.

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What are our responsibilities? (Student and Instructor Responsibilities)

All members of our class community have responsibilities.

Shared Responsibilities--Rules of Engagement

All members of our class community should follow these responsibilities.

  1. Speak with Meaning: Everything that a person says should carry meaning to others. Each of us needs to do our best to avoid vague phrases and pronouns without clear antecedents (i.e., what the pronoun refers to). Explain and justify your reasoning, statements, arguments, etc.
  2. Exhibit Intellectual Integrity: Base your statements on what you understand and what you're still wrestling with. There is courage and power in admitting to where you are struggling. Avoid making statements that reflect what you believe are what someone else wants to hear. Each of us should feel empowered to express your confusion and/or struggles with the material. This will help make the class much more productive for everyone.
  3. Strive to Make Sense: There are underlying threads of coherence between various ideas we'll talk about throughout the course. As your instructor, I'll do my best to raise your awareness of these threads. However, I can't do your learning, thinking, or growing for you. Thus, you must take the lead in your education throughout the course. Each of you has a powerful support system you can make use of: your peers and your instructor. You may encounter ideas that run counter to what you understand--do not dismiss them out of hand; seek to understand the nature of those ideas.
  4. Respect the Learning Process of Others: Allow people the opportunity to think, reflect, and construct their understandings. When assisting your students or your peers, pose questions to help them construct meaning rather than show them how to get an answer.

Student Responsibilities

Students will have an opportunity to put together a list of their responsibilities.

Spring 2025's list of student responsibilities

  • Open communication
  • Come to class prepared
  • Make work readable to others
  • Be willing to participate
  • Be respectful to others
  • Turn work in on time
  • Actively participate
  • Engage in discussions
  • Be present
  • Don't disturb others
  • Be open to helping others
  • Don't judge others
  • Try your best
  • Strive to meet deadlines
  • Attend class
  • Don't cheat
  • Be accountable/take responsibility
  • Be professional

Instructor Responsibilities

Students will have an opportunity to put together a list of teacher responsibilities.

The Spring 2025 classes highlighted that they wanted me to make sure that I focused on walking through code and being clear with grading.

Spring 2025's list Instructor responsibilities

  • Be understanding of other student commitments
  • Give well-thought out answers to questions
  • Be willing to give assistance
  • Provide clarity
  • Be clear with grading
  • Be flexible
  • Provide timely feedback
  • Be organized
  • Communicate with us
  • Respect students and their time
  • Give clear instructions
  • Respond in a timely fashion
  • Provide safe learning/growing environment
  • Make being wrong okay
  • Connect course to real-world examples
  • Hold student/office hours
  • Walk us through code

Eberly College of Science Code of Mutual Respect and Cooperation

Within the Eberly College of Science we have a set of 12 principles meant to capture and convey the values we hope that all members of our community will choose to embody and make the college a rewarding community for all. Please take a moment to look through The Eberly College of Science Code of Mutual Respect and Cooperation.

Attendance and Participation Policies

Attendance and participation are vitally important for our class community. Attending each class session is an important part of becoming a professional member of our community. However, attendance alone will not guarantee that each person will get the most they can out of the course. This is where your participation comes into play. I will do what I can to provide a variety of ways for people to participate.

Attendance

Attending class is an expectation that the University has of all students for all courses, regardless of modality (in-person, hybrid, or online). Therefore, you will need to attend each class session baring illness, participation in a University sanctioned event, religious observance/practice, or other legitimate circumstances (e.g., governmental elections). If you need to miss class, please let me know by sending me an email or message via Canvas.

We know from past education research that absences can negatively affect students' success. As we want you to succeed, we will track your attendance each class session. We will use that information to inform your progress on one of the Professionalism learning outcomes (thereby contributing to your grade).

Participation

Physically attending class is not sufficient to learn the material. You need to actively take part in class; that is, participate

Students will have an opportunity to put together a working definition of participation.

The Spring 2025 classes generated the following markers of participating in class.

