This page serves as the syllabus for the STAT 592: Teaching Statistics Being a Statistics TA course in Fall 2026. 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.

Note: this course is under active re-design as the department seeks to create a set of courses to better support graduate students in their professional development related to teaching.

Last Updated: 8/17/2026

Course Description

Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) play a vital role in many undergraduate statistics courses. Often GTAs help lead lab sessions, support and tutor students during Student Hours, provide feedback while grading, as well as supporting the instructor. This course is meant to help graduate students navigate the transition from being a student to being a GTA. Through the course, students will develop/refine their skills around being a GTA. This course is exclusively through the Department of Statistics within the Eberly College of Science.

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Course Meeting Info

Our course meets once a week all semester with the exception of university holidays and closures. Each meeting is 75 minutes in length.

  • Location: Hammond Bldg 305
  • Time: Wednesdays, 10:10am to 11:25am (ET)
  • Modality: In person

Changes of venue (as needs arise) will be announced via email as soon as possible.

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Instructor Contact Info

The instructor for this semester is Neil J. Hatfield. 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.

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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Course Materials

Required Materials
You will not need to purchase any texts for this course. All required readings and videos will be posted in Canvas and/or handed out in class.
Optional Materials
Any optional materials will be made available in Canvas.
Technology
Students will need access to a computer, the internet, and some application for preparing documents (e.g., Microsoft Office, Markdown, LaTeX, etc.). Depending on their TA assignment, they may need additional software that will be provided by their cooperating instructor.

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Course Goals and Objectives

Course Goals

Our goal for Stat 592 is to provide graduate students of all backgrounds with the opportunity to learn and practice skills foundational to being a Graduate Teachings Assistant (GTA) within the Department of Statistics. These skills include interpersonal communication, grading and providing feedback, tutoring students, and facilitating learning.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

We have adopted the following learning objectives (themes) and learning outcomes (specific knowledge/skills) for Graduate Teaching Assistannts (GTAs) taking this course.

  • GTAs will develop their interpersonal communication skills as they relate to being a GTA for a Statistics/Data Science course.
    1. GTAs will practice communicating with a cooperating instructor to learn about expectations for a given GTA assignment.
    2. GTAs will practice developing rapport with others (e.g., students) to make communication easier.
    3. GTAs will identify ways in which they as GTAs can bridge the communication gaps that can exist between instructors and students.
  • GTAs will develop their knowledge of grading practices and strategies.
    1. GTAs will compare different grading systems.
    2. GTAs will create model solutions that benefit student learning.
    3. GTAs will organize grading elements into a rubric.
    4. GTAs will differentiate student work to identify possible reasons for why a student might have given an answer/response.
    5. GTAs will critique feedback for its benefit for student learning.
    6. GTAs will produce meaningful feedback that supports student learning.
    7. GTAs will summarize issues they've identified while grading student work.
  • GTAs will develop their knowledge of tutoring strategies.
    1. GTAs will differentiate between the benefits of human tutors and genAI-based tutoring tools.
    2. GTAs will identify elements that can make Student Hours successful.
    3. GTAs will illustrate different tutoring/questioning strategies they can use with students.
    4. Through critical listening, GTAs will build models of student thinking during tutoring sessions.
  • GTAs will develop their knowledge of methods they can use to facilitate active learning, group work, labs/recitations, etc. in Statistics/Data Science courses.
    1. GTAs will differentiate between different passive and active learning strategies.
    2. GTAs will summarize strategies for supporting group work.
    3. GTAs will apply the Launch, Explore, Discuss framework to lab/recitation settings.
    4. GTAs will plan a lab session using the Launch, Explore, Discuss framework.
  • GTAs will practice implementing their knowledge and skills.
    1. GTAs will practice talking with students about grades and homework.
    2. GTAs will implement strategies/tools/practices to help make grading more time-efficient.
    3. GTAs will implement tutoring strategies/practices.
    4. GTAs will implement the Launch portion of their designed session.

CIRTL Teaching Certificate

Penn State is a member of the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL): a 45-member consortium that helps gradaute students and postdoctoral scholars learn how to teach more effectively. We've designed this course to help all students work towards Penn State's CIRTL Teaching Certificate. This course supports the following CIRTL learning objectives:

  • Define and give examples of active learning.
  • Discuss and illustrate effective facilitation of group work.
  • List and demonstrate effective presentation skills.
  • Discuss grading and demonstrate familiarity with the role of feedback, equity issues in grading, mastery/specifications grading, and grading rubrics.

