CUSP-207
Making Hidden Connections: Exploring Quantitative Innovation with Peers
Fall 2026 Course Information and Guidelines
Instructors: Audrey St. John (she/her), astjohn@mtholyoke.edu and
Kathryn A. McMenimen, she/her kamcmeni@mtholyoke.edu
Class meetings
Monday, Wednesday, 12 pm-1:15 pm, Kendade G06 (aka "the Visilab" in the Kendade Atrium). All meeting sessions will be used for practicing course material, problem solving, and questions.
Student Hours
Kathryn A. McMenimen (Carr G22B): Thursdays (2:00-3:00 pm, drop in only) and by appointment-see Pathways for booking details. Please try to schedule an appointment at least 1 day in advance to ensure availability.
Audrey St. John (Clapp 221): Tuesdays (1:15 - 2:00 pm, drop-in, Clapp 221) and by google appt slot.
Course Summary
Explore different factors that impact persistence when working within a quantitative setting. How can interactions with peers support learning and build resilience? This course will bring together students from different majors to practice peer mentoring across disciplinary boundaries. By leading classmates through instructional modules developed for introductory curricula, this practice will anchor individual and group reflection and feedback within a framework drawn from inclusive and effective pedagogy. Through this reflection, we may discover connections that can change how we engage with new opportunities and challenges.
Course Learning Goals
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Intentionally reflect on topics impacting inclusive pedagogy, such as: mindset, self-efficacy, and belongingness
Practice strategies for effective learning and teaching, such as: self-regulation and cognitive flexibility
Identify and hone skills for strong communication and leadership, such as: active listening and feedback techniques
Develop inclusive pedagogical modules for peer-supported learning of quantitative skills across disciplines
Explore approaches to cultivating an inclusive and welcoming community of quantitative innovation and learning
Course Structure and Expectations:
Each week we will learn and practice through in-class activities, modules, and reflection. Students are responsible for all content from the course meetings. Our expectation is that students will attend all class sessions and if this is not possible then discussion with the instructor is necessary. It will be difficult to succeed in the course without consistent attendance in class.
Requirements and Grading
The activities in the class are designed to support your learning and engagement with the material.
Pre-class reflections will prepare you to effectively engage in the course activities.
These should be completed prior to the relevant class meeting.
Homeworks will provide the opportunity to look back on course activities and deepen your learning of the material.
Late homework will be deducted 10% credit / day.
During the second half of the course, you will deliver a module to your peers on quantitative learning by using pre-existing curricula (e.g., worksheets, activities).
Prior preparation is required, and you may deliver this module with a partner.
During the second half of the course, you will design a self-contained module.
Late submissions will be deducted 10% credit / day.
At the end of the course, you will complete a final reflection with takeaways that can be shared broadly. This may take the form of a short (2-4 minute) video, a slidedeck, etc.
Late submissions cannot be accepted beyond the end-of-course deadline.
Activity
% of Grade
Attendance & Class engagement
10%
Pre-class reflections (~4)
20%
Homeworks (~3)
30%
Delivery of a pre-existing module
15%
Design a self-paced module
15%
Final reflection
10%
**Note** The syllabus and schedule are subject to changes and updates as needed. Any modifications will be announced.
Regular Attendance and Engagement Guidelines
This course was developed to align with the Academic Expectations of Mount Holyoke. It is designed to be
highly interactive, and consistent attendance and active engagement are crucial for a deep and meaningful learning experience. Your presence and participation in class activities, discussions, and small group work are essential for success.
You are permitted two absences for the course without penalty. This accounts for minor illnesses, appointments, or other personal circumstances. These two absences will not impact the attendance portion of your grade. An additional 1-2 absences will impact your grade by 5% each. For example, 4 absences will reduce your final grade by 10 percentage points (e.g., from a 98% to a 88%). Any absence beyond these 4 will result in failing the course. Simply put, if you are absent too often, you will not gain the depth of learning that comes from engaging in classroom activities.
You are responsible for communicating any absences to your instructors as soon as you are able. Remember that attending class is a key academic expectation and a vital component of your success in this course.
How does one engage in class?
When content is being presented, you may find it useful to take notes, jot down questions or think through a simple example.
When working with others, it is important to share the air- and board-space. Beyond the course material, you may be practicing small group facilitation and reporting out. Many students can feel uncomfortable with these roles. When in a facilitation role, you may report out in different formats, whichever clarifies your group's learning the most effectively. Some students use a shared google doc, including written notes and photos of the board. When you are not in a facilitator role, you should be actively contributing to your group's learning environment. Where possible, please step up and/or encourage/support your peers to take a turn if you notice they have not yet done so. This may look like writing notes or thoughts on the board or shared doc, asking a question or clarifying something that you did (not) understand.
