M.I.S.
ST. GREGORY’S UNIVERSITY
COURSE SYLLABUS, Spring 2008
COURSE Management Information Systems, BU 3173
TIME/LOCATION Monday and Wednesday, 14:30 – 15:45 BH ???
INSTRUCTOR Mayda Shorney, Ph.D., CPA
OFFICE/PHONE BH442a / 405.878.5159
OFFICE HOURS See schedule posted on my Web site, or by appointment
E-MAIL mshorney@stgregorys.edu
WEB SITE http://intranet.stgregorys.edu/people/faculty/mshorney/
COURSE DESCRIPTION FROM CATALOG:
An intermediate course examining the role information systems play in meeting the needs of decision-
makers within organizations. Emphasis will be placed on uses of information and on data resource management. The focus will be plans, acquisitions, and controls within an information system. Case
analysis will be used to simulate the design and implementation of an information system.
PURPOSE OF THE COURSE:
To enable students to understand the important role that information technology (IT) plays in customer
service, market research, financial management, product innovation, manufacturing, and so on. Indeed, the very success or failure of the organization often depends on how well it manages its information. However, greater options and technological uncertainty make it difficult to manage IT. The focus is on individuals who need to understand the role and potential contribution of IT within organizations without becoming IT experts.
OBJECTIVES:
At the conclusion of this course, the student will be able to:
; Describe the basic theories, concepts, methods, and terminology used in information systems and
communications architectures.
; Distinguish various types of business information systems existing in organizations
; Clarify how business applications have evolved from an initial emphasis on accounting data to the
current emphasis on information for problem solving.
; Demonstrate how to tailor information systems to managers based on where they are located in the
organizational structure and what they do.
; Use information systems to gain competitive advantage through the management of information as an
organizational resource.
; Explain the relationship between problem solving and decision making and illustrate the basic
problem-solving steps.
; Analyze the information needs of knowledge workers and management as well as how information
systems, such as decision support systems, expert systems, and other artificial intelligence, might aid
in the decision-making process.
; Identify, analyze, and propose possible information systems solutions to organizational problems
; Conduct an ethical analysis of an information systems issue and take responsible action.
ACHIEVING THESE OBJECTIVES:
These objectives can only be achieved through joint effort. We will work to stimulate your interest and learning in these areas, but you will be expected to display initiative and a program of self-study as
well. In that sense, a complementary objective of the course is to provide you with an environment that
will encourage and reward your own intellectual effort, while simultaneously maintaining rigorous standards that identify those who are motivated to pursue excellence in their own educational preparation for a business career.
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OUTCOMES:
; By actively participating in class discussions, each student will improve communication and
analytical skills.
; By working homework assignments, each student will improve communication and problem-solving
skills while focusing on the terminology, hardware, software, and organizational concepts associated
with information systems.
; By successfully completing examinations, each student will learn to study the appropriate materials
and demonstrate knowledge and application of techniques used in working with information systems.
; By working with a team to learn the information needs of an organization and develop an information
system (including hardware, software, installation, and training) to meet that need, students will learn
to develop an IT plan to define needs and to deliver a solution.
PRE-ASSESSMENT:
The work completed is this course helps establish a baseline measure of your skills which will be used to assess whether criteria for graduation from St. Gregory's University have been met. In addition, the data
analysis skills learned in this course form the base for your work in subsequent courses, including the Senior Capstone sequence.
PROGRAM EVALUATION:
This course is serves not only to evaluate your ability to be a graduate of St. Gregory’s University; it also
serves as an evaluation tool of the Business Science programs. As such, your evaluation of the course will not only enable improvement of this course, but will also assist the Division of Business Science to improve the programs of study in Business. Your comments will be combined with the instructors’ comments and with evaluations of your work to implement needed changes or corrections in the program.
