CAP 5771 Spring 25

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This is the web page for Introduction to Data Science at the University of Florida.

Introduction to Data Science

CAP 5771 Spring 2025

Instructors

Dr. Laura Cruz Castro

Section EED1 Class #25378
Tuesday Period 4 (10:40 AM - 11:30 AM) NEB 201
Thursday Periods 4-5 (10:40 AM - 12:35 PM) NEB 201
Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 3pm-4pm Zoom Link
Email: cruzcastrol@ufl.edu — GitHub ID: @lcruzcas

Dr. Christan Grant

Section 1XYZ Class #26756
MWF Period 4 (10:40 AM - 11:30 AM) WEIL 0270
Office Hours: Monday 2pm-3pm, Thursday 8am Zoom Link
Email: christan@ufl.edu — GitHub ID: @cegme

Teaching Assistants

Jimmy Rao

Section 1XYZ Class #26756 and EED1 Class #25378
Email: raon@ufl.edu — GitHub ID: @JimmyRaoUF
Office Hours: 10:30 am to 11:30 am on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday Zoom ID 318 310 7482
Note: Please email first to confirm if you want to meet in person at Malachowsky Hall 5200 TA space.

Graders

Daniyal Abbasi — Email: abbasidaniyal@ufl.edu — GitHub ID: @abbasidaniyal

**Note: Any email messages to the professors or teaching assistants must include cap5771sp25 in the subject line.**

Any email without this string in the subject line will likely be filtered as junk.
You may also contact class members through the course Canvas.

Course Description

CAP 5771: Introduction to Data Science 3 Credits

Introduces the basics of data science including programming for data analytics, file management, relational databases, classification, clustering, and regression; lays the foundation for big data applications ranging from social networks to medical and business informatics.

Grading Scheme: Letter Grade

Course Pre-Requisites / Co-Requisites: Programming for Applied Data Science

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

During the course, we will also make an effort to introduce key application areas of data science including business intelligence, social sciences, life sciences, biomedical informatics, and legal analytics.

Materials and Supply Fees: $40 $0

Required Textbooks and Software

Recommended Materials

Per 8.003 Instructional materials for this course consist of only those materials specifically reviewed, selected, and assigned by the instructor(s). The instructor(s) is only responsible for these instructional materials.

Course Schedule

Attendance Policy, Class Expectations, and Make-Up Policy

Excused absences are consistent with university policies in the undergraduate catalog and require appropriate documentation.

Policy on Missed Exams and Late Assignments

Deadlines in this course are final, and submissions after the deadline will not be accepted. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to ensure that assignments are completed on time, and that you are passing all the test cases according to specifications. Exceptions can be made for significant hardships as dictated by university policy (e.g. medical issues, hurricanes, death in the family, etc) with supporting documentation.

Evaluation of Grades

  Percentage
Exams and Activities 30%
Labs 30%
Projects 40%
  100%

Generally each assignment will have a maximum value and placed in one of three categories. Your final grade will be calculated by dividing your points in each the maximum amound of points in each category and weighting each of the categories by the percentages listed above.

Grading Policy

Grade cut-offs will be at or below the scale published by the UF Grading Policy.

Grades Grade Points Percentage (≥)
A 4.0 93
A- 3.67 90
B+ 3.33 87
B 3.0 83
B- 2.67 80
C+ 2.33 77
C 2.0 73
C- 1.67 70
D+ 1.33 67
D 1.0 63
D- .67 60
Other 0 0

Policy on Regrade Requests

If a mistake was made on one of your grades, or if you feel a question on an exam was in error, you have one (1) week to bring it to our attention. This is to avoid a wave of requests for changes to be made at the end of a semester, long after that part of the class has passed. All regrade requests must be delivered electronically. In your regrade request, carefully describe why you feel that you were scored unfairly and/or incorrectly. Even if you discussed the grading issue orally with someone, the written discussion must be self-contained and be able to be evaluated based only on what is included in the emaill. Please note that when an exam/assignment is brought with grading questions, we may examine the entire assignment, and your final grade may end up lower.

