STA 301 — Introduction to Data Science (04975) — Fall 2021

Welcome to STA 301. We are thrilled to have you in class and look forward to supporting and
sharing your learning about data science, its applications, and your own extraordinary potential to
help to make our world a better place, one data set at a time.

Class meeting Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00 AM—12:15 PM via Canvas Video Stream
Course website https://utexas.instructure.com/courses/1320376
Instructor Dr. James Scott
Co-Instructor Dr. Shannon Provost
Instructor email sta301@austin.utexas.edu
Instructor office hours Tuesday and Thursday 1:00–2:30 PM
Kyleigh Boomer, Sophie Brandeis, Alice Cao, Grecia Garate, Caitie Harmon, Preston
Teaching Assistants Jong, Aarushi Khandelwal, Mike Lan, Sahana Rao, Zachary Sly, Joozer Ujjainwala,
Louie Wang

TA office hours Schedule to be posted on Canvas

TA email Chatter Discussion Board on Canvas

McCombs Service Desk (SWAT Shop): 512-232-6616 — 8 AM–5 PM in GSB 3.132

Technical support IT@UT Tech Support: 512-475-3400 — 9 AM–4 PM on FAC first floor
Canvas Support Center: chat or 855-308-2494 — open 24 hours, 7 days a week

Course Overview
STA 301 class sessions will be held online on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00 AM—12:15 PM. Join our
classroom via the Video Stream link on our course Canvas page (and not via the Zoom link). Visit the 24/7 test
stream to confirm your network connection before classes start. If you need technical assistance, click on
"Online Course Tech Support" in the left navigation menu of our Canvas page.

Teaching methods for our class sessions will include lectures, software walkthroughs, class discussion, polls,
and other interactive exercises. Learning outside of class will involve readings, videos, software walkthroughs,
office hours, software help sessions, practice quizzes, homework assignments, and exams. In addition to
offering statistical knowledge and building a foundation of quantitative skills to support your education and
career, we hope that this course will also stimulate your intellectual curiosity and broaden your perspectives.

It is our intention that students from diverse backgrounds and with diverse perspectives are well served by this
course. Your success in this class is important to us. Please reach out the instructor team at
sta301@austin.utexas.edu if there are aspects of this course that impede your learning, and/or to suggest
opportunities to incorporate teaching methods that enhance your learning. Together we’ll develop strategies
to support your needs in the context of our course structure.

University Course Catalog Description

An introduction to the principles and practice of data science for business applications. Explore tidying,

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summarizing, and visualizing data; statistical computing in R; linear regression; introduction to predictive
modeling and out-of-sample model validation; uncertainty quantification using resampling methods; basic
probability models, including the normal and binomial distributions; and statistical hypothesis testing.

Prerequisites:
An open mind and a willingness to learn! No prior knowledge of programming is expected at the start of this
course.

Quantitative Reasoning Flag:

This course carries the Quantitative Reasoning (QR) Flag. QR courses are designed to equip you with skills for
understanding the types of quantitative methods and frameworks that you will encounter regularly in your
adult and professional life.

Course Materials
All required readings, videos, and software with be available for free. The primary reference for the course is
“Data Science in R: A Gentle Introduction,” by James Scott. Links to all assigned materials will be posted on our
Canvas home page calendar. You will not be required to purchase any textbooks or a course packet.

Computer Hardware and Software Requirements

• Laptop or desktop computer with modern and updated operating system (MacOS, Windows or Linux). A
Chromebook or tablet not running one of these three operating systems will not allow you to complete
the work in this course.
• Install the latest versions of R and RStudio to complete course assignments and for participation in many
class sessions. We’ll interact directly with RStudio, but you must also have a copy of R installed for RStudio
to work. Both programs are free, require no registration, and run on both Mac and Windows.
o Alternatively, you may access RStudio online from any computer with internet access by creating
your own account on the RStudio Cloud web site.
• Chrome or Firefox web browser for working in Canvas, of particular importance during quizzes and exams.
• For the optimal in-class experience:
• close additional browser windows and programs (including music and video streaming sites, social
media sites, and other gaming and media platforms).
• remember to use Chrome or Firefox as a web browser. If you have technical problems, you may need
to clear the browser's cache before class.
• it is a good idea to monitor your computer for viruses, malware, and spyware.
• have access to a 5Mbps internet connection speed (check your speed here).