  • Engage in active listening
  • Don't be on your phone
  • Don't be distracting to others (or yourself)
  • Be present
  • Be attentive
  • Answer and ask questions
  • Engage with activities (including voting)
  • Take notes
  • Raise your hand
  • Share your thoughts
  • Interact with others
  • Sections 1, 2, and 4: Use the cups
  • Section 3: Turn on camera

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How does grading work? (Assignments and Assessment)

My Assessment Approach

I believe that assessments are a key way for us to grow and learn together. I strive to create assessments which provide you with opportunities to practice what you've been learning as well as push you to continue to grow. I encourage you to view any assignments as an opportunity to engage in self-reflection.

Types of Assignments

Throughout the semester, we'll have a variety of assignments for you to complete either individually or as part of a group.

Readings and Discussions
You will be asked to read several artifacts over the course of the semester. Readings will be done via Perusall, an online system that helps to make reading a social activity. You will need to complete the readings in a timely manner and ahead of the class sessions where we will discuss them. There may be additional assignments over the readings beyond Perusall.
Activities
There will be multiple activies that you will need to complete. We will often try to start the activies in class and give work time in class. However, you will need to continue to work on them outside of class. We've designed the activities to support you in developing powerful ways of thinking. Unless otherwise specified, you are encouraged to work with others (groups of no more than 5 students) on these activities.When working with others, keep in mind that each person is responsible for submitting their own work.
Homework
There are also several several homework assignments throughout the semester. A major difference between an Activity and a Homework assignment is that Homework assignments often do not have questions pertaining to writing R code. Rather, homeworks focus more on ideas and readings.
Quizzes
From time to time, there may be quizzes in the course. These quizzes might be announced or unannounced (i.e., "pop quizzes"). Additionally, quizzes might be scheduled outside of class time for students to come in and complete (e.g., an oral quiz).
Code Interview (Oral Exam)
Each student will need to schedule and complete a code interview (oral exam) where they will need to explain a randomly selected piece of code. Students must reach Proficiency by the end of semester (finals week) in order to pass this course. Students may complete as many code interviews as necessary for them to reach Proficiency by the deadline. Further details will be provided in class later in the semester.
Tests
Students will vote on whether there will be any tests.
In the event that there is at least one test, the test will be held in a proctored environment such as in class or in the Testing Center. Electronic devices may be limited and/or require the use of lockdown systems.
Final Exam
Students will vote on whether there will be a Final Exam.
Course Group Project
There will be a course grou project that provides students with an opportunity to apply what they have learned throughout the semester to a new situation. Additional details about the project will be shared in class. This project will entail an Work-in-Progress presentation given during the last week of classes.

Late Submissions

Assignments that are part of MyOpenMath (MOM) will allow each student to use a Late Pass to given themselves additional time to complete the assignment. The class will vote on 1) how much time each Late Pass is worth, and 2) how many Late Passes students can use on an individual assignment.

The Spring classes voted to have each Late Pass be worth 24 hours and students could use up to two (2) per any eligible assignment.

There are several important things to keep in mind related to Late Passes:

  • You do not need to ask to use a Late Pass. You may apply them directly to the assignment in MOM.
  • Not all assignments will be eligible for late passes (e.g., group assignments, quizzes, tests).
  • All students will start with 10 Late Passes. Once used, they are gone.
  • Grading will not begin until after the Late Pass period closes. Nor will solutions be available until this time.
  • Late passes extend time from the posted due date, not from when you redeem them.
  • Accessing a MOM assignment when you can see solutions blocks using Late Passes on that assignment.

Extension Requests

Separate from and in addition to Late Passes, you may also contact me about getting a limited extension. This is particularly useful if you are out of late passes, need more time than the late pass period hours, or are dealing with an assignment not eligible for late passes. The process to request an extension is the following:

  1. Contact me a minimum of one day/24 hours before the posted due date of the assignment.
  2. Show that you have made some progress on the assignment already.
  3. Explain why you need the additional time.
  4. Propose a new due date.

I will review each request on a case-by-case basis and get back to you with the extended due date that I grant you, which might not be the date you propose. Until you hear back from me, please do not assume that you have the extension. You may only ask for one extension per assignment.

Emergency Extensions/Illness

Life happens and things can suddenly go sideways. In such an event, please reach out to me as soon as you can so that we can work together to get you back on track.

