Course: BUS 215.03 – Introduction to Business Statistics
Semester: Fall 2018
Instructor: Dr. M. Shane Higuera
Instructor Contact Information: michael.higuera@stonybrook.edu
Meeting Time: Mondays & Wednesdays 8:30am – 9:50am
Location: Earth & Space 001
Course Description
The application of current statistical methods to problems in the modern business environment.
Topics include probability, random variables, sampling techniques, confidence intervals,
hypothesis testing, and regression. Students analyze real data sets using standard statistical
software, interpret the output, and write extensively about the results.
Prerequisite: BUS Maj/Min, CME Major, or ISE Major
Advisory Prerequisite: BUS 110, 111, 112 or 115, or MAT 122. Advisory Prerequisite for BUS
or ISE Major: BUS 210
3 credits
Course Overview
This course is an introduction to the concepts, methods, and applications of statistics in business.
In your career, you will often face situations in which a clear understanding of statistical thinking
and methodology will be essential. The course has been designed to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Introduce the basic concepts and methods of statistics,
Demonstrate the applications of statistics in business decision making,
Enable you to perform statistical analyses using appropriate software, and
Help you to become a wise consumer of statistical analyses performed by others.
Required Texts & Other Course Materials
The textbook is Applied Statistics in Business and Economics, fifth edition, Doane and Seward,
McGraw-Hill (2016). SAVE BIG MONEY!!! You can use the SmartBook that comes with the
Connect software and skip buying the textbook.
McGraw-Hill Connect software. Registration details are provided in the Documents section of
Blackboard directly beneath the syllabus. You pay for the software online as part of the
registration process. You will complete all your assignments, quizzes, and exams in the Connect
software.
We will use Microsoft Excel. Stony Brook students can receive Microsoft Office 365 free. For
details, visit http://it.cc.stonybrook.edu/student_guide/software.
College of Business Program Learning Outcomes
Critical Thinking – Students will be able to use appropriate methodologies and tools to solve
business problems. This outcome will be assessed through the course project.
Course Specific Learning Outcomes
When you have successfully completed this course, you will:

Recognize the many types and sources of, as well as the many acceptable and unacceptable ways
to collect business-related data

Summarize data through the use of summary statistics and statistical charts to support business
decision making

Understand the major importance of variability in business decision making

Understand and be able to use basic probability concepts and probability distributions to solve
problems related to business

Understand the basic concepts of sampling and the nature of sampling distributions

Compute and interpret confidence intervals for proportions and means and apply them in business
decision making

Compute and interpret one- and two-sample hypothesis tests for proportions and means and apply
them in business decision making

