(Tentative Class Schedule)
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS Fall 2006  CIS 601.001- {6:00-8:45} R, OC2025
Dr. Abbas Foroughi - Office: OC3018 Office Phone: 465-1667
Office Hours: T ( 1: 45 - 3:00 p.m., 4:15 - 5:00 p.m.) and  R (4:15 - 6:00 p.m.), or by appointment
E-MAIL: aforough@usi.edu,  Homepage: http://business.usi.edu/aforough

Note:  TENTATIVE SYLLABUS is subject to change. For most up-to-date syllabus for this class, please click on the following URL: http://business.usi.edu/aforough/Fall2006/cis601f2006/c601syllf06.htm

** When you send me an email message, please always begin the “Subject” of your message with “CIS367”**

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COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is designed to prepare the MBA student to be an effective exploiter of information technology, where information technology is viewed in very broad terms—not only traditional data processing and management information systems, but also office automation, telecommunications, engineering, and scientific computing, factory automation, decision support systems, executive information systems, video, artificial intelligence, e-business and mobile business, and the World Wide Web. Students will learn to analyze the opportunities and recognize the pitfalls provided by these technologies, and effectively apply the resources (computers and microelectronics, networks, software, data, and people) that are necessary, alternative approaches to managing them. Students will be able to implement these technologies in their careers and to manage and apply information technology for strategic benefit. Students in this course typically vary widely with respect to their level of experience with, exposure to, and expertise in, information technology/information systems. The course is designed to challenge students, regardless of level of expertise/experience; facilitate the development of students’ critical thinking skills; and balance theory with practice, so that students can build practical understandings and abilities.

Required Text: Applegate, Linda M.; Austin, Robert D.; and McFarlan, F. Warren. Corporate Information Strategy and Management: Text and Cases, 7/e,   New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2007.

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072947756/information_center_view0/

Optional Text: Management Information Systems, Managing the Digital Firm, 9th Edition, Laudon and Laudon, 2006, Prentice-Hall, Inc.: http://vig.prenhall.com/catalog/academic/product/0,1144,0131538411,00.html  student self-study guide   http://wps.prenhall.com/bp_laudon_mis_9

Suggested Supplemental Readings:

Rappa, Michael. Managing the Digital  Enterprise. URL: http://digitalenterprise.org/

Turban, Efraim; King, David; Lee, Jae; and Viehland, Dennsi. Electronic Commerce: A Managerial Perspective, 2006, 4/E. Upper Saddle River, NJ: 2006. The companion website for this text is accessible at: http://vig.prenhall.com:8081/catalog/academic/product/0,1144,0131854615,00.html

You will be asked to read, summarize, and discuss various academic articles as a supplement to the text. The instructor will provide more detailed instructions in this area, as needed.

 Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism, cheating, etc., WILL NOT be tolerated.  Any student found violating this rule of honesty risks a grade of “0” for the assignment/test (at the very least) and possible expulsion from the class and/or program. Please consult student handbook for specific information in this area. All work submitted for this class should be developed solely for this class as a part of a particular assignment.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is required and expected at all class meetings. Attendance will be noted by the instructor. Poor attendance will result in a lowering of student’s final grade. We will have case discussions each time we meet, and all students are expected to participate in these discussions; absence prevents this participation. Case specific questions will likely be on the exam.

Make Up Exams

Make up exams will be given to students receiving PRIOR permission to be absent during the regular exam period. Such permission will be granted only if student demonstrates a strong need. Make up exams will likely be different (both in form and content) from the regular exam. Students will not be allowed to use regular class time for make up exams.

Incomplete Grades
Students will be given a grade of “I” (incomplete) at the end of the semester only in the event of extreme hardship. A grade of “I” is not to be used to offset poor time management skills that result in unfinished/unacceptable work.

Disability Support
Students with disabilities can receive assistance through the University Counseling Center. More information is available from the Counseling Center in OC 1022, (812)464-1867 or TDD (812)465-7072. Students are encouraged to discuss any special needs with instructor at the beginning of the semester.

LEARNING APPROACH

 I.  LECTURES (including guest speakers) and ASSIGNMENTS

The professor will act as facilitator to lecture on the major points in each chapter and will coordinate class discussions, case presentations, and direct students to appropriate resources.

II.   INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS:

A.      Reading Assignments (30 points)

The course schedule indicates the daily topics and readings. You are expected to have read all readings before the class for which they are assigned. The reading assignments will be either in the text, distributed in class, or available online.  Your reading assignment grade will be based on the amount and quality of your class participation, as determined by your instructor. Students are expected to participate in class, which means coming to class prepared to answer questions about the chapter materials (especially that contained in the review questions at the end of each chapter). Students are expected to participate in case discussions and article presentations and discussions.