If you find yourself asking for multiple extensions, please reach out to me to discuss what's going on. I'll do the same if I feel that you've made a large number of extension requests.

Posting Solutions

Due to the existence of Late Passes and extensions, I will not make full answer keys available to students until after all assignments are submitted. Calculational answers will be available in the homework system once you've submitted the assignment and the Late Pass Period has passed. Keep in mind that if you opt to view answers after the due date, the system will bar you from using a Late Pass.

Testing Policy

Depending on how the class votes, we will update the testing policy.

The Spring 2025 classes voted to not have tests.

Grading Policy

We use a Standards-Based Grading System in this course. This means that we live and breath the learning outcomes when thinking about assessing each one of you. Throughout each assignment (homework, quizzes, tests, coding interview, final exam, and course project), every question connects to at least one of the learning outcomes. Each time you answer a question, you are adding to the body of evidence about your understanding for each outcome. I use that entire body of evidence to evaluate where you end up for each learning outcome.

In an ideal world, we would report multiple grades to the Registrar; one for each of the Learning Outcome. However, we can only report a single letter grade. Thus, at the end of the semester, we are tasked with determining the most appropriate letter grade based upon the semester's worth of data on the Learning Outcomes and Learning Objectives for each of you.

To determine grades, we work in a data informed and principled/structured way. This allows us to account for the unique elements of each semester (i.e., the broader context) and the students in the course. Thus, each semester is a little bit different.

We begin by pulling the entire body of evidence from the Standards-Based grading system. Using data wrangling techniques like what we learn in class, we'll generate counts for each student that answer the following questions.

  1. How many of your assessed Learning Outcomes are at the Adept or Highly Developed Proficiency Level?
  2. How many of your assessed Learning Outcomes are at any of the three Proficiency levels (Adept, Highly Developed, Skillful)?
  3. How many of your assessed Learning Objectives are at the Adept or Highly Developed Proficiency Level?
  4. How many of your assessed Learning Objectives are at any of the three Proficiency levels (Adept, Highly Developed, Skillful)?

Once we have these counts, we hide student names to explore the data, looking to see if there are any natural groupings/clusters (to ensure equal treatment of students) as well as any natural breaks/gaps between groupings.

Notice that we focus on Learning Outcomes and Objectives; not necessarily your assignment scores or points. The homework/assessment scores are a function of learning outcomes but can create confusion. For example, if you demonstrate Adept Proficiency on one Learning Objective but Not Yet, Not Shown on another--and the assignment is just those two questions--the assignment score looks like a 50%; you don't get the credit for the outcome you have a great understanding of.

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What's the course schedule look like? (Tentative Course Calendar)

You may view the tentative course schedule online through a shared Excel workbook: Tentative Stat184 Fall 2025 Schedule. Make sure you verify that you are looking at the correct tab for your section (meeting either MWF or TTh).

Keep in mind that this calendar may change at any time to best meet the needs of the class.

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Is Our Class Inclusive? YES! (Inclusive Practices)

As a class community, we need to be respectful and welcoming of all members. Inclusive practices start from day one and are important to me.

Land Acknowledgement

The Pennsylvania State University campuses are located on the original homelands of the Erie, Haudenosaunee (Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora), Lenape (Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe, Stockbridge-Munsee), Monongahela, Shawnee (Absentee, Eastern, and Oklahoma), Susquehannock, and Wahzhazhe (Osage) Nations. As a land grant institution, we acknowledge and honor the traditional caretakers of these lands and strive to understand and model their responsible stewardship. We also acknowledge the longer history of these lands and our place in that history.

Gender Identity

Our institution's official policy states that "The Pennsylvania State University recognizes the need or preference for members of the University community to refer to themselves by a first name other than their legal first name as well as self-assert a gender other than their legal gender or their gender at the time of birth (AD 84)." One way we can support self-identification is by honoring the name and pronouns that each of us go by.

Many people (e.g., international students, performers/writers, trans & non-binary people, and others) might go by a name in daily life that is different from their legal name. In this classroom, we seek to refer to people by the names that they go by.