Successfully passing this course will help interested students obtain a CIRTL teaching certificate (associate level or higher). For more information about the CIRTL certificates, please speak with Neil Hatfield.

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Tentative Course Calendar

Tentative Fall 2026 Schedule
Date Notes Topic
August 26, 2026 First Class Pre-ClassAssignment: TA-Instructor Interview
Welcome, Course Overview, General Expectations
Making Decisions
September 2, 2026 Focus: Grading Making Model Solutions,
Using rubrics
September 9, 2026 Focus: Grading Noticing Student Thinking
Giving Feedback
September 16, 2026 Focus: Grading Time-efficient Grading
Grading Technologies
September 23, 2026 Focus: Grading Communicating with students about grades
Academic Integrity
September 30, 2026 Focus: Tutoring The Role of Human Tutors in the GenAI Era
October 7, 2026 Focus: Tutoring Student Hours
Communication Gaps
October 14, 2026 Focus: Tutoring Tutoring and Question Strategies
October 21, 2026 Focus: Tutoring Practice Session with real students
October 28, 2026 Focus: Facilitating Active Learning
November 4, 2026 Focus: Facilitating Group Work
November 11, 2026 Focus: Facilitating Launch, Explore, Discuss
November 18, 2026 Focus: Facilitating Prepare Launches for a set of labs/topics
November 25, 2026 Thanksgiving Break No Class
December 2, 2026 Focus: Facilitating Launch Presentations
December 9, 2026 Focus: Facilitating;
Last Class		 Launch Presentations, cont.
Course wrap-up
December 16, 2026 Finals Week No planned final exam

Please keep in mind that this calendar can and will change to better meet our needs.

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Teacher and Student Responsibilities

All members of our class community have responsibilities.

Shared Responsibilities--Rules of Engagement

  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.

TBD: Student Responsibilities

The Fall 2026 class will have an opportunity to develop their own list of responsibilities. Past classes have identified the following.

  • Avoid using language that trivializes challenges others may have (e.g., "clearly", "obviously", etc.)
  • Provide support for one another
  • Be active in class
  • Stay engaged and attentative
  • Respect diverse opinions
  • Actively participate
  • Be mindful of the space you take; let others have a turn
  • Be prepared for each class
  • (Adequately) Contribute in groups
  • Be respectful

TBD: Teacher Responsibilities

The Fall 2026 class will have an opportunity to generate ideas for teacher responsibilities. Past classes have identified the following.

  • Avoid using language that trivializes challenges others may have (e.g., "clearly", "obviously", etc.)
  • Be aware of students' total workload
  • Keep topics relavent to students
  • Be tolerant of mistakes
  • Help students improve their expression of ideas (communication)
  • Keep a good/positive attitude
  • Help point out cultural aspects as they relate to the course and teaching
  • Communicate expectations and deadlines
  • Make sure that students have time to prepare

Additionally, there were a few suggestions that were more on the fun side: bring baked goods, provide recipes, and give students extra points for wearing ties.

Attendance and Participation Policy

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

You will need to attend each class session baring illness, participation in a Univeristy sanctioned event, religious observance/practice, or other legitimate circumstances (e.g., governmental elections). Please let me know if you are going to be absent. Abscences can jeopardize your final course grade.

Students who are absent three or more times throughout the semester may receive a failing grade for the course. (Note: Three abscences is equivalent to missing 20% of the course.)

TBD: Participation

We will have many discussions during the semseter, thus your participation is absolutely necessary. The Fall 2026 class will generate their own participation hallmarks. Here's what past classes have used to indicated participation.

  • Being innovative
  • Having confidence
  • Being respectful of others
  • Engage in self-learning
  • Get involved in the discussions
  • Don't work on other things during class
  • Ask/answer questions relavent to class
  • Patiently listen to others
  • Provide verbal/visual feedback
  • Show up to class

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.

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Assignments and Assessment

My Assessment Approach

Given that this course is meant to help you become better GTAs, my approach to assessment is more pragmatic in nature. I want to see you grow over the semester. While I will assign a final letter/quality grade at the end of the semester, I want you to focus on your participation, reflections, and growth and not the accumulation of points.

Types of Assignments

For the most part, assignments in this course come in following types/flavors. All assignments are meant to help you get the most out of this course and to support everyone in havinga productive class session.