How to succeed in this course

1) Attend class each day and listen carefully, just as if you were in a traditional in-person course. If something
is unclear, don’t be afraid to ask a question in the chat room. Participate in polls and interactive exercises
during class to enhance the collective learning experience.

2) Every lecture session is recorded. You may view these recordings any time after they are captioned and
posted on Canvas (usually within 24 hours following the class session). Take advantage of the availability of

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 these recordings. Consider trying to listen extra attentively to the presentation, focusing less on transcribing
what the instructor is saying and more on listening to and understanding the main concepts.

3) Complete readings and software walkthroughs by the suggested date on the Canvas course outline. This
will help you get on a rolling schedule to stay on top of the coursework.

4) Each day after class, we’ll post a Knowledge Check (KC) on Canvas: a short, untimed quiz on that day’s
lecture material. KCs must be completed before 11:00 AM on the class day one week later. The main purpose
of each Knowledge Check is to help you evaluate your own learning and to prepare for more challenging
course assignments. Don’t just plunge into KCs and plow through a bunch of attempts to luck into the
correct answers just for the sake of ticking the completion box. Instead, study for the KCs, treat them like
mini-exams, and learn from your mistakes. If you adopt this approach throughout the semester, you’ll
improve your chances of performing well on the homework assignments, the midterm, and the final exam.

5) Get an early start on homework assignments and follow the guidelines that we will provide on how to
format your write-ups. Don’t wait until the last hour to submit your files on Canvas. Submit early, so any
technical mishaps become pesky issues instead of problems that impact your homework grade. Technical
problems related to Canvas submission are covered by our late homework policy (and corresponding
grade penalty).

6) Be a self-starter, especially when it comes to practicing with RStudio, our software environment. Also keep
in mind that R has tens of millions of users worldwide, an active online user community, and extensive
online repositories with coding examples and practice modules and troubleshooting resources. Many
questions you might have may be answered quickly with a simple web search. We recommend that you
escalate questions to the instructor team only after you have exhausted other resources. We are here to help.
But, we also want to prepare you to thrive in your forthcoming academic and career pursuits. Recognize ---
if you didn’t already pick up on this during STA 301 --- that experimenting on your own and searching for
information online and trying to apply what you find to your problem context are among the best ways to
learn RStudio (and most other computing skills). Resourcefulness and development of these sorts of
dynamic self-teaching capabilities are essential for success in the modern workplace.

7) Our assignment policies are intended to protect students from occasionally missing class or having minor
illness or personal emergencies that interfere with completing assignments. If in the unfortunate case that
you were to experience a serious illness or emergency situation, to the point where you are unable to
attend class for an extended period of time, we will make every effort to accommodate you academically.
The first step is to get in touch with Student Emergency Services. The SES office will then reach out to all of
your instructors in a manner that ensures your medical privacy and that helps set up a coordinated set of
accommodations across all classes. Unless we receive specific guidance from Student Emergency Services,
we cannot modify any of our assignment course policies or offer extensions.

Course Outline
Below is a general outline of the topics we’ll cover in this course during each week of the semester. All
assignments, readings, links, class resources, and other essential information will be posted on Canvas. Check
the authoritative schedule on our Canvas home page regularly to see what material you are responsible for on
any given day. We may make minor changes to the sequence of topics below.

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 Date Session Topics
Thu 26-Aug 1 Course Introduction Course policies and administration. Introduction to RStudio.