Pronouns can be a way to affirm someone's gender identity, but they can also be unrelated to a person's identity. They are simply a public way in which people are referred to in place of their name (e.g., "he" or "she" or "they" or "ze" or something else). In this classroom, you are invited (if you want to) to share what pronouns you go by, and we seek to refer to people using the pronouns that they share. The pronouns someone indicates are not necessarily indicative of their gender identity.

Visit Trans and Non-Binary Penn State to learn more.

Educational Equity and Reporting Bias

Penn State University has adopted a Protocol for Responding to Bias Motivated Incidents that is grounded in the policy that the "University is committed to creating an educational environment which is free from intolerance directed toward individuals or groups and strives to create and maintain an environment that fosters respect for others." That policy is embedded within an institution traditionally committed to academic freedom.

Bias motivated incidents include conduct that is defined in University Policy AD 91: Discrimination and Harassment, and Related Inappropriate Conduct. Students, faculty, or staff who experience or witness a possible bias motivated incident are urged to report the incident immediately by doing one of the following:

  • Submit a report via the Report Bias webpage
  • Contact one of the following offices:
    • University Police Services, University Park: 814-863-1111
    • Multicultural Resource Center, Diversity Advocate for Students: 814-865-1773
    • Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity: 814-865-5906
    • Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs: 814-865-0909
    • Affirmative Action Office: 814-863-0471
    • Dial 911 in cases where physical injury has occurred or is imminent.

Academic Accommodations

One of the greatest things about being human is that we are each our own unique person. As such, there is a whole realm of diversity in any classroom. What some people need to have comfort and success in our class will be different from those of others. As a class community we should strive to support everyone's success and give others the respect and grace that we would like to receive.

If you are feel like you're having problems in the course, please come see me and let's see what we can do to help you. This might include reaching out the Student Disability Resources office (or other offices on campus).

If you currently have academic accommodations, please make sure to talk with me as soon as possible so that we can get everything in place.

If you've had academic accommodations in the past but haven't registered with the Student Disability Resources office, I encourage you to do so. Having the accommodations does not mean that you have to use them but they do provide you with an additional support system. To start the process, please reach out through the Student Disability Resources (SDR) website, which provides contact information for every Penn State campus.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Many students at Penn State face personal challenges or have psychological needs that may interfere with their academic progress, social development, or emotional well-being. The university offers a variety of confidential services to help you through difficult times, including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, consultations, online chats, and mental health screenings. These services are provided by staff who welcome all students and embrace a philosophy respectful of clients' cultural and religious backgrounds, and sensitive to differences in race, ability, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

Military Personnel

Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made. Check out Penn State's Veterans Affairs and Services website for more information.

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What is the policy on cheating and/or getting help in the class?

Why is academic integrity important?

A central aspect of education is that you build your knowledge and develop ways of thinking that will support you in your life and career. As one of your educators, part of my role is to assess your learning so that I can help you build the most productive ways of thinking. In order for me to best help you, I need the most accurate and reliable data about your thinking and learning. Academic integrity is a key to this process.

A person demonstrates academic integrity when they engage in any scholarly/educational activity in an open, honest, and responsible manner. This is part of our Shared Responsibilities.

Where can I get help for this course?

Part of learning involves running into situations where you don't instantly have a solution. Rather, you have to think about the problem, try a few things, and then pieces fall into place. You do not have to engage in such struggles alone. Getting help is a great way to help you engage in productive struggle that leads to better learning. However, not all sources of help will actually support your learning and growth. Here are my suggestions for places to seek help.

  1. Check your course notes and class recordings.
  2. Check the documentation in R.
  3. Talk with your classmates.
  4. Make use of Student Hours.
  5. Email your instructor.
  6. Talk to others who are not part of our course. (Use caution.)
  7. Search the internet. (Use caution.)

You'll notice that on the last two I've placed the phrase "Use caution." While you might learn how to handle the specific problem you ask about, there's no guarantee that what you get from these will help you later on in the course. Additionally, there may be differences in approaches that might cause you more problems. For example, online resources (e.g., Stack Overflow) may show solutions that are 1) out of date/not recommended anymore, 2) rely on packages that are no longer available, 3) use techniques that are well-beyond what we're trying to do, 4) and/or cause new problems when you attempt to incorporate them into your work. If you find a solution online or got from someone not associated with our course, feel free to come talk to me about it. We can go over it together and I can show you how we can evaluate such advice.

