CGS 3300 INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS

SYLLABUS

SUMMER A and B 2009 

Taught by:  Geraldine Klonarides Tel. 305-919-5351 Email: gklon@fiu.edu

College of Business Administration

Office: Biscayne Bay Campus

Office Hours:  SA09:  M& W 5pm-6:15pm BBC SB09:  By APPOINTMENT ONLY

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LAST UPDATED: Tuesday June 16, 2009 10:31:56 AM -0400

Course description

Introduction to Business Information Technology is based on the fundamental premise that the major role of information technology (IT) is to support organizational personnel, regardless of their functional area or level in the organization. The aim is to teach all undergraduate business majors how to use IT to master their jobs and to help ensure the success of their organization. The focus is not merely learning the concepts of IT, but rather on applying those concepts to facilitate business processes.

Course Objectives:

The purpose of the course is to provide students with solid grounding in business uses of information technology in a rapidly changing environment, and to provide discussion of critical issues surrounding the use of IT in organizations. Specific learning objectives are:

1. Recall and explain terminology and concepts related to hardware, software, and networks. This includes:

• Describe basic information technology concepts

• Define various business information systems, including transaction processing systems, management information systems, decision support systems, group support systems, and enterprise resource planning systems

• Define and distinguish among the Internet, Intranets, and Extranets

2. Increase awareness of ethical issues related to using technology in business contexts.
   
   
3. Use information technology as a tool to do essential business tasks. This includes:

·        Create documents, presentations, and spreadsheets

·        Use the web to find information and/or create web pages

Major and Curriculum Objectives Targeted: 

MIS Major Objectives:

• Demonstrate basic computer literacy by recalling terminology and concepts related to hardware, software, and networks
• Communicate effectively with technical and non-technical colleagues
• Use MIS to enhance decision making
• Generate informational reports
• Build and/or interpret models for planning
• Organize, summarize, and analyze data
• Create meaningful and effective information
• Define business Transaction Processing Systems and Enterprise Resource Planning Systems
• Describe various Business Information Systems and concepts in Information Technology
• Explain the Internet, Intranets, and Extranets
• Discuss ethical issues in business related to technology

Curriculum Objectives

• Ethics in organizations and society
• Group and individual dynamics in organizations
• Domestic and global economic environments of organizations

Course prerequisites:

1. Prerequisite: Must have already completed CGS 2100 or CGS 2060 or CGS 1060 or CGS 1100  with a passing grade of C and above.

2. You are expected to have the basic skills in handling IBM-PC compatible computer running Windows 3.1, Windows 95/98 or Windows 2000/Me, including file handling operations using file manager/Windows Explorer/ Netscape, basic text editing using Window's notepad or MS Word.
3. The full time use of a PC desktop or laptop 
4. An email address.
5. You will need two burn two CDs. If you do not have a CD burner, these are available are Office Depot, Kinko's and various other places.
6. The time and ability to go on a field trip either in a group or by oneself.
7. The time and ability to work on two projects in a group or by oneself.
8. The time and ability to check email daily
9. The time and ability to check the Professor's web daily
10. *Schedule subject to change.  Students need to attend class in order to get accurate class assignments and due dates.
11. For more information about prerequisites, click here.

Both 8 and 9 are imperative to communicating with the class 

 

Textbook:

Course grading:

1. Exam 1 (25%)
2. Exam 2 (25%)
3. Exam 3 (10%)
4. Project I (10%)
5. Project 2 (10%)
6. Attendance and Class participation (15%) 
7. Homework (5%)
8. Professional quality in the organization, completeness, neatness, and timeliness of material handed in will be expected (including exams).
9. During the semester there will be three exams and quizzes. Quizzes are part of the class participation grade.
10. Make up exams - There will be no makeup exams - if you miss an exam you will receive an F for that exam.
11. Extra work for better grade - There will be no extra work assigned for an extra grade. Everyone will be treated on an equal basis.  
12. There will be NO exceptions on an INDIVIDUAL basis. If an exception is requested for one student and it is granted, then it will be announced in class and that exception will also be valid for all other students. 
13. I would like to point out the following from the Student Handbook - Plagiarism. "The deliberate use and appropriation of another's work without any indication of the source and the representation of such work as the student's own. Any student who fails to give credit to ideas, expressions or materials taken from another source, including internet sources, is guilty of plagiarism. Any student helping another to plagiarize may be found guilty of academic misconduct."

Grading Scale

FEEDBACK 1 Exam 1

FEEDBACK 2 Project 1

FEEDBACK 3 Exam 2

FEEDBACK 4 Project 2

Communicating with me

The best way to communicate with me is by email. 

Emails 

1. Subject line: When you send an email, make sure that the subject line of your email starts as per Example 1  that follows:
2. Carbon copies: If you would like to make sure that you have sent important email correctly, send a "cc"  to yourself. Then if you do not get a copy back - you know there is something wrong.
3. Requesting a receipt: If you want a receipt for assignments, projects and important emails, activate your receipt request in your email program. This is a simple procedure and will cut down a lot of emails asking me -did you receive my email Professor? If you are using Outlook  Express for example, Click on Tools, Options, Receipts and choose request receipt. 
4. The time and date of your emails must be accurate especially when there are deadlines. Your email starts off with your computer's time and date. If this is incorrect by an hour, then your email will arrive by an hour off. Therefore make sure that the computer your are using, the lab computer, the office computer, your friend's computer and your laptop and desktop have an accurate time and date. Assignments that arrive late receive only a fraction of the grade and assignments that do not arrive at all, receive an incomplete until they arrive. 
5. If the time or date is incorrect then this is what you do: Move your mouse to the bottom right hand corner of your monitor. Slide it over the time. This will give you the time and date. If it is not accurate, right click on it. Adjust date and time. Make sure Date, Time and Time Zone are correct.
6. Anti Virus: A good antiviral program is necessary. Protect your computer. If your email or attachment contains a virus, it will not be opened and will be deleted immediately. 
7. All attachments being sent must be formats that are supported. An example: MS Office, MS Word, MS Excel, MS Access, MS PowerPoint, Notepad, WordPad, .jpeg, .mpeg, .wav, .tiff, Corel Draw, .swf, .htm, FrontPage.
8. I do not support WordPerfect at this present moment.       
9. Spell check: Please activate and use it. Typos and incorrect spelling does not make a good impression and sometimes can confuse the reader. 
10. Large files and attachments:  Some email programs have a limit on how large a file you can send through them. For example, HOTMAIL has a limit of 1MB. If your attachment or file is larger than 1 MB, your file will not be sent. You can either compress your files with a zip or use another email service e.g. Yahoo.com 
11. Subject line: [ v e r y  i m p o r t a n t  ]  

If your class, for example is CGS3300 this is what should go as a heading in your email subject line 

CGS3300/Pat Smith/Assignment 1 

If you are not attending a class right now  your subject line should start off with: 

YOUR NAME/Subject 

 

Please email me at gklon@ fiu. edu . Do not call my department to leave a message. The staff in the CBA are there to support the faculty in their duties. 

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