Data frames, cases, variables. Getting data into R. Sample vs. population. Why the unit
Tue 31-Aug 2 Data of analysis is a fundamental choice.
Probability. Conditional and joint probability. The addition and multiplication rules.
Thu 2-Sep 3 Counting Independence. Estimating probabilities from data.

Tue 7-Sep 4 Data visualization, part 1 Plotting pitfalls. Five basic plots.

Thu 9-Sep 5 Data visualization, part 2 Enriching the basic plots. The grammar of graphics. Best practices for plotting.

Tue 14-Sep 6 Summaries Summaries for numerical data and categorical data.

Thu 16-Sep 7 Data wrangling Basic data verbs; combining the verbs to make complex summaries.

Tue 21-Sep 8 Fitting straight lines Fitting equations. Simple linear regression. R-squared and RMSE.

Thu 23-Sep 9 Nonlinear relationships Log scale models. Exponential growth and decay. Power laws.

Uncertainty in data science. Statistical inference and its limitations. Monte Carlo
Tue 28-Sep 10 Statistical uncertainty simulation. Sampling distributions. Standard error.

Thu 30-Sep 11 The bootstrap Bootstrapping summary statistics.

Tue 5-Oct 12 Bootstrapping models Bootstrapping group differences and simple regression models.

Statistical significance. False positives, false negatives, the tradeoffs in choosing a

Thu 7-Oct 13 P-values threshold for declaring statistical significance.

Tue 12-Oct 14 Central limit theorem Central limit theorem, de Moivre's equation, and confidence intervals for a mean.

Thu 14-Oct 15 Large-sample inference Generalizing de Moivre's equation to proportions and group-level differences.

Experimental design. The importance of a control group. The logic of randomization.

Tue 19-Oct 16 Experiments Blocking. External validity.
Observational studies. Omitted-variable bias. Matching as a strategy for handling
Thu 21-Oct 17 Observational studies
confounders. Observational study design.
Regression with grouping Regression models with grouped data. Dummy variables. Baseline/offset form.
Tue 26-Oct 18
variables Analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Grouping & numerical Assessing each feature in a regression model. Correlation among predictors. Models
Thu 28-Oct 19
variables with numerical & grouping variables (and interactions).

Tue 2-Nov 20 Multiple regression Regression with more than one numerical predictor. Partial vs overall relationships.
Multiple regression as approximate matching. Isolating a partial relationship between
Thu 4-Nov 21 Partial relationships the response variable and a predictor.

Uncertainty in regression Regression round up. Random vs. non-random sources of error. Omitted variable bias.
Tue 9-Nov 22
modeling Model bias.
Making predictions with regression. Data splitting and out-of-sample model
Thu 11-Nov 23 Machine learning validation. Overfitting.
Building predictive
Tue 16-Nov 24 Stepwise selection via AIC. Feature engineering for predictive model building.
models
Describing variation in data with probability distributions. The binomial and Poisson
Thu 18-Nov 25 Probability models distributions.
The normal distribution as a model-building tool. Using historical market data to
Tue 23-Nov 26 Normal distribution simulate the long-run performance of a retirement portfolio.

Thu 25-Nov Thanksgiving holiday – no class

Bivariate normal The bivariate normal distribution: correlation and regression to the mean. Stocks,
Tue 30-Nov 27
distribution bonds, and diversification via negative correlation.
Study results in the media. P-hacking and "researcher degrees of freedom." How to be
Thu 2-Dec 28 Morning show science a smarter consumer of data-driven research.

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Assignments and Grading
Your course grade average will be determined by a weighted average of four components: Knowledge Check
practice quizzes (20%), four Homework assignments (30%), one Midterm Exam (15%), and a Final Exam (35%).
There will be no opportunities for extra credit.

