MIS 201- INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Fall Semester 2014
Instructor: Dr. Olga Petkova, Professor in MIS
Office hours:
Monday 3:00-4:00pm
Tuesday 12:45-3:00 pm; 4:15-5:00pm
Wednesday 3:00-4:0pm or by appointment
Office Phone:
(860) 832-3278
Office :
RVAC, Room No.415
Course number:
MIS201-72
Course location:
RVAC, Room No.203
Course meeting time:
Monday and Wednesday 4:30-5:45pm
Course Description (According to CCSU Course Catalog, 2014)
This course provides the information necessary for understanding the role of information systems in
organizations and for using computer tools and technology in solving business problems. Topics include
organizational foundations of information systems, technical foundations of information systems, building
information systems and the management of information.
Learning Objectives
The course is designed to provide an understanding of the fundamental concepts in management
information systems by:
• Understanding the role of information systems in organizations
• Understanding the various information systems used
• Understanding the technical infrastructure for information systems
• Understanding data management
• Effectively using appropriate query and search technology to locate and retrieve pertinent
business information
• Understanding the use of technologies to solve business problems
Required course materials:
1. Textbook: INFORMATION SYSTEMS TODAY: Managing in the Digital World, by Valacich and
Schneider, 6th edition, Pearson, ISBN-10: 0-13-297121-6 or ISBN-13: 978-0-13-297121-8
2. Required readings as assigned in class. Please make use of Blackboard Learn course materials.
Course Structure:
This course combines two components: theoretical knowledge of Information Systems and practical skills in
business problem solving.
Theoretical knowledge: For your convenience most of the theoretical topics will be discussed on Mondays.
You will be required to bring your textbook on Mondays (unless requested differently by the Professor).
You also will be required to read the chapter and take the quiz prior to coming to the class. This will prepare
you for participation in the following class discussions, role playing, Internet searches on requested topics
etc.
Practical skills: Most of the practical skills will be learned and practiced on Wednesdays. There is no
prescribed textbook, but the Professor will post instructions that must be printed and read in advance. This
will provide you with the knowledge required to complete the work in class.
Attendance:
• You are required to attend and participate in all scheduled classes. Your attendance will be registered
every time. Your absence from the class will be recorded and will have negative influence on your final
grade.
• Research clearly demonstrates that class attendance is important to your success as a student. You may
miss up to three classes without penalty. If you miss more than three classes, each absence will result
in a penalty of one-third of a letter grade (e.g., A to A-).
• Communications and entertainment devices are not allowed in the class. Please, make sure that they are
switched-off prior to your entrance to the classroom.
• The workstations can be used only when requested by the instructor. Reading of personal e-mail,
Facebook, playing games, watching news, sports and any other information not related to the class is not
acceptable. If the students don’t adhere to this rule, the workstations will be disabled by the instructor.
Class preparation, participation and submissions:
Student participation will be emphasized. You are expected to have read and become familiar with any material
assigned in class. Your contributions to class discussions are expected. During class time you will be required to
complete different tasks (Class Work) and to use the Blackboard Learn submission system. These submissions are
contributing to your final grade. Submissions through the e-mail will not be accepted. The responsibility for
correctly submitting your work via Blackboard Learn is yours. If you consistently fail to submit properly your work
through Blackboard Learn, but submit it via e-mail, your work will not be graded.
Student assessment:
• Three theoretical examinations: the tests will be in a mixed format- 60% of the test points will come
from multiple choice questions and 40% of the test points will come from open ended questions.
• Practical test: this test will be testing your Excel and Access practical skills. You will be permitted to
bring a “cheat sheet”.
• 5 Homework Assignments (Mini Projects): these projects will require an average of 3-5 hours’ work per
project and will test your ability to apply Information Technology for business problem solving. All
mini project should be submitted electronically via the Blackboard submission system
• Web Page Project: will be hosted on the university server at www.students.ccsu.edu\~yourloginname.
• Class work and presentations: every time in class you will be required to complete some work and
submit it at the end of the class. The work is going to be graded and will contribute to your final grade.
You will not be permitted to make up for missed classes. If you miss classes consistently, you will be
losing big part of the final points.
