SOC 294

Syllabus | Spring 2023

Class: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 11:00AM - 12:20PM (Clemen 04)
Recitation: Tuesdays, 4:00PM - 4:50PM (Baldy 101)

Professor

Joanna Pepin, Ph.D.

Student hours: Thursdays 1:00pm - 2:00pm (Park 430)
Email: jpepin@buffalo.edu
Before emailing: Read “What if I need to contact you?” in the FAQs section.

TA

Chandler Fairbanks

Email: cnfairba@buffalo.edu

The land on which the University at Buffalo operates is the territory of the Seneca Nation, a member of the Haudenosaunee/Six Nations Confederacy. This territory is covered by The Dish with One Spoon Treaty of Peace and Friendship, a pledge to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. It is also covered by the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua, between the United States Government and the Six Nations Confederacy, which further affirmed Haudenosaunee land rights and sovereignty in the State of New York. Today, this region is still the home to the Haudenosaunee people, and we are grateful for the opportunity to live, work, and share ideas in this territory.

Course Description

Statistics are all around you every day—in advertisements, companies try to lure you by claiming the approval of “4 out of 5 experts” or they tout “success rates.” Newspapers report the findings of social scientists on marriage rates and epidemiologists report on the likelihood of disease transmission. Economic decisions at the state and federal level are made on the basis of population statistics, political polls give news pundits talking points, and sports newscasters report the free throw percentages and batting averages of star players.

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This course will introduce you to the vocabulary, concepts, and statistical techniques used by quantitative social scientists to describe data and test hypotheses about the social world. Understanding statistics will make you a more informed citizen and a more intelligent consumer of information.

Learning Outcomes

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What will I learn?

The primary purpose of this course is to increase your statistical literacy and your data analysis skills. You will learn how to interpret data and how to choose between different statistical techniques to answer a research question. You will also learn how to compute basic statistics using . You will practice these skills through weekly assignments, exams, and by producing a final project.

Course Outcomes

Outcome	Method of Assessment
Choose appropriate methods or models for a given problem, using information from observation or knowledge of the system being studied.	All learning checks, exams, and lab assignments
Employ quantitative methods, mathematical models, statistics, and/or logic to analyze data and solve real-world problems beyond the level of basic algebra.	Lab assignments; Final project
Identify common mistakes and/or limitations in a.) empirical and/or deductive reasoning, and b.) mathematical, quantitative, and/or logical problem solving.	Learning checks 06 - 10; Exams 02 & 03
Interpret mathematical models, formulas, graphs, and/or tables, to draw inferences from them, and explain these inferences.	Learning checks 06 - 10; Exams 02 & 03

Materials

Access to a laptop (or less ideally, a tablet) to bring to class
Course readings will be posted on UBLearns

Technology Recommendations

You are REQUIRED to bring a laptop or tablet to class.

If you do not have a personal laptop available to bring to class, I recommend you contact the UB library to evaluate your options:

To effectively participate in this course during class and outside of class time, you should have access to a Windows or Mac computer with broadband internet connection. Your best opportunity for success will require these minimum technology capabilities listed on this UB website

Schedule

The exact topic order is subject to change [but the assignment dates will remain the same].

Week	Day	Date	Topic	Assignment Due
1	Tuesday	January 31	Welcome and frequency distributions
	Thursday	February 2	Introduction to data analysis
2	Tuesday	February 7	Measures of central tendency	LC 01 and Lab 01
	Thursday	February 9	Measures of central tendency
3	Tuesday	February 14	Measures of variability	LC 02 and Lab 02
	Thursday	February 16	Measures of variability
4	Tuesday	February 21	Sampling/Normal distribution	LC 03 and Lab 03
	Thursday	February 23	Sampling/Normal distribution
5	Tuesday	Februray 28	Sampling/Normal distribution review	LC 04 and Lab 04
	Thursday	March 2	Final Project work day
6	Tuesday	March 7	Exam 1	Final Project P01
	Thursday	March 9	Hypothesis testing preview
7	Tuesday	March 14	Descriptive tables
	Thursday	March 16	Descriptive tables
8	Tuesday	March 21	Spring Recess
	Thursday	March 23	Spring Recess
9	Tuesday	March 28	Confidence intervals	LC 05 and Lab 05
	Thursday	March 30	Confidence intervals
10	Tuesday	April 4	Hypothesis testing	LC 06 and Lab 06
	Thursday	April 6	Hypothesis testing
11	Tuesday	April 11	Data visualization	LC 07 and Lab 07
	Thursday	April 13	Data visualization
12	Tuesday	April 18	Final Project work day	LC 08 and Lab 08
	Thursday	April 20	Exam 2	Final Project P02
13	Tuesday	April 25	Chi-square
	Thursday	April 27	Chi-square
14	Tuesday	May 2	Regression and correlation	LC 09 and Lab 09
	Thursday	May 4	Regression and correlation
15	Tuesday	May 9	Regression and correlation review	LC 10 and Lab 10
	Thursday	May 11	Final Project work day	Final Project P03
16	Tuesday	May 16	Exam 3 Due at 11:59PM

