Advanced Data Science

Participation

• Participation includes preparation, attendance, and effective use of class time.
• Everyone gets three unexcused absences.
  • Additional unexcused absences will harm your participation grade.
• Email me before the class you will miss to request an excused absence.

Code Interview

Near the end of the semester, you will complete a code interview. I will ask you to explain your approach and solutions to a few randomly selected problems from the notebooks assigned throughout the semester.

If you do not complete the notebooks, you cannot succeed on the code interview.

Group Projects

• Groups of two to three students will be randomly assigned for each project.
• In addition to submitting the project, group members will complete self and peer evaluations.
• Generally, groups with mutually positive peer evaluations will share a grade.
  • If a group member receives a negative peer evaluation, they may receive a lower grade than the rest of the group.
• I want groups to share work equitably.

Final Project

Unlike earlier projects in the semester, final projects are individual. Your final project will result in a formal report including original code, data visualizations, explanatory and interpretive writing, and proper citations.

Late work

• Late work is penalized one letter grade (i.e., -10 points) per day.
• If you need an extension on an assignment, it never hurts to ask!
  • I will be much more likely to grant extensions requested well in advance.
  • If you request an extension within 24 hours of a deadline, it will not be approved except in exceptional circumstances.

Generative Artificial Intelligence

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) programs, especially large language models (LLMs), are useful tools for coding. However, overreliance on GenAI impedes learning.

Moreover, LLMs often answer questions incorrectly or incompletely. In order to be an effective user of these technologies, it is crucial for you to be able to recognize when that happens, and how to respond.

Prohibited Uses of GenAI

• Submitting model output, in part or in whole, as if it were your original work. This includes code or writing.
• Uploading any data used in this course (e.g., .csv files) to multimodal GenAI tools like ChatGPT.

Permitted Uses of GenAI

I ask you to do these things in this order when you can’t figure something out:

1. Review the course notes.
2. Talk to your classmates.
3. Search for credible information online (e.g., StackOverflow).
4. Talk to the Custom GPT I created for this class.
5. If you use information from the Custom GPT, cite your interactions with it.

This page explains how to share a link to a ChatGPT interaction.

Health

• Please do not come to class if you are sick.
• If you are recovering from an illness, are no longer infectious, and are well enough to attend class, please be courteous and wear a mask.

Counseling and Psychological Services

Mental health is crucial for academic success. Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Richmond supports student success and enhances student well-being by providing comprehensive clinical services to currently enrolled, full-time, degree-seeking students.

Title IX

The University of Richmond and its faculty are committed to ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment. If you disclose to me or another mandatory reporter an incident of sexual misconduct (including sexual harassment or sexual violence), I am obligated by law to share that information with the University’s Title IX Coordinator. For more information on our sexual misconduct policy, how to report, and confidential resources available to you, please visit the University’s Title IX help page.

Religious Observance

Any student may be excused from class or other assignments because of religious observance. I will make reasonable accommodations when students’ religious practices conflict with their academic responsibilities. If you will miss an academic obligation because of religious observance, you are responsible for contacting me within the first two weeks of the semester. You are also responsible for completing missed work in a timely manner.

For more information, see the University’s religious observance policy.

Disability Services

The University of Richmond’s office of Disability Services strives to ensure that students with disabilities and/or temporary conditions (i.e., concussions & injuries) are provided opportunity for full participation and equal access. Students who are experiencing a barrier to access due to a disability and/or temporary condition are encouraged to apply for accommodations by visiting: disability.richmond.edu. Disability Services can be reached at disability@richmond.edu or 804-662-5001.

Once accommodations have been approved, students must 1) Submit their Disability Accommodation Notice (DAN) to each of their professors via the Disability Services Student Portal available at this link: sl.richmond.edu/be. and 2) Request a meeting with each professor to create an accommodation implementation plan. It is important to complete these steps as soon as possible because accommodations are never retroactive, and professors are permitted a reasonable amount of time for implementation. Disability Services is available to assist, as needed.

Weinstein Learning Center

The Weinstein Learning Center is your go-to destination for academic support. Their services are tailored to help you achieve your academic goals throughout your time at University of Richmond. To learn more and view service schedules and appointment times, visit https://wlc.richmond.edu. Available services include:

Boatwright Library

Students may consult librarians to assist with their research, which may be especially useful for the final project. Use the Ask a Librarian service to reach librarians by email, phone, chat, text, or in person.