When you are getting help be sure that you are not crossing the line and having someone else do your learning for you.

What are the different ways in which a person might violate academic integrity policies?

There are many different ways in which a person's actions may directly or indirectly lead to violating Academic Integrity. Keep in mind whether a person acts intentionally or accidentally, that action could still result in violating Academic Integrity. The best advice I can give is to always talk with your instructors before you submit the assignment. Here are a few of the broad categories of actions that lead to violation of academic integrity.

Plagiarism
This action occurs when someone presents someone else's work as their own, including their own. This can describe situations from forgetting to cite a source to copying someone's work without their knowledge. Avoid plagiarism by citing your sources (for figures, images, code, etc.) and giving credit to the ideas and work of others.
Self-Plagarism
Self-plagiarism occurs when a person submits work that they've submitted elsewhere; for example, taking a paper from one class and submitting that paper (even with minor changes) for a grade in a different class without prior authorization. Avoid self-plagiarism by talking with your instructors about whether improving a past assignment might be work for the assignment's learning objectives.
Collusion
This action is similar to plagiarism but rather than one person being at fault, multiple people are working together. If one person gives another the answers to an assignment, that person is violating Academic Integrity just as much as the person submitting the assignment. Keep in mind that collusion can happen between students who aren't enrolled in the same section or even the same course. Avoid collusion by verifying with your instructor from the start whether you can work with others; then be sure to give credit to who did what.
Ghost Writing
This action is a more consequential form of collusion. Here someone does and submits work the behalf of someone else, by pretending to be this other person. Typically, the ghost writer is getting some benefit (e.g., a payment) to do the work, but not always. Avoid ghost writing by doing your own work; if you need assistance (e.g., typing assistance) be sure to talk with your instructor and the Student Disability Resources Office.
Improper Technology Use
What qualifies as proper and improper technology usage will vary from course to course. Generally, this captures any actions where technology plays a central role in the violation. This spans actions such as (but not limited to) using devices that aren't allowed on the assignment, using artificial intelligence systems (e.g., chatbots), using messaging groups to share answers, and getting/posting answers online (e.g., sites like Chegg, CourseHero, etc.). At the core of all these actions lies a person presenting someone else's work as their own. Avoid using technology improperly by seeking clarification about when, how, and what technologies are allowed on assignments.

The best advice I can provide is to talk with your instructor before you submit any assignment. Once you submit, you've solidified your action and there isn't anything your instructor can except to report the violation.

A person violates academic integrity when they act in a way either (dis-)advantages themselves or (dis-)advantages someone else that is not explicitly allowed ahead of time. While people have a variety of reasons for choosing to act in such ways (e.g., stress, lack of time, perssure to perform, etc.), we need to keep in mind that choosing to violate academic integrity impacts everyone. The person violating academic integrity weakens their own academic growth--they do not receive the feedback that is actually necessary for their growth. The class community suffers as such cases delay giving feedback, and erode the sense of trust in the community.

It is expected that any work submitted is your own. Class members may work on homework assignments and lab assignments in groups, but each student must write up answers in their own words and submit lab quizzes and homework assignments separately.

What are the differences between collusion, people working together, and group work?

The major distinction between collusion, working together, and group work comes down to what has been explicitly allowed by the instructor. Collusion is never allowed.

I encourage students to work together on assignments. However, when students work together, each person is individually responsible for their own work. Having one person answer the questions, write the code, etc. and then pass the results to the other person is not working together. Rather, each person should be engaged in the problems, sharing ideas, thoughts, and approaches. The individual differences in how we each write and talk should be present in the answers and work each person submits. Working together can enrich the learning of all those who are actively participating.

Group work occurs when the instructor gives an activity or assignment that is meant to be completed by a group of students together with a single submission for the group. This is not a violation of academic integrity due to the specifications the instructor has set up for the assignment.

Can I use ChatBots/Generative AI in this course?

