INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS (MIS)

BA3351 - Fall 2008

Instructor: Dr. Kutsal Dogan, Assistant Professor of MIS

Phone: 972 883-4778
Email: Use WebCT email for communications
Website: webct.utdallas.edu

Office: SOM 3.415

Office hours: TBD

Course Objectives:
The course is designed to introduce students to the use of Information Systems as an essential tool for
conducting business in an increasingly global economy. The course will provide an overview of Information
Systems and the conceptual foundations underlying the design, control and operation of computer-based
systems used by business. The course will help you achieve the following skills:

1. You will become familiar with the Information Systems terminology used to support business.
2. You will gain critical thinking skills needed to solve business problems with Information Systems.
3. You will learn to use Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Access for solving many different types of
business problems.
Required Textbook/Course Package:
We will use a package for this course. The package includes a customized textbook (Technology In Action:
Complete, 4th Edition) and an access code for a customized online portal (containing: MyITlab, Miller Case e-
book, and MS Office 2007 transition guide).

You should purchase this package but no other. Since the access code is mandatory, an earlier version or a
stand alone version of the textbook even if it is the same textbook will NOT work. The package is available at
Campus Bookstores. Please ask to make sure you are getting the access code. After your purchase, when you
register at the custom portal, you have to use your NetID as your username. Once you are registered you will
need the course ID for MyITLab (TBA) to find our course. Our custom portal is located at: -
http://www.pearsoncustom.com/tx/utd_it/

MyITLab:
MyITLab is an online training and assessment tool for Microsoft Office 2007. I will use this site extensively
for training and assessment purposes. To access the modules on MyITLab you will need an authorization code,
which is part of the course package mentioned above. Each student will need an authorization code to register
at www.myitlab.com and use the customized website for this specific course. You will be able to access the site
24/7 by using Internet Explorer (with few add-ons). I will have specific training modules that you will need to
complete by the assigned due dates. Training modules are to be completed individually by each student. These
modules will be graded. You are responsible to report all technical problems to MyITLab customer service.

Required Software:
MS Office 2007, available at SOM computer labs (all you need a UTD NetID) or can be purchased at campus
bookstore (MS Office 2007 Enterprise Edition is priced at $29 for UTD students with valid UTD ID).

Readings:
I will follow the textbook. You are required to read the chapters and complete the training modules.

Course Outline:
The current course outline will be maintained online. It is your duty to visit the class website frequently for
the changes made to the class schedule. However, your instructor will make every effort to inform you by

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WebCT e-mail and other means if there are major changes in the outline such as class cancellations, homework
due date changes, etc.

Lecture Notes:
Lecture notes will be made available online as PowerPoint slides on the class webpage through WebCT.

Class Website and Communications with the Instructor and the TA:
Both access to the course materials and communications with the instructor and the TA will be exclusively
through WebCT at http://webct.utdallas.edu. You will need a NetID account to access WebCT. This is the
same as your UTD Unix/Email ID and password which you may already have. There is no additional charge for
a Net ID. To get your NetID (if you don’t already have one) see netid.utdallas.edu. If you already have a
NetID account, check and make sure that it works correctly.

The “My WebCT” page will appear on the screen after you login. This course will be under WebCT 6. The page
lists all the courses for which you are a registered student. You can click the course title to access the course
Home Page. This page displays several icons. Each icon will take you to subsidiary pages containing course
material or built-in course tools. The Navigation Bar with Course Menu on the left side, the Menu Bar and the
path link on the top, and the Action Menu on the content page can help you to navigate within the course site.

For more information about WebCT, see the WebCT’s Student Help Index (http://webct.utdallas.edu/web-
ct/help/en/student/student_index.html) Within the course site, you can always click HELP on the WebCT
Menu Bar to get more information. You can also check out the Orientation Center to Online Learning and
WebCT (http://www.webct.com/oriented/) provided on the WebCT web site.

Throughout the semester your UTD e-mail may be used by your instructor to reach you. You can access your
UTD e-mail and/or forward it to your preferred e-mail account by going to http://pipeline.utdallas.edu, logging
in, and following the appropriate links. If you have any problem with your UTD account or in connecting to the
UTD WebCT server, contact assist@utdallas.edu or call the student help desk at 972-883-2911.