• Quizzes: Prior to coming to class on Mondays you have to read the chapter (as requested by the
professor) and take the quiz on the chapter.
There will be no make-ups for examinations. Homework assignments (Mini Projects) submitted after due date
will drop 1 point per day late. If you miss a class, you are missing the points allocated to the classwork. All
homework assignments, projects and class work should be submitted electronically to the Blackboard Vista
system. Class attendance will also influence the final grade.
Exams and grading:
Assessment plan:
Test1
Test2
Test3
Practical test
5 Homework Assignments
Web Page Project
Class Work and Presentations
Quizzes
TOTAL:
September 29
November 10
December 15
December 15
150
200
150
100
100
100
100
100
1000 points
Grading Scale
100 > A > 94
94 > A- > 90
90 > B+ > 87
87 > B > 84
84 > B- > 80
80 > C+ > 77
77 > C > 74
74 > C- > 70
70 > D+ > 66
Communication:
Blackboard Learn e-mail will be the preferred electronic communication link between the students and the
instructor. The students should check the class home page (e-mail, discussion and course materials) at least four
times a week.
Regarding the e-mail communication, please keep the following in mind:
• Monday-Friday: I will respond to your messages within 24 hours.
• Saturday-Sunday: I will respond to your messages as quickly as possible, but may not respond until Monday.
Students with Special Needs:
Please contact me privately to discuss your specific needs if you believe you need course accommodations
based on the impact of a disability, medical condition, or if you have emergency medical information to share. I
will need a copy of the accommodation letter from Student Disability Services in order to arrange your class
accommodations. Contact Student Disability Services if you are not already registered with them. Student
Disability Services maintains the confidential documentation of your disability and assists you in coordinating
reasonable accommodations with your faculty.
Academic Dishonesty:
• Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses and may be punished by failure on the exam or project,
failure in the course and/or expulsion from the University.
• You are also required to protect your own intellectual property: in case there is a dispute over the
intellectual ownership of a particular project/assignment, both parties will be equally punished.
• While study groups are encouraged, every work submitted should be individual. If two students submit
identical work, they will be considered cheating.
Tentative Topics Schedule
Week
Week 1
September 1-3
Week 2
September 8-10
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Monday
Labor Day
Managing in the digital
world (chapter 1)
September 15-17 Gaining competitive
advantage through
Information Systems
(chapter 2)
September 22-14 Managing the
Information Systems
infrastructure and
services (chapter 3)
September 29Test 1
Week 6
October 1
October 6-8
Week 7
October 13-15
Week 8
October 20-22
Week 9
October 27-29
Week 10
November 3-5
Week 11
November 10-12
Week 12
November 17-19
Week 13
November 24
Week 14
December 1-3
Week 15
Week 16
December 8
December 15
Enabling commerce
using the Internet
(chapter 4)
Enhancing
collaboration using
Web2.0 (chapter 5)
Enhancing business
intelligence using
Information Systems
(chapter 6)
Enhancing business
processes using
Information Systems
(chapter 7)
Improving supply
chains and
strengthening customer
relationships (chapter
8)
Test 2
Developing and
acquiring Information
Systems (chapter 9)
Securing Information
Systems (chapter 10)
Business problem
solving
Test Preparation
Test 3 and Practical
Test
Wednesday
Introduction to the course,
syllabus, personal
introductions
Brief review of MS Word
and MS Power Point
Introduction to Web Design;
Introduction to Windows
Movie Maker
Weekend Reading
Chapter 1. Take quiz 1
Information Systems
hardware and software
(technology briefing)
Prepare for Test1.
Chapter 2. Take quiz 2
Chapter 3. Take quiz 3
Introduction to spreadsheets Chapter 4. Take quiz 4
Business problem solving
Chapter 5. Take quiz 5
Business problem solving
Chapter 6. Take quiz 6
Business problem solving
Chapter 7. Take quiz 7
Enterprise Resource
Planning exercise
Chapter 8. Take quiz 8
Business problem solving
Prepare for Test2
Introduction to data
management- Database
design (technology briefing)
Introduction to databases
Chapter 9. Take quiz 9
Chapter 10. Take quiz 10
Thanksgiving
Business problem solving
Prepare for Test3