These policies are subject to change until the beginning of the semester and throughout the remainder of the course, at the judgment of the course staff.
All times listed on the course webpage are in Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Students can work in pairs for the homeworks and final project and only one student needs to submit the assignment on gradescope.
Tutorials and readings must be submitted independently on gradescope. We encourage students to discuss the tutorials and readings together but they must be submitted and completed independently. The tutorials are designed to help students gain familiarity with the tools and methods covered in the course.
You are not alone in this course; the course staff are here to support you as you learn the material. It’s expected that some aspects of the course will take time to master, and the best way to master challenging material is to ask questions. Please use Slack to ask questions. It is very likely that many of you will have the same questions so please post questions publicly on Slack by default. This will allow your peers to answer your questions as well. We will also hold virtual office hours for real-time discussions.
The Barnard CS help room is a great resources as well. At this point it is not clear if they will hold hours during the summer. Ideally they will but ultimately that is out of my hands. If they do, we will post the Zoom link on Slack.
The only prerequisite for BC COMS 2710 is some prior programming experience. We’ve listed classes at Barnard and Columbia that can fulfill this requirement. If you have programming experience and have not taken those previous classes, you are still welcome to enroll in BC COMS 2710. It is okay if you have experience in a programming language that is not Python, we will go over Python basics in the beginning of the course.
We will be using a collection of textbooks, papers, and online resources. The three primary textbooks for this course are:
All programming assignments will be distributed and completed on (JupyterHub)[https://coms2710.columbiajupyter2.org/]
Approved by the student body in 1912 and updated in 2016, the Code states:
We, the students of Barnard College, resolve to uphold the honor of the College by engaging with integrity in all of our academic pursuits. We affirm that academic integrity is the honorable creation and presentation of our own work. We acknowledge that it is our responsibility to seek clarification of proper forms of collaboration and use of academic resources in all assignments or exams. We consider academic integrity to include the proper use and care for all print, electronic, or other academic resources. We will respect the rights of others to engage in pursuit of learning in order to uphold our commitment to honor. We pledge to do all that is in our power to create a spirit of honesty and honor for its own sake.
More information about the honor code can be found at https://barnard.edu/honor-code
It is important for undergraduates to recognize and identify the different pressures, burdens, and stressors you may be facing, whether personal, emotional, physical, financial, mental, or academic. We as a community urge you to make yourself–your own health, sanity, and wellness–your priority throughout this term and your career here. Sleep, exercise, and eating well can all be a part of a healthy regimen to cope with stress. Resources exist to support you in several sectors of your life, and we encourage you to make use of them. Should you have any questions about navigating these resources, please visit these sites:
If you believe you may encounter barriers to the academic environment due to a documented disability or emerging health challenges, please feel free to contact me and/or the Center for Accessibility Resources & Disability Services (CARDS). Any student with approved academic accommodations is encouraged to contact me during office hours or via email. If you have questions regarding registering a disability or receiving accommodations for the semester, please contact CARDS at (212) 854-4634, cards@barnard.edu, or learn more at barnard.edu/disabilityservices. CARDS is located in 101 Altschul Hall.
All students deserve to be able to study and make use of course texts and materials regardless of cost. Barnard librarians have partnered with students, faculty, and staff to find ways to increase student access to textbooks. By the first day of advance registration for each term, faculty will have provided information about required texts for each course on CourseWorks (including ISBN or author, title, publisher, copyright date, and price), which can be viewed by students. A number of cost-free or low-cost methods for accessing some types of courses texts are detailed on the Barnard Library Textbook Affordability guide. Undergraduate students who identify as first-generation and/or low-income students may check out items from the FLIP lending libraries in the Barnard Library and in Butler Library for an entire semester. Students may also consult with their professors, the Dean of Studies, and the Financial Aid Office about additional affordable alternatives for having access to course texts. Visit the guide and talk to your professors and your librarian for more details.