Lecture time

All lectures are pre-recorded and available from Canvas.

Precept time

We will have precept over Zoom, and you can find the link on Canvas. Here are the precept times (all times East Coast US):

COVID

This course is happening in the middle of pandemic. You will not need to be on campus for any aspects of this course. I will do my best to adjust the course to the current situation, but if you are having any difficulties because of the pandemic please let me know so that we can find a solution or develop an accomidation.

Class elements and grades

The class has four main graded elements, which are designed to promote learning and are used for assessment:

When calculating your final course grade, we will drop your lowest quiz grade and your lowest assignment grade.

Office hours

You are welcome to come to office hours without an appointment; just stop by. If you cannot come during office hours because of a scheduling conflict, please use Canvas to inbox the instructor to meet to set up another time.

Sometimes students don't feel comfortable coming to office hours so let me provide some examples of what we can talk about in office hours.

What to do if you are struggling with the class

If you are struggling in the course, you should come to office hours because we can help you figure out how to get back on track. Another complemtary form of support is the McGraw Center, and I know that students have in the past had good experiences with the learning consultants.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Required text

For the first half of the class, we will be reading the book Six Degrees: The Science of a Connected Age. I will post the chapters for the first three weeks of the class on Canvas in case you are having troubling finding the book.

Open access

I have marked open access materials with a and closed access materials with a . If you do not have access to a university library, copies of many of the closed access articles can be found through Google Scholar.

Precept philosophy

Precepts were introduced to Princeton University in 1905. The goal of the precepts was to give students "first-hand command of the leading ideas, principles, and processes of the subjects which they are studying." It is in this spirit that we will structure the precepts for this class. In other words, precepts will not be a time to repeat what was already said in lecture. Rather, precepts will be a special opportunity to learn new material in new way.

Precept conflicts

If you have a conflict during your scheduled precept, you can attend another precept. However, before doing so please email your preceptor and the preceptor of the section that you will be attending to let them know.

Ed

In this course we will be using Ed for online class discussion. You will not be required to post, but the system is designed to get you help quickly and efficiently from classmates, preceptors, and the professor. Rather than emailing questions to the teaching staff, I encourage you to post your questions on Ed. Here is our class page.

Please note that the instructors will not be on Ed between 6pm and 10am.

Certificates

This course counts towards the requirements for the Certificate in Information Technology and Society.

Late assignment policy

Your assignments are due by 11am on Wednesday. If you do not turn in your assignment on time, you can still turn it in before your precept for a reduced grade (10 percentage point penalty). After your precept, you will not be able to submit your assignment for a grade.

In exceptional situations, such as a serious medical problem, you may be granted an extension. These requests for extensions must be 1) sent to the professor before the assignment is due; 2) should cc the Dean of your college and your preceptor; and 3) include a new deadline. Only Professor Salganik can grant extensions; preceptors cannot grant extensions on assignments.

Here's an example of an appropriate email, which would be cced to the Dean of your college and your preceptor.

Professor Salganik,

Because of my concussion, I am not able to complete assignment 4 by the deadline, which is tomorrow. However, I can submit it by Monday at 10am. Can you approve this request?

Thank you, Jane Doe

In exceptional situations, it may not be possible to request an extension before the assignment is due. For example, a student may have emergency surgery, which would make it impossible to request an extension before the due date. In these extremely exceptional situations, extensions may be granted after the deadline, but again only in writing from Professor Salganik and with the support of the Dean of your college. Further, there is a statue of limitations on these extensions. You cannot request these after-the-fact extensions after a reasonable amount of time has passed.

I apologize that this policy is so complicated, but it is trying to balance 1) the need to create a wonderful learning environment; 2) the need to be flexible for legitimate emergencies; and 3) the need for fairness to all students.

Late quiz policy (added March 17, 2021)

Your quizzes are due by 11am on Wednesday. If you do not turn in your quiz on time, you will receive a 20% penalty per day that it is late.

In exceptional situations, such as a serious medical problem, you may be granted an extension. These requests for extensions must be 1) sent to the professor before the quiz is due; 2) should cc the Dean of your college and your preceptor; and 3) include a new deadline. Only Professor Salganik can grant extensions; preceptors cannot grant extensions on quizzes.