Policy on Accommodations
In order to receive academic accommodations for a disability, students must register with the Office of Disability Services. This office will provide a letter describing the appropriate accommodations that must be submitted to the instructor at the beginning of the semester
Inclusion
Your success in this class is important to us. If you are facing challenges securing food, childcare, or housing and believe this may affect your performance in the course, I urge you to contact the Dean of Students for support. If you feel comfortable doing so, please let me know if difficulties arise and we can discuss how to make things work. Mount Holyoke College and, by extension, this course, embraces a notion of intellectual community that fundamentally depends on diversity along a number of dimensions, including race, ethnicity and national origins, gender and gender identity, sexuality, class, and religion.
Honor Code Statement and Proper Citation of Sources
For all written work in this course students are expected to adhere to principles of academic integrity and honesty as contained in the College’s Honor Code. This means that all work you submit for this course must be your own. If you do use the ideas of someone else in your written work, you must provide the appropriate citation. A useful starting point is the online tutorial
on the Proper Citation of Sources. If you ever have any questions or concerns as you complete work for this course, please contact me for clarification.
In this course, students are expected to adhere to principles of academic integrity and honesty as contained in the College’s Honor Code. This means that all work you submit for this course must be your own. If you do use the ideas of someone else in your written work, you must provide the appropriate citation. A useful starting point is the online tutorial
on the Proper Citation of Sources. If you ever have any questions or concerns as you complete work for this course, please contact us for clarification.
AI Usage Policy: Unless an activity or homework explicitly directs you to use AI, we expect that all work submitted by students will be generated by the students themselves, working individually or in groups. Students should not have another person/entity do the writing or revision of any substantive portion of an assignment for them, which includes hiring a person or a company to write assignments and using artificial intelligence tools. This includes, but is not limited to, generative AI technology, as deployed by ChatGPT, Gemini and Grammarly.
Audio/Visual Recording Policy:
To encourage active engagement and academic inquiry in the classroom, as well as to safeguard the privacy of students and faculty, no form of audio or visual recording in the classroom is permitted without explicit permission from the professor/instructor or without a letter from Disability Services, signed by the faculty member, authorizing the recording as an accommodation. Authorized recordings may only be used by a student who has obtained permission and may not be shared or distributed for any reason. Violation of this policy is an infraction of the Mount Holyoke Honor Code and academic regulations and will result in disciplinary action.
Technology and Accessibility:
If you encounter a disability-related barrier with the technology used in this class, please alert the college by using the MHC Accessibility Barriers form
(which can be submitted anonymously). You will receive contact back from a Mount Holyoke staff member. As we work towards a solution, we may share information from the form with relevant Mount Holyoke staff on a limited, as-needed basis.
Mount Holyoke College is committed to equal access and the civil rights of all of its community, regardless of ability. We remove barriers to our programs wherever they exist through systematic barrier removal and proper and timely maintenance. If you encounter a barrier with a technology platform, please help us identify them so we can remove the barriers as quickly as possible and maintain access for everyone.
Title IX/Responsible Reporter
Mount Holyoke College faculty are committed to creating a learning environment free from sex discrimination including, but not limited to, sex based-harassment; domestic and dating violence; sexual assault; stalking; and discrimination or harassment on the basis of pregnancy or a related condition, sexual orientation, or gender identity, in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
The College’s Sex Discrimination and Sex-based Harassment Policy designates all faculty members, including teaching assistants, as Mandatory Reporters. Under College policy, all Mandatory Reporters must report all disclosures of sex discrimination, including those made in relation to an assignment and/or educational prompt, to the College’s Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX Coordinator will reach out to the individual(s) reported to have experienced the discriminatory conduct to provide resources, support, and information after receiving a report, but community members are not required to respond to such outreach. Reported information will remain private.
If you have (or someone you know has) experienced any form of sex discrimination or sex-based harassment and wish to speak with someone confidentially, the College has the following Confidential Resource Providers on campus who are able to provide information and support services to individuals reporting gender-based and sexual misconduct:
Counseling Service
413-538-2037
Staff on call 24/7 during the academic year
Office of the Ombudsperson
413-538-2413
The College also offers an anonymous reporting option for those who would like to submit a report anonymously:
Anonymous Reporting
mtholyoke.edu/go/Reportincident
For more information regarding Mount Holyoke’s Title IX procedures, reporting, or support measures, please contact the Title IX Coordinator at titleixcoordinator@mtholyoke.edu or visit https://www.mtholyoke.edu/policies/sex-discrimination-and-sex-based-harassment-students-employees-policy
.
Lily Schaefer-Calderon, Title IX Coordinator
titleixcoordinator@mtholyoke.edu
Skinner Hall, Garden Level
413-538-2273