Syllabus
Department of Experimental
Statistics
Summer 2006
Course Description (EXST
4087):
This
course aims to develop an extensive view of the SAS (Version 9) software
package and programming language. SAS is
by far the most accepted statistical language, and many students have found
knowledge of this language to be an essential and marketable skill in the
workplace. It is the Instructors’ goal
to expand students’ knowledge of this language, and update SAS programming
skills. Skills to be developed will
likely include, but may not be limited to, techniques for the importation of
data into SAS from external files and programs (such as Microsoft Excel),
techniques for the manipulation of data via the use of the Data Step, and
analysis techniques using varied SAS procedures (such as PROC REG).
Further,
the goal of this recitation/open discussion and laboratory section will be to
provide students a means of asking the course Lab Instructor questions
regarding materials presented in lecture and homework assignments. Hands-on assistance and training will be
provided in a relaxed environment to assist students’ learning of the
language. It is expected that students’
active participation in this recitation will assist and better their
understanding of course materials, and help them succeed in this course.
Lab Instructor:
Mr. Ryan J. Machtmes, Graduate Teaching Assistant
Office: 0059
Agricultural
Phone: 225.578.3647
E-mail: rmacht1@lsu.edu (Preferred and best method of
contact)
Web: http://www.stat.lsu.edu/faculty/geaghan/EXST4087/Summer2006/
LabSummer2006/Homepage.html
Office hours: Tuesday, Thursday
Class time:
Thursday
Location: Room
0011 Agricultural
Course Instructor:
Dr. James P. Geaghan, Professor
Office: 0067/0149
Agricultural
Phone: 225.578.8303
E-mail: jgeaghan@lsu.edu
Web: http://www.stat.lsu.edu/faculty/geaghan/jpghome.html
Office hours: TBA; or by appointment
Class time:
Tuesday,
Thursday
Location: Room
0248 Agricultural
Course Notes:
Geaghan,
James P. EXST 4087 Course Notes.
Available at Copies Too,
Quality Supplemental Texts:
Elliott,
Rebecca J. (2000). Learning SAS in the
Computer Lab. 2nd Ed. Pacific Grove, CA: Duxbury Press.
Available on-line. ISBN: 0534359256.
Lafler,
Kirk P. (2002). Power SAS: A Survival
Guide. Apress. Available on-line. ISBN: 1-59059-066-X.
Cody,
Ronald P., & Smith, Jeffrey K. (1997). Applied
Statistics and the SAS Programming Language. Prentice Hall. Available
on-line. ISBN: 0137436424.
Cody, Ronald P.,
& Pass, Ray. (1995). SAS Programming
by Example. SAS Institute. Available on-line. ISBN: 1555446817.
Delwiche, Lora D., &
Slaughter, Susan J. (2003). The Little
SAS Book: A Primer. 3rd Ed. SAS Publishing. Available on-line.
ISBN: 1590473337.
Moore, David S.,
& McCabe, George P. (2002). Introduction
to the Practice of Statistics. 4th Ed. W.H. Freeman and Company.
Available on-line. ISBN: 0716796570.
Obtaining access to SAS
software (outside of lab):
Students
may obtain access to the SAS statistical software package (Version 9.1.3)
outside of labs in several ways:
1. All LSU computer labs
(operated by Computing Services, in varied locations throughout campus), have
copies of the SAS statistical software package (Version 9.1.3), which all
students may access as needed during lab operating hours.
2. Room 0011 in the
3. Room 0071 in the
4.
Departmental Computer Usage
Policy:
The
following are regulations regarding the appropriate use of Departmental computer
resources, and will be enforced (violators, if enrolled in this course, will be
reported to Dr. Geaghan for his review and possible action):
1.
The
software loaded on the PCs and workstations in the lab is licensed to the
Department of Experimental Statistics. Copying of this software is a federal
offense.
2.
Do
not load your personal
software or data files on the PCs or workstations. All software not licensed to
the department will be removed.
