CANR Statistical Consulting Center

Policies and Procedures

Access

The CANR Statistical Consulting Center (SCC) offers statistical advice free of charge to faculty and their associates (including technicians/assistants, postdoctoral fellows/researchers, graduate/undergraduate students, etc.) in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR Research) at Michigan State University and/or with AgBioResearch (formerly, the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, MAES) appointments pertinent to research and scholarly activities. Our mission is to facilitate and assist in the experimental design, statistical analysis, and data interpretation.

All other individuals may need to contact CSTAT for their statistical consulting needs.

Statistical consulting with respect to course-work (e.g., homework assignments, tests/quizzes/or exams) cannot be provided by SCC and should be sought through class instructors and/or teaching assistant(s).

Hours of Operation

The SCC is regularly open on the walk-in schedule (days and hours posted on the SCC Home page). If time permits by consultants, off-hour walk-in could be accommodated for clients. However, appointments are highly encouraged for consultation. The center is usually busy, and so those with appointments are given priority in meeting. Note that there is no guarantee for consultation in a walk-in case. Any consulting schedule can be arranged by appointment. See ‘Contact‘ or Home page for how to make appointments.

Manuals, Textbooks

The SCC provides access to computer manuals, textbooks, and other hardcopy materials. These materials can be perused during the general opening hours. The SCC does not function as a library and no materials are available for check-out.

Processing of Requests

Consulting requests are processed in the order received by SCC staff. The Consulting Assistant on-site determines whether to handle the consulting problem himself/herself or refer to a faculty member.

A consulting request is made by either of the following methods:

• Walk-in
• By e-mail
• By telephone
• Through web-based materials.

It is strongly recommended to fill out the Consulting Request Form prior to making the appointment and either to e-mail it along with an e-mail request for an appointment or to bring it to your SCC appointment.

Tracking System

The SCC uses an electronic tracking system for record keeping, administration, and performance evaluation. If a consulting project number is assigned to your request, please use this number in subsequent communication with the center.

Sending Data to the SCC

The SCC is not a data analysis office. Unless explicitly requested, please refrain from sending data sets as attachments with consulting requests. Computer files submitted electronically or provided on disk must be virus free. It is the responsibility of the sender to ensure the quality of the files.

Liability, Responsibility

The SCC does not assume responsibility for the correctness of advice given.