Green Belt Graduate Certificate
Kennesaw State University
Southern Polytechnic College of
Engineering and Engineering Technology
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The Department also offers a Graduate Green Belt Certificate for those individuals with an undergraduate
degree from an accredited institution. Course work completed in the certificate program will be credited
to the student’s official transcript as regular academic course work counting for graduate credit.
Admission in the Certificate program does not in any way qualify a student for admission to a graduate
program. Should a certificate seeking student decide to apply to the MSQA program, that student would
need to apply as outlined above.
Admission Requirements
Undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university in: Engineering, Engineering Technology,
Business, Social Science, Physical Sciences or Education. Other technical and non-technical majors may
be acceptable.
At least a 2.75 (on the 4.00 scale) undergraduate grade point average
Admissions Procedure
Applicants for the Certificate Program must submit the following to the Graduate Admissions Office in
accordance with the deadlines outlined on the Graduate Admissions Web site.
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An application for admission to the program
One official transcript from each college the applicant has attended
A certificate of immunization (distance learning waiver section signed)
A statement of purpose in seeking this degree
No letters of recommendation are required for the Certificate Program.
Course work completed in the certificate program will be entered on the student’s official transcript as
regular academic course work counting for graduate credit.
Students with an insufficient undergraduate statistics background may be asked to complete QA 5000,
Statistical Concepts in Quality Assurance (p.21 of this document) before beginning the statistical
requirements of the certificate.
Requirements
QA 6602 - Total Quality 3 Credits................................................................................................................ 4
QA 6610 - Statistics for Quality Assurance 3 Credits .................................................................................. 8
QA 6611 - Statistical Process Control 3 Credits ......................................................................................... 12
QA 6650 - Quality Systems Design 3 Credits ............................................................................................ 16
Total Required Credits: 12
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Note:
A grade of “C” or better is required for each course.
Certificate students must maintain a 3.00 grade point average to be in good standing. Should a
student drop below the minimum level of 3.00 for any semester, the student is placed on
academic probation. A student whose cumulative grade point average remains below 3.00 for
two or more consecutive terms of enrollment, but whose term average is 3.00 or higher, may
continue enrollment on probation. However, if a student on probation fails to achieve a term
grade point average of at least 3.00 the student will be placed on dismissal.
In all certificate graduate programs, a minimum of a 3.00 G.P.A. is required. No grades below
‘C’ may be applied to a certificate program’s requirements, and a maximum of 2 ‘C’ grades at
the level of 6000 or above may be applied to a graduate program’s requirements.
Students with an insufficient undergraduate statistics background may be asked to complete QA
5000, Statistical Concepts in Quality Assurance (p.21 of this document) before beginning the
statistical requirements.
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QA 6602 - Total Quality (Required Course, no prerequisite, 3-0-3)
This course is a study of the functions and responsibilities of the quality organization. TQM concepts,
quality function deployment, and the tools for continuous improvement are analyzed for sequence of use
and application. Emphasis is placed on design and performance aspects of a system-wide quality
assurance function.
QA 6602 Total Quality
Fall Semester 2014
Instructor: Bill Bailey
Office: M -122
Phone #: 678-915-7242
Email: wbailey2@spsu.edu
Class: Wednesdays 7:30 - 8:45 PM in Wimba (access through D2L)
Office Hours: Virtual: Tuesday and Wednesday 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM in GoToTraining, or by
appointment.
Please feel free to email me anytime. I usually respond to email within a few hours.
Texts: Managing for Quality and Performance Excellence, Ninth Edition, James R. Evans and William
M. Lindsay, 2014, South-Western, Cengage Learning, Mason, OH, ISBN-10: 1-285-06946-3, ISBN13: 978-1-285-06946-3
Prerequisites: None
Course Description: A study of the functions and responsibilities of the quality organization. TQM
concepts, quality function deployment, and the tools for continuous improvement are analyzed for sequence
of use and application. Emphasis is placed on design and performance aspects of a system wide quality
assurance function.
Objectives:
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will:
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Be able to recount a high level overview of the history of the quality movement.
Describe the philosophies of Deming, Juran and Crosby. Know how they differ from one another
and know how to apply each philosophy
Describe the categories of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) Criteria for
Performance Excellence and how companies use the framework of this award as a management
model.
Explain the eight quality management principles on which ISO 9000 is based, the structure of the
ISO 9000 standards, and how companies use it as a management framework.
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Explain the statistical basis of Six Sigma Quality and understand the DMAIC methodology of Six
Sigma and how companies use Six Sigma as a management framework. Understand Design for
Six Sigma (DFSS) and the differences between DFSS and Six Sigma.
Define customers and how to work with customers effectively to improve processes and services.
Explain the principles behind quality function deployment and how a “house of quality” is
constructed.
Define strategy and strategic planning. Understand techniques for strategy development and
deployment. Understand how ISO 9000 and Baldrige can be used as models for strategic
planning.
Discuss how the human resource element enables organizational effectiveness and discuss ways
in which organizations can motivate and develop their employees.
Describe the elements of launching a team and why they are important: clear purpose, goals,
commitment, ground rules, schedules, support from management, and team
empowerment. Describe the classic stages of team evolution (forming, storming, norming and
performing), understand the value of conflict, know how to resolve conflict.