Integrity Examples

Below is a selection of example situations on the border of being or not being an academic integrity violation. Note that this is not an exhaustive list, and the instructors will report any potential integrity violations https://teach.ufl.edu/resource-library/academic-integrity-at-uf/.

Use of CoPilot, ChatGPT, and other generative AI systems should be clearly declared. Any prompt used should be preserved and clearly included. Failure to do so will be considered an academic integrity violation.

Situation Integrity Violation?
Students A and B meet and work on their assignments together. Neither student prepared anything in advance, and the resulting work is identical. Yes
Students A and B create drafts of their assignment independently and get together to compare answers and discuss their understanding of the material. Each person decides independently whether to make changes that are discussed. No
Students A and B agree to prepare drafts of their assignments independently, but only Student A does. Student A shares her draft with Student B, who reviews it and offers suggestions for improvement. Yes
Students A and B agree that student A will work the even problems and Student B will work the odd problems. They share their work. Yes
Students A and B agree that Student A will work on a read function, and Student B will work on the sorting function. They share their solutions. Yes
Student A has completed a project and is helping Student B complete the same project. Student A explains to Student B what Student B’s code actually does, which is different than what Student B thinks the code does. Student B determines how to modify the code independently. No
Student A has completed a project and is helping Student B complete the same project. Student B is having trouble getting one part of the program to work, so Student A texts Student B three lines of their solution. Yes
Student A has completed a project and is helping Student B complete the same project. Student B has difficulty getting the program to work, so student A tells student B exactly what to type for several lines. Yes
Student A has completed a project and is helping Student B complete the same project. Student B has difficulty getting the program to work, so Student A suggests that Student B use a specific debugging strategy (e.g., “Print out the contents of the variable”). No
Student A has completed a project and is helping Student B complete the same project. Student A shows Student B an example program in the online textbook that will be helpful in figuring out the solution to the problem. No
Student A publishes solutions to an assignment on a public Internet page. Yes
Students A and B work on a project together. After they have finished it, student A takes the code and modifies it so the programs do not appear to be identical. Yes
Student A copies and pastes code from a public Internet page but changes the variable names. Yes
Student A uses a public Internet page to help them understand a concept and then writes their own code to implement it. No
Student A uses an AI system to generate an idea or solution without proper attribution. Yes

Important Messages

Students Requiring Accommodations

Students with disabilities who experience learning barriers and would like to request academic accommodations should connect with the Disability Resource Center by visiting https://disability.ufl.edu/students/get-started/. It is important for students to share their accommodation letter with their instructor and discuss their access needs, as early as possible in the semester.

Course Evaluation

Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online via GatorEvals. Guidance on how to give feedback in a professional and respectful manner is available at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/students/. Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens, and can complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals, in their Canvas course menu under GatorEvals, or via https://ufl.bluera.com/ufl/. Summaries of course evaluation results are available to students at https://gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/public-results/

In-Class Recording

Students are allowed to record video or audio of class lectures. However, the purposes for which these recordings may be used are strictly controlled. The only allowable purposes are (1) for personal educational use, (2) in connection with a complaint to the university, or (3) as evidence in, or in preparation for, a criminal or civil proceeding. All other purposes are prohibited. Specifically, students may not publish recorded lectures without the written consent of the instructor. A “class lecture” is an educational presentation intended to inform or teach enrolled students about a particular subject, including any instructor-led discussions that form part of the presentation, and delivered by any instructor hired or appointed by the University, or by a guest instructor, as part of a University of Florida course. A class lecture does not include lab sessions, student presentations, clinical presentations such as patient history, academic exercises involving solely student participation, assessments (quizzes, tests, exams), field trips, private conversations between students in the class or between a student and the faculty or lecturer during a class session.

