MANSFIELD UNIVERSITY
CIS 401 COURSE SYLLABUS

GENERAL INFORMATION

Course number: CIS 401
Credit/Contact hours: 3
Term: Spring 2001
Course title: Management Information Systems

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Instructor name: John Phillips
Instructor office location: Elliott 213A
Instructor office hours: To be announced.
Instructor telephone: 570-662-4704
Instructor e-mail address: jphillip@mnsfld.edu

COURSE INFORMATION

Course Description

Advanced study of information processing systems which provide transactional processing for an organization and information and processing support for management and decision functions.

CIS 401 is a "Writing Across the Curriculum" course. An important component of the course will be the production of professional quality documents, such as formal system documentation or a User Manual.

Prereq: Cis 310

Textbook

System Analysis and Design, Kendall & Kendall, 1999, Prentice-Hall, ISBN: 0-13-646621-4.

Suggested References

The Elements of Style, 4th edition, William Strunk, Jr., 1999, Allyn & Bacon; ISBN: 020530902X. Do not buy this book as we will use the on-line version as a reference.

Online Technical Writing: Online Textbook, David A. McMurrey.

Course Outline

1. Overview of Computer Information Systems
2. Technical report writing and software documentation standards
3. Designing effective output
4. Designing effective input
5. Designing the user interface
6. Designing the database
7. Project Phase I - Project Proposal
8. Project Phase II - Progress Report
9. Project Phase III - Draft of Final Report
10. Project Phase IV - Project Implementation, Final Report, and Presentation
    

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION

Class schedule

TuTh 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM

Equipment and supplies

Access to the Internet is required either using your own computer or by using a computer in the school's computer lab. Presentation materials and other supplies may need to be purchased for your team project. You should keep a backup copy of all work you do on one or more diskettes.

Grading scale and policy

(Refer to the Mansfield University Catalog for grades that can be awarded.)

A >= 90%
B >= 80%
C >= 70%
D >= 60%
F < 60%

In addition, the instructor may choose to further differentiate grades with plus and minus subdivisions as outlined in the catalog.

Essay assignments will be displayed on-line at coursenotebook.com in the Homework section. Follow the directions found at that location. Essays must be submitted within the specified time frame. They should be grammatically correct, spell checked, edited for readability, technically accurate, and thoroughly referenced.

The group projects are a substantial part of the student grade. Therefore, a very high quality product will be required. Grading will be based on the level of difficulty, written documentation, oral presentation, level of teamwork and organization, group rating of individual contributions, log of individual work, and overall level of quality.

In general, grades on projects and assignments will be given as follows:

A+: the work exceeds the instructor's expectations in every way and is of extraordinary quality. I very rarely give this grade. This grade is equivalent to a score of 100%.

A: the work exceeds the instructor's expectations in most ways and is excellent overall. This grade is equivalent to a score of 95%.

A-: the work exceeds the instructor's expectations in many ways and is for the most part excellent This grade is equivalent to a score of 90%.

B: the work exceeds the stated requirements in most ways and is very good overall. This grade is equivalent to a score of 85%.

C: the work meets the requirements specified and appears to be of average quality. This grade is equivalent to a score of 75%.

D: the work is lacking in some ways or does not meet the stated requirements. Overall the work is below average quality. This grade is equivalent to a score of 65%.

F: the work is severely lacking in many ways. The numeric score will range between 0 and 59%.

Instructor's expectations

This course places an emphasis on working as a team member. You will be evaluated on written and verbal communication skills along with technical skills. On the team project you will be expected to do your fair share of the work assigned. You are expected to try and get along with your teammates and to learn to work with the diverse personalities that may be present to achieve your goals.

Late assignment policy

Work that is late will lose one letter grade for each day late.

Methods of instruction

This is a project-oriented course. You will work on teams to complete a large software project over the course of the semester. Special emphasis will be placed on writing, presentation, management, and problem solving skills. Occasional lectures will be given, however, most of the course time will be spent meeting and working in small groups. The result of these meetings will be an oral presentation and written report on your solution to the given problem.

Unique requirements of the course

This course is a designated writing course and you will have many written assignments. Student participation is also essential to this course. You will be expected to participate to the best of your ability and to work in a professional manner with your fellow students. Your attendance is a key factor in helping your team do well.

COLLEGE POLICIES

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty includes the following actions, as well as other similar conduct aimed at making false representation with respect to the student's academic performance:

(1) cheating on an exam,
(2) collaborating with others on work to be presented, if contrary to the stated rules of the course,
(3) submitting, if contrary to the rules of the course, work previously submitted in another course,
(4) knowingly and intentionally assisting another student in any of the above actions, including assistance in an arrangement whereby work, classroom performance, examination, or other activity is submitted or performed by a person other that the student under whose name the work is submitted or performed,
(5) plagiarism.

Please refer to the Mansfield University Student Handbook for further information.

Attendance

Students are expected to attend all courses and course activities for which they are registered. Any class meeting missed, regardless of cause, reduces the opportunity of learning and may adversely affect a student's achievement in the course. Poor attendance and lack of team participation will lower your individual grade one or more letter grades.

Bad Weather

If the weather is exceptionally bad, due to snow or ice, I would encourage you not to come to class -- there is a good chance I won't be there. Rather, log into our web site at coursenotebook.com and read any relevant announcements. Assuming that the web site is accessible, we will still have class, but remotely "distance learning" style.

Classroom Etiquette and Student Behavior Guidelines

Students will demonstrate respect for instructors and fellow students. Behavior that is disruptive to a positive learning environment reported by the instructor will result in a warning on the first instance; the second instance might result in expulsion from the course or campus.

Disability Support Services

Students with disabilities are advised, in compliance with federal and state laws, that accommodations and services are available through the office of Center of Services for Students with Disabilities. It is the student's responsibility to contact Disabled Student Services Advisors at this location and to submit appropriate documentation prior to receiving services.

Eating, Drinking and Smoking

Eating and drinking are not allowed in the classroom or laboratory areas. Smoking is not permitted in any College building.

Student Responsibility Policy

When a student attends the College, s/he becomes subject to its jurisdiction. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a responsible manner, in all areas of campus life. By enrolling, they pledge to obey the rules and regulations of the College and are responsible for observing all College policies and procedures as published in the student handbook, the College catalog and other College publications. The student will be responsible for preparing for class, participating in class, and completing assignments on time.

Websites of Interest

Withdrawal Policy for Individual Courses

The last day to withdraw from a College course with a "W" grade is March 23. It is the responsibility of the student to complete and submit the necessary forms to the Registrar's Office. An official withdrawal would entitle the student to a grade of "W" in the course.

Syllabus Change Policy

The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus as the course progresses.

COURSE TIMELINE