Construct and interpret univariate and multivariate regression models and apply them in business
decision making
Class Schedule
Class
1
2
3
4
5
Day
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Mon
Date
08/27/18
08/29/18
09/03/18
09/05/18
09/10/18
Chapter
N/A
Welcome
N/A
Using Excel
Labor Day – No Class Today
1
Overview of Statistics
2
Data Collection
Topics
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Wed
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
Mon
Wed
09/12/18
09/17/18
09/19/18
09/24/18
09/26/18
10/01/18
10/03/18
10/08/18
10/10/18
10/15/18
10/17/18
10/22/18
10/24/18
10/29/18
10/31/18
11/05/18
11/07/18
11/12/18
11/14/18
11/19/18
11/21/18
11/26/18
11/28/18
12/03/18
12/05/18
12/12 – 12/17
2
Data Collection
3
Describing Data Visually
4
Descriptive Statistics
4
Descriptive Statistics
5
Probability
5
Probability
6
Discrete Distributions
Fall Break – No Class Today
6
Discrete Distributions
7
Continuous Distributions
7
Continuous Distributions
1-7
EXAM 1 – ONLINE [No Class Today]
8
Sampling Distributions and Estimation
8
Sampling Distributions and Estimation
9
One-Sample Hypothesis Tests
9
One-Sample Hypothesis Tests
9
One-Sample Hypothesis Tests
10
Two-Sample Hypothesis Tests
10
Two-Sample Hypothesis Tests
12
Bivariate Regression
Thanksgiving Break – No Class Today
13
Multiple Regression
13
Multiple Regression
N/A
Course Project
N/A
Course Project
8 – 13
EXAM 2 – ONLINE [Complete within the period]
Course Requirements & Grading Information
Blackboard –
You must access class information on-line at http://blackboard.stonybrook.edu. If you have used
Stony Brook's Blackboard system previously, your login information (Username and Password)
has not changed. If you have never used Stony Brook's Blackboard system, your initial
password is your SOLAR ID# and your username is the same as your Stony Brook (sparky)
username, which is generally your first initial and the first seven letters of your last name.
If you are having trouble logging into Blackboard, you will need to log into SOLAR to verify
your Net ID username & set your Net ID Security Question and Password. For more
information, visit: http://clientsupport.stonybrook.edu/
If you continue to have a problem logging into Blackboard, you will need to bring photo ID to
either the Melville Library SINC Site Room S1460 or the Union SINC Site Room 080 and speak
to a Blackboard Administrator from Saturday - Friday from 9 am - 5 pm.
Attendance / Class Preparation / Class Participation
Yes, this is a very big deal.
No, I do not take attendance; however, yes, attendance at every session is required. I promise
you that getting the notes from a classmate will not be an effective substitute for being prepared
for, attending, and actively participating in class regardless of how smart you are or how much
experience you have with statistics.
Preparing for class is your first step. Complete your LearnSmart assignment (see Assignments
section below), read your textbook chapter, digest the recorded PowerPoint for the chapter, and
study any spreadsheet provided for the chapter BEFORE coming to class. THINK about what
you read in the textbook and about what I said in the recorded lecture … what is actually being
done, what does it mean, how does it work, how can I program it into Excel, and how can I apply
it to my decision making in business situations?
Attending and actively participating in class is your next step. Regardless of how many of your
classmates fail to ask questions during class (not immediately after class as I am packing up to
leave), it is your responsibility to do so. Your learning is your responsibility; I cannot make you
learn or learn for you. You have to take responsibility for your own learning, which means that
you must be assertive in class to make certain that you understand the concepts being discussed
and how to apply them in business settings. Of course, you must have prepared for class – it is
not appropriate to come to class unprepared and then disrupt class by asking questions that were
answered clearly in the class preparation materials. Active participation means more than just
asking questions, it also means staying engaged and paying attention during class – get off and
stay off your social media. Bring your laptop computer (if you have access to one) to every class
session. Use that computer to access the spreadsheets I provide to you and to figure out the
questions I will be asking the class through almost every class session – DO NOT sit passively
and wait for me to provide the answers to these questions; your learning will be much lower if
you do.
Converting my spreadsheets into your own, completing your chapter quizzes, crushing your
exams and your course project are the final steps in turning a required course into a genuinely
transformational learning experience!
Connect Software –
We will use McGraw-Hill Connect® software for this course. The software includes a mediarich eBook version of the textbook that is fully integrated with the software. You will complete
all chapter assignments, quizzes, and exams within the Connect software – You MUST access
them through the Assignments page in Blackboard. There are also a variety of learning aids that
you might find helpful. The Connect software registration details are posted in the Document
section of Blackboard directly below the syllabus. If you have any technical difficulties with the
Connect software, immediately contact Connect via their telephone tech support line; do not use
email or chat … call them! Do not email me for assistance, as I will simply refer you to
them.
Assignments – 12 points
There is a LearnSmart assignment for each of the 12 chapters covered in the text. These guided
reading assignments might seem somewhat elementary; however, I assure you that they help.
Each assignment must be completed within the Connect software. You must access these
assignments through the Assignments section of Blackboard so that your scores automatically
synchronize with the grade center in Blackboard. You must answer all the practice questions for
each assignment; you do not get any points for simply reading. You will know that you have
answered all the practice questions when the software notifies you that you have done so. You
may save, exit, and return to these assignments as often as you wish up until the submission
deadline. The assignments will submit automatically at the deadline, so do not submit them until
you have successfully completed the assignment by answering all the practice questions. Each
assignment has a maximum potential score of 1 point. Answering less than all the practice
questions will result in a score of less than 1 point for the assignment.
All assignments will be open at the start of the course and will close at the beginning of the class
session during which the chapter topic is scheduled to be discussed. You must work alone on
these assignments. No late submissions will be accepted – no exceptions. ‘No exceptions’
includes technical problems, forgetting the assignment was due, sick, tired, out of town, on
vacation, family obligations, etc. Plan your time accordingly. If you have a genuine medical
emergency that requires hospitalization or taking prescribed medications that interfere with your
ability to perform schoolwork, etc., contact me at your earliest opportunity and we will make
arrangements.
Quizzes – 36 points
There is a quiz for each of the 12 chapters in the textbook covered in the course. The quizzes
consist of multiple choice and calculation problems. Access these quizzes through the
Assignments section of Blackboard. You may save, exit, and return to these quizzes as often as
you wish up until the submission deadline. The quizzes will submit automatically at the
deadline, so do not submit them until you have successfully completed them. Each quiz has a
maximum potential score of 3 points. Follow all rounding instructions precisely. You must
work alone on these quizzes.
All quizzes will be open at the start of the course and will close at 11:59pm on Sunday of the
week in which the chapter was scheduled to be completed. You may use Excel, the textbook,
lectures, and any spreadsheets or documents that I have posted in the Documents section of
Blackboard to assist you in completing these quizzes. No late submissions will be accepted –
no exceptions. ‘No exceptions’ includes technical problems, forgetting the assignment was due,
sick, tired, out of town, on vacation, family obligations, etc. Plan your time accordingly. If you
have a genuine medical emergency that requires hospitalization or taking prescribed medications
that interfere with your ability to perform schoolwork, etc., contact me at your earliest
opportunity and we will make arrangements.
Exams – 42 points
Two exams, worth 21 points each, will be completed online using the Connect software. The
dates are listed on the course schedule above. You must work alone on each of the exams.
You may use Excel, the textbook, lectures, and any spreadsheets or documents that I have posted
in the Documents section of Blackboard to assist you in completing these exams. The exams
will be given on the dates shown in the Class Schedule. The exams must be completed in one
sitting – you cannot save, exit, and return to the exams. If you exit the exam, it will
automatically submit and there will be no option to return to the exam to modify or complete it.
No late submissions will be accepted – no exceptions. ‘No exceptions’ includes technical
problems, forgetting the assignment was due, sick, tired, out of town, on vacation, family
obligations, etc. Plan your time accordingly. If you have a genuine medical emergency that
requires hospitalization or taking prescribed medications that interfere with your ability to
perform schoolwork, etc., contact me at your earliest opportunity and we will make
arrangements. I reserve the right to format the make-up exam as an oral exam.
There will be no partial credit awarded on any exam questions.
The exams will cover the following material.
Exam 1: Chapters 1 – 7
Exam 2: Chapters 8, 9, 10, 12, and 13
Course Project [TBD] – 10 points
There will be a course project [To Be Determined]. The project will be an application of many
of the elements of the course and will be used to assess critical thinking.
Each student will also prepare and submit a course project via the Assignment page of
Blackboard by 11:59pm on Friday, 12/07/2018. Your submission must satisfy the requirements
of the project and it will be evaluated pursuant to the rubric provided with the assignment. Each
student must work alone on this course project.
This project will be discussed throughout the course and there will be ample opportunity for
questions and discussion.
Grading System –
I do not curve grades in this course, meaning that potentially everyone in the class can earn an A.
Pursuant to the SBU guidelines, I use plus and minus moderators in grading and all grades are
based on the following matrices. I do not round course scores to fewer than two decimal places.
It is your responsibility to assure that the scores reported in your Blackboard grade center are
correct. Contact me via email with any discrepancies between your scores in the Connect
software and the Blackboard grade center. Allow 24 hours for your scores in Connect to post to
the Blackboard grade center.
Course Score Conversion to Letter Grade
Grading Allocation for the Course
Course Score
Item
≥ 93.00
≥ 90.00 and < 93.00
≥ 87.00 and < 90.00
≥ 83.00 and < 87.00
≥ 80.00 and < 83.00
≥ 77.00 and < 80.00
≥ 73.00 and < 77.00
≥ 70.00 and < 73.00
≥ 67.00 and < 70.00
≥ 63.00 and < 67.00
≥ 60.00 and < 63.00
< 60.00
Final
Letter Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Points For
Final Grade
Chapter Assignments
12.00
Chapter Quizzes
36.00
Exam 1
21.00
Exam 2
21.00
Course Project
10.00
Total Potential Score
100.00
Office Hours
My office hours are posted in the Faculty Information section of Blackboard.
Academic Integrity
Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for
all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong. Faculty
is required to report any suspected instances of academic dishonesty to the Academic Judiciary.
For more comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic
dishonesty please refer to the academic judiciary website at
http://www.stonybrook.edu/uaa/academicjudiciary/
Academic Dishonesty
The College of Business regards any act of academic dishonesty as a major violation punishable
by severe penalties, including dismissal from the University. University policy requires that
instructors and GAs and TAs report all suspected cases of academic dishonesty to the appropriate
Academic Judiciary Committee, which is empowered to take strong action against violators.
Under no circumstances, will the College of Business permit cheating of any kind. Many
activities constitute academic dishonesty. The following list is not inclusive, only suggestive.