Pre-class Activities
Ahead of certain classes, I may ask you to complete a pre-class activity. This could be a reading, doing a problem, watching a video, answering some (reflection) questions, or some combination of these. All materials will be posted in Canvas and students should ensure that they complete them on time. These pre-class activities are meant to allow have a more productive class time, thus completing them ahead of time is to everyone's benefit.
In-class Activities
During class we may have different kinds of activities. All students should participate in these activities as they are meant to support your skill development.
Discussions
Each member of the class community will need to contribute to our weekly class discussions. You can contibute to class discussions in a number of ways including asking questions (or emailing them to Neil ahead of time), sharing your thoughts in small group discussions, and sharing your thoughts or a summary of your small group's discussions during whole-class discussions.
Writing Assignments
Throughout the semester there will be a number of assignments where I will ask you write. Writing is a powerful way for you to engage in critical reflection and thinking: writing is essential to your growth as a GTA. Your writing assignments allow me to better see how you're growing/developing as GTAs and give you necessary support.
Launch-Explore-Discussion Activity and Presentation
Each student will develop a Launch-Expore-Discussion activity for a Statistics/Data Science course (possibly in small groups). As part of this project, you will also present the Launch portion to your fellow GTAs so that you can have hands-on practice implementing the Launch phase.

Assignment Submissions

Unless directed otherwise, you will submit assignments via the appropriate assignment in Canvas.

Late Submissions

Generally speaking, late submissions can have a negative impact not only on yourself but the rest of our class community. Given the discussion-centered nature of this course, not completing pre-class assignments ahead of class will greatly harm our community. We want to be the best community members that we can be and support everyone.

This also means that we need to be able to show and give grace to each other. We must all acknowledge that sometimes unexpected things occur and can cause problems. To this end, we need to keep open lines of communication. Reach out to me and keep me informed of external pressures.

Examination Policy

Given the nature of the course, we will not have any exams--including evening exams and a final exam.

Grading Policy

While there are different types of assignments, they are all equally important to your growth. Thus, there no category weights.

Final Course Grades
Course Letter Grade Hallmarks
A The GTA attended all of the classes, completed all assignments in satisfactory ways, and was an active participant throughout the course, providing meaningful contributions.
B The GTA attended all of the classes, completed most assignments in satisfactory ways, and was an active participant throughout the course.
C The GTA attended most classes, but rarely made meaningful contributions. While they submitted most assignments, their work was often borderline satisfactory.
D The GTA attended some classes and/or rarely participated. They completed a few assignments and/or their assignments were mostly at a surface (unsatisfactory) level.
F The GTA either 1) did not attend any of the classes, 2) attended a few classes and did not meaningfully participate, 3) did not complete their Launch-Explore-Discussion project or Launch presentation, and/or 4) did not complete any course assignments.

Letter grade modifiers--plus/minus--are at the instructor's sole discretion.

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Student Success and Support

I believe that in order for all students find their version of success, we must form a supportive and inclusive class community. This starts with every member being respectful and welcoming from Day One. All of the following resources are part of the Penn State's extensive network to help everyone find success.

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 neurodiveristy in any classroom. What some people need to have comfort and success in our class will be different from those of others. We welcome all individuals from across the neurodiviersity spectrum. I ask that we provide grace and space for all people to be themselves.

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. In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation (see documentation guidelines). To start the process, please reach out through the Student Disability Resources (SDR) website, which provides contact informaiton for every Penn State campus.

Counseling and Psychological Services

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.

Basic Needs

Penn State is committed to supporting students' well-being and success. Resources are available for students who may be experiencing challenges meeting basic needs such as food, housing, or healthcare. Students at any Penn State campus may request support by completing the Basic Needs Request Form. After submitting the form, a case manager from the student's campus will reach out to offer support, guidance, and connections to helpful campus and community resources.

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 Sexual and Gender Diverse Community 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 Reports 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.

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.

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.

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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.

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 accidentaly, 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-plagarism 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 Disabilty Resources Office.
  • Improper Technology Use: What qualifers 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.

In order for me to best help you learn, each student needs to submit their own work. Class members may work on assignments in groups, but each student must write up answers in their own words and submit their own answers unless otherwise announced.

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.

When working in a group, keep in mind that all members are responsible for whatever the group submits. This means that if there is an academic integrity issue with the submission, all members are on the hook for sanctions.

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. Talk with your classmates.
  3. Make use of Student Hours.
  4. Email your instructor.