What do I have to attend?

A typical week will include a new content day with a recitation (Tuesdays) and a lab day (Thursdays). I recognize the difficulty in adhering to a strict class schedule. Therefore, this course offers you flexibility to learn the course material and to complete the course requirements on alternative days/times that may work better for you each week.

New content will be provided through two modalities: in class lectures and online tutorials.
The course material will be the same, so you can choose which approach works best for you. Some weeks that may mean you come to class, other weeks you may choose to work through the online tutorials on your own time. You will not be penalized for missing class. It is your responsibility to learn the course material, but how you choose to do so is up to you.

Know that the trade-off of altering when you engage with the material (and complete assignments) is fewer available resources in terms of professor, TA, and peer support at unscheduled class times.

Requirements

Class Engagement

You are expected to actively participate in an effort to ensure your understanding of the ideas presented in the course. Your engagement grade will be based on two parts: 1) Your attendance and participation at the recitation and 2) self-assessment surveys

Recitation Participation (5%): You are expected to attend at least 5 recitations (1 point per session) and you are strongly encouraged to attend regularly. Recitations are planned time for you to review course material with the assistance of your peers and the class TA. Time will be primarily spent working alone or in small groups on your learning checks. The TA will also answer questions about the exam study review guides in the weeks before Exam 1 and Exam 2.

Self Assessment Surveys (5%): A few times over the course of the semester you will provide a self-assessment, based on a rubric and answering a few reflection questions.

The average of these self assessments will be the basis for your final class engagement grade. The Professor/TA retains the right to adjust (raise or lower) engagement grades based on their own assessments of student engagement and student logs.

Forms of class engagement in this course include:

Taking the pre and post-test surveys
Attending and participating in recitations
Forming a study group
Reading class materials
Watching and re-watching course videos
Asking questions about statistics or coding during class/recitation
Asking and answering questions about course material on the class discussion board.

Questions about class processes that are answered on the syllabus (e.g., due dates) do NOT count toward class engagement.

Learning Checks

You will complete 10 Learning Checks throughout the semester to evaluate your comprehension of the class material. These will include multiple choice questions, sometimes involve calculations, and at other times you will be asked to identify an interpretive response.

You are strongly encouraged to work on these in small groups during the class recitation. Your peers and TA will be available at that time to help complete the assignment and ensure your mastery of the material.

Your lowest grade will be dropped from inclusion of your Learning Check grade (even if it is a zero). Recommended deadlines will be given for each Learning Check but they may be turned in until the corresponding exam. I do not accept late Learning Checks after exam dates, as they are intended to help you prepare for the exam.

Learning Check	Soft Deadline	Hard Deadline
LC 01	Feb. 7th @ 11:59 PM	March 7th @ 11:59 PM
LC 02	Feb 14th @ 11:59 PM	March 7th @ 11:59 PM
LC 03	Feb. 21st @ 11:59 PM	March 7th @ 11:59 PM
LC 04	Feb. 28th @ 11:59 PM	March 7th @ 11:59 PM
LC 05	Mar. 28th @ 11:59 PM	April 20th @ 11:59 PM
LC 06	Apr. 4th @ 11:59 PM	April 20th @ 11:59 PM
LC 07	Apr. 11th @ 11:59 PM	April 20th @ 11:59 PM
LC 08	Apr. 18th @ 11:59 PM	April 20th @ 11:59 PM
LC 09	May 2nd @ 11:59 PM	May 16th @ 11:59 PM
LC 10	May 9th @ 11:59 PM	May 16th @ 11:59 PM

Lab Assignments

You will analyze sociological data using statistical software (R). These will be in the form of tutorials that you will be able to access via your web browser (no need to download or purchase software). It is strongly recommended that you use a desktop or laptop to complete your lab assignments, as viewing the content on smaller screens will create additional challenges in completing these assignments.