Cheating on exams or assignments by the use of books, electronic devices, notes, or other
aids when these are not permitted, or by copying from another student.
Collusion: two or more students helping one another on an exam or assignment when it is
not permitted.







Ringers: taking an exam for someone else, or permitting someone else to take one's
exam. Submitting the same paper in more than one course without permission of the
instructors.
Plagiarizing: copying someone else's writing or paraphrasing it too closely, even if it
constitutes only some of your written assignment.
Submitting the same paper in more than one course without approval of the instructors.
Falsifying documents or records related to credit, grades, status (e.g., adds and drops,
P/NC grading), or other academic matters.
Altering an exam or paper after it has been graded in order to request a grade change.
Stealing, concealing, destroying, or inappropriately modifying classroom or other
instructional material, such as posted exams, library materials, laboratory supplies, or
computer programs.
Preventing relevant material from being subjected to academic evaluation.
Americans with Disabilities Act
If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that might affect your
course work, please contact Disability Support Services at (631) 632-6748. They will determine
with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and
documentation is confidential.
Students who require assistance during emergency evacuation are encouraged to discuss their
needs with their professors and Disability Support Services. For procedures and information go
to the following website: http://www.sunysb.edu/ehs/fire/disabilities.shtml
Critical Incident Management
Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other
people. Faculty are required to report to the Office of University Community Standards any
disruptive behavior that interrupts their ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning
environment, or inhibits students' ability to learn. Further information about most academic
matters can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin, the Undergraduate Class Schedule, and the
Faculty-Employee Handbook.