Accessing Information from Databases to Improve Business Decision Making
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ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUS 750 – ADVANCED INFORMATION SYSTEMS COURSE SYLLABUS Term A2 (March 12 – May 13, 2016) Instructor: Leslee Higgins, Ph.D., CFE Class times: Wednesday 6:00-10:00 pm Office Phone: (305) 474-6072 Email address: [email protected] Office: O126 Class Room: OMH 5 Office hours: Wednesday 12:00pm - 5:45pm Thursday 12:00pm - 5:45pm or by appointment Required Text: Management Information Systems, 14th Edition, Kenneth C. Laudon, Pearson Publishing, ISBN: 978-0-13-3898 16-3. Course Description BUS 705 Advanced Information Systems Computer information systems approached from an operating manager's perspective - what the system's capabilities are, how they should be designed and managed, and how their benefits can be best assured for the organization. Prerequisite: Graduate standing Student Learning Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) By the end of the course students should be able to: 1. Explain why information systems are so important for business and management. SLO: Students will complete a database project to analyze sales trends. 2. Describe business processes and how they are related to information systems. SLO: Students will read a narrative about a functional business process and discuss how that process interacts with the information system. 3. Evaluate the role of information systems in today’s competitive business environment. SLO: Students will use Porter’s competitive forces model, the value chain model, synergies, core competencies and network economics to help a company develop competitive strategies. 4. Assess the impact of ethical, social, and political issues raised by information systems. SLO: Students will perform an ethical analysis of Facebook and its privacy policy. 2 5. Describe the components of IT infrastructure and the challenges of managing IT infrastructure. SLO: Students will describe the stages and technological drivers of the evolution of IT infrastructures. 6. Identify the major capabilities of database management systems and why is a relational DBMS so powerful. SLO: Students will prepare relational database tables, understand normalization of data and describe the principal tools and technologies for accessing information from databases to improve business decision making. 7. Identify the principal components are of telecommunications networks, wireless networking, and Internet access. SLO: Students will describe and discuss the application of these technologies to a case setting. 8. Explain why information systems are vulnerable to destruction, error and abuse, and what the major tools and technologies are to safeguard information resources. SLO: Students will describe the vulnerabilities that are common threats to information systems and an organizational framework for security and control. 9. Explain how enterprise systems, including applications such as supply chain management and customer relationship management, help businesses achieve operational excellence. SLO: After reading a business case, students will discuss how enterprise applications will improve decision making for the firm. 10. Describe how information systems support management decision making. SLO: Students will critique the use of a web-based decision support system for retirement planning. Student Requirements Reading assignments are to be completed prior to class. Students will be expected to be prepared to discuss homework and reading assignments in class. Regular class attendance is essential in this course. Your final course grade may be reduced by one letter grade for each unexcused absence in excess of one. You will be assigned an unexcused absence if you are late or leave early. It is your responsibility to notify your professor if you have a valid reason for arriving late for class or leaving early. This must be in writing or by email. Students are responsible for all the materials discussed and/or announced in class. Students are also reminded that the penalties for plagiarism in any form are serious (review the Saint Thomas University Student Handbook for student responsibilities) and will be handled according to STU policy. Official Email An official STU e-mail is established for each registered student, each faculty member, and each staff member. All university communications sent via e-mail will be sent to this STU e- mail address. 