RUBRICS:
The following rubrics (evaluation forms) will be used to determine your grades:
; Individual Case Analysis Evaluation Form
; Individual Case Analysis Presentation Evaluation Form
; Research Project Report Evaluation Form
; Research Project Presentation Evaluation Form
; Peer Evaluation Form
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY:
(approved by the SGU Board of Directors – 10/18/06)
St. Gregory's University expects its students to demonstrate integrity in their academic work. Acts violating academic honesty include:
1. Cheating on examinations, quizzes or other written work;
2. Giving assistance to or receiving assistance from another during an examination or quiz;
3. Plagiarism, defined as:
a. The use of another's published work (either through a full quotation, partial quotation, paraphrase,
or summary of an author’s ideas) without proper citation;
b. The use of another student's work as one's own;
c. The purchase, use or provision of an already prepared paper;
4. Obtaining, or attempting to obtain, copies of uncirculated examinations or examination questions;
5. Falsifying any academic record.
Students found to have committed one or more of acts 1-4 will receive an F for the examination, written
work or quiz in question, and (if deemed appropriate by the instructor) for the course. The instructor must
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then provide written notification of the incident to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. If the Vice President for Academic Affairs determines that it is not the first incident of academic dishonesty by the
student, the matter will be referred to the Academic Council. After reviewing the incident, the Academic Council will recommend to the Vice President for Academic Affairs an appropriate penalty, which may
include academic probation for up to one year, suspension for up to one year, or expulsion.
An alleged violation of act 5 will be adjudicated in accord with the student disciplinary procedures described in the SGU Student Handbook.
DISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY POLICY:
St. Gregory’s University is an equal opportunity, co-educational and Catholic institution of higher
learning. It is open to students and faculty of all faiths, and does not discriminate in admissions or
employment on the basis of race, color, gender, age, disability, religion, national origin or veteran status.
ADA POLICY:
St. Gregory’s University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act in making reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. Please present your written accommodation request to the Dean of Students prior to the end of the first week of classes.
REQUIRED TEXT AND SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS TO BE PURCHASED BY STUDENT: thMcLeod, R., Jr., and G.P. Schell. (2007). Management information systems. (10 ed.) Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson Education/Prentice Hall . ISBN 0-13-188918-4.
INTERNET RESOURCES:
Textbook Web site http://www.prenhall.com/mcleod
American Management Association http://www.amanet.org
Association for Information Management Professionals http://www.arma.org/
Data Management Association http://www.dama.org
Information Resources Management Association http://www.irma-international.org/
Association for Computing Machinery http://www.acm.org/
InfoWorld http://www.infoworld.com
PC Magazine http://www.pcmag.com
PC World http://www.pcworld.com
eWeek http://www.eweek.com/
ZDNet http://www.zdnet.com/
CNet http://www.cnet.com
METHODS OF ASSESSMENT AND STUDENT EVALUATION:
Participation Each class session 10%
Homework and cases As assigned 15%
Exams, three at 10% each As scheduled 30%
Research Project Report Team paper due by 17:00, Monday, 28 April 2008 25%
Research Project Presentation Team presentation on Wednesday, 30 April 2008 20%
TEAM:
; Will not consist of team members from one sport/activity; i.e., soccer, dance
; Will be graded by the instructor and by the team members using Peer Evaluation Form.
; Will be assigned one Research Project grade.
; A team adjustment will be assigned to team members who perform beyond or below expectations.
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PARTICIPATION:
; Attendance is recorded and reported.
; Research has shown to have a strong correlation between attendance and your course grade. ; Attending class demonstrates your ability to meet your obligations to yourself and to your class. ; Timeliness is also important; tardiness yields only 50% credit for class attendance. ; When the class meets, you need to take an active part in the discussion. This applies whether we are
meeting in a class room or in a chat room.
; Your future success depends on taking an active role, start practicing now!
; Absence will not be considered an excuse for submitting assignments late.
; Lack of attendance will not automatically drop or withdraw a student from class. Students have the
responsibility of processing a "Drop" from any class. Note: Most F's result from students ceasing to
attend the class without processing a "Drop" slip.
RESEARCH NOTES:
; Avoid “user-content” sites (for example, Wikipedia) as a research source.
; When using EBSCOHost, do not cut-and-paste the URL as your citation. Use the URL listed in the
Citation section.
; A research report is NOT cut-and-paste from the Internet. It is your summary, analysis, synthesis,
evaluation, extension of what you have learned, from research, textbooks, prior classes, and your own
experiences.
; Bibliographies include relevant material beyond that cited in the report.
