The policies for the class regarding grading, attendance, communications, academic integrity, and University policies related to accessibility, FERPA, and Title IX are provided below.
Attendance is mandatory. If you need to miss a class, please arrange with one of the instructors in advance. There will be quizzes related to concepts in the assigned reading. These will count towards participation grades.
Class communication will be handled via a dedicated Slack channel. The instructors will not use or reply to email. Class material will be handled through a combination of GitHub, Slack, and Canvas.
Grades in this course will assessed according to four components:
| Component | Description | Percent of final grade |
|---|---|---|
| Participation | Determined based on attendance (see next section), contributions to discussion, in-class problem-solving, and quizzes | 15% |
| Labs | There will be 10 labs during the semester | 50% |
| Exam | There will be one take-home midterm exam | 15% |
| Final project | The final project requires students to work in teams of two to apply the skills and concepts learned during the semester to analyze a set of data, both spatial and non-spatial, and present the results to the rest of the class during the finals week. | 20% |
For labs and the exam, you are allowed to use notes, course materials, and other available resources, but you must work on your own without collaborating with others. For the final project, you will work with a partner.
Final letter grades will allocated as follows, after weighting.
| Grade Letter | Upper (+) | Middle | Lower (-) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | NA | 95-100 | 90-95 |
| B | 88-90 | 83-88 | 80-83 |
| C | 78-80 | 73-78 | 70-73 |
| D/F | 68-70 | 60-68 | <60 (F) |
The following provides an approximate breakdown for the 180 total hours you are expected to spend on this class over the course of the semester.
| Component | Time |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 34 |
| Reading | 14 |
| Labs | 78 |
| Exam | 14 |
| Final project | 40 |
University’s policies on academic integrity will be strictly enforced. Plagiarism, cheating, lying, stealing, or falsification will not be tolerated and will be referred to the University Administration. Please go here to learn more about this policy and what it entails.
The use of artificial intelligence, including large language models (LLMs) and products based on them, such as ChatGPT, or other forms of generative models, is not allowed in this class. This prohibition applies to all labs, exams, final projects, and quizzes, and for any stage of work related to each (e.g. for research, brainstorming, formulating answers, etc.). Any use of AI will constitute plagiarism, and will be referred to the University Administration.
Lectures, labs, and office hours will be held in person, although office hours may sometimes be via Zoom.
If one or more of us has to isolate due to COVID or other illness, the following contingencies will be made to ensure continuity of learning:
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If the instructor is in quarantine, but otherwise well, lecture/lab will be delivered via Zoom. Zoom will not be offered as a default option this semester
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If the instructor is not well enough to deliver the material, then we will provide a previously recorded lecture, or, if needed, postpone the lecture/lab.
If a student feels unwell and tests positive for COVID, please do not attend class. Contact us and we can make arrangements. If you have to miss class, the lectures track the readings, assignments, and labs pretty closely, so there is little risk of falling behind. Please note that, unless there is a University-mandated change in policy, remote or asynchronous attendance is not an option.
Clark University is committed to providing students with documented disabilities equal access to all university programs and facilities. Students are encouraged to register with Student Accessibility Services (SAS) to explore and access accommodations that may support their success in their coursework. SAS is located on the second floor of the Shaich Family Alumni and Student Engagement Center (ASEC). Please contact SAS at accessibilityservices@clarku.edu with questions or to initiate the registration process. For additional information, please visit the SAS website. FERPA Policy
The link to Clark’s policy regarding student privacy under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act is available here.
Please be aware that all Clark University faculty and teaching assistants are considered responsible employees, which means that if you tell us about a situation involving the aforementioned offenses, we must share that information with the Title IX Coordinator, Brittany Brickman (titleix@clarku.edu). Although we must make that notification, you will, for the most part, control how your case will be handled, including whether or not you wish to pursue a formal complaint. Our goal is to make sure you are aware of the range of options available to you and have access to the resources you need.
If you wish to speak to a confidential resource who does not have this reporting responsibility, you can contact Clark’s Center for Counseling and Professional Growth (508-793-7678), Clark’s Health Center (508-793-7467), or confidential resource providers on campus (see here for a list, and for other resources).