3 Classroom Resources You are expected to bring to class each day: the textbook, pencils, and paper. You will need a flash drive for Excel and Access assignments. Assignments Assignments are listed in the Assignment tab on your blackboard site for this course. Due dates for these assignments are on the class schedule. No Assignment will be accepted for a grade after its due date. Some assignments will be discussed in class and all assignments are necessary for you to understand the application of the chapter material. Student Progress The Blackboard Grade Center for this class will be updated after reasonable grading time for every assignment, project and exam. All projects and significant portions of all exams are hand scored by your professor, so the time needed to grade these assignments is significantly longer than for a multiple choice exam. Each student’s current grade for the course can be calculated from these scores posted on Blackboard. Blackboard I use Blackboard as the primary means to communicate with students outside of the classroom. All grades on exams, homework and projects are posted on Blackboard. Copies of the syllabus, handouts, assignments, and supplementary material will be posted on Blackboard sometimes after being given out in class. You should check Blackboard at least twice a week to see if I have posted any new material. University policy limits use of Blackboard to class and official University activities. Course Structure Students are expected to read assigned materials prior to the class period in which the material is presented. Class lectures are not intended to take the place of reading the chapter materials. A very important part of this course is your active participation in class discussions and your active gathering and synthesis of information. As aspiring professionals, you are expected to schedule time far enough in advance so that conflicts that prevent you from being prepared for class are minimized. I will call on students to answer questions about the homework and assigned readings. However, your voluntary contributions to class are more valuable. You will need to attempt all assignments to understand the material covered in the course. Exams will consist of multiple choice questions, problems, short answer, and essay questions. Exam dates are on the Class Schedule. These examinations must be taken as scheduled. Make-up exams are not offered except in the case of valid, DOCUMENTED medical emergencies. Most make-up exams will be oral exams given at an agreed upon time in my office. 4 Grading Team Homework 150 points In-class Work 30 Team Participation 20 Mid-term Exam 200 Final Exam 200 points Total 600 points Grading Scale: A 93%+ A- 90-92% B+ 87-89% B 83-86% B- 80-82% C+ 77-79% C 73-76% C- 70-72% D+ 67-69% D 60-66% F 0-59% Schedule Students are responsible for changes to the schedule announced in class even if they are absent on the day of announcement. Date Chapter Topic Assignments Due 3-16 1 Information Systems in Global Business Read before First Class 3-23 2 Global E-Business and Collaboration 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-6, 1-8, Case Study 3 Information Systems, Organizations & Strategy 3-30 3 Information Systems, Organizations 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-8, 2-11 & Strategy 4 Ethical and Social Issues in Information Systems 4-6 5 IT Infrastructure and Emerging Technologies 3 -1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4,Case Study 6 Foundations of Business Intelligence 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, 4-4, 4-7, 4-11 4-13 Midterm (Ch 1 – 5) 5-1, 5-2, 5-3, 5-4, 5-5, 5-8, 5-10, 5-12 6 Foundations of Business Intelligence 4-20 7 Telecommunications, the Internet & 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7, 6-8, Case Study 5 Wireless Technology 4-27 8 Securing Information Systems 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, 7-4, 7-6, 7-11 Case Study 9 Achieving Operational Excellence 5-4 9 Enterprise Applications 8-1, 8-2, 8-3, 8-4, 8-6, Case Study 12 Enhancing Decision Making 9-1, 9-2, 9-3, 9-4, 9-11 5-11 Final Exam (Ch 6, 7, 8, 9, 12) Ch9 Case Study, 12-1, 12-2, 12-3, 12-8, 12-10 Disclaimer This syllabus (including topic list, class schedule, and other components) represents a tentative plan for course proceedings. I reserve the right to make changes as student needs and other factors may warrant. Changes to the syllabus will be announced in class and posted on Blackboard. Students are responsible for all announced changes even if they miss the class in which the change is announced. NOTICE TO STUDENTS REGARDING SEVERE INCLEMENT WEATHER AND UNIVERSITY EMERGENCY CLOSINGS: In case of severe weather or other emergencies threatening normal operations, students are advised to check the following three sources for information regarding class cancellation and campus closing: St. Thomas Emergency Information Line – 877-STU-PLAN (877-788-7526) St. Thomas Website – www.stu.edu Local Media Outlets – TV Stations: WFOR-4, WTVJ-6, WSVN-7, WPLG-10, WLTV-23, Telemundo-51 Radio Stations, AM: WIOD-610, WAQI-710, WQBA-1140 Radio Stations, FM: WLRN-91.3, 93.1-WHDR, WPOW-96.5, WEDR-99.1, WKIS-99.9, WHYI-100.7, WMXJ-102.7, WHQT-105.1, WXDJ-95.7, WRTO-98.3, WRMA-106.7, WAMR-107.5 .