; As always, give credit where credit is due. Cite sources. Cite sources properly. Use APA format. ; For APA assistance:
; APA Style Guide - M. Plonsky, Ph.D.
; A Guide for Writing Research Papers, APA-Style
; OWL at Purdue University: Using APA Format
; Reports and papers written for instructors in the Division of Business Science must
; Have one-inch margins.
; Use Times New Roman 12 font.
; Be double-spaced.
; Include name in the Header and page numbers in the Footer.
HOMEWORK:
; Will demonstrate your ability to identify and apply the course material.
; Is due prior to the start of class with that material will be discussed.
; Serves as the focus of class discussions.
; Is the basis of the material covered on the exam.
; Use Microsoft Word and/or Excel to write up your homework.
; Save the file with course, your name and chapter as the file name (for example, MIS Smith Ch 01). ; Attach the file to an e-mail and submit it to the instructor prior to the start of class. ; Will not be accepted after the exam covering that homework starts.
; Do not copy homework from other students.
; Case Analysis: Each student will
; Select a case at the end of the text chapters and prepare an analysis.
; Write a two-three page, researched analysis of the case.
; Present an 8-12 minute oral report of your findings.
; Encourage participation by all members of the class.
; Individual Case Analysis Evaluation Form
; Individual Case Analysis Presentation Evaluation Form
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EXAMINATIONS:
; Will measure your understanding of the materials studied.
; Will be given on schedule. Mark your calendars now.
; If any exam question is left unanswered, the value of that question will be subtracted from the exam
score.
RESEARCH PROJECT – REPORT AND PRESENTATION:
; Information and data for the project are included in a separate file.
; The research project will be completed by a team, and each team member will be evaluated by that
individual and by the other team members.
; The research project consists of an analysis of information systems needs of an organization and
recommendations to meet those needs.
; Include a cover memo with an executive summary.
; Use accepted problem-solving techniques:
; Determine the facts.
; Develop alternatives.
; Analyze the choices.
; Select the recommended action.
; Cite at least 5 relevant, reliable sources to support your analysis.
; Use the online resources of the St. Gregory’s Library to locate your supporting sources. ; Present the report to the class using a PowerPoint and a handout.
; Keep within 10-15 minutes for your presentation.
; Be prepared to answer questions regarding facts, alternatives, and recommendations. ; Team Case Analysis Evaluation Form
; Team Case Analysis Presentation Evaluation Form
; Peer Group Evaluation Form
COURSE OUTLINE:
The schedule is flexible. Much material is required. It is not possible for an instructor to cover all the
course material without student independent study. As students are interested in a particular topic or as
test scores warrant review, more time will be spent on a chapter, or as may be required.
Date Ch. Topic Assignment 01/15 Introduction to course
1 Introduction to Information Systems T1, P2
Case: Freeway Ford
2 Information Systems for Competitive Advantage T1, P1, P2
Case: Water Equipment Technology Company of Mexico
Case: A Day Late, and Thousands of Dollars Spent
3 Using Information Technology to Engage in Electronic Commerce T1, T2, T4
Case: A Buck More
4 System Users and Developers T3
Case: Cyber U 02/13 Exam 1
5 Computing and Communications Resources T1, T2, T3, P1
Case: Special Salmon
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Date Ch. Topic Assignment
6 Database Management Systems T3, T4, P2, P3
Case: Pets to People All teams Each team will create and present an Access database.
7 Systems Development T3, T4, T5, P1, P2
Case: Saint James Hospital
8 Information in Action T1, T2, P1, P2
Case: Great Lakes Boat and Marine 03/26 Exam 2
9 Information Security T1, T2, P1, P2
Case: Confidential Reports
10 Ethical Implications of Information Technology T1, T2, T3, P2
Case: National Foods
11 Decision Support Systems T1, T3, P1, P2, P3
Case: Heritage Homes 04/23 Exam 3 04/28 Research Project Write-up due by 17:00 04/30 Research Project Presentations 05/08 Course summary, mandatory attendance at 13:30 T = Topics for Discussion, P = Problems
The schedule will change! You are responsible for checking the Web site regularly and for
listening carefully in class as changes in the schedule are detailed.
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