Define process management and its key components. Understand why process management is
important to any business. Discuss how process management is addressed in the Baldrige
criteria, ISO 9001:2000 and Six Sigma.
Explain the prevention, appraisal, and internal and external cost categories of the cost of
quality. Understand how each category is affected by various quality, continuous or process
improvement approaches.
Use, interpret, and explain various elements of the Plan-do-study-act (PDSA) model.
Use, interpret, and explain flowcharts, histograms, Pareto charts, scatter diagrams, cause and
effect diagrams, control charts, checklists (check sheets), and affinity diagrams.
Assignments:
Reading: Students are expected to read the text or articles and to remain current with the classroom
presentations and assigned readings.
Attendance: Attendance in the weekly Wimba chat is strongly encouraged. Speakers and a
microphone will be required for the Live chats. Generally students who participate and keep current with
the course progress perform better on the assignments. The chats will be archived for reference.
Disabilities: “A student at Southern Polytechnic State University who has a disabling condition and
needs academic accommodations has a responsibility to voluntarily identify him/herself as having a
disability by scheduling an appointment with the Disability Services Coordinator as soon as possible.”
(SPSU Catalog). The coordinator can be contacted at 678-915-7244
Grading:
Letter grades will be assigned based on a course average that is computed using the following weights:
Element
Student Bio and Presentation
Live Chat Participation/Attendance
Exams (6) (50 each)
Case Study
Assignments 1, 2 and 3
Points
35
65
300
100
300
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Quality Management System Design Report
Phase II, and Presentation
Total Points
200
1000
Specific assignment instructions are in the dropbox for each assignment. All assignments are to be
submitted through the dropbox unless otherwise instructed.
The cutoff values for each grade will be made when all assignments and exam scores are recorded and the
overall averages are calculated. Typically, an average of 900 or more for the course will earn an A
(4.0/4.0), 800 or more a B (3.0/4.0), 700 or more a C (2.0/4.0), There are no Ds. An average below 700
will receive a failing grade.
For graduate classes, this is my general guideline for the grade expectations typically held for graduate
classes
A - Outstanding or professional quality work and excellent mastery of topics (e.g. think independently
about problems, apply skills to new problems)
B - Good quality work (few format errors, clear organization) and thorough mastery of topics (e.g.
recognize standard problems; apply methods to problems correctly)
C - Poor quality work and/or does not demonstrate a graduate level understanding of the material
Below C - Significant course work missing or inadequate so as not to demonstrate a satisfactory mastery
of topics
Academic Dishonesty:
SPSU has an Honor Code and a procedure for handling cases when academic misconduct is alleged. All
students should be aware of them. Information about the Honor Code and the misconduct procedure may
be found at http://www.spsu.edu/honorcode/.
All course participants (myself, teaching assistants, and students) are expected and required to abide by
the letter and the spirit of the SPSU Honor Code. If there is any way in which I can help you in
complying with the honor code, please do not hesitate to ask. I will do the same.
All Students are required to complete the Plagiarism Module and take the test and review until you score
a 100%. Many assignments will automatically be submitted to turnitin.com to evaluate for originality.
By taking this course, you agree that all required papers may be subject to submission for textual
similarity review to Turnitin.com. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the
Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism in other papers. Use of the
Turnitin.com service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com site
(http://www.turnitin.com/static/usage.html).
Additional guidelines for individual assignments will be explained with the assignment. If you have any
questions, please ask me! Penalties for academic dishonesty can include receiving a 0 on the assignment
or an F in the course. All incidents will be reported.
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Re-grades: Requests for re-grades must be made in writing (be specific) between 24 hours and 1 week
after an assignment or exam is returned.
Tentative Course Schedule:
The Course Schedule is posted separately. The homework listed is typically due at midnight the Saturday
before our class meeting.
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QA 6610 - Statistics for Quality Assurance (Required Course, no prerequisite, 3-0-3)
Descriptive statistics for discrete and continuous variables, probability distributions, confidence intervals
and hypothesis testing, elementary control charts for variables and attributes, the design of acceptance
sampling plans, analysis of variance, and regression and correlation analysis.
QA 6610 – Statistics for Quality Assurance
Fall Semester 2014
Instructor: Dr. Rhonda Freeman
Preferred Email Address: e-mail through D2L or rfreeman@spsu.edu
Office: M113B
Phone: 404-568-7504
Office hours on-campus: Wednesday 3:30-5:30
Office hours on-line: by appointment
How to Contact the Instructor
The best way to reach me between class periods is by e-mail through D2L. I will reply as quickly as
possible to questions sent over e-mail. If you would like to meet in person, it is best to e-mail me for an
appointment to be sure I am available to help you. Those with appointments will be given priority over
individuals who do not have appointments. I am also willing to meet students in our on-line classroom
throughout the week, as needed – just e-mail me for an appointment. On-line students may come to either
type of office hour.