Your lowest grade will be dropped from inclusion of your Lab Assignment grade (even if it is a zero). Recommended deadlines will be given for each Lab Assignment but they may be turned in until the corresponding exam. I do not accept late Lab Assignments after exam dates, as they are intended to help you prepare for the exam.

Labs	Soft Deadline	Hard Deadline
Lab 01	Feb. 7th @ 11:59 PM	March 7th @ 11:59 PM
Lab 02	Feb 14th @ 11:59 PM	March 7th @ 11:59 PM
Lab 03	Feb. 21st @ 11:59 PM	March 7th @ 11:59 PM
Lab 04	Feb. 28th @ 11:59 PM	March 7th @ 11:59 PM
Lab 05	Mar. 28th @ 11:59 PM	April 20th @ 11:59 PM
Lab 06	Apr. 4th @ 11:59 PM	April 20th @ 11:59 PM
Lab 07	Apr. 11th @ 11:59 PM	April 20th @ 11:59 PM
Lab 08	Apr. 18th @ 11:59 PM	April 20th @ 11:59 PM
Lab 09	May 2nd @ 11:59 PM	May 16th @ 11:59 PM
Lab 10	May 9th @ 11:59 PM	May 16th @ 11:59 PM

Exams

There will be 3 exams offered over the course of the semester. I take your top two exam scores to calculate your final grade. Although exams 01 and 02 are not specifically cumulative, the ability to complete more complex statistical techniques rests on one’s comprehension of earlier concepts.

The final exam is cumulative. The material will cover all course material, including chi-square and regression.

Exams	Hard Deadline
Exam 01	March 7th @ 11:59 PM
Exam 02	April 20th @ 11:59 PM
Exam 03	May 16th @ 11:59 PM

Exams will be posted on UBLEARNS. You do NOT have to take the exam in class but you are welcome to do so.

The time given to complete an exam (to start and finish it) will not extend beyond the time allotted (with the exception of a documented accessibility accommodation).

Exams must be taken within time frame noted on UBLearns.
You will have 90 minutes to answer multiple choice questions.
Exams will be available on UBLearns.
Once you begin the exam, you will have to complete it in one sitting.
Exams are open note/open book but they are NOT open friends/family/classmates.

Exams cannot be postponed for any reason. Instead of personal extensions, I drop student’s lowest exam score (even if it is a zero). If you are satisfied with your grades from Exams 1 & 2, you do not need to take the final exam.

Exam reviews will take place during the class recitation prior to the exam. They will not be recorded and an answer key will not be posted. If you miss the recitation, you miss the exam review. Note, there is no exam review for the final exam.

Final Project

You will apply your new statistical knowledge and coding skills to answer a research question with data. Real world data will be provided to you for your analysis. You will employ your quantitative skills to draw inferences about a social issue. The skills required to complete the final project will be cumulative.

The project will be completed in three parts, each with a suggested due date. The final project is due at the time of the final exam.

Parts 01 and 02 can be corrected and re-submitted to be re-graded IF they are turned in by their soft due date. Final Project parts must be uploaded to UBLearns by the hard deadline. Assignments submitted in other formats or after the hard deadline will not be graded.

Final Project	Soft Deadline	Hard Deadline
Part 01	March 7th @ 11:59 PM	May 16th @ 11:59 PM
Part 02	April 20th @ 11:59 PM	May 16th @ 11:59 PM
Part 03	May 11th @ 11:59 PM	May 16th @ 11:59 PM

Grading

Grading summary

Output	Proportion
Engagement	10%
Learning Checks	10%
Lab Assignments	10%
Exams	60%
Final Project	10%

Grading scale (out of 100):

Grade	Points
A	94.00–100
A-	90.00–93.99
B+	87.00–89.99
B	84.00–86.99
B-	80.00–83.99
C+	77.00–79.99
C	74.00–76.99
C-	70.00–73.99
D	60.00–69.99
F	59.99 or below

The FX grade is given to students who have no course involvement after week 9 of the semester.

NOTE: Sociology majors must earn a C (74%).

How can I succeed?