Publication without permission of the instructor is prohibited. To “publish” means to share, transmit, circulate, distribute, or provide access to a recording, regardless of format or medium, to another person (or persons), including but not limited to another student within the same class section. Additionally, a recording, or transcript of a recording, is considered published if it is posted on or uploaded to, in whole or in part, any media platform, including but not limited to social media, book, magazine, newspaper, leaflet, or third-party note/tutoring services. A student who publishes a recording without written consent may be subject to a civil cause of action instituted by a person injured by the publication and/or discipline under UF Regulation 4.040 Student Honor Code and Student Conduct Code

University Honesty Policy

UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge which states, “We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honor and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code. On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: “On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment.” The Honor Code (https://sccr.dso.ufl.edu/process/student-conduct-code/) specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. Furthermore, you are obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the instructor or TAs in this class.

Commitment to a Safe and Inclusive Learning Environment

The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering values broad diversity within our community and is committed to individual and group empowerment, inclusion, and the elimination of discrimination. It is expected that every person in this class will treat one another with dignity and respect regardless of gender, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and culture. If you feel like your performance in class is being impacted by discrimination or harassment of any kind, please contact your instructor or any of the following:

Software Use

All faculty, staff, and students of the University are required and expected to obey the laws and legal agreements governing software use. Failure to do so can lead to monetary damages and/or criminal penalties for the individual violator. Because such violations are also against University policies and rules, disciplinary action will be taken as appropriate. We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to uphold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.

Student Privacy

There are federal laws protecting your privacy with regard to grades earned in courses and on individual assignments. For more information, please see: https://registrar.ufl.edu/ferpa.html

Campus Resources (Health and Wellness)

I encourage all students to wear masks or other personal protective equipment.

U Matter, We Care:

Your well-being is important to the University of Florida. The U Matter, We Care initiative is committed to creating a culture of care on our campus by encouraging members of our community to look out for one another and to reach out for help if a member of our community is in need. If you or a friend is in distress, please contact umatter@ufl.edu so that the U Matter, We Care Team can reach out to the student in distress. A nighttime and weekend crisis counselor is available by phone at 352-392-1575. The U Matter, We Care Team can help connect students to the many other helping resources available including, but not limited to, Victim Advocates, Housing staff, and the Counseling and Wellness Center. Please remember that asking for help is a sign of strength. In case of emergency, call 9-1-1.

Counseling and Wellness Center:

Visit https://counseling.ufl.edu, and 392-1575; and the University Police Department: 392-1111 or 9-1-1 for emergencies.

Sexual Discrimination, Harassment, Assault, or Violence

If you or a friend has been subjected to sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, or violence contact the Office of Title IX Compliance, located at Yon Hall Room 427, 1908 Stadium Road, (352) 273-1094, title-ix@ufl.edu

Sexual Assault Recovery Services (SARS)

Student Health Care Center, 392-1161.

University Police Department

Call at 392-1111 (or 9-1-1 for emergencies), or http://www.police.ufl.edu/.

Campus Resources (Academic)

E-learning technical support

Call 352-392-4357 (select option 2) or e-mail to Learningsupport@ufl.edu. https://elearning.ufl.edu/.

Career Connections Center

Located in ihe Reitz Union, 392-1601. Career assistance and counseling; https://career.ufl.edu.

Library Support

Visit http://cms.uflib.ufl.edu/ask. Various ways to receive assistance with respect to using the libraries or finding resources.

Teaching Center

Located in Broward Hall, 392-2010 or 392-6420. General study skills and tutoring. https://teachingcenter.ufl.edu/.

Writing Studio

Located in 302 Tigert Hall, 846-1138. Help brainstorming, formatting, and writing papers. https://writing.ufl.edu/writing-studio/.

Student Complaints Campus

Visit https://sccr.dso.ufl.edu/policies/student-honor-code-studentconduct-code/; https://care.dso.ufl.edu.

On-Line Student Complaints

https://distance.ufl.edu/getting-help/; https://distance.ufl.edu/state-authorization-status/#studentcomplaint.

Giving Quality Feedback

This page describes the types of grading feedback https://citt.ufl.edu/resources/assessing-student-learning/providing-effective-feedback/types-of-feedback/

Please note the contents of this syllabus may change without warning.

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