The grade cutoff values below are the basis to translate your overall course average into a letter grade. As in
other McCombs courses, course grades will not be rounded numerically. There will be no exceptions to this
policy. While we reserve the right to lower these cutoff values (i.e., make them more generous) at our sole
discretion, we will not raise them.

Grade A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D F
cutoff 94% 90% 87% 84% 80% 77% 70% 65% 60% <60%

Knowledge Checks (20%)

After every class session, you will complete a knowledge check (“KC”): an untimed Canvas quiz and designed to
help you learn and practice the material that we have just covered in class (as well as the material from any
readings and videos we assign). See all KC instructions on Canvas along with these key policies:
• KCs will become available immediately after classes ends at 12:15 PM
• KC will must be completed before 11:00 AM on the class day one week after they are assigned.
• KC will be auto-graded by Canvas for accuracy and completion.
• You will have unlimited attempts before the KC closes at 11:00 AM on the due date. Canvas will save
your highest score. For example, if you earn 85% on your third attempt and 78% on your fourth
attempt, Canvas will retain your score of 85%.
• Each knowledge check will be scored individually, and at the end of the semester, we will average the
individual scores to form your overall KC average.
• Your single lowest Knowledge Check score will be dropped in calculating your KC average.
• No additional drop requests will be entertained without a letter from Student Emergency Services.

Homework (30%)
There will be four homework assignments, all submitted on Canvas and due on a Tuesday as per below before
11:00 AM. That is, 10:59:59 is on time but 11:00:00 is late; this is just how Canvas works.

Assignment Deliverable Tuesday due date Time due

PDF write-up and R script September 21

Homework 1
Peer Grading for write-up September 28
Upload your
PDF write-up and R script October 12
Homework 2 PDF write-up
Peer Grading for write-up October 19 and R script
PDF write-up and R script November 2 on Canvas
Homework 3 before 11:00
Peer Grading for write-up November 9
AM
PDF write-up and R script November 23
Homework 4
Peer Grading for write-up November 30

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All Homework instructions, files, submissions, and peer grading will be on Canvas. Below is a list of key
instructions and homework policies:

• Submit your homework write-up as a PDF file. No other file format is acceptable.
• You must also save and submit the R script used for the analyses on which your homework write-up is
based. The script will not be graded explicitly, but you must submit the script to receive credit on the
write-up.
• Homework is due before 11:00 AM. This means that Canvas will mark your assignment as late if it is
submitted at or after 11:00 AM.
• Click on your uploaded file to make sure that you have uploaded the latest version of the correct
document. In the past we have had unfortunate cases in which careless students accidentally uploaded
the homework instructions or a blank file because of poor file naming choices and not checking the
upload. Don’t let this happen to you! Double check your file on Canvas. Corrupted files or
blank/incomplete files will be graded as such.
• Remember that you can upload and re-upload your write-up PDF on Canvas as many times as you'd
like before the due date. Please don’t wait until close to 11 AM to attempt uploading your file. Student
write-ups are filtered through TurnItIn to create an archive of assignments and detect plagiarism. It's
possible that TurnItIn could slow down the submission process as the deadline approaches. Again,
don't wait to upload your write-up. Technical problems with Canvas will not be excused.
• Do not include the assignment questions or instructions in your write-up document.
• We will use Peer Grading. STA 301 students will anonymously evaluate and score peers’ write-ups
using an automated system on each Canvas assignment page. You will be assigned for four
anonymous peer reviews as part of each of the four homework assignments.
• Peer Grading must be completed within one week, by 11:00 AM on the Tuesday following the original
homework due date. Peer grades may not be submitted past the deadline. There will be no exceptions
to this policy.
• Each homework assignment will consist of multiple problems with a total available 90 points.
Homework grades will be calculated as the median of the four scores from anonymous peer graders
(up to 90 points). The remaining 10 points on each assignment may be earned with completion of four
peer grading assignments, for a maximum score of 100 on each homework.
• After peer grades are submitted, the instructor team will conduct an audit, randomly selecting and
reviewing peer graders’ evaluations for integrity. If it is clear that a student grader failed to make a
good-faith effort to apply the grading rubric, we reserve the right to deny that student credit for their
review, treating it as missing instead.
• Concerned about careless peer graders jeopardizing your grade? Students who feel that their
homework was evaluated unfairly by the peer grading process will have an opportunity to appeal
within one week after grades are released. If making an appeal, please note that your entire homework
write-up may be regraded.
• Late homework will be penalized. Students who submit their write-ups on Canvas between 11:00 AM—
11:59 PM (i.e., before the stroke of midnight) on the Tuesday due date are eligible to receive up to
70% credit on the total value of the assignment: up to 60 points for the assignment itself and 10 points
for peer grading.
• After this late penalty grace period, no late work will be accepted. There will be no make-up
Homework assignments, and we do not drop any homework grades.
• Collaboration on homework assignments is allowed, but copying is not. Specifically, you are
encouraged to form study groups, to discuss homework with classmates, and to share ideas about

