OMIS 259: Introduction to Business
Information Systems
Professor: Chuck Downing
Course meets T/Th (2:00-3:15) in BH 200 during Spring 2015.
View the syllabus on BlackBoard or ChuckDowning.com. Also
on our class web site:
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Select a 4 digit code.
Enter your preferred email address.
Answer background questions on the Web.
Register your seat.
Register clicker.
Welcome to college, welcome to NIU,
welcome to The College of Business


You’re in control. Your decisions help shape your
experience.
What do we do in OMIS 259?
 Simple
Web pages with resume
 Excel
 Access

Ground rules:
 Only
water in Auditorium!
 No talking, sleeping, reading, texting during class. If
it’s that important, don’t come.
So what is “OMIS”?


OM&IS – “Operations Management and
Information Systems”.
Watch the video:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmZqyBNuybU

OMIS 259 focuses on the building blocks of the “IS”
(Information Systems) side of OM&IS.
The Best Places to Launch
a Career
What’s Hot:
“Technology: One of the few industries to survive the downturn
relatively unscathed, tech offers some of the best pay around for
new grads”
Highest Paying Industries:
#2
#3
Technology
Consulting
“there are more job openings in IT than in any other industry
except healthcare”
IS m eans Busi ness
But many of you will not have
technology as your career…


… but rather a part of your career.
Still, YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO BE ILLITERATE.
CareerBuilder.com: 33,964 hits with
“Excel” as a keyword. Often required.
So is OMIS 259 an Excel class?


Yes and No.
OMIS 259:
 About
10% Web pages
 About 45% Excel
 About 45% Access

What’s “Access”?
A
Package in Microsoft Office which helps businesses
manage information. A “database management
system”.
I get emails like this ALL THE TIME
Just thought I would see how things are going. It is amazing how fast time flies. I've
already spent six months in Dallas and am almost finished with my six months in
Atlanta. Headed to South Carolina next…
I hope things are going well for you. Just wanted to say how glad I am that I took a
few IT classes in college. Right now I am managing the finance reporting database for
a $550 million division. I was also able to set up a 2 million line SQL database to
analyze trends in our sales from day to day. I guess the only thing I wish I knew more
of is excel macros. I keep thinking back to Dr #@#%…. And I must say everyone I
work with knows finance… what sets me apart is how quickly I can sift through all of
the data.
Anyway just thought I would drop a line. It has been a while since I have heard from
you. Hope you have a good weekend.
Regards,
TTqqrr
Financial Leadership Development Program
I get emails like this ALL THE TIME
Hi Professor Downing,
I am a former student, I took your class in Fall 2009. I am currently working at
Porsche in the Financial Services department in Lisle. I have been working with
Microsoft Access a little bit on the job and I believe I may be making an error
somewhere along the lines with my queries. Do you have a copy of the
direction for the exercises we did in class that you are willing to share with me?
I would just like to practice them in my spare time as a refresher.
Best regards,
Ashley XXyyyzz
XXyyyzz@sbcglobal.net
“But I hate computers. I’m scared.”


OMIS 259 is here to help you.
We’ll start from the beginning
 …and

move as fast as we can.
Now’s the time to “get over it”…
…
computers are going to be a part of your life!!
“But I know all of this. I’m BORED.”


No one knows everything.
 Not even your Professor.
On stuff you know, pad your grade.
 Practice
business communication.
 Get OMIS 259 points for helping classmates!!
 Take days off!!
OMIS 259 can work for all of you!
Most of you will be
somewhere in between.
How will it work for everyone?


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We’ll be in the Auditorium the first class session of each
week. I will explain concepts and give demonstrations.
We’re using the online (Web) software MyITLab
(accessed through our class web site). This is
**REQUIRED**. Purchasing the MyITLab software also
gives you two ebooks.
We’ll be in 2 Barsema labs the second class session of
each week (except this first week) to help you complete
MyITLab assignments.
BH 204 (lab across from the Auditorium, me, your Professor)
 BH 232 (TAs)

Other Stuff
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
Who am I?
Who are you?
Our web page: at ChuckDowning.com or
BlackBoard.
Class Contract
No exceptions.
 Working Technology is your
responsibility.
 Ask Dr. Downing a question whose
answer is easy to find on the class
web site, lose 5 Participation Points.
Also, you might not receive an email
response.

No exceptions.

Explanation: Class policies outlined in the syllabus, the web
page and in class are structured to be fair and lenient for
you, but also so that the instructor and the TA(s) are not put
in a position to judge which excuses are “good enough”.
Please manage your semester within those policies. Please
do not tell us why you missed class, missed a quiz, did not do
an assignment, etc. Students involved in official NIU
activities who notify the instructor of the schedule of those
activities at the beginning of the semester (e.g., athletes) must
use all available drops, etc., first, and will be given make up
opportunities beyond that. Other than that, all students are
treated the same and we will NOT give you special
consideration.
Working Technology is your
responsibility.


Clickers Explanation: In your business career, you will
be expected to keep your own technology working. If
you lose your clicker, don’t bring it to class, it runs out of
batteries, or anything else which prevents you from
answering that day’s clicker questions, you won’t get the
points for that day. Period.
Software Explanation: If your laptop freezes, certain
software required for class does not function properly
on your computer, etc., use the Barsema Hall computer
labs.
Ask Dr. Downing a question whose answer is easy to find on the
class web site, lose 5 Participation Points. Also, you might not
receive an email response.

Explanation: Emails sent to Dr. Downing containing
questions which are already answered on our web site
will cost you 5 points off of your Participation Grade. If
you ask “Can I bring a doctor’s note to excuse me from
class?”, “I forgot my clicker for the last class… how can I
get my points back?”, “What if my group member isn’t
doing any work?”, etc., you will lose 5 points. Also, you
may not receive an email response. Dr. Downing and his
TA(s) are diligent as far as responding to emails and
answering questions, but if you are asking questions
(“What’s the TA’s email address?”) whose answers are
easily available on our web page, it will cost you
points.