3.
The
computer labs are for Departmental uses only (these uses include use by
students enrolled in departmental courses).
4.
Your
access to the labs is only for you. Do not bring anyone else into the labs. If
someone else uses your Login ID to access any of the Department's
resources, you will be fully responsible for the consequences (Login IDs for
students enrolled in Departmental course are identical to the LSU PAWS system
login IDs).
5.
No
eating, drinking, or smoking is permitted in any of the computer labs.
6.
Do
not remove manuals from
the labs.
7.
Disregard
for any of these rules will result in punitive action.
8.
Use
your resources responsibly; don't use one workstation for an extended period of
time, delete your garbage files, make sure printers have paper before sending a
job to print, etc.
SAS for Student Use:
LSU students can obtain
copies of SAS for their personal use on their computer at home, either
for doing classwork or for analyzing their research data. Students are licensed
to use SAS only as long as they are a student at LSU.
Cost is $25 per year for all
or part of a license year; the cost is not prorated. Our license year runs from
March 15 through March 14, but SAS will continue to function through mid-June.
If you wish to continue using SAS after it is due to expire, you must pay an
additional $25 per license year. Payments are applied to the license year
beginning in the year the check was written. For example, a check written any
time in 2004 is applied toward the
Students cannot pay for a
student license to install SAS on an LSU computer. Copies of SAS installed on
LSU computers must be paid for by the department at the faculty/staff price.
1.
Choose
the Custom rather than Default installation.
2.
Choose the
following components: Base, Stat, Graph.
3.
For 4085: also
Assist, Insight, FSP, and IML.
For 7003, 7004, 7005: also Assist, Insight, and Enterprise Guide.
For 7013, 7014, 7015: also Insight.
For 7034, 7036: also IML.
For 7037: also Insight and IML.
For 7087: also IML and QC.
4.
You do not need
to install any of the sample data sets/libraries.
To obtain a student copy of
the SAS
statistical software package (Version 9.1.3):
1.
Contact Ms.
Roserine White, Ag. Admin. Room 161, (rbwhite@lsu.edu,
225-578-8303) to get your name on the waiting list to check out the SAS CD set.
2.
You will be notified
by telephone or e-mail when it is your turn to get the CD set and you will pick
up the CD set in Ag. Admin. Room 161.
3.
Before you take
the CD set, you must complete a license agreement form. If you are a student,
you must pay $25 either when you reserve the CD set or when you pick it up.
4.
You may keep the
CD set no longer than 24 hours unless you make special arrangements to keep it
longer.
5.
Return the SAS CD
set to Ag. Admin. Room 161.
Course Objectives:
Upon
completion of the course, students will be able to:
1.
Understand how
the SAS statistical software package (Version 9.1.3) may be utilized to
accomplish research objectives and analyze data.
2.
Understand the
components of the SAS statistical software package (Version 9.1.3) desktop environment,
the components of SAS data sets, and varied SAS procedures and functions.
3.
Understand how
the SAS statistical software package (Version 9.1.3) Output Delivery System
(ODS) and Graphics may be utilized to generate publication-quality information.
4.
Understand basic
methods of data entry and management available in the SAS statistical software
package (Version 9.1.3) via the Data Step.
5.
Understand which
SAS analytical procedures are appropriate to use for accomplishing varied
research objectives, and why those procedures are or are not appropriate.
6.
Understand basic
SAS programming elements, and how to implement them in devising personalized
SAS programs to suit research needs.
7.
Understand how
the SAS Help System may be utilized to learn more about the use of the SAS
statistical software package (Version 9.1.3), and its functionalities.
8.
Other topics to
be determined by the Course Instructor.
Lab Requirements:
·
Lab attendance is
recommended, but not required. It is to
the student’s advantage to attend lab when possible, since topics relevant to
course exams and other, pertinent issues may be presented during the lab
session. This material WILL NOT necessarily be repeated in
other components of the course.