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 how to approach the assignments. See the section on Academic Integrity for more details about the
distinction between collaboration and copying.
• Each homework assignment is graded individually, and the four homework assignments will be
averaged at the end of the semester to calculate your overall Homework grade.

Midterm Exam (15%)

• There will be one midterm exam, worth 15% of your course grade, on Monday October 18 from 7:00
PM to 8:15 PM. This is outside of our normal class period. If you have a documented conflict with
another UT class, UT exam, university-sponsored NCAA competition, or religious holiday, please e-mail
sta301@austin.utexas.edu by 11:59 PM on Friday, September 12 with documentation of your conflict.
• The midterm exam will be a 75-minute exam delivered online via Canvas. You will take it using your
own computer.
• Students who miss the midterm exam will receive a grade of 0.
• See Exam Policies below for policies common to both the midterm and the final.

Final Exam (35%)

• The final exam, worth 35% of your course grade, will be on Friday December 10 at 9:00 AM. This is
the official university exam time and is subject to change by the registrar’s office.
• The final exam will be a 180-minute exam delivered online via Canvas. You will take it using your own
computer.
• Students who miss the final exam will receive a grade of 0.
• If your final exam score is higher than your midterm score, then it will replace your midterm score for
the purpose of calculating your final average.
• See Exam Policies below for policies common to both the midterm and the final.

Exam policies

• Both the midterm and final exams will be open-book, open-notes, and open-internet. You will use
RStudio to answer some of the exam questions, and you must submit an R script via Canvas to
accompany each exam. If you don’t have R/RStudio installed and working on your computer, you will
not be able to complete all the questions on the exams.
• Midterm and final exams are to be completed alone. You may not seek or receive aid in answering
questions from any classmate or any other person. We enforce this policy in two ways: 1) relying on
your own pledge to uphold the UT student code of conduct regarding academic integrity, and 2) using
software to analyze the timing and patterns of quiz responses and to flag any suspicious patterns for
subsequent investigation. (Who needs Proctorio when you’ve got probability?) Any evidence of
cheating will be referred to Student Judicial Services.
• No make-up exams will be offered, except in the case of:
a) A documented emergency. If this happens to you, go straight to Student Emergency Services
and they will get in touch with us and provide us the documentation we need in order to
address the situation. (Without this documentation, we cannot offer a make-up exam.)
b) A documented conflict with another UT class, exam, university-sponsored NCAA competition,
or religious holiday. If this applies to you, please e-mail sta301@austin.utexas.edu by 11:59 PM

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 on Friday, September 12 (the official 12th class day of the fall semester) with documentation of
your conflict. We cannot promise that we will be able to accommodate you if you ask after this
date.
• We suggest that you record your exam sitting in your own private Zoom meeting with screen share,
camera, and microphone turned on. This will not be required, and if you do this, you will own the
recording. No one will have the right to demand this recording from you. However, having this
recording might be useful in the highly unlikely case that our academic integrity algorithm mistakenly
flags your pattern of exam responses as suspicious.