B.      Five Short Cases (each worth 10 points )

Eleven short , chapter-related cases are listed on the syllabus. They are available to students as pdf files. The instructor will select and assign five of the short cases during the semester. The links for the short case files are on the syllabus.  When a short case is assigned, students should read the assigned case, prepare written answers to the questions that follow the case, and be ready to participate in discussion of the case assigned. Written case assignments must be handed in during class on the day on which the case is due.

C.  Article Presentation (20 points)

Students will locate and present one current article which describes practical applications of the topics discussed in the text, for presentation to the class. Articles should pertain to the material in the chapter being studied at the time. Students should come to agreement with the professor about the chapter for which they will find an article to present, so that their name can be listed,  and should be prepared to present the article on the date(s) on which the chapter is being discussed in class. Students should hand in a photocopy of the article and a short outline of the important points brought out in the article. In preparing presentations, students should try to go beyond merely summarizing the main points, concentrating on what makes this article relevant to the topic we are studying and the issues or problems it raises. Article presentation grades will be determined using the following standards:

C - Student read the article and presented it.

B - Good choice of article, but comments are primarily of a summary nature

A  - Good choice of article, good thought-provoking, critical analysis

Note: While content will be a major consideration for grading the presentation, grammar and organization of thoughts will also be taken into consideration.

D.  Personal Web Page: (25 points)

Students will have Internet assignments/projects, which will be explained in detail at a later date. These assignments will include:

1)        Creating your own Web Page

2)        Publishing your own Web Page

Note: Personal web pages should include at minimum a background, hypertext, links, various fonts and colors, images, and interactive e-mail. Information about creating and publishing web pages is available at the following URL: http://business.usi.edu/aforough/abbsyll.htm

E.   Term Project (each due at the end of the semester)  (100 points)

Option #1: Executive Interview:

This project requires students to arrange and conduct an interview with one or more eBusiness or IT executives. Students may choose from among the following interview topics: IS planning, IT/eBusiness Strategy, Global IT, Relationship of IT and organizational structure, and Outsourcing. Students may choose format for writing the interview results/presenting the material, but the questions must be included in the final report. The quality of the questions will impact on the grade. The written product should include: the interview questions, the answers to the interview questions, and student’s reaction to, and analysis of, these answers. Analysis and reaction will represent a significant part of student grades on this project.

Option #2: Book Review:

Read and write a review of a book of your choice. The book must pertain to some aspect of material covered in this course (Management of IT). Ideally, the book will enhance your career and/or your understanding of how information systems relate to and impact your chosen career, industry, or organization.

The book review should include two sections: description section and analysis section:

1.     The description section should be brief and should include name of book, author, publisher, pub date, comments on why you chose the book, a brief summary, author’s writing style and purpose, and your general impression of the book.

2.     The analysis section should constitute the major portion of your paper and should discuss the content of the book. You should relate the contents to class themes and discussions, to your career or work, or to contents of your text and readings.

Your grade will be determined primarily by your ability to think critically about the contents of the book and relate the contents to class or to real world experience. Choice of book, writing style, grammar etc. will also impact grade. If you are unsure about the choice of book, send me an email with title, author and a few sentences of description; I will be happy to tell you if you have chosen a book that I feel is appropriate.

F.  In-Class Written Exams (200 points)

There will be two in-class exams, including the final exam. All exams will be closed-book. The midterm exam will be worth 100 points, and the final exam, 150. Questions will be taken from the text, class discussions, case analyses, and assigned readings.

G.  Attendance  (25 Points)
Since active participation in class activities is an important component of student learning in this course, class attendance is essential and mandatory. Absences  will affect student grades in this class.
 

III. GROUP PROJECTS:

Teams will be formed early in the course based upon student preferences for the case they wish to present. These teams will work together on a case analysis and critique, as well as on a group web page. Please read the following case analysis and group web page descriptions.

A.  Group Hands-on Projects and Article Summaries (10 points each)

1. Project # 1   Analyzing Business processes. For an Enterprise System (Laudon 182)
2. Project # 2    Designing an Enterprise Information Portal (Laudon 492)
3. Project # 3  Redesigning Business Processes for Healthlite Yogurt Company (Laudon 599)
4. Article Summary (e-Business/Supply Chain..etc)   http://digitalenterprise.org/  
5. Article Summary (Security and Encryptions, Web Ethics..etc)  http://digitalenterprise.org/  

B.  One Long Case Analysis (70 points)

We will conduct numerous in-depth case analyses, using cases included in the textbook. Each group will be given one case assignment for which they will be responsible for writing and presenting to the rest of the class their analysis of the case. For each presentation, another group will be given the assignment of critiquing the case presentation.

