The 2025 U.S. Conference on Teaching Statistics, bringing together teachers of statistics and data science, will be held at Iowa State University from Thursday, July 17-Saturday, July 19. Pre-conference activities, including workshops, start Tuesay, July 15. Register by May 1 to get the early-bird rate of $255! Learn more and register.
What is USCOTS?
USCOTS is a conference about teaching statistics, held in the United States, that brings together teachers of statistics and data science to exchange ideas about improving their teaching. The 2025 USCOTS will be held near the middle of the country, on the campus of Iowa State University. USCOTS has been held in odd-numbered years since 2005. Learn more, including about previous incarnations of USCOTS.
How broadly is "Teaching Statistics" to be interpreted?
Quite broadly. USCOTS includes "data science," "statistics," and any field that involves data. It emphasizes the teaching of undergraduates but will also be of interest to high school teachers. It will also appeal to education researchers, students, curriculum developers, educational software developers, and anyone else with an interest in the teaching and learning of data concepts and skills.
What’s the best thing about USCOTS?
The people who attend! It’s great to attend statistics conferences and conferences about teaching, but it’s even better to attend a conference where everyone has a common interest in both data and teaching. Conference organizers happily anticipate that conversations among USCOTS participants in hallways, before/during/after sessions, and at meals will be one of your highlights of the conference.
What kinds of sessions?
USCOTS features many types of sessions:
- Keynote presentations
- Breakout sessions that feature interaction between presenters/participants and among participants
- "Posters and beyond" sessions that provide an opportunity to engage with the presenter
- Exhibitor technology demonstrations
- "Birds of a feather" discussions at lunch
- Banquet presentation and awards ceremony
- "Speed mentoring" session
What does the registration fee include?
A lot! In addition to providing access to conference sessions and exhibitors, the registration fee includes four meals (dinner on Thursday and Friday, lunch on Friday and Saturday). Pre-conference events are also free for USCOTS registrants.
What are the pre-conference events?
USCOTS is very pleased to offer:
- Sixteen workshops, ranging in duration from half-day to 1.5 days
- Liberal Arts Statistics Symposium, for teachers at liberal arts colleges and those interested in such a career path, to be held on Wednesday, July 16
- Research Satellite, for statistics and data science researchers, to be held on the evening of Wednesday, July 16 and the morning of Thursday, July 17
So, what is the amount of the registration fee that includes so much stuff?
The early-bird (by May 1) registration fee is $255. Registrants from institutional members of CAUSE receive a $30 discount. After May 1 the registration fee will increase to $290.
You were doing so well at limiting the issue of acronyms to just USCOTS, but what is CAUSE?
The Consortium for the Advancement of Undergraduate Statistics Education is the organization that runs USCOTS. CAUSE is headquartered in, and generously supported by, the Department of Statistics at Pennsylvania State University. (But remember: USCOTS will be held at Iowa State, not Penn State, in 2025.)
How easy is it to become an institutional member of CAUSE?
Very easy! You just need to fill out a form, obtain a department head/chair’s signature to indicate support, and agree to serve as a liaison who informs your colleagues about CAUSE activities. There’s no membership fee involved.
What if the registration fee is too steep for my circumstances?
USCOTS encourages those for whom the registration fee would be a burden, in particular students and high school teachers and two-year college teachers, to apply for a registration grant/waiver.
Where is Iowa State University (and please don’t just say "in Iowa")?
Ames, Iowa, which is in the middle of Iowa
How can I get to Ames?
The closest airport to Ames is Des Moines (DSM). In part because ride-sharing services are not reliable around Ames, USCOTS will offer an airport shuttle between DSM and hotels/dorm in Ames. You can read more and request an airport shuttle here (scroll down).
Where can I stay in Ames?
USCOTS has reserved blocks of rooms at three hotels in Ames and offers an option to stay in a dorm room on the Iowa State campus. Read more about these options and find a form to request a dorm (scroll down). Be aware that the number of dorm rooms is limited and expected to fill up.
Can I attend USCOTS remotely?
No, but resources from most sessions will be shared freely on the USCOTS website, and recordings from the keynote sessions will be posted. Second, the Electronic Conference on Teaching Statistics (eCOTS) will be held in late Spring 2026.
Would it be okay if I let my colleagues know?
Yes, please! USCOTS will greatly appreciate your forwarding this message to colleagues at your own institution and beyond. Remember our saying that the best part of USCOTS is the people who attend? Well, please help to make that statement true by coming yourself and encouraging your friends and colleagues as well.
Who can I send my questions to?
Please send your questions to uscots25organizers@googlegroups.com.
The conference organizing committee hopes to see you at USCOTS 2025!