Course Policies

Communicating with the Instructor Team

Clear guidelines for communication are essential in a large class. The instructor team will work to provide
timely attention to individual needs of the more than 650 students in STA 301. We ask that you help us help
you by following guidelines when reaching out to the professors and TAs. Do not send direct messages via
Canvas to individual instructors or TAs. It’s not that we don’t want to hear from you! But we need a system that
will allow our instructor ream to collectively respond to your requests. The course email account and Chatter
Discussion Board are monitored collaboratively and checked regularly, whereas individual instructor Canvas
mailboxes are not monitored regularly for this course.

Chatter Discussion Board

Use the Chatter Discussion Board as a resource to tap into the collective insight and intelligence of all course
participants: students, TAs, and professors. This resource will be accessible via the left menu bar on our Canvas
home page. If you have a question about content from a class session, an assigned reading, homework
instructions, about RStudio, etc: post your question on Chatter. If you have a question, it is likely that other
students are wondering the same thing. They will appreciate you for posting! But you can also post
anonymously. Chatter is monitored regularly by the TAs and instructors. Students are also able to post
responses to peers’ questions. We encourage you to join in the discussion, and also to post links to interesting
articles, online resources, useful R tutorials, conceptual videos, etc.

Course email address: sta301@austin.utexas.edu

Use this email address to reach out to the instructors with individual questions related to course
administration—for example, about learning accommodations or an excused absence verified by Student
Emergency Services. General questions about course content or assignment instructions or RStudio issues are
likely to receive a response directing you to the Chatter Discussion Board on Canvas.

E-mails that will be ignored

We choose to prioritize our time and effort in helping those students with legitimate administrative issues,
along with those who seek to improve their understanding of the course material. Therefore, you should not
expect any response at all if you contact us about:
- Requests for extensions on an assignment/exam (unless you have documentation from Student
Emergency Services)
- Requests to make-up a missed assignment/exam (again, unless you have documentation from Student
Emergency Services)

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 - Requests to move an exam date (except as covered under Exam Policies, above).
- Requests for additional drops
- Requests to change or round up a grade
- Computer problems that prevented the completion of an assignment/exam
- Requests for extra credit

Communicating with the instructors during class sessions

Online chat will be the primary mode of interaction with the instructor team (and with student peers) during
class. This is a great place to:
- Ask questions about that day’s lecture or discussion.
- Ask questions about the assigned reading or videos.
- Share R tips or anything cool related to data science.
- Just generally be yourself and get to know your classmates.

This class chat is not a great place to ask questions about due dates or any policy or procedural matter covered
in the syllabus. We will try to answer any questions that come up, but for questions like that, we will likely just
refer you to the syllabus or to Canvas, so that we can concentrate our time and attention clarifying issues
related to that day’s content. Also, keep in mind that this digital forum is part of our classroom—and as in any
classroom, digital or otherwise, we expect you to conduct yourself professionally and courteously. We have
zero tolerance for behavior or language that is racist, sexist, or otherwise disrespectful to any of your fellow
classmates, the TAs, or the instructors. Any student violating this policy will be referred to the Dean’s office.

Name and Personal Pronouns

I want to be respectful and sensitive in everything I do, and that means calling you what you wish to be called.
Class rosters show your legal name. If you use a name and/or pronouns different than what appears on the
official roster, please advise me early in the semester so that I can update my records.

Moreover, your legal name as it appears on the official class roster is what our team will see in class chat
during lectures. However, we want to address you by the name/pronouns that you prefer. We would much
appreciate reminders about your name and/or pronoun preference in real time. Suppose your name is Aegon
Targaryen, but you prefer to be addressed as Jon. Asking a question on chat, please express your name
preference by placing “(Jon)” at the beginning. Your question would then show up in chat as:
Aegon Targaryen: (Jon) You used the term ‘ordinary least squares’ to describe a regression equation. Can you
please explain more about what ‘least squares’ means?