 A problem-solving approach to case analysis will be introduced in class. For this approach, the team should take a consultant role, and assume that it was hired by the organization to:

1)    make use of your knowledge of IS  management

2)    provide an objective opinion on one or more problems

3)    provide realistic options for action for this organization

For other cases, a problem-solving approach may not be relevant, and the team should take an educator role. The case may be viewed as a "textbook example" to be critiqued in relation to other class readings and/or experience.

 Note:  These cases are not followed by discussion questions. They are designed to simulate real-world scenarios, which involve a variety of different issues.  Please use brainstorming and critical thinking to analyze these cases, including Internet searches that will yield updated information about these companies and the issues raised in the cases.. Your analysis should include your rationale for the particular solutions you propose.

     1.   Written Presentation

The text should be a maximum of 6 double-spaced pages. You should include copies of all tables, diagrams, etc. used in your presentation. The cover sheet should include team member names. Provide one copy of the entire text to the critiquing team and one copy to the instructor. Also, please make a brief summary of your analysis and recommendations and provide enough copies for the entire class.

 2.  Oral Presentation

The presentation should be your professional best, last no more than 45 minutes, and each team member should have a part. An overhead projector is always available, and other audiovisual equipment can be provided upon request.

  
C.  Team Critique of Case Presentation (30 points)

The critiquing team should read the case assigned to them very carefully and be prepared to analyze the case presentation given in class. They should not prepare a write-up of the case prior to class, since the focus is on analyzing the presentation given by the other group. There will be a 10-minute break after the oral presentation while the critiquing team prepares. During this time the other class members will complete a presentation evaluation form for each presenter.

The critiquing team should point out the positive aspects of the case presentation as well as those areas where there may be room for improvement or alternative conclusions. If a problem-solving approach was appropriate for this case, the critiquing team should evaluate the case presentation for the following:

1)        Accurate assessment of the current situation.

2)        Complete formulation of issues or problems.

3)        Technologically and organizationally sound recommendations for action.

         If a problem solving approach was not appropriate, the critiquing team should evaluate the case presentation for:

1)        Accurate presentation of the situation.

2)        Relevant application of class readings and experiences.

In either situation, if you have little to criticize you should be prepared to briefly discuss what implications you think the case has for user managers. The critiquing team should prepare a one-page summary of their recommendations and make enough copies for distribution to the class at the next class session.

D.   Group Web Page: Creating a New Internet Business (50 points) Creating-New-Internet-Business.htm

As a group, students will create a fictitious company of their choice, or they may use one of the 5 companies suggested at the following link:

Students will develop a homepage to display what the company is all about and also create the appropriate links to other related homepages. Students should prepare detailed answers to the questions listed under “Selecting an Internet Business Model and Designing a Web Strategy” in the document available at the link listed above.

Students will present the homepage to the other students in the class, discussing the target audience and the rationale/reasoning (marketing, financial, managerial, communications, legal, etc.) for representing the company the way they did on the www. Groups should use graphics and multimedia as appropriate.

Group web pages should include at minimum a background, hypertext, hyperlinks, hyperlinks to the web pages of each of the group members, various fonts and colors, images, and interactive e-mail. An

 In short:

TENTATIVE CLASS  SCHEDULE   
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS Fall 2006 CIS 601.001- {6:00-8:45} R, OC2025
Dr. Abbas Foroughi - Office: OC3018 Office Phone: 465-1667
Office Hours: T ( 1: 45 - 3:00 p.m., 4:15 - 5:00 p.m.) and  R (4:15 - 6:00 p.m.), or by appointment
E-MAIL: aforough@usi.edu,  Homepage: http://business.usi.edu/aforough

Note:  TENTATIVE SYLLABUS is subject to change. For most up-to-date syllabus for this class, please click on the following URL: http://business.usi.edu/aforough/Fall2006/cis601f2006/c601syllf06.htm

** When you send me an email message, please always begin the “Subject” of your message with “CIS367”**
Assignments are due before class

 *Above schedule is subject to change.  For most up-to-date syllabus for this class, please click on the following URL: http://business.usi.edu/aforough/Fall2006/cis367f2006/c367syllf06.htm

Students are expected to read all materials in advance of the lecture and be prepared to discuss and answer/ask questions. Students should plan on reading 1 chapter ahead.

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