It is critical that you remain current with the assigned reading and assignment schedule. If you have trouble with an early reading, assignment, or exam, I strongly recommend you work to understand your mistakes so that you will not fall further behind. This may include re-reading materials, revisiting old assignments, forming study groups, and asking the TA for further clarification of concepts.

Be proactive about your performance in this class! Ultimately, your grade is up to you, and is a reflection of your performance. Grades are not assigned based on actual or perceived effort.

FAQs

What if I need to contact you?

Direct emails to the TA first, unless the matter clearly needs the professor’s attention.
Start the email subject line with “SOC294.”
Use your UB email to contact your TA/Professor (emails from other accounts will not be answered).
Do not expect an immediate response.

We will make every effort to respond to emails within 24-48 business hours.

Note, under federal law (FERPA—The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), I am prohibited from discussing a student’s grades and academic record with parents.

Academic tip How to address instructors

Err on the side of formality
- For faculty (with Ph.D.s), use “Professor LastName” or “Dr. LastName” unless directed otherwise.
- Instructors without Ph.D.s usually invite you to use first names (but will likely not be offended if “Professor” slips out).
Use a formal, respectful writing style
- Include opening and closing salutations (e.g., Dear Professor Pepin; Sincerely).
- No text-speak.
Do your part in solving what you need to solve.
- Don’t ask about something that’s answered right on the syllabus.

More information can be found in this article on how to email professors.

What is the recitation?

The weekly recitation hour is an opportunity to review the week’s new material, work on practice exercises, and work on Learning Checks, Lab Assignments, or the Final Project. It is strongly recommended that you plan to complete your Learning Checks with a small study group and with the assistance of the class TA during the recitation. Exam reviews will also be offered prior to Exam 1 and 2. It is a weekly opportunity for additional support. Students who attend recitation sessions regularly tend to do better on the exams and in the course overall.

When are assignments due?

Due dates are listed on the course website. Suggested completion dates (soft deadlines) are given for the Learning Checks and Lab Assignments. Learning Checks and Lab Assignments are accepted until the date of the corresponding exam (hard deadline).

For example, Learning Check 4 will be accepted until the date of the first exam but not afterwards. This approach meant to provide a structured schedule for students who want it, but also flexibility over the course of the semester as disruptions are inevitable.

Do you accept late assignments?

Assignments must be uploaded to UBLearns by the hard deadline. Assignments are not accepted after the hard deadline has passed or if they are submitted through other means (paper copy, emails, screenshots ,etc.) or in unreadable formats.

Late Learning Checks and Lab Assignments will be accepted until the date of the corresponding exam (hard deadline), but will not be accepted afterwards.

I understand that you have a lot of other things going on in your life and that, as an adult, you are the one best equipped to decide what merits your time and attention. Sometimes, that isn’t school or even a particular class. And that’s okay. But every decision you make as an adult has adult consequences. I can’t hold each student to different standards than every other student because of the decisions you made.

Will you change my grade?

If you have a question about the grading of any piece of work, first consult with the TA who graded your work. If you cannot resolve your questions with the TA, you should consult with the instructor.

Any questions about grades on an assignment or exam must be raised within one week of the date that the work was returned to you. In other words, if you do not review your work in a timely fashion, you forfeit your right to question the grading of your work.

If you ask for your grade to be changed on any assignment, your grade may be increased OR decreased after the TA or instructor reconsiders your work. Be advised that we err on the side of being too generous, rather than stingy, during the first pass of grading. Thus, it is possible that when your assignment is re-examined, your grade might be lowered.

Can I do extra credit?

Extra credit is NOT offered out of fairness for all students in the course.
Please do not ask for opportunities for extra credit. There are no exceptions.

I appreciate that you are managing competing demands on your time and that you care about your grade. Instead of spending extra energy completing even more assignments, use it to do your best on remaining assignments.

Will you write me a recommendation letter?

Recommendation letters are generally only written for students earning an A- or better in this course. Contact the professor at least two weeks prior to the letter deadline to inquire about a letter of support.

UB Required Notices

Public Health Behavior Expectations

Students are expected to comply with COVID-19 public health behavior expectations on campus.

Academic Integrity

Students must be familiar with and abide by the university’s policies and procedures on Academic Integrity, available at: https://catalog.buffalo.edu/policies/integrity.html. In brief, do not cheat. If you are caught cheating on an exam, you will at minimum receive a grade of zero on the exam in question and will be formally reported to the university.