Email Response Time
I commit to answering all emails sent in the correct format within 24 hours from the time you first
transmit the email, unless I let you know in advance of travel prohibiting me from doing so (or if I have
an emergency). This short response time includes weekends and holidays. Instructions for e-mail format
for technical questions are found in the ‘Start Here’ module, and are designed to increase efficiency of email communication for all of us. If for some reason you do not hear from me within 24 hours, please
verify the e-mail address and re-send the e-mail. Do realize that if you procrastinate or if you are unable
to find the time to work on an assignment until just before the assignment is due then I am not responsible
for answering your last minute questions just before the assignment submission deadline. When possible,
I reply much more quickly than 24 hours to student e-mails. I do realize that graduate students typically
work on their coursework in the evenings. I am typically on the computer Monday, Wednesday, and
Thursday evenings until 9PM and should be able to answer questions quickly those evenings.
Course Prerequisites
None, but QA5000 is an excellent option for students who are concerned about their mathematical or
statistical background. Please let me know if you would like information about that bridge course.
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Textbook
The textbook is ‘Statistics: Informed Decisions Using Data’ 4th edition by Michael Sullivan BUNDLED
WITH a MathXL access code. The ISBN code is 9780321919854 and it can be purchased through the
campus bookstore for $200 or through MyPearsonStore.com for $190 (free ship). Note that if you
purchase the textbook elsewhere (Amazon, for example) you would need to purchase the MathXL code in
addition for $60.50 at MathXL.com.
Calculators/Software
For the quizzes and exams, you will often want to use Excel (available in the computer labs). I will
demonstrate how to do some things in Minitab, as well, especially toward the end of the course. Quality
Assurance students will be required to purchase Minitab for future classes (6611,6612,6613) so may wish
to purchase it now to be able to use it for this course. Student licenses can be purchased inexpensively by
going to www.Minitab.com and following the links for students. You can also download a free 30-day
trial. If you are not planning to purchase Minitab, I recommend doing the free trial the last month of the
course, as that is when it will be most useful.
Course Description
The course will contain a study of descriptive statistics for discrete and continuous variables, probability
distributions, confidence intervals and hypothesis testing, elementary control charts for variables and
attributes, the design of acceptance sampling plans, analysis of variance, and regression and correlation
analysis.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course the student will be able to do the following:
1.
Given a scenario, the student will be able to develop measurable variables.
2.
Given a data set, the student will be able to identify and perform appropriate descriptive statistics
and interpret the results.
3.
Given a data set with two or more variables, the student will be able to determine if there is a
linear relationship, measure the strength of a linear relationship, and interpret the results.
4.
Given a population of data, the student will be able to select an unbiased sample.
5.
Given a set of data, the student will be able to identify the correct distribution, perform the
appropriate statistical analyses, and interpret the results.
6.
Given a data set on at least the interval scale the student will be able to construct a confidence
interval and interpret the results.
7.
Given two or more sets of data on at least the interval scale, the student will be able to perform
the appropriate hypothesis test and interpret the results.
Course Requirements
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Live Class Schedule: The course will meet on Mondays at 6:00 in our Wimba Live classroom on the
dates indicated on the Course Schedule as posted on the Course Home Page.
Pre-recorded lectures: Each week there will be a video presentation to view BEFORE the live lecture.
During the live lecture, we will mainly work problems from the chapter material.
Discussion participation: I will post a “muddiest point” question each week to gage what is most
confusing to students and choose the problems that we will go over in class accordingly. If you
understand all the material in the module, you are encouraged to post a “tip” for the other students
instead, or answer another student’s question. Students must review the module materials and respond to
the muddiest point discussion question by Sunday at 11PM ET to receive full discussion credit.
(Muddiest points posted by 8PM ET will also be incorporated into the live session, so I strongly suggest
posting by 8PM.) I will post some responses to these muddiest points in the discussion forum and others
I will just address in class instead. If you feel after the live class that your muddiest point question has not
been addressed, please bring my attention to it again so that I can do so. Extra credit will be given
replying to other students’ questions in the discussion forum beyond your one required posting.
Module assignments: Each module has a graded assignment associated with it. These assignments are
interactive, and administered through MathXL, which offers a lot of support for learning. You may
attempt the homework assignments as many times as you wish, up until the due date (which will be at
11PM ET on the Friday following the class period the material is discussed unless otherwise noted in the
course schedule). Your lowest assignment grade will be dropped. (Note that D2L is down for
maintenance starting at 9PM several Fridays during the semester, so you may wish to have a link directly
to MathXL saved in your internet bookmarks.)
Exams: The two exams and final exam will be a mixture of fill in the blank (similar to your MathXL
assignments) and short-answer with partial credit. More information will be available closer to the exam
dates. I do not provide help on the material during the time the exam is available, so make sure that you
ask your questions in advance!
Grading Policy
Your final grade in this course will be determined using the following weights for each component of this
course:
Component
Weekly assignments (lowest dropped)
Discussion participation
First two exams, each 22.5%
Final exam (cumulative)
Attendance Policy
Weight
15%
10%
45%
30%
Attendance to the live portion of the course is STRONGLY recommended. Students who miss class for
any reason are NOT exempt from the material covered during the class period(s) the student misses. The
instructor is NOT responsible for assisting the student to catch up on class material when the student is
absent from class. I will attempt to “archive” the live presentations on-line for students to view.
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Late Assignment Policy
The instructor does NOT accept late assignments or exams. You are responsible for ensuring that you
submit your exams correctly and that you attempt the homework with adequate time remaining.
AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT ON-LINE CLASSES
Students who do well in online courses KEEP UP with the material. It is IMPERATIVE that you remain
organized and complete work on time.
Disruptive Behavior and Academic Dishonesty
From the SPSU Catalog: “A faculty member reserves the right to remove any student from his or her
course if the student’s behavior is of a disruptive nature or if there is evidence of academic dishonesty.”
Any type of Academic Dishonesty by a student may result in the student being expelled from the course
and the student receiving a grade of “F” in the course. This grade of “F” will appear on the student’s
official SPSU transcript. If the student has a repeated history of Academic Dishonesty at SPSU then the
student may also be expelled from the University.
Disability Statement
From the SPSU Catalog: “A student at Southern Polytechnic State University who has a disabling
condition and needs academic accommodation has a responsibility to voluntarily identify him/herself as
having a disability by scheduling an appointment with the Disability Services Coordinator as soon as
possible.”
Professional Behavior
All students are expected to abide by the professional ethical behavior standards published in the SPSU
catalog.
Contact Information for Technical or Academic Issues
If you have a technical problem with this software, please visit the GeorgiaVIEW Online Support Center
for assistance. http://help8.view.usg.edu/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=8075
If you have an academic issue then please ask your instructor for assistance.
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QA 6611 - Statistical Process Control (Required Course, Prerequisite: A course in statistics, such as
MATH 2260, IET 3403 or QA 6610, 3-0-3)
The application of advanced statistical methodologies to the analysis and solution of quality and
management problems, including probability theory, control charts, sampling, regression analysis, and
design of experiments. The focus is on statistical process control and related quality technologies.
QA 6611 Statistical Process Control
Fall 2014
Online Course
Southern Polytechnic State University
Syllabus Posted Date: August 8th, 2014
Course Goals
Course Goals
The goals of Quality Control are to apply statistical methods to improve process
monitoring, precision, and capability. Quality control methods are powerful tools
that engineers use in order to provide a consistent basis for when to take action
(change or adjust the process) and to set goals based on process performance.
These methods are key components to process related problem solutions.
Instructor
Name
Rhonda Freeman, Ph.D.
Email
Use D2L email (preferred), or rfreeman@spsu.edu (only when D2L has technical
issues)
Biography
Instructor Bio:
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Part Time Professor for SPSU, 2010-present.
30+ years in the field of modeling and simulation, systems engineering
and information technology
Principal Data Scientist at AutoTrader.com
6 years active duty in the US Navy, Oceanographic Watch Officer
Course Information
Course title
Statistical Process Control
Course number
QA6611
Course description In this online course, students will explore topics related to Statistical Process
Control including Control Charts, Process Capability, Repeatability and
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Reproducibility, EWMA, Auto-correlated Processes, Six Sigma Processes, and
Acceptance Sampling.
Course date
Fall 2014
Location
Online
Meeting day(s)
Thursdays, per the course schedule
Meeting time(s)
7:30 – 8:45 pm eastern time on Horizon Wimba Live Chat
Prerequisite(s)
QA6602,QA6610
Learning Outcomes
Students will be
able to
1. Design and implement an appropriate statistical Process Control scheme in
a manufacturing or service industry setting. Control Charts covered in this
course include (but are not exclusive to):
a. Control Charts for Variables
b. Control charts for individual measurements
c. Control Charts for Attributes
d. EWMA Charts
e. Control charts for auto-correlated data
f. Control Charts for Six Sigma Processes
2. Assess the capability of a process and set appropriate process goals
accordingly.
3. Perform Repeatability and Reproducibility Analyses in order to assess the
measurement system.
4. Design and evaluate an Acceptance Sampling scheme.
Policies/Grading
Introduction
Based upon the goals of this course, final grades will be determined by the
following methodology:
Grading:
The following grading requirements have been established for this course.
Grading Element
Student Bio
Participation
Quizzes
Projects
Exams (2)
Final Exam
Total
Points
35
65
120
120
200 *2 = 400
260
1000
The grading scheme used for the final grade in the course is as follows:
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A
B
C
D
F
900 – 1000 points
800 – 899 points
700 – 799 points
600 – 699 points
599 points and below
Academic dishonesty will result in an automatic zero grade for an assignment, and
may also result in a failing grade for the course, or dismissal from the MSQA
program.
The class is categorized into modules. Each module covers one or more chapters
in the book. Each module contains supplemental material to the text and all
assignments including problems from the text, discussion questions, short quizzes
and/or projects. To complete the module, you must take the quiz by the due
date/time. Failure to do so results in a 0 for that Module Quiz. No exceptions!
The class course schedule is posted on the course website. Be sure that you find
and are aware of the calendar due dates. You are responsible for knowing when
assignments are due.
Each module contains a presentation as supplementary material. It contains
material in the text and material not in the text as well as more examples. You are
required to know the material in the text. The supplemental material is NOT a
substitute for the textbook. Most of the equations you will need for the course are
found in the textbook.
Assignments can be found in the module on one file. Textbook problems do not
have to be turned in, but it is important to do them before the quiz. There are two
projects in this course, and they can be found in the assignments tab (when we are
working on their modules).
The two during the semester exams and final exam are take-home. You will have
several days to do them. Failure to turn them in to me by the due date and time
will result in a 0. Plan ahead!
