Consulting Policies

Our goal is to provide you with the statistical advice and technological know-how so that you may independently analyze your data.  We focus on supporting you in your own research work; it is not our goal to do your research for you.  Rather, it is to provide direction in and understanding of your statistical analyses and the software in which you are working.

• What-We-Can't-Do
• Maximum Number of Consultations Per Semester

What-We-Can't-Do:

• Do Your Homework For You.

  • Please see your professor or TA for coursework help.

• Provide One-On-One Tutoring in Software Packages.

  • We expect you have some familiarity with the software you have chosen.
  • Should you need software training, VCU Technology Services offers free short courses in many popular statistical packages.
  • Other resources for learning statistical software include online classes, tutorials, and manuals.
  • As we provide a limited resource, the consulting office cannot provide this training for you.

• Turn Back the Clock

  • Data analysis often takes longer than people plan for; consultation often requires multiple appointments.
  • To ensure you meet your deadlines, start early and set aside sufficient time to prepare your grant request or analyze your data.

• Analyze Your Data For You

  • We will provide you with the tools and guidance, but you need to analyze your own data.

• Make Decisions About How to Analyze Your Data

  • We can suggest various analyses which can be performed on your data, as well as give the pros/cons.
  • The decision on which to use is up to you (or you and your advisor/dissertation committee).

• Write Program Code For You

  • We can guide you in what to do, suggest strategies, provide example programs, and/or help you de-bug your program. But, we will not write your code for you.

Maximum Number of Consultations Per Semester

• Student consultation appointments are limited to 3 visits per semester.    
• Students requesting additional assistance will be directed to their instructor/adviser.    
• Additional consultation time may be requested by the student's adviser by email.