STAT 270: Admin info

Requirements for entry to the class
Please note that if the university system has prevented your registering for this course due to a course conflict, deficient prerequisites or previous credit for an equivalent or higher-level course in Statistics, I will not be able to give permission to take this course either.

Class environment
The usual codes of academic conduct apply, such as academic honesty (above all), avoiding disruptions in class, timely completion of assignments, and, in general, respecting others. If you miss a class, please make arrangements to get the notes from a classmate, not from the TA's or instructor.

Statistics Workshop
The Workshop is for one-on-one help and is located in K9516 (inside K9510). It will be open for regular use from the second week of classes. The hours depend on the amount of T.A. time available, and will be posted at the end of the first week of classes. The Workshop will be open only when there is a TA on duty, typically Mon-Fri 9:30-4:20pm.

Software
You can use any package you wish to do the calculations and plots required in this course. The popular statistical package R is installed on the Workshop computers and can be freely downloaded for home use from the Comprehensive R Archive Network. Also, the SFU Microcomputer Store has acquired several packages that are free to SFU students, such as Splus (which is like R) and JMP; these can be downloaded here.

Grading and exams
The Workshop is in charge of all grading and so you must resolve any grading issues directly with them; I have no say in these. Please make every effort to be understandable in writing up your answers. In submitted assignments, the Workshop will be looking for organized and logical solutions, rather than unexplained calculations. Robin Insley, the Workshop Director, maintains the database of class grades. He will post homework and midterm marks on gradebook. Your password is your student number. If you see an error on gradebook, please let Robin know directly.

1)Homeworks will account for 15% of the grade. There will be about 5-7 assignments to be turned in directly to the boxes marked Stat270 outside the Workshop, before 4:30pm on Fridays. The boxes are labelled by the course and also by the first letter of your last name. The Workshop will not accept late assignments, nor will it accept assignments placed in the wrong box. Although lost assignments haven't been a problem in the past with smaller classes, you may wish to back up your work as a precaution before turning it in. The Workshop is not responsible for lost assignments. If you miss or do poorly on an assignment, the final will be used in its place. Solutions to assignments will be available from the Statistics Workshop, and posted on their bulletin board (ask anyone at the Workshop for further details).

2) Midterms will account for 35% of the grade. There will be two midterms. The first is tentatively scheduled for Fri 16 June. There will be a second midterm later on, around mid-July. Midterms will be closed-book. Their purpose is to ensure that people keep on top of the material. If you miss or do poorly on a midterm, the final will be used in its place; there will be no make-up midterms.

3) Final exam will account for 50% of the grade. SFU has scheduled the exam for Sa 12 Aug, 8:30-11:30am, location TBA. I expect everyone who signs up for the course to be available to sit the exam at the time that SFU has scheduled, except for those with an official exam conflict (another final exam scheduled at an overlapping time). Those with exam conflicts who still wish to take this course should provide a written statement that they can write the final exam within 24 hours of the rest of the class, at the convenience of the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science. If there are only one or two such individuals, I will try to work out an arrangement with the Department. Unfortunately, if there are 3 or more such individuals, alternate arrangements will not be possible. Finally, please be aware of the University policy requiring individuals who miss an exam due to illness to submit a doctor's note to the Department chair or to the Registrar's Office within 4 days of the exam so that a make-up exam may be scheduled at the convenience of the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science.

Privacy policy
The university has a policy on privacy under which students who desire so may have their homework and exams returned in some private way. If you are such a student you should speak to me immediately.

Students with disabilities
Students requiring accommodations for disability should contact the Centre for Students with Disabilities 604-291-3112 or csdo@sfu.ca.

Class caucus
You can join by following the link above, clicking on ``Log in to the SFU Caucus Centre'' and then adding Stat270 to your personal list of conferences. Please post any questions to me directly to Caucus, as email is an unreliable way to reach me. I will be checking Caucus regularly.

Office hours
For matters that cannot be discussed on Caucus, Mo 10:30-11:20, K10553, except for the week of June 26-30, when they will be on Wednesday (same time). Or make an appointment by talking with me before or after lecture in the classroom. Please respect office hours and scheduled class time by not dropping in outside scheduled office hours. Use the Caucus instead.


SFU Statistics & Actuarial Science: