Spring 2008

Instructor: Charles Ellis
Course meetings:  TBA, email Professor for details
Office Number: Math Science 216
Office Phone: 744-5675        E-mail Address: chuck.ellis "At Sign" okstate.edu
Office Hours:  By appointment at URL:  http://ascalendar.okstate.edu/

Prerequisites and Support Courses:

At least one programming class.

Text Materials:

Cody, Ronald P., and Raymond Pass. 1995.  SAS® Programming by Example, Cary, NC:  SAS Institute Inc.

Course Objectives:

SAS is a programming language that was founded in 1976.  The company  is located in Cary, North Carolina and is a privately held software company.  It is used by many corporations worldwide to enable users to analyze raw data in order to make business decisions.  It serves more than 40,000 business, government and university sites in 50 countries.  You can find out more information on SAS by looking at their Web site at http://www.sas.com/ .   This class will cover these objectives: 

1. Introduce students to the main features of SAS programming
2. Learn to use SAS on the Personal Computer
3. Use the various SAS windows and commands  more effectively
4. Make  graphs using SAS/GRAPH

Brief Course Outline:

• Introduction to SAS System
• Manipulating Data

• Creating a SAS data set from raw data

• Grouping Data values

• Reading and combining SAS data sets.

• Relating information from multiple sources

• Data translation tools

• Manipulating and formatting date values

• Programming Techniques

• Arrays

• Retaining data across observations

• Presenting Data

• Writing simple reports

• Descriptive statistics and summaries

• Formatting tools

• Charting data

• Plotting data

Style/Mode of Teaching:

This course will be independent study. All programs  and labs will be listed on the web at http://www.cs.okstate.edu/cs2331/.  

Computers Used for This Class:

This course will use the PC SAS  Version 9.1  for Windows.  You may use any of the PC labs on campus to do your assignments. Some of the labs are open 24 hours a day. Others have varying hours. You can check hours and lab availability by checking the Internet for the Information Technology Division (http://www.it.okstate.edu).  Math Sciences 108 is also available to you. However, there are classes scheduled in that room during the day and you cannot use it when there are classes.

SAS now sells a book with a CD-Rom called Getting Started with SAS Learning Edition.  It can be purchased from SAS:
URL: http://www.sas.com/products/le/ or from Amazon.com.  The book and disk cost about $125.  This is the only way you can get SAS for your own machine at this time.

Final Exam Time: 

There will be no written final exam, however your assignments and projects must be complete before finals week.

Exams and Major Assignments:

Grading Procedures:

Policy on Attendance:

Attendance is not required.  Completion or required labs and programs determine the course grade.

Late Assignments:

Programs are due at the time on the assignment instructions. Five points will be deducted for each day late. Programs will not be accepted 5 days after the due date.

Lab assignments will consist of materials on how to use SAS and the various windows more effectively.  These labs will be due at the times indicated in the lab instructions. 

If you are ill or you have a valid excuse for not getting your program in on time, please call me ahead of class time and tell me.

Learning Disabilities:

If you have a special learning disability where you need different types of testing methods or other aids, you should notify me the first week of class. You must also have verification in writing from the Disabled Student Services Office in Student Union 315

Cheating and Dishonesty:

You are to do your own work on your assignments. These are NOT group assignments. If you need help, I will be glad to assist you. Do not be tempted to cheat or copy someone else's program.  You may need to know SAS for a job some day.

Important Dates for Spring 2008 Semester