You may collaborate on the textbook problems, but you may not discuss the
projects, quizzes, tests, or final with anyone in the class before they have been
graded.
Chats are held during the class meeting day and time (see above). You are
expected to have read the chapter before the chat. Use the course schedule to
determine the appropriate chapter. Lack of quality participation can result in a
poor participation grade for the entire class that night.
Textbooks
Required reading
Montgomery, Douglas. Introduction to Statistical Quality Control 7th edition,
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2013.
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Software
Required Software Microsoft Excel and Minitab 15 or higher*
*Earlier versions of Minitab do not have the same tools we will use for Gage
Analyses, so make sure you have access to version 15.
Professional Behavior
All students are expected to abide by the professional ethical behavior standards as contained under the
Student Life Regulations of the Graduate Catalog of SPSU and of those published by the American
Society for Quality. This includes all individual work being completed individually by the student
registered for the course and all sources acknowledged within all written work and communications.
ADA Accommodations
Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to
contact the counselor working with disabilities at 678-915-7226 as soon as possible to better ensure that
such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
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QA 6650 - Quality Systems Design (Required Course, prerequisite QA 6602, 3-0-3)
Quality Systems Design prepares students for the development of the quality organization, systems, and
procedures necessary for effective participation in world markets. Creating and documenting methods and
procedures are stressed.
Quality Systems Design QA6650
FL 2014
Dr. Kenneth W. Jackson
Professional Background:
30+ Years AT&T/Bell Telephone LaboratoriesFiber Optics Communication Systems R&D/Manufacturing
Registered Professional Engineer-Georgia
ASQ, ASME, ASEE
Academic Background:
Ph.D. ME, MSME, MSIE-OR: Georgia Institute of Technology
BSME: Auburn University
Taught at SPSU for 10 Years & 1 Year at Georgia Tech
Email: kjackso3@spsu.edu
Phone: 678-915-3518
Office: M-118
Tentative Office Hours: 3-5:30PM and as needed per appointment in Wimba Live Classroom
Course Communications/Correspondence:
Course lectures will be held via the Wimba Live Classroom and will be archived. You will need an
inexpensive headset with earphone that is equipped with a microphone and a high-speed internet
connection to participate in the Live Classroom. Having a suitable headset and microphone is important
for the sound quality of any presentation you are required to make. The headsets are very inexpensive and
if needed can be purchased at Staples, Wal-Mart etc. Without the headset, if you try to address the class
there can be a lot of highly distracting noise and feedback during a presentation. Students should use D2L
mail to communicate with professor. I will reply to brief Email questions of an individual nature,
typically within one business day. I generally have found that the D2L news tool is the most efficient and
effective way to communicate with the entire class. If one student has a general question usually others
will have the same one so I may answer your question via the news tool. If you have questions, it is
always a good idea to review past news to see if the question has already been answered.
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Please set your web browser to allow pop ups on the course Webpage so you will be alerted
automatically of the announcements when you login. Also run browser check, update JAVA etc. before
using Wimba.
If your question/message is lengthy or may involve multiple Email exchanges, I recommend you schedule
a live conference in Wimba Live Classroom with the professor. If you wish to make an online
appointment with the professor then you should make the appointment by Email at least 24 hours in
advance. I will confirm your appointment by Email. Students, faculty and other individuals who have
appointments will have priority over individuals who do not have an appointment. Like most of you, I do
not play phone tag too well and do routine communication mostly via my PC. Please use the D2L Email
instead of the SPSU Email
D2L URL, User ID, and Passwords:
What is the URL to the D2L login page? http://spsu.view.usg.edu/
What is my D2L user ID?
Your new D2L user ID will be the same as your SPSU Email prefix (everything before @spsu.edu). An
example of a user ID: “JohnDoe@spsu.edu”.
What is my D2L password? This will be your BANNER PIN.
Course Materials
Primary Textbook Required:
Frank M. Gryna, Quality Planning & Analysis, From Product Development Through Use, 4th Edition,
McGraw Hill, 2001. ISBN 0-07-039368-0
Most recent edition (see below) is ok too:
Frank M. Gryna, Richard Chua, Joseph DeFeo, Quality Planning & Analysis for Enterprise Quality, 5th
Edition, McGraw Hill, 2007. ISBN 0-07-296662-9
Excellent Reference Text (Not Required): Juran on Quality by Design
Supplemental Readings: Contemporary quality articles.
Students may need to purchase an inexpensive paperback on a contemporary quality subject for an in
class presentation, but we will discuss in class and you will have plenty of time to obtain it.
Course Description
The primary purpose of this course is to provide QA graduate students with an understanding of
principles that have proven to be effective in the design/planning, development and improvement of the
quality of systems, comprising people, products, processes, procedures, equipment and operations for
effective competition in global markets. We will examine quality management issues for manufacturing,
product design, supply chains and service operations such as health care systems, education and
government operations. We focus on operational quality management systems and principles developed
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by Joseph Juran and which underpin the Six Sigma problem solving system. Strategic ideas of Deming,
Tribus, Shainin, and important contributions of other practitioners are included. Optional topics may be
covered depending on class interest.
