CIS 253-01 (Fall 2013)
Database theory, practice and application development
FO 116
TR 2:00 – 3:15
Instructor:
Office Hours:
Debasish Banerjee, FO 315D, Banerjee@wcu.edu, (828) 227-3385
MW 2:00 – 3:30 or by appointment
I. Rationale/Purpose
Decisions are what run businesses. Make the wrong decision, and the business is in red. Make the right
decisions, and the business flourishes. Good decisions are supported by good data. The quality of
data and the way it is presented to the decision maker, to a great extent, helps determine the quality of
the decision made. In this course we will explore ways we can use computer applications to aid
decision making. We will find ways to convert raw data into information suitable for decision makers.
This course will provide exposure to data bases for decision making.
Corporations usually have large Information Technology departments. One of the most important goals of
these departments is to provide information to the decision makers in ways that help them make good
decisions to gain competitive advantage over others. This course will not only help the student develop
an appreciation for using database applications for decision making, but will also help develop the skills
needed to develop and implement such applications.
Catalogue Description: Theory of database design, best practices and application development to aid
good decision making while solving business problems.
Pre-requisite: None.
II. Course Aims and Objectives:

Aims:
The course is designed to be used as a stepping stone to a higher level course in Database
Management Systems (CIS 453) and use MS Access as a DBMS to present information in a way that
helps in making decisions. Students will also be able to design and implement simple single user
databases and database applications.

Specific Learning Objectives:
After taking this course, students will be able to:
Understand basic database principles (data modeling, functional dependency, normalization),
Create tables and relationships in relational databases,
Create and run queries,
Create Forms and Reports based on tables and queries,
Design and implement simple database applications,
Package and deploy applications, and
Use DML statements for queries (select, order by, group by, inner and outer joins, sub-queries)
III. Course Materials
Course readings:
 Required text(s): Kroenke and Auer, Database Processing: Fundamentals,
Design and Implementation, 12th edition, Pearson, ISBN: 9780132145374
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Background/supplementary readings. Handouts or references provided in class
Other material needed for class: External storage device (e.g., a pen/flash drive), a blank RW CD and a
professional label (for your packaged application)
IV. Faculty Expectations of Students/Course Policies

Accommodations for students with disabilities:
Western Carolina University is committed to providing equal educational opportunities for students with
documented disabilities. Students who require disability services or reasonable accommodations must
identify themselves as having a disability and provide current diagnostic documentation to Disability
Services. All information is confidential. Please contact Disability Services for more information at (828)
227-2716, lalexis@wcu.edu or 144 Killian Annex.

Academic Integrity (including plagiarism):
Western Carolina University, as a community of scholarship, is also a community of honor. Faculty,
staff, administrators, and students work together to achieve the highest standards of honesty and
integrity. Academic dishonesty is a serious offense at Western Carolina University because it threatens
the quality of scholarship and defrauds those who depend on knowledge and integrity. Academic
dishonesty includes:
a. Cheating— intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information, or study
aids in any academic exercise.
b. Fabrication— Intentional falsification of information or citation in an academic exercise.
c. Plagiarism— intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of someone else as one’s
own in an academic exercise.
d. Facilitation of Academic Dishonesty—intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help
someone else to commit an act of academic dishonesty, such as knowingly allowing another to
copy information during an examination or other academic exercise.
Instructors have the right to determine the appropriate sanction or sanctions for academic dishonesty
within their courses up to and including a final grade of “F” in the course. Within 5 calendar days of the
event the instructor will inform his/her department head in writing of the academic dishonesty charge
and sanction. Please refer to your Student Handbook for details of the redressal process.

Attendance Policy:
Class attendance is strongly recommended. It is your responsibility to attend class. If you must be
absent from class, it is your responsibility to get assignments, lecture notes, etc. for the days
missed. All assignments will be due at the beginning of the class period. Late assignments will not be
accepted and/or graded. Also, there will be no makeup assignments. If for some reason you cannot be
in class on the day an assignment is due, you should make arrangements to have it turned in on time.
You may turn in assignment ahead of time.
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I expect you to come prepared for class and participate in class discussions.
No cell phones in class. Please adhere to netiquette, etc.
Inclement weather policy as stated in the Catalog will apply.
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V. Grading Procedures:
Exam 1 / Database design
Exam II / Project in Access
Homework and Occasional Quizzes
Participation
Final Exam
Percentage of Grade
20%
20%
20%
10%
30%
100%
Max Points
100
100
100
50
150
500
Letter grades will be assigned according to the following:
96.7 – 100.0 percent
A+
93.4 – 96.6 percent
A
90.0 – 93.3 percent
A-
86.7- 89.9 percent
B+
83.4 – 86.6 percent
B
80.0 – 83.3 percent
B-
76.7- 79.9 percent
C+
73.4 – 76.6 percent
C
70.0 – 73.3 percent
C-
66.7 – 69.9 percent
D+
63.4 – 66.6 percent
D
60.0 – 63.3 percent
D-
Below 60.0 percent
F
VII. Tentative Course Schedule:
The schedule is flexible and may change. Classes will not be held during the full week of fall break
(10/7 – 10/11) and the Thursday (11/28) of thanksgiving holidays. Also class will not meet on advising
day (10/29).
Wk 1
Wk 2
Wk 3
Wk 4
Wk 5
Wk 6
Wk 7
Wk 8
Wk 9
Wk 10
Wk 11
Wk 12
Wk 13
Wk 14
Wk 15
Wk 16
Wk 17
Introduction to class policies, database management systems
Database design using normalization
Database design using normalization
Database design using Data modeling and ERDs
Database design using Data modeling and ERDs
Data modeling and transformation of models to database design (ERDs to DSDs)
Exam 1/Application development with ACCESS
Cases in Access
Cases in Access
Cases in Access
Cases in Access / Exam 2 (Project on Application Development)
Extracting data from databases (SQL - DML)
SQL - DML
SQL - DML
SQL - DDL
SQL – DDL
Final exam – Monday, December 9th, 12:00 – 2:30pm
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