Course Description:

The Business Community has finally realized that managing Information Technology should no longer be left solely in the hands of the IT department. There must be collaboration across the various departments otherwise the system that is supposed to serve you, the user, becomes a system dominating, you, the user. The Business Community must now learn enough about IT to be able to take informed decisions that directly concerns his/her organization, his/her department, and his/her business. Do we need e-Commerce? If we do, then we need to look at Digital Certificates, Digital ids, SSL, Shopping carts, accepting online payments and much more. If we work on a network, we have to look at how networks function, who needs to be given access to what information and how do we protect this data? What are redundant systems? What is RAID 5? What are Access Controls? The data that the company possesses how should that be protected? Should we use Symmetric or Asymmetric Encryption? Are we planning a new system? What is the cycle of Systems Analysis and Design? Do we have an old system? What is a legacy system? Finally what is 18 USC 1030? How do the legal aspects affect us? We need to address all of the above at the Corporate Level, not solely at the IT Level. It is therefore imperative that we, the Business Decision Maker, become acquainted with the terminology, the concepts and gain experience in this world of IT jargon. This is where we start. Good Luck.

Course Catalogue Description

Introducing concepts/software in enterprise-wide computing, information architecture, process analysis/design, data models, client/server computing, information security and network survivability.

Course syllabus

Introducing concepts in enterprise-wide computing, information architecture, process analysis and design, data models, client/server computing, information assurance and management and maintenance of laptops and PCs.

Provides extensive usage of available PC software for business decision making,

data management, project management and presentations.

Understanding e-commerce secure transactions as well as secure transmission of digital data.

Usage of software for creating digital ids, digital signatures, digital certificates and encryption.

Understanding transmission media and how digital data moves through LANs, WANs, VPNs and the Internet.

Implications of different types of attacks on information systems, and preparation and analysis of network survivability for the business manager.

Course prerequisites:

Check list:

Textbook:

Information Systems Management in Practice, 7/E

Barbara C. McNurlin, Writer, Information Technology
Ralph H. Sprague, University of Hawaii
Publisher: Prentice Hall

ISBN: 0-13-185471-2

Copyright: 2006 Format: Cloth; 672 pp

 

Office hours for this class will be immediately after this class for one hour:

Course grading:

1. Exam 1 (20%)

2. Exam 2 (20%)

3. Exam 3 (20%)

4. Project 1 (10%)

5. Project 2 (10%)

6. Attendance (10%)

7. Class participation (10%)

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.

Grading Scale:

 

Following FIU policy, the Academic Calendar for 2005-2006 includes only official University holidays. References to specific religious holidays have been excluded. In keeping with University policy, faculty are encouraged to make accommodations for students who wish to observe their religious holidays.

Students should make these requests known at the beginning of the semester.

The FIU policy statement with reference to religious holy days is printed on page 54 of the 2005-06 Undergraduate Catalog and page 38 of the Graduate Catalog. The statement is copied herein for your convenience:

Because there are some classes and other functions where attendance may be considered essential, the following policy is in effect:

1. Each student shall, upon notifying his/her instructor, be excused from class to observe a religious holy day of his/her faith.

2. While the student will be held responsible for the material covered in his/her absence, each student shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up any work missed.

3. No major test, major class event, or major University activity will be scheduled on a major religious holy day.

4. Professors and University administrators shall not arbitrarily penalize students who are absent from academic or social activities because of religious observances.

For a listing of religious holidays you may visit
http://www.interfaithcalendar.org.

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

CGS 3300

CGS3300/Pat Smith/Assignment 1

ISM 4220 Business Data Communications

ISM4220/Your name /Subject...............for example

ISM4220/Pat Smith/Assignment 1

ISM 4990 Network Security

ISM4990/Your name /Subject...............for example

ISM4990/Pat Smith/Assignment 1

International MBA

IMBA6830/Your Name/Subject

evening MBA6830

eveMBA6830/Your Name /Subject

Graduate Management Program MAN 6830

GMP 6830/Your name/Subject

executive MBA JAMAICA

JAMMAN6830/Your Name/Subject

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

YOUR NAME/Subject

Example:

Telephone calls
Please email me at gk@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.

Faxes
Do not send faxes.

Dropping in: It is my pleasure to see you. However, "dropping in" does not necessarily mean that there will be enough time to see you or deal with a particular problem. So, if your business is important make sure that you have emailed me or spoken to me first.