And then we would know to use your preferred name, Jon, when responding.

Collaboration, Study Groups, and Academic Integrity

Collaboration on homework assignments is allowed. Copying is not. Specifically, you are encouraged to form
study groups, to discuss homework with classmates, and to share ideas about how to approach the
assignments. However, you are not allowed to pool submissions or copy one another’s answers directly. You
must submit your own individual write-up for each assignment, written word-for-word by you. You must
submit your own individual R script for each assignment, completed by you in R Studio on our own machine.
Any student discovered to be copying work or allowing their own work to be copied will be referred to the
Dean’s office for disciplinary proceedings (and further potential academic consequences). All students in this
course assume responsibility for abiding by these policies. If you are unsure about whether a specific type of

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collaboration crosses the line into copying, then just ask us. Finally, in this course, “looking the other way” will
not be tolerated. If it becomes clear that you had direct knowledge of another student’s act of academic
dishonesty but failed to report it to the instructors, you may also be referred to the Dean’s office.

University Policies

Academic Integrity

Each student in the course is expected to abide by the University of Texas Honor Code: “As a student of The
University of Texas at Austin, I shall abide by the core values of the University and uphold academic integrity.”
You are responsible for understanding UT’s Academic Honesty and the University Honor Code which may be
found at: deanofstudents.utexas.edu/conduct

In addition to these general UT policies regarding academic integrity, this course has a few other specific
policies summarized here.

Q Drop Policy
To drop a class after the 12th class day, you’ll need to execute a Q drop before the Q-drop deadline, which
typically occurs near the middle of the semester. Under Texas law, you are only allowed six Q drops while you
are in college at any public Texas institution. Visit this link for more information.

Religious Holy Days

By UT Austin policy, you must notify instructors of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the
date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class or assignment to observe a religious holy
day, you’ll have opportunity to complete missed work within a reasonable time. If this applies to you, please e-
mail sta301@austin.utexas.edu by the 12th class day. We cannot promise we’ll be able to arrange an
accommodation if you contact us after that.

Sharing of course materials is prohibited

No materials used in this class, including, but not limited to, lecture hand-outs, videos, assessments, quizzes,
exams, papers, projects, homework assignments, in-class materials, review sheets, and additional problem sets,
may be shared online or with anyone outside of the class unless you have explicit written permission from the
instructors. Unauthorized sharing of materials promotes cheating. It is a violation of the University’s Student
Honor Code and an act of academic dishonesty. We are aware of websites used for sharing materials, and any
materials found online that are associated with you, or any suspected unauthorized sharing of materials, will be
reported to Student Conduct and Academic Integrity in the Office of the Dean of Students. These reports can
result in sanctions, including failure in the course.

Class Recordings FERPA restrictions

Class recordings are intended only for students in this class for educational purposes and are protected under
FERPA. The recordings should not be shared outside the class in any form. Violation of this restriction by a
student could lead to student misconduct proceedings.

Student Rights and Responsibilities

• You have a right to a learning environment that supports mental and physical wellness.
• You have a right to respect.
• You have a right to be assessed and graded fairly.
• You have a right to freedom of opinion and expression.

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• You have a right to privacy and confidentiality.
• You have a right to meaningful and equal participation, to self-organize groups to improve your learning
environment.
• You have a right to learn in an environment that is welcoming to all people. No student shall be isolated,
excluded or diminished in any way.

With these rights come responsibilities:

• You are responsible for taking care of yourself, managing your time, and communicating with the instructor
team and with administrators if things start to feel out of control or overwhelming.
• You are responsible for acting in a way that is worthy of respect and always respectful of others.
• Your experience with this course is directly related to the quality of the energy that you bring to it, and your
energy shapes the quality of your peers’ experiences.
• You are responsible for creating an inclusive environment and for speaking up when someone is excluded.
• You are responsible for holding yourself accountable to these standards, holding each other to these standards,
and holding the teaching team accountable as well.