Course Outcomes
By the end of the semester, students should be able to
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Understand changing business conditions in the 21st century and their effect on quality in
organizations that are involved with new technology, manufacturing, global supply chains,
service operations, health care, education and government
Identify the key phases of generalized control and the conditions of self-control.
Understand the total lifecycle cost of quality and the relationships among quality, productivity,
costs, cycle time and value
Relate quality planning and sales income for an organization
Communicate better with management on the importance and value of proposed quality projects
Understand the key elements of a comprehensive quality management system
Academic Honesty
All course participants teaching assistants, students), and myself are expected and required to abide by
the letter and the spirit of the SPSU Honor Code.
Students’ graded work in this course is largely based on the honor system because internet and
communications technologies make it virtually impossible to police everything. This does not mean that
cheating will not be exposed and robustly dealt with. Professors have access to and use highly
sophisticated and powerful forensic software to detect cheating. In addition, most graduate students’
character itself prevents and controls cheating. Your professor believes that most all graduate students are
honest, ethical, and mature and want to learn the subject matter themselves.
Collaboration with your classmates in studying and understanding the material is part of the collegiate
experience, and is strongly encouraged. You are encouraged to collaborate with your colleagues on
ungraded assignments. Generally for outside individual assignments that are graded, each student must do
the work him or herself and turn in work written in his or her own words. You may consult your professor
who will be glad to help you, but who will not answer the problem for you. Copying another's work will
be considered cheating; all students involved will receive a grade of zero, a reduction in the course grade,
and possibly other penalties including failure of the course and dismissal from the University. Students
may work in assigned groups on group assignments and turn in one assignment that is the collaborative
effort of the group. Unless you are specifically advised otherwise by the instructor, any work submitted
for credit, other than group assignments, must be completely the work of the individual student.
Collaboration or cheating on examinations will result in a grade of zero, a reduction in the course grade,
and possibly other penalties including failure of the course and dismissal from the University. Plagiarism,
fabrication, or other academic misconduct will result in a grade of zero, a reduction in the course grade,
and possibly other penalties, including failure of the course and dismissal from the University.
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Students are not allowed to go on the Web to look up answers during an exam. Violations will result in an
F on the exam.
SPSU has an Honor Code and a procedure for handling cases when academic misconduct is alleged. All
students should be aware of them. Information about the Honor Code and the misconduct procedure may
be found at http://www.spsu.edu/honorcode/.
Unsatisfactory grades earned because of academic misconduct cannot be removed from your grade point
average by repeating the course and will prevent you from earning Latin honors on your diploma. You
may be required to repeat the course in order to graduate.
It is very important that you understand the concepts of academic integrity. If any of the above is not
clear, or if you are not certain what some of the terms mean, please ask me. A misunderstanding in this
area could end your academic career. The concepts of academic integrity are mostly just common sense
ethics that you already know and have practiced. Only a very minute fraction of students ever choose to
test the system and most semesters none at all.
Other Guidelines
I will post assignments that I require you to submit for grading. You will have plenty of time to complete
assignments on time provided you start in time. Some significant assignments may become due at the end
of the semester so make sure you start early enough to avoid unnecessary stress during crunch time.
Sharing computer files or copying directly from another’s paper is not permitted. Using solution manuals
or other pre-prepared solutions obtained from the web or others for graded works, cases etc. is also
considered cheating. “Open book open notes” means you can use your class notes for the course,
including annotated lecture slides, the textbook, discussions and that is all unless otherwise
specified.
Students with Disabilities
Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a physical disability should
make an appointment with the ATTIC (678-915-7361) to coordinate reasonable accommodations. The
students are also welcome to contact the instructors privately to discuss specific needs.
Re-grading Policy:
If I make a mistake in grading your work, I will be happy to fix it and make things right provided you
submit a re-grade request. You should state the reason you would like your work re-graded. If a test is
submitted for re-grading, I have the right to re-grade the entire test. Therefore, it is recommended that you
do not ask for re-grading unless you have good reason to believe I made a mistake when grading your
work. But do not hesitate to question for a good reason.
Suggestions
This is a graduate level course; it is not a correspondence course. As such graduate courses require
significant student independence, resourcefulness and initiative. It is very important to keep up and
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complete your reading assignments on time. Obviously, we cannot (and I will not try to) cover all the
material in your reading assignments (that you are responsible for on the exams) in the class lectures.
The professor is not responsible for assisting the student to catch-up.
Professional Behavior:
I expect all students including myself to abide by the professional and ethical standards established by
SPSU. The instructor reserves the right to remove any student from the course if their behavior is of a
disruptive and disrespectful nature or if there is evidence of academic dishonesty.
Refrain from personal sarcasm, inappropriate humor and nasty political remarks in class. Make yourself
aware of proper netiquette.
Students may be required to submit projects/research papers through Turnitin. Students are responsible
for familiarizing themselves with the SPSU policy on plagiarism and academic honesty. Do not hand in a
paper that seeks to avoid plagiarism by using a high percentage of material in quotes. Although this is not
plagiarism it does not constitute original work and the grade will suffer accordingly. Generally less than
about 5-8% directly quoted material is a rough guideline. The purpose of writing assignments and
presentations is for you to integrate and internalize your own understandings. This is achieved when
students express concepts in their own words. One learns best also when they teach the material to others
and this is the purpose of assigned presentations.