Here's an example of an appropriate email, which would be cced to the Dean of your college and your preceptor.

Professor Salganik,

Because of my concussion, I am not able to complete quiz 4 by the deadline, which is tomorrow. However, I can submit it by Monday at 10am. Can you approve this request?

Thank you, Jane Doe

In exceptional situations, it may not be possible to request an extension before the quiz is due. For example, a student may have emergency surgery, which would make it impossible to request an extension before the due date. In these extremely exceptional situations, extensions may be granted after the deadline, but again only in writing from Professor Salganik and with the support of the Dean of your college. Further, there is a statue of limitations on these extensions. You cannot request these after-the-fact extensions after a reasonable amount of time has passed.

I apologize that this policy is so complicated, but it is trying to balance 1) the need to create a wonderful learning environment; 2) the need to be flexible for legitimate emergencies; and 3) the need for fairness to all students.

Regrade policy

If you dispute the grade you received for an assignment or exam, you must submit, in writing, a detailed and clearly stated argument for what you believe is incorrect and why. This must be submitted to Professor Salganik no later one week after the assignment was returned. Requests for a re-grade after this time will not be accepted.

If you request a re-grade within the appropriate timeframe, a written response will be provided within one week of your request. This re-grade and written response is final. Please note that a request for a re-grade of a specific problem may result in a re-grade of the entire assignment. Therefore, a re-grade request may result in an increase or decrease of your overall score for the assignment. This policy is modeled after the policy of Rocco Servidio.

Grading scale

I will convert your numerical grade into a letter grade using the following scale. I will not deflate grades. Further, per university procedures, the grade of A+ will only be given in exceptional circumstances. Princeton's official grading policy is described in the undergraduate annoucement.

Letter Grade Numeric Grade
A 93 - 100
A- 90 - 92.99
B+ 87 - 89.99
B 83 - 86.99
B- 80 - 82.99
C+ 77 - 79.99
C 73 - 76.99
C- 70 - 72.99
D 60 - 69.99
F 0 - 59.99


Mental health resources

We are the middle of a pandemic; these are difficult times for everyone. If you are concerned about your mental health, you are not alone. Please get help. The Office of the Dean of the College provided me with the information below, which I am sharing with you.

"Undergraduate students may experience a range of emotional and psychological challenges that can interfere with their learning. Strained relationships, increased anxiety, substance or alcohol abuse, depression, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation are frequently responses to significant stress. Mental health concerns caused by stressful circumstances that influence your life out of class might affect the quality your academic work and otherwise impede your happiness on campus. Princeton makes available numerous services to help support you through difficult moments. You can learn more about confidential mental health services available on campus at https://uhs.princeton.edu/counseling-psychological-services. Support is available 24-hours-a-day from Counseling and Psychological Services; if your concern is urgent, this link will take you to appropriate care: https://uhs.princeton.edu/counseling-psychological-services/urgent-mental-health-concerns or you can call the Department of Public Safety at 609-258-3333."

Disability services and academic accommodations

I want you to be successful in this course, but I cannot grant academic accomidations on my own. Please follow the university rules and procedures as described below, which I have taken from suggested language provided by the Office of the Dean of the College.

"Students must register with the Office of Disability Services (ods@princeton.edu; 609-258-8840) for disability verification and determination of eligibility for reasonable academic accommodations. Requests for academic accommodations for this course should be made at the beginning of the semester, or as soon as possible for newly-approved students. I encourage students with approved accommodations to contact me at the beginning of the semester, and again before major course assessments. Please note that no accommodations for a disability will be made without authorization from ODS, or without advance notice."

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is vital to an intellectual community. I expect you to act with high integrety. Each class activity (assignment, midterm, final, quiz) will have a clear collaboration policy. I expect you to follow this policy. If I suspect cheating, I will take action. Cheating hurts you, your classmates, and our entire community. If you have any questions about what is allowed and not, please just ask; we are happy to clarify.

The Office of the Dean of the College offers more information about academic integrity.



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