Course Syllabus

EPID 640: SAS for Epidemiological Research

Lecture: Fridays 9:30-10:30 in SPH1 1755

Laboratories: 10:30-12:30 in SPH Computer Lab A (Section 2, XJ)

                         10:30-12:30 in SPH Computer Lab C (Section 3, RG)

                          1:30-3:30 in SPH Computer Lab A (Section 4, XJ)

                          1:30-3:30 in SPH Computer Lab C (Section 5, RG)

Professor:

Sara Adar

sadar@umich.edu

Office Hours: By appointment

Graduate Student Instructors:                          

Rachel Gicquelais             Xiaqing Jiang

rgic@umich.edu               jxq@umich.edu

Office Hours:                     Office Hours:

Thursday 1-2:30 (LabC)  Tuesday 3-4:30 (LabC)

 

Course Description: This course teaches the fundamentals of data management, processing, manipulation, and critical review of data in SAS for epidemiologic and statistical analysis.  Students will learn to read in raw data, merge files, recode existing variables, create new parameters, critically review data for errors, create graphics, construct datasets for statistical analysis, and interpret the output of commonly used statistical models.  As a hands-on class, students will sharpen their intuition about how to use data, read data, interpret data, and judge others' claims about data.  The course will consist of weekly lectures and computer labs, homework assignments, and two exams.

Course Materials: No text book is required. Lecture slides and SAS guides will be provided on the class Canvas site.  Other (non-required) resources that may be helpful include:

 The Little SAS Book: A Primer by Lora D. Delwiche and Susan J. Slaughter

Statistical Programming for SAS by A John Bailer

Discovering Statistics Using SAS by Andy Field and Jeremy Miles               

Prerequisites:  BIOSTAT 503 or 553 or permission from instructor

Course Goals:  As a hands­on class, this course aims to teach the basics of SAS in addition to sharpening student's intuition about how to use, manipulate, review, interpret, and judge others' claims about data.

Competencies: The competencies to be addressed by this course is to become familiar with basic aspects of field methods in epidemiology, specifically data management.

Course Requirements: This course is a hands-on class that is comprised of 1 hour of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory work each week. All laboratories will be conducted in pairs of two assigned by the GSI based on experience levels with programming. These pairs will be changed twice during the semester.  Since in-person participation is a key component of this course, credit is given for active participation (engaged learning) in the laboratory sections rather than correct answers. Homeworks will be graded for accuracy and administered approximately once every two weeks (see schedule). There will also be one in-class midterm exam (open notes) and one take home exam (open notes). The weighting of the different aspects of the course are as follows:

% of grade	Type of Work
12	Laboratory participation
43	Homework
20	Midterm exam (In person, open note)
25	Final exam (Take home, open note)

*Note: Although questions are submitted in laboratory, the laboratory grade is based on in-person participation rather than correct answers. 10 pts will be awarded for participation and 2 pts will be based on the GSIs perception of your understanding of the material. (In other words, your GSI will have the deciding vote in borderline grades.)

Classroom Expectations/Etiquette:  As the laboratory assignments will be partnered work and this is the core of this course, attendance is expected in laboratories. You will be allowed two absences to allow for illness, conference travel, interviews, etc but all other laboratories must be attended in person to receive full participation credit. Students who must miss additional classes, examinations, or other assignments as a consequence of their religious observance will be provided with a reasonable alternative opportunity to complete such academic responsibilities. It is the obligation of students to inform me with reasonable notice of the dates of religious holidays on which they will be absent. (For the complete University policy please visit: www.provost.umich.edu/ calendar/religious_holidays.html#conflicts.)

All homework assignments should be typed electronically and submitted as a paper copy in class as well as an electronic copy on Canvas before the start of class at 9:30 AM. There will be a 10% penalty applied per each extra day (or partial day) that the homework is not turned in – including weekends.  No assignments will be accepted after they are 4 days late – Tuesday at 5PM.  Reasonable accommodations will be made for emergencies, business travel, religious observances, unexpected events, or extreme illness. When possible, arrange for special accommodations with the instructor in advance.  Your homework should include your name and section number, solutions to the questions, as well as a copy of your SAS code attached to the end of your homework. Be sure to format your code so that it is easily readable (i.e., good code should have comments noting the question number and description, carriage returns in between statements, and indentation for subcommands within a DATA or PROC step). Failing to do so will result in a 5% penalty.

Homework assignments may be worked on with your peers, however, you must run all of the programs yourself and write up your own assignments.  This will make sure that you are ready to do both exams on your own. All work on exams, including computer commands and write-up, are to be done alone.

Academic Integrity: The faculty and staff of the School of Public Health believe that the conduct of a student registered or taking courses in the School should be consistent with that of a professional person. Courtesy, honesty, and respect should be shown by students toward faculty members, guest lecturers, administrative support staff, community partners, and fellow students.  Similarly, students should expect faculty to treat them fairly, showing respect for their ideas and opinions and striving to help them achieve maximum benefits from their experience in the School.

Student academic misconduct refers to behavior that may include plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, falsification of records or official documents, intentional misuse of equipment or materials (including library materials), and aiding and abetting the perpetration of such acts.  Please visit  http://sph.umich.edu/student-resources/mph-mhsa.html for the full Policy on Student Academic Conduct Standards and Procedures.

Student Well-Being: SPH faculty and staff believe it is important to support the physical and emotional well-being of our students. If you have a physical or mental health issue that is affecting your performance or participation in any course, and/or if you need help connecting with University services, please contact the instructor or the Office of Academic Affairs.

Please visit http://sph.umich.edu/student-life/wellness.html for information on wellness resources available to you.

Student Accommodations: Students should speak with their instructors before or during the first week of classes regarding any special needs. Students can also visit the Office of Academic Affairs for assistance in coordinating communications around accommodations.

Students seeking academic accommodations should register with Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). SSD arranges reasonable and appropriate academic accommodations for students with disabilities. Please visit https://ssd.umich.edu/topic/our-services for more information on student accommodations.

Students who expect to miss classes, examinations, or other assignments as a consequence of their religious observance shall be provided with a reasonable alternative opportunity to complete such academic responsibilities. It is the obligation of students to provide faculty with reasonable notice of the dates of religious holidays on which they will be absent. Please visit http://www.provost.umich.edu/calendar/religious_holidays.html#conflicts for the complete University policy.

Diversity Statement: At SPH, our mission to promote population health worldwide is inseparable from our aim to develop more effective and socially just systems for creating and disseminating knowledge. As part of this, we recognize the historical and contemporary expressions of social discrimination globally, and seek to promote and extend opportunities for members of all groups that experience such marginalization. We commit to developing the institutional mechanisms and norms necessary to promote the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, both inside and outside our classrooms. To this end, SPH upholds the expectations that all courses will (1) be inclusive, (2) promote honest and respectful discussions, (3) follow multicultural ground rules and (4 abide by UM policies and procedures.