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

Can I use ChatBots/Generative AI in this course?

Chatbots such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, Perplexity AI, Anthropic's Claude, 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 being a GTA and helping students with their own learning. Overly relying on genAI tools can make you less effective as a GTA, potentially limiting the support you can offer to students. Therefore, unless explicit permission is given for a particular assignment, the entire class community (the instructor, the students, TAs, etc.) should actively refrain from using generative AI tools. When such use is explicitly authorized, that work should be properly documented. Direct usage of output from chatbots should be treated much like a direct quotation; derivations of such output should be treated as paraphrased text.

Generative AI Policy

For Fall 2026, we will be exploring some aspects of generative artifical intelligence systems (e.g., Large Language Models, chatbots, and agents) and wrestling with ethical considerations. Keep in mind that every class will have their own policies and by being an enrolled member of that class you have a shared responsibility to make sure you understand and follow the policy. If you are ever not sure about something, asking your instructor is the best advice to follow.

genAI-empowered Technology Devices

With the advance of genAI-empowered devices such as Meta Glasses, Limitless Pendant, etc., many people are not necessarily aware of the ethical and legal risks they run by having and using such devices without permission and disclosure. To keep our class community a safe space for sharing thoughts, students may not use any device that records any part of class without explicit prior authorization from the course instructor. This also extends to students using phones, tablets, laptops, or other devices to record.

To minimize the risk of being mistakenly accused of cheating, wearable technology should be completely removed before undertaking any summative assessment such as a test. Failure to do may result in a failing grade on the assessment.

Assignments

A critical skill to practice is recognizing what you can and cannot upload into different AI tools. Beyond school, many companies and organizations have polices governing what employees can upload into a chatbot or large-language model. Employees who violate this can be immediately fired. To help, ask yourself this question: "Did I make this [what you plan to upload] or did someone else?" If you did not make whatever you're about to upload, you need to take extra care and ask follow up questions including whether the creator gave permission and what limits, if any, they might have placed on their permission.

Recognize that the course materials I share with you are the result of my hardwork, time, energy, and care for student learning. To this end, no student may upload any materials that I post related to this course to any chatbot or LLM, including Penn State's AI Studio without express, written, prior permission. This includes any handouts, websites, eBooks, slide decks, Keynotes/PowerPoints, example code files, rubrics, homework prompts, assessment items (homework problems, quiz/test questions), project specifications, etc.

I will do my best to clearly signal when and how genAI tools may or may not be used. Be sure to look out for the following signals on assignments.

  • no gen A I GenAI Use Is Not Permitted
  • gen A I use limited GenAI Use Is Limited
  • gen A I use allowed GenAI Use Is Permitted

Any time you see these signals, please make sure you take a few moments to read any additional information provided; there will always be additional information. For both Limited and Allowed usages, keep in mind that you must disclose and properly cite/document all of your usage of genAI tools.

Any use case of genAI not explictily mention should be handled under the philosophy of "Ask First". Using genAI tools during the course in ways that are inconsistent with this policy shall be violations of Academic Integrity. Students should be prepared to explain any of their submitted work at any time.

Consequences

Any instances of academic dishonesty will be pursued under the University and Eberly College of Science regulations concerning academic integrity. In the event that a violation of these Academic Integrity policies occurs within the context of a group assignment, all members of the group will face consequences.

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University Policies

Important Dates for the Fall 2026 Semester

  • Classes Begin on Monday, August 24, 2026
  • Regular Drop Deadline is Saturday, August 29, 2026
  • Regular Add Deadline is Sunday, August 30, 2026
  • Labor Day-No Classes-Monday, September 7, 2026
  • Final Exam Conflict Filing Period is September 28 to October 25, 2026
  • Late Add/Drop Deadline is Friday, November 13, 2026
  • Thanksgiving Holiday-No Classes-November 22-November 28, 2026
  • Withdrawal Deadline is Friday, December 11, 2026
  • Classes End on Friday, December 11, 2026
  • Study Days are December 12 & 13, 2026
  • Final Exams are December 14-18, 2026

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.

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Additional Information

Instructor Absence

In the event that I'm not able to attend class, I will send out an annoucement 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.

If I have missed class and no one in class has heard from me, please reach out to the Statistics Department Offices. Key people to talk to include Catelyn Way and Jessica Bickle in Thomas 323 as well as Terra Deyo and Lydia Myers in Thomas 326.

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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