Policies
Participation (20 points)
Participation is a vague term that means something different to every instructor, and yet it is incredibly important in a class such as this. For the purposes of this class, participation is evidence that you are engaging with the readings and the class material. This evidence can occur in a number of ways. First, it means being and active and considerate member of full class discussions. (Active means you step up and share your thoughts, considerate means you step back and not take up too much space.) It also means completing in-class activities and coding tutorials. It also means submitting assignments on time and communicating with me, as well as engaging with my feedback and incorporating it into your assignments.
Participation is important in this course because it is our way of constructing collective meaning of this material. Your own experiences and opinions will inform how we interpret class readings and assignments.
Finally, participation is part of your grade. However you choose to engage with the material, it is my expectation that you will do so in a way that positively contributes to your classmates’ experience in this course. Your participation will be assessed based on the class participation rubric. Midway through the semester, I will ask you to submit a reflection on how you think you are doing regarding participation: where you are doing well, and where you can improve. I will provide you with feedback on this reflection to indicate if your assessment aligns with mine. At the end of the semester, I will provide you with a participation grade based on the rubric.
Attendance and lateness
Above anything else, I value clear communication. I’m understanding that school is not your entire life and that life sometimes gets in the way of school. But I ask that you clearly communicate with me when this happens, or when you anticipate it happening. Extra-curricular conflicts are sometimes unavoidable, but your communication demonstrates to me that you are committed to engaging with this course. For both attendance and late assignments, my policies are similar:
Attendance is expected at every class. If you are unable to make class one week, all I ask is that you let me know at least 24 hours in advance. If you are absent from class and have not let me know in advance, your participation grade will be impacted because we will not have had a chance to plan ahead for your absence. In addition, frequent absences (greater than 4), even with advanced notice, will also impact your participation grade, as it will prevent you from consistently participating in class discussions and in-class activities.
On-time assignments are always expected. If an assignment will be late, or you need an extension, please let me know as far in advance as possible. Extensions are never guaranteed. Unless otherwise noted, if an assignment is late and you have not let me know in advance, you will receive -10% for every 12 hours that it is late.
Academic integrity
All work should be your own. Don’t plagiarize, either from your friend or from a random person online. There are NO exceptions to this rule, under any circumstances. If you are having trouble with an assignment or need more time, talk to me. I’m happy to help, and I’d much rather spend my time helping you than reporting you to the university for plagiarizing or cheating. I promise you, it’s never worth it to plagiarize – just don’t do it! In addition, finding shortcuts to putting in the work required of this class – doing the readings, completing your assignments – will defeat the purpose of taking this class, which is to learn and think critically about new ideas. If you complete assignments via plagiarism rather than with your own thoughts, you’re probably not going to learn very much.
For more information on Columbia’s policies on academic integrity, please see here.
Note on generative AI: You may not use generative AI chatbots, such as Chat-GPT or Bard, to complete your written assignments. Ever. At all. The purpose of this course is not to complete assignments; rather, the purpose is to put in the work of critically thinking about the ideas discussed. In short, you will not learn very much if you outsource all of your thinking to generative AI, and where is the fun in that?
I also understand that students often resort to using AI when they are pressed for time. I would rather you hand in your own work late than an AI’s work on time. If you are concerned about your ability to hand in an assignment on time, just let me know, and we can discuss.
If you are caught using AI once, you will receive a 0 on that assignment and will have a meeting with me, where I’ll make you feel guilty for disrespecting me, my time, and your classmates’ time. If you are caught using AI a second time, we will have another meeting where we’ll discuss your academic integrity for the course and its impact on your grade. (Hint: That will not be a fun meeting.)
Having said all of that, you may use AI to help you with coding and data analysis for your final project. We will discuss use cases in class.
Student-generated policies
Discussion norms: Almost all of us have had the experience of being in a discussion seminar with someone who isn’t a team player. Keep the following in mind during our discussions this semester:
- Be sure to use “I” statements, especially when discussing a topic that may be a point of disagreement with others in the class.
- Non-verbal communication is important. Make eye contact, don’t make faces at things people say, and don’t be on your phone while others are speaking (or really at all during class!).
- Be open to asking your peers questions, and to receiving answers from them.
Computer policy: For most students, computers are essential for note-taking and reading. However, using computers in class can be distracting for you and for others. Most students in our class feel neutral about the use of computers. To the extent that you’re able, try to have your screen tilted down during discussions to facilitate eye contact and engagement.
Diversity and inclusion
It is extremely important to me that our classroom environment is welcoming and inclusive of everyone, regardless of race, gender, class, sexuality, religion, or country of origin. Please recognize that everyone comes to the table with different life experiences: What you take for granted might be something that someone else knows nothing about, and what is unfamiliar to you might be easily understood to others. Use “I” statements when speaking and don’t generalize about groups of people with a particular identity. Assume good intent from your classmates during class discussions. Be respectful.
I will do my best to foster an inclusive environment over the course of the semester, where all students feel a sense of belonging. Of course, I, like anyone, have biases based on my own experiences. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if something was said in class, either by me or by another student, that made you feel uncomfortable. My goal is to create a sense of community in our class. I hope we will all be open to difficult conversations.
Disability accommodations: If you require special accommodations through the Office of Disability Services (ODS) or the Center for Accessibility Resources and Disability Services (CARDS), please let me know as close to the beginning of the semester as possible. More information about registering with ODS can be found here.
Student wellness: Academic life can be exceptionally challenging at times. The intention of this course is to enhance your life, not make it miserable. Please always prioritize your health. If you’re ever having a tough time, and it’s impacting your ability to fully participate in the course, please reach out, and we can figure something out together. The university also has many health and wellness resources available for students, such as Counseling and Psychological Services and Nightline. See here for a full directory of student resources.