University Resources for Students

Services for Students with Disabilities

This class respects and welcomes students of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities. If there are
circumstances that make our learning environment and activities difficult, if you have medical information that
you need to share with me, or if you need specific arrangements in case the building needs to be evacuated,
please let me know. I am committed to creating an effective learning environment for all students, but I can
only do so if you discuss your needs with me as early as possible. I promise to maintain the confidentiality of
these discussions. If appropriate, you may also contact Services for Students with Disabilities at their website or
by phone: 512-471-6259 (voice) or 1-866-329-3986 (video phone).

Counseling and Mental Health Center

All of us benefit from support during times of struggle. You are not alone. There are many helpful resources
available on campus and an important part of the college experience is learning how to ask for help. Asking for
support sooner rather than later is often helpful. If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress,
difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, we strongly encourage you to seek support.

Academic Resources
Did you know that more than one-third of UT undergraduates use the Sanger Learning Center each year to
improve their academic performance? All students may take advantage of classes and workshops, private
learning specialist appointments, peer academic coaching, and tutoring for more than 70 courses in 15
different subject areas. Visit the website or call 512-471-3614 (JES A332). Other academic resources include the
Undergraduate Writing Center: uwc.utexas.edu, UT Libraries: lib.utexas.edu, ITS: it.utexas.edu, and Student
Emergency Services: deanofstudents.utexas.edu/emergency

Important Safety Information

If you have concerns about the safety or behavior of fellow students, TAs or Professors, call the Behavior
Concerns Advice Line at 512-232-5050. Your call can be anonymous. If something doesn’t feel right – it
probably isn’t. Trust your instincts and share your concerns.

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Title IX Reporting
Title IX is a federal law that protects against sex- and gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual
assault, sexual misconduct, dating/domestic violence, and stalking at federally funded educational institutions.
UT Austin is committed to a learning and working environment free from discrimination in all forms. If sexual
misconduct occurs in our community, the university can:
1. Intervene to prevent harmful behavior from continuing or escalating.
2. Provide support and remedies to students and employees who have experienced harm or have
become involved in a Title IX investigation.
3. Investigate and discipline violations of the university’s relevant policies.

Faculty members and certain staff members are considered “Responsible Employees” or “Mandatory
Reporters,” which means that they are required to report violations of Title IX to the Title IX Coordinator. All
instructors and TAs in this course are Responsible Employees and must report any Title IX related
incidents that are disclosed in writing, discussion, or one-on-one. Before talking with any faculty or staff
member about a Title IX related incident, be sure to ask whether they are a responsible employee. If you want
to speak with someone for support or remedies without making an official report to the university, email
advocate@austin.utexas.edu For more information about reporting options and resources, visit
titleix.utexas.edu or contact the Title IX Office at titleix@austin.utexas.edu.

Evacuation
The following recommendations regarding emergency evacuation are from the Office of Campus Safety and
Security, 512-471-5767, operations.utexas.edu/units/csas. If you are attending class virtually from an on-
campus location, these guidelines may help you in case of emergency. Occupants of buildings on The
University of Texas at Austin campus are required to evacuate when a fire alarm is activated. Alarm activation
or announcement requires exiting and assembling outside.
Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of each classroom and building you may occupy. Remember that the
nearest exit door may not be the one you used when entering the building. Students requiring assistance in
evacuation shall inform their instructor in writing during the first week of class. In the event of an evacuation,
follow the instruction of faculty or class instructors. Do not re-enter a building unless given instructions by the
following: Austin Fire Department, The University of Texas at Austin Police Department, or Fire Prevention
Services office. Information regarding emergency evacuation routes and emergency procedures can be found
at emergency.utexas.edu.

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