Chatbots/GenAI tools such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, or Microsoft's Copilot appear confident in the answers they provide. However, their answers are not always logical nor stand up to scrutiny. If a person relies upon chatbots to do their work, they will miss out on critical opportunities to develop the ways of thinking necessary to detect problems with AI generated answers.

An important part aspect of this course is to help you develop foundational ways of thinking about programming in R so that you can go on to write your own code for conducting analyses. Overly relying on other tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Bard, CodePilot, Stack Overflow, etc.) will limit your growth. This can then have implications for your job if you are constantly using these tools to do your work.

To this end, we have developed a policy for the use of genAI tools in Stat 184. This will be a reading assignment in Perusall and may also download a PDF of our policy through the following link: Fall 2025 GenAI Policy for Stat 184.

Keep in mind that every course takes a different approach to the usage of GenAI tools. Each student is responsible for keeping track of the specific GenAI policies in each of their courses.

Consequences

Any instances of academic dishonesty will be pursued under the University and Eberly College of Science regulations concerning academic integrity.

The class will have an opportunity to create the matrix of proposed consequences/sanctions for violating academic integrity.

Spring 2025 Consequences/Sanctions for Violating Academic Integrity
First Time Second Time Third or Higher Time
Minor Redo the assignment Redo the assignment and lower assignment grade by 1 level Zero on the assignment
Moderate Redo the assignment and lower assignment grade by 2 levels Zero on the assignment Zero on the assignment
Major Zero on the assignment Course Grade is lowered by 1 full step Fail the Course (Recommend Grade XF)

I will use the above table for my recommendations. Keep in mind the the Eberly Committee on Academic Integrity as well as the Office of Student Conduct may choose alter the consequences, including increasing them.

Issues involving violations copyright law (e.g., posting assignments to websites such as Chegg, CourseHero, etc.) will not only constitute a Major violation of the Academic Integrity policies of this course, but will also entail a separate violation of the Penn State Student Code of Conduct.

What other course policies are there? (University Policies)

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Important Dates for the Fall 2025 Semester

  • Classes Begin on Monday, August 25, 2025
  • Regular Drop Deadline is Saturday, August 30, 2025
  • Regular Add Deadline is Sunday, August 31, 2025
  • Labor Day-No Classes-Monday, September 1, 2025
  • Final Exam Conflict Filing Period is September 29 to October 26, 2025
  • Late Add/Drop Deadline is Friday, November 14, 2025
  • Thanksgiving Holiday-No Classes-November 23-November 29, 2025
  • Withdrawal Deadline is Friday, December 12, 2025
  • Classes End on Friday, December 12, 2025
  • Study Days are December 13 & 14, 2025
  • Final Exams are December 15-19, 2025

University Closings

Should the university close due to weather or campus emergencies, please be sure to follow any directions included in the University's official announcement. You can stay up to date on such announcements by signing up for PSUAlert (https://psualert.psu.edu/psualert) and/or following Penn State on social media.

In the event of university closure, we will not meet in person. Please check your PSU email and Canvas for further course announcements.

Deferred Grades

If you are prevented from completing this course within the prescribed amount of time for reasons that are beyond your control, it is possible to have the grade deferred with the concurrence of the instructor, following Penn State Deferred Grade Policy 48-40. To seek a deferred grade, you must submit a written request (by e-mail or U.S. post) to the instructor describing the reason(s) for the request. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested before the beginning of the final examination period. It is up to the instructor to determine whether or not you will be permitted to receive a deferred grade. If permission is granted, you will work with the instructor to establish a communication plan and a clear schedule for completion within policy. If, for any reason, the coursework for the deferred grade is not complete by the assigned time, a grade of "F" will be automatically entered on your transcript.

Instructor Absence

In the event that I'm not able to attend class, I will announce for what the plan will be. This may include having a guest speaker/instructor (a substitute), for work time (independent or in groups), or cancel the session. Such information will be announced as needed via PSU email/Canvas.

Syllabus Changes

The syllabus for this course (and all other course syllabi) does not constitute a legal contract. Further, I intend for this syllabus to change to reflect the decisions we make as a community on several areas listed above as well as adapting to our needs throughout the semester. Changes to the syllabus will be announced in class and updated here.

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