Accessibility Resources

If you have any disability which requires reasonable accommodations to enable you to participate in this course, please contact the Office of Accessibility Resources in 60 Capen Hall, 716-645-2608 and also the instructor of this course during the first week of class. The office will provide you with information and review appropriate arrangements for reasonable accommodations, which can be found at: https://www.buffalo.edu/studentlife/who-we-are/departments/accessibility.html.

Students taking exams with Accessibility Resources must start the exam at the same time/date as the rest of the class unless prior permission has been obtained from the professor.

Incomplete (I) Grades

I do not permit incompletes. If you suspect you will be unable to fulfill course requirements at the level you desire, please resign from the course by the deadline: April 22, 2022.

UB Portfolio

If you are completing this course as part of your UB Curriculum requirements, please select an ‘artifact’ from this course that is representative of your learning and upload it to your UBPortfolio (powered by Digication) account. Templates have been created for this purpose. Artifacts include homework assignments and exams. Your final UB Curriculum requirement, UBC 399: UB Curriculum Capstone, will require you to submit these ‘artifacts’ as you process and reflect on your achievement and growth through the UB Curriculum. For more information, see the UB Curriculum Capstone website: https://www.buffalo.edu/ubcurriculum/capstone.html.

Gender Violence

UB is committed to providing a safe learning environment free of all forms of discrimination and sexual harassment, including sexual assault, domestic and dating violence and stalking. If you have experienced gender-based violence (intimate partner violence, attempted or completed sexual assault, harassment, coercion, stalking, etc.), UB has resources to help. This includes academic accommodations, health and counseling services, housing accommodations, helping with legal protective orders, and assistance with reporting the incident to police or other UB officials if you so choose.

Please contact UB’s Title IX Coordinator at 716-645-2266 for more information. For confidential assistance, you may also contact a Crisis Services Campus Advocate at 716-796-4399.

Mental Health & Well-being

As a student, you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning or reduce your ability to participate in daily activities. These might include strained relationships, anxiety, high levels of stress, alcohol/drug dependency, feeling down, health concerns, or unwanted sexual experiences. Counseling, Health Services, and Health Promotion are here to help with these or other issues you may experience.

You can learn more about these programs and services by contacting:

Counseling Services:

120 Richmond Quad (North Campus), 716-645-2720
202 Michael Hall (South Campus), 716-829-5800

Health Services:

Michael Hall (South Campus), 716-829-3316

Health Promotion:

114 Student Union (North Campus), 716-645-2837

Change My Major

Thinking about a Major or Minor in Sociology, Criminology, Social Justice, or Society, Medicine and Health?

To major in sociology, you must:
(a) earn a “C” or better in four required courses: SOC 101 (Introduction to Sociology), SOC 293 (Social Research Methods), SOC 294 (Basic Statistics for Social Sciences), and SOC 349 (Sociological Theory); and (b) complete eight sociology electives, seven of which must be at the 300- or 400-level.

To major in criminology, you must:
(a) earn a “C” or better in six required courses: SOC 101 (Introduction to Sociology), SOC 206 (Social Problems), SOC 293 (Social Research Methods), SOC 294 (Basic Statistics for Social Sciences), SOC 307 (Criminology), SOC 349 (Sociological Theory); and (b) complete six criminology electives at the 300- or 400-level.

To minor in sociology, you must:
(a) earn a “C” or better in SOC 101 (Introduction to Sociology); and (b) complete five additional sociology electives, four of which must be at the 300- or 400-level.

To minor in criminology, you must:
(a) earn a “C” or better in SOC 206 (Social Problems) and SOC 307 (Criminology); and (b) complete four additional criminology electives, three of which must be at the 300- or 400-level.

To minor in social justice, you must:
(a) earn a “C” or better in SOC 206 (Social Problems); (b) complete an internship (SOC 496); and (c) complete four additional social justice electives, three of which must be at the 300- or 400-level.
To minor in society, medicine and health, you must:
(a) earn a “C” or better in SOC 229 (Population Problems) and SOC 322 (Medical Sociology); and (b) complete four additional society, medicine and health electives, three of which must be at the 300- or 400-level.

The Sociology Department also offers a combined BA/MA degree in applied social research. Details about all of our programs can be found on our website (http://sociology.buffalo.edu/undergraduate/).

End

Basic Statistics for Social Scientists