STA 9715 - Additional Resources and Course Policies

Course Resources

Readings and practice problems will be assigned from the following freely-available textbooks:

For students wishing to dig deeper or to consult alternative resources, the following books are also recommended:

Course Discussion Board

STA9715 will use Piazza as the course discussion board. Students are encouraged to direct all questions about course topics or logistics to Piazza; use of a public anonymous discussion board allows students to benefit from the insights of their classmates and allows instructors to answer questions publicly to the benefit of all students.

Students are encouraged to use Piazza’s private question feature if they need to contact the instructor directly. Please only use private questions for personal inquiries: questions about the technical substance of the course can and should be asked (pseudonymously) in the public section of Piazza.

Piazza login information will be distributed through CUNY Brightspace.

External Resources Use Policy

Students are encouraged to make use of any and all external resources, including generative AI tools, for at home study and for practice problems. Students are strongly encouraged to collaborate on weekly practice problems. You are ultimately responsible for the correctness of any submitted materials - “the AI told me so” is not a valid defense.

Note that official solutions for many practice problems can be found online on the BH homepage.

The instructor will provide a formula sheet for use during in-class quizzes, tests, and final exam. No alternative resources may be used during these activities.

Academic Integrity Policy

I fully support CUNY’s Policy on Academic Integrity, which states, in part:

Academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York. Penalties for academic dishonesty include academic sanctions, such as failing or otherwise reduced grades, and/or disciplinary sanctions, including suspension or expulsion.

Academic integrity is at the core of a college or university education. Faculty assign essays, exams, quizzes, projects, and so on both to extend the learning done in the classroom and as a means of assessing that learning. When students violate the academic integrity policy (i.e., “cheat”), they are committing an act of theft that can cause real harm to themselves and others including, but not limited to, their classmates, their faculty, and the caregivers who may be funding their education. Academic dishonesty confers an unfair advantage over others, which undermines educational equity and fairness. Students who cheat place their college’s accreditation and their own future prospects in jeopardy.

In this course, expectations for academic integrity are straightforward: no use of unauthorized materials on weekly quizzes, mid-semester tests, or the course final exam. Unless explicitly stated otherwise by the instructor in writing, the only authorized materials are the instructor-provided formula sheets.

Academic sanctions in this class will range from an F on the Assignment to an F in this Course. A report of suspected academic dishonesty will be sent to the Office of the Dean of Students.

Students are encouraged to contact the instructor with any questions or concerns related to matters of academic integrity.

Course Accomodations

Disability Services

It is CUNY policy to provide Accommodations and Academic Adjustments to students with disabilities.

Any student who has a disability who may need accommodations in this class should register as early as possible with Student Disability Services (SDS). Your registration with Student Disability Services is confidential, and is not recorded on your Baruch Academic Record. SDS can be reached by email at disability.services@baruch.cuny.edu, by phone at 646-312-4590, or in person at NVC 2-272.

Please note that the instructor cannot provide accommodations unless requested by SDS.

Religious Accomodations

It is CUNY policy to provide accommodations for students’ sincerely held religious beliefs. If a religious accommodation is requested, please contact the instructor at least two weeks in advance.

Unexcused Abscence Policy

Attendance is not required, but lecture recordings will not be provided. Students are responsible for the content of all sessions missed.

Personal Resources2

Take care of yourself. Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well, exercising, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough sleep and taking some time to relax. This will help you achieve your goals and cope with stress.

All of us benefit from support during times of struggle. You are not alone. Asking for support sooner rather than later is often helpful.

Mental Health Resources

If you or anyone you know experiences significant academic stress, difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, I strongly encourage you to seek support.

The Baruch Counselling Center is here to help. You can visit them in person at 137 E 25th St, 9th floor or call them at 646-312-2155 during normal business hours; you can make an appointment online here. For more immediate support, please call NYC WELL (1-888-NYC-WELL or 1-888-692-9355).3

Asking for help is often difficult: consider reaching out to a friend, family, or a member of the faculty you trust for help getting connected to support that can help.

If you are worried about a friend or classmate, consider reaching out to the Baruch Campus Intervention Team.

Physical Health

Healthy CUNY promotes well-being and a culture of health in order to foster the academic and life success of all CUNY students. They can connect you with a variety of campus- and community-based healthcare providers.

Baruch Health Services provides students with a full range of clinical health services. Call 646-312-2040 or email StudentHealthCareCenter@baruch.cuny.edu to make an appointment.

Food Security

All CUNY students have access to CUNY Food Pantries located throughout the five boroughs, thanks to the CUNY CARES program. CUNY CARES is also able to help qualifying students with SNAP (“Food Stamps”) enrollment.

On campus, you can also access the Bearcat Food Pantry.

Immigration Status

CUNY Citizenship Now! provides confidential, high-quality immigration law services to all CUNY students.

Note that Citizenship Now!’s primary Manhattan office is located in the Heights, not on the Baruch campus and that an appointment is strongly recommended. Call 646-664-9350 during business hours for more information.

Footnotes

  1. Free to CUNY Students. Please contract instructor if having access issues↩︎

  2. Language adapted from Professor Ryan Tibshirani (UC Berkeley).↩︎

  3. Descriptions of Baruch and CUNY resources adapted from program websites.↩︎