Assignments:
You are responsible for completing all homework/assignments in a timely manner. If you turn in an
assignment you should send yourself a copy via the D2L course email so you will automatically
verify what you actually sent and thus exactly what the professor received. It is unacceptable to send
in a 10 sheet assignment where the professor receives only 2 pages and several days later say the
something was wrong with the Email. It is your responsibility to verify that the complete assignment was
sent when it was due.
Most assignments should be completed using standard Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel
PowerPoint 1997-2003 compatible files). Include your name, course and the assignment in the file name
and number all pages, upper left.
If you have questions on assignments you are to submit for grading, do not wait until just before it is due
to try and get help. Assignments are primarily to help you learn, so dialog with me about what seems
confusing until you feel you understand the material.
Assessments (approximate):
Two online timed exams or one online timed exam and a take-home, essay-type exam or presentation count
about 70%.
Homework/class contributions and a short essay count about 30%.
Do not request that exams or assignment due dates be postponed for individual convenience. I do not give
make-up exams. You may use your textbook and course lecture notes for the exams. Some exams are
timed intentionally so that you will likely not have time to complete them. Do not get stressed out if you
do not finish a timed exam; I take that into account in grading. Do not try and copy the exam questions or
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you may be disappointed and embarrassed. Unauthorized late assignments will be penalized up to 10%
per day the assignment is late.
Exam questions are not limited to what appear on the lecture slides. You are responsible for taking lecture
notes (during the class) to elaborate the materials outlined on the slides and other reading assignments. If
I do not discuss a bullet item on a slide you should make sure you understand its elaboration.
Other Comments
You are generally responsible for materials covered in the text, the supplemental readings, and lectures. I
expect you to be able to write in a well-organized, logical and professional style with correct mechanics
and to use your critical thinking skills. Do not rely on the spelling and grammar functionality of MS Word
to check your writing; it is good for a very rough check only. Print out your document and check it yourself
to avoid what can be highly embarrassing errors.
For presentations you must stay within your allotted time limits. If the time allotted is 15 minutes and you
go over significantly I will take off points for taking excessive time (proportional to the amount you go
over). The easiest way to avoid this is to practice your presentation and time it before you give it. Going
significantly over the time limit is evidence that a student has not practiced their presentation.
I expect a relaxed, enjoyable, intellectually stimulating and professional course environment. Typically,
courses such as this include students at various stages of their professional careers. Accordingly, online
discussions should be a collaborative learning experience. A student who demonstrates a particularly good
grasp of a concept in discussions or who helps to clarify a difficulty expressed by another student can get
extra credit at the end of the course.
I enjoyed a long, satisfying and successful professional career in the fiber optics industry at the Bell
Laboratories before coming to the university. My background has been in the engineering and
quality/productivity improvement of new technology fiber optic products, quality issues for optical
communication systems and their associated manufacturing processes. In my company the culture was to
design-in and build-in quality at the source. Shewhart, Deming, and Juran all worked at my company and
had an enduring influence on the quality culture. I also worked on the SAFEGUARD Antiballistic Missile
System at the beginning of my career. I am also sure that you all will have unique and valuable experiences
to share with the class about quality management at the organizations for which you have worked. I am
convinced that our nation’s system typically works well and is the best over the long run for those who
work, who persevere and who are honest and driven by a desire to contribute. My goal is to help you
master the materials needed to make life better for yourselves and others.
Lastly, if you are in doubt about a course policy not covered in the syllabus, or have to make a decision
and cannot reach me, just do what would make good sense to you if you were the professor.
Remember that your professor wants and you to succeed. This should be a fun course so let us make
it a great semester for everyone!
This syllabus may be changed to meet the needs of the class.
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Fall 2014 QA 5000 – Introduction to Statistics Syllabus for Online Courses
Instructor: Professor Ethling Hernandez
Office Location
Preferred Email Address: ehernand@spsu.edu
Phone Number
Office Hours – By appointment, via email
How to Contact the Instructor
The best way to reach me between class periods is using SPSU email. I will reply as quickly as possible
to questions sent over e-mail. I am also willing to meet with you with an ad-hoc Wimba live session
during the week if necessary.
Email Response Time
I commit to answering all emails within 24 hours from the time you first transmit the email, unless I let
you know in advance of travel prohibiting me from doing so (or if I have an emergency). This short
response time includes weekends and holidays. At times I will send a mass email to the class or an
announcement. This will be through D2L Email and alternately with Hornet Mail. I do not know your
Yahoo or Gmail accounts so do not expect any mass emails to those accounts. CHECK YOUR D2L
EMAIL & HORNET EMAIL ACCOUNTS FREQUENTLY! Procrastination to visit the course website
often may result in missing opportunities, temporary extra credits, and extended deadlines. I am not
responsible for your procrastination.
Course Description
This course is a study of statistical concepts with particular emphasis on statistical solutions to common
business and industrial problems. Topics include: describing, exploring and comparing data; linear
regression; probability; probability distributions; parameter estimation and confidence intervals; and
hypothesis testing.
Course Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
1.
Demonstrate critical thinking related to statistics and understand the role that
in everyday life.
2.
Describe data statistically and graphically.
3.
Use regression to describe the relationship between two variables.
4.