·
Please bring a
floppy (3.5 HDD) disk or USB thumb drive to lab on each meeting of lab. Work CAN NOT be reliably saved to the hard
drives of lab computers, and so must be saved on other media. Lab computers have been mapped to the LSU
TigerBytes electronic storage system, so students may save work to their
TigerBytes account if they lack a floppy disk.
·
It is expected
that students will treat each other and the Lab Instructor with due respect; THOSE WHO FAIL IN THIS WILL BE ASKED TO
LEAVE LAB. This decision will be made at the Lab Instructor’s discretion.
·
It is expected
that students will NOT violate the
Louisiana State University Academic Integrity guidelines, and the Department of
Experimental Statistics’ computer lab usage guide. Violations to these guidelines WILL NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, be
tolerated by the Lab Instructor, and any and all cases of such violations WILL BE immediately reported to Dr.
Geaghan for his review and possible action.
·
It is STRONGLY suggested that students e-mail
the Lab Instructor when they have questions regarding lab assignments or course
topics, at rmacht1@lsu.edu. E-mail sent to this address will be checked
often during each day, and will constitute the most reliable method of student
contact to the Lab Instructor. Unless
it is within the posted office hours of the Lab Instructor, students SHOULD NOT EXPECT to necessarily
find the Lab Instructor in his office, or that he will have the time to meet
with students. If students wish to visit
with the Lab Instructor regarding course issues outside of posted Office Hours,
it is strongly suggested and expected
that students notify the Lab Instructor IN
ADVANCE of their visit via e-mail, so that a proper appointment may be set.
·
Students may
continue to work on laboratory assignments following lab sessions within the
departmental SAS computer labs, provided that this does not interfere with the
teaching of other laboratory courses by other Instructors. However, students should NOT expect the Lab Instructor to remain in the laboratory room
following the end of laboratory sessions to assist in this process (if asked,
the Lab Instructor MAY, AT HIS
DISCRETION, remain in the laboratory room to help students). Students SHOULD
realize that staying after lab constitutes working on lab assignments
independently, and that all previously-specified procedures apply.
Academic Integrity:
All
students are responsible for observing the highest standards of intellectual
and personal honesty in every aspect of their academic careers at
Plagiarism
is an extremely serious violation of academic integrity. The Code of Student Conduct defines plagiarism as
"the unacknowledged inclusion, in work submitted for credit, of someone
else's words, ideas, or data." (5.1.D.12) Plagiarism can occur in a myriad
of forms and media. Although most commonly associated with writing, all types
of scholarly work, including computer code, music, scientific data and
analysis, and electronic publications can be plagiarized. The aim of this
section is to help students and faculty deal with the complex and important
issue of plagiarism on campus.
When
in doubt about plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting, collaboration, or other
academic integrity issues, consult the Lab or Course Instructor.
VIOLATIONS TO THIS POLICY
WILL NOT BE TOLERATED BY THE LAB INSTRUCTOR, AND VIOLATORS WILL BE REPORTED TO
THE COURSE INSTRUCTOR FOR REVIEW AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
Accessibility Statement:
If
you have special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) and need assistance in this lab course, please notify the Office of
Disability Services (112-Johnston Hall) or the Course Instructor
immediately. Reasonable efforts will be
made to accommodate your needs. An
official Request Accommodation Letter from the Office of Disability Services
must be provided by the student to the Lab Instructor to receive such
accommodations.
Special student
populations:
If
you are a student athlete, member of LSU 25+, or have other special scheduling issues
for which you need consideration in terms of lab scheduling, please notify the
Lab Instructor immediately (or as soon as such needs manifest). If the reason for the absence is deemed valid
by the Lab Instructor, and you can provide suitable documentation (as deemed
suitable by the Lab Instructor), reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate
your needs.
Note: The Lab Instructor
reserves the right to modify or revise this syllabus as he deems necessary for
the improvement of the course. It is the
student’s responsibility to be aware of the current lab schedule.