CS 108 - Data Science Foundations

Fall 2025

Course Information

Instructor Information

Course Description and Outcomes

Hands-on introduction to data science for everyone, no previous experience is required. Students learn how to collect, compute, analyze, and visualize data to better understand the world in which we live.

By the end of the course, the student will be able to:

Program Outcomes

Campus Learning Outcomes

Course Modality

This is a hybrid course. We meet four hours each week in person. There is also an online component to the course, approximately one hour per week. The online component of the course may consist of readings, videos, tutorials and other activities. All assignments and announcements are posted in the course Canvas shell.

Course Resources

Textbooks

There is no required textbook for this course. All resources are free and online.

Canvas

All assignments, supplementary materials, the course schedule, due dates, and updates to this syllabus will be posted to the course Canvas shell at https://egator.greenriver.edu/

If you have any questions about the course, reading, or the homework, please post them to Canvas Discussions. This will enable you to get an answer to your questions more quickly, and also help classmates who might have the same question. If you see a question in the Discussions that you think you can answer, please do so!

Email

Check the course Canvas shell and your @mail.greenriver.edu email account daily for important announcements.

If you have questions of a personal nature, such as regarding a specific grade or scheduling an appointment, then either email me or visit me during office hours.

Tutors

There are tutors available for all Software Development classes. The tutoring schedule will be posted in Canvas under Course Resources.

Tutoring Protocols

  • It is OK to share your assignment solution with a tutor ahead of time and ask for feedback and suggestions.
  • It is OK to bounce ideas off a tutor and/or for them to suggest specific constructs for approaching a problem.
  • It is OK to go over how specific constructs work (e.g. Try stuff in a sandbox)
  • It is OK to debug your code with a tutor as long as the tutor is asking questions and not dictating exactly how to correct each mistake.
  • It is NOT OK for a tutor to "drive" by correcting or writing code for you.
  • It is NOT OK for a tutor to dictate a step by step approach to solving the problem.
  • It is NOT OK for a tutor to show you their own solution to an individual assignment.

    • Course Policies

    Late Policy

    All assignments are posted well in advance. Be sure to get an early start so that you have plenty of time to get help if you need it.

    All assignments will have a 24-hour grace period during which no points will be deducted.

    Pair programs may be turned in within one week of the due date and still receive full credit. Pair programs submitted more than one week late will receive 50% credit.

    All other assignments may be turned in up to one week after the due date for 50% credit. After one week, an assignment may receive at most 25% credit.

    No late assignments will be accepted after the last day of the quarter.

    Summary
    Assignment TypeWithin 24 hrsWithin 1 weekAfter 1 week
    Pair Program100%100%0%
    Everything else100%50%0%

    Attendance

    Regular attendance and participation are required to succeed in this course. Absences have a huge impact on your learning. If missing a class is unavoidable, you do not need to notify the instructor. Instead, ask a classmate to take notes for you, and pick up any handouts you may have missed.

    Tutoring

    There are tutors available for all Software Development classes. View the Tutoring Schedule for days, times, and locations.

    Tutors are here to support your learning, not to complete your work for you. The following Tutoring Protocols will help ensure that you maximize your learning —

    Allowed tutoring practices:

    Not allowed:

    Academic Integrity and Collaboration

    All work you submit in this course must be your own. Plagiarism, including submitting someone else’s ideas, words, or code as your own, is a form of academic dishonesty and undermines your learning. If I suspect that submitted work is not your own, I will meet with you to discuss it.

    AI tools may be used to support your learning, but you are responsible for verifying their accuracy. You may not submit AI-generated work as your own.

    Allowed uses of AI:

    Not allowed:

    The goal of this policy is to help you build real skills. Learning to write code, debug problems, and think algorithmically requires practice and active engagement. Completing your own work ensures that you develop the understanding needed for future courses and professional work.

    Collaboration is encouraged in appropriate ways. You are welcome to ask questions, discuss ideas with classmates, and seek help from tutors or the instructor. However, your final submitted work must reflect your own understanding.

    If you are ever unsure whether a particular use of AI is allowed, ask before using it.

    If submitted work is not your own, the assignment will receive a zero. Repeated violations may result in failing the course.


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    Grading

    Grading in this course consists of your demonstrated competency and professionalism. If you have any questions or concerns about a course grade, talk to the instructor within two weeks of receiving the grade.

    A passing grade consists of a 1.0 (65%) or higher.

    Grades will be converted according to the following scale:

    Decimal %
    4.0 95
    3.9 94
    3.8 93
    3.7 92
    3.6 91
    3.5 90
    3.4 89
    3.3 88
    3.2 87
    3.1 86
    Decimal %
    3.0 85
    2.9 84
    2.8 83
    2.7 82
    2.6 81
    2.5 80
    2.4 79
    2.3 78
    2.2 77
    2.1 76
    Decimal %
    2.0 75
    1.9 74
    1.8 73
    1.7 72
    1.6 71
    1.5 70
    1.4 69
    1.3 68
    1.2 67
    1.1 66
    1.0 65
    0.0 <65

    Counseling Services

    Counseling Services provides short-term mental health counseling and self-care/wellness education to Green River students. Workshops and consultation services are offered for staff, faculty, and student organizations. Services are free and confidential.

    Counseling Services are provided by licensed psychologists, social workers, and professional mental health therapists. We are here to help by providing support to explore emotional concerns, developing new awareness and skills, and mobilizing your existing strengths, qualities and abilities. While some people who seek counseling have chronic emotional difficulties, most are dealing with normal life events and are simply in need of an objective listener - someone who doesn't judge and who can help you see new alternatives.

    Please visit https://www.greenriver.edu/campus/campus-resources/counseling-services/ for more information, or to schedule an appointment.

    Financial Assistance

    Are you balancing a combination of school, work, or life? Are you working as hard as you can, but still having a hard time keeping up with bills and the rising cost of living? Green River provides access to resources to help you get by, get ahead, and stay ahead, so that you can achieve your college and career goals.

    The Benefits Hub offers one-stop financial assistance and enrollment in benefits, including:

    Visit the Benefits Hub for more information or to schedule an appointment.

    Additional Information

    For information about Accessibility, Accommodations, and Mandatory Reporters, please visit https://www.greenriver.edu/syllabus-info

    This document is available in alternative formats to individuals with disabilities by contacting Disability Support Services at 253-833-9111, ext. 2631; TTY 253-288-3359; or by email at dss@greenriver.edu.

    Green River College is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Learn more at www.greenriver.edu/accessibility.

    Visit the GRC Software Dev Student Portal at http://devs.greenrivertech.net