Estimate the population parameters of proportion, mean and variance.
5.
Apply normal distribution theory and use z values.
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Statistics plays
6.
Estimate confidence intervals to make inferences about a sample mean.
Course Prerequisites
MATH 1113 Precalculus
Textbook
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Statistics. Robert A. Donnelly, Jr., Ph.D.
GeorgiaView D2L Web Site
This course has a D2L web site for use by registered students. Any class handouts, slides, grades,
announcements, and links will be available there, so please get in the habit of checking it often.
To log in, go to: http://spsu.view.usg.edu. Your User ID is the same as your email prefix, and initial
Password is your email password.
Class Schedule
This course will meet on the dates indicated on the Course Schedule as posted on the D2L Course Home
Page. We will meet once a week virtually using Wimba Live Classroom located on the Vista Course
Home Page. The remainder of the week you are responsible for viewing video lectures and taking online
quizzes.
Homework (HW) quizzes
These will be a multiple choice, untimed, homework quiz for each module posted on the website.
Students receive two opportunities to take each homework quiz and will be shown which questions were
incorrect at the end of the first attempt. Due dates for the final attempts at the quizzes are available in the
Course Schedule. Homework quiz questions are similar to what you should expect for exam questions. I
strongly recommend you take your first attempt at the quiz with enough time to be able to ask me
questions about the material if you are confused. If you use your time well, these quizzes should be an
easy way to increase your course grade. Quizzes must be done independently. I do not accept late quizzes
and there will not be an opportunity to re-take any missed quizzes.
Comprehension Quizzes
Comprehension quizzes have been added to assess your understanding of the material. They will consist
of short and easy questions that will help me determine whether you are keeping up with the class. You
will have one week to complete them after the subjects have been covered.
Discussions
Discussions are a large part of your grade. They are meant to help you think critically on your own prior
to our scheduled meeting time. Although you may be writing about subjects that we will not yet have
covered, they show whether you have kept up with the reading and pre-recorded lectures. They will be
graded on the following 3 components:
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Effort
Understanding of topic and critical thinking
Timeliness
Final Exam
The final exam is open-book. It will be a combination of multiple-choice and short-answer questions. It is
cumulative and will test all that you have learned during the semester.
Additional Learning
Statistics is best learned by working through example problems. Each module has suggested homework
questions to work through, with full solutions available in the back of the book. I suggest that you work
the problems after viewing the pre-recorded lecture, before attending live class, so that you know what
questions you have.
Grading Policy
Your final grade in this course will be determined using the following weights for each component of this
course:
Component
Weight
Final Exam
20%
Discussions
20%
Homework quizzes
30%
Comprehension Quizzes
20%
Total
100%
Hybrid or On-Line Course Attendance Policy
The On-Line session (-900) will be attended one-half via on-line meeting room software such as Wimba
and one-half pre-recorded on-line lectures. This requires the student to view the pre-recorded lecture
between any live lectures. It will be the student’s responsibility to schedule and view these lectures at
your own convenience. The instructor cannot monitor who views the recorded lectures and those who do
not. It is strongly recommended that you watch the lectures and keep up with class work and class
discussions.
Calculators/Software
For the homework and exams you will need a calculator capable of performing basic statistics on a list of
data (calculating the mean, standard deviation at minimum). One clue if you calculator is capable is to
look for a DATA key. You do not need a graphing calculator. I recommend that you bring your calculator
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to class to practice. You are responsible for knowing how to use it before your quizzes! Do ask me how to
use your calculator, there are too many out there!
AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT ON-LINE CLASSES
Students who do well in online/hybrid courses will KEEP UP with the material. It is IMPERATIVE that
you remain organized and complete work on time. That means, before coming to the live class: view the
corresponding lecture, take the comprehension quiz, work the example homework problems, and maybe
even take your first try at the homework quiz. Then you will ‘know what you don’t know’ before our
limited interactive time together!
Disruptive Behavior and Academic Dishonesty
From the SPSU Catalog: “A faculty member reserves the right to remove any student from his or her
course if the student’s behavior is of a disruptive nature or if there is evidence of academic dishonesty.”
Plagiarism Detection: Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be subject to
submission for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted
papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose
of detecting plagiarism of such papers. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject to the Terms and
Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com site. Any type of Academic Dishonesty by a student may
result in the student being expelled from the course and the student receiving a grade of “F” in the course.
This grade of “F” will appear on the student’s official SPSU transcript. If the student has a repeated
history of Academic Dishonesty at SPSU then the student may also be expelled from the University.
Disability Statement
"A student at Southern Polytechnic State University who has a disabling condition and needs academic
accommodations has a responsibility to voluntarily identify him/herself as having a disability by
scheduling an appointment with the Disability Services Coordinator as soon as possible." (SPSU
Catalog). Contact the Coordinator as follows: Kalisha Thomas, 678-915-7244, Building J, Room 253,
kthomas2@spsu.edu.
Professional Behavior
All students are expected to abide by the professional ethical behavior standards published in the SPSU
catalog.
Contact Information for Technical or Academic Issues
If you have a technical problem with this software, please visit the GeorgiaVIEW Online Support Center
for assistance. http://help8.view.usg.edu/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=8075 If you have an academic
issue then please ask your instructor for assistance.
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