Laptops in Class:
If you bring a laptop, a PDA, etc. to the class; make sure you are using it properly for our class purposes.
Playing solitaire, chatting online, looking up the latest scores, doing homework for another class are examples
of improper use. If you are not sure whether what you are doing is proper or not, ask me.
All these usually do not bother me personally but they distract the students in class (especially those behind
you) a great deal. See a nice blog entry on this issue at http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/raskin/12061. Please note
that by using your laptop improperly in class, you relinquish your right to be “offended” in case I warn you
publicly in class. /

Assignments (Projects):
Assignments will involve the use of Microsoft Office 2007. There will be assignments relating to Word,
PowerPoint, Excel and Access. You must use Microsoft Office 2007; previous versions of the Microsoft Office
are not allowed. Assignments will be posted on WebCT and can be downloaded to your PC. Assignments must be
submitted through WebCT; submission of electronic copies by e-mail or on floppy disk is not acceptable.
Your group number and group members’ last names should appear on the top of each page that you
submit. Each group will need to submit only a SINGLE copy of the assignment by a group member you
choose. However, since you should provide the names of all group members on the material turned in, I will be
able to grade everyone. You will NOT be able to add a new group member once an assignment is turned in.

All assignments should be completed on time and submitted on WebCT before the submission deadline as shown
on WebCT. You can upload your assignment file many times and submit it many times before the given deadline.
After the deadline your assignment will be frozen and you will not be able to change your assignment (if it is
turned in before the deadline). If you submit your assignment after the deadline it will be considered late. A
penalty of 25% of the assignment value per day (including weekends) is assessed on late assignments
beginning on the day due.

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Groups:
Students are required to do the assignments in groups of 3, 4 or 5. You are allowed to form your groups
through interaction in class, discussions on WebCT, Facebook, etc. It is time you meet some of your
classmates. Assignments are involved and will demand time, so it is required that you work in groups. However,
inter-group collaboration is NOT allowed and will be penalized according to the academic honesty guidelines of
the University of Texas at Dallas. Solely the group members should do the work submitted by each group. It
is your responsibility to familiarize yourselves with the academic honesty guidelines of the University of Texas
at Dallas. A brief summary of these guidelines is provided at the end of this syllabus.

All changes in assignments or schedules will be posted on WebCT. It is your responsibility to keep up
with the changes that are posted on WebCT.

If you are dialing into UTD to access E-mail or the World Wide Web, you may have trouble getting connected
for various reasons. Make sure that you give yourself enough lead time to complete assignments. Because you
will almost always have access to these systems on campus, busy modems or other technical problems are not
accepted as excuses for late submission.

Forming your Group (Assignment 0)

Form your group as soon as you reasonably can. Each member of the group needs to send an e-mail to the
instructor through WebCT. The e-mail should list the names and phone numbers of all the members of the
group, including the email sender. This will help you have a soft copy of your group members' contact
information in WebCT for later use. This is email is necessary and will be graded as your Assignment 0. It is 1%
of your course grade. I will post the due date for this email on WebCT and announce it in class.

Exams:
There will be 3 midterm exams and a cumulative final done individually. Each exam will be in-class, closed-notes
and closed-book. The questions on the exams will be taken from the assigned readings of texts, training
modules, class lectures and assignments. Exams may consist of short essay, short answer, true/false, multiple-
choice type questions. Some parts of the exam will be machine graded. You will need to bring a scantron to
each exam, form 882-E (small green form). No other type of Scantron forms will be acceptable. No makeup
exams will be offered, so plan ahead for the exam dates. I will have the dates posted on the class WebCT.

Course Grade:
Individual grades will be posted on WebCT after each exam or assignment is graded. Access to your grades will
be through WebCT. Letter grades for the course will be calculated according to the following weights
(tentative, subject to change):

Item Individual Weight Total Weight

Assignment 0 1% 1%

Attendance and In-Class Quizzes 4% 4%

MyITLab Training Modules - Completed Individually TBD 20 %

Assignments (Projects) TBD 15 %

- Completed as a Group

Midterm Exams (3) 20 % 20 %

Final (CUMULATIVE) Optional. If you take the final, 20 % 20 %

the lowest score of your four tests will be dropped.
If you are happy with your first three exams, you
don’t have to take the final.

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Total 100 %

Based on the total course score (S) you accumulate throughout the semester, letter grades will be assigned as
follows (tentative, subject to change):

97 % ≤ S < 100 % A+

93 % ≤ S < 97 % A

90 % ≤ S < 93 % A-

87 % ≤ S < 90 % B+

83 % ≤ S < 87 % B

80 % ≤ S < 83 % B-

77 % ≤ S < 80 % C+

73 % ≤ S < 77 % C

70 % ≤ S < 73 % C-

67 % ≤ S < 70 % D+

63 % ≤ S < 67 % D

60 % ≤ S < 63 % D-

0 % ≤ S < 60 % F

The Internet:
If you are new to the Internet and World Wide Web it is recommended that you review Internet Basics and
World Wide Web at http://www.learnthenet.com.

Working Together:
You may work together when learning how to use computers and applications. WebCT has a message board and
you are encouraged to use the bulletin board for clarification or questions that may be answered by other
students or by the instructor. Each student, however, is expected to complete the training modules on their
own. Copying the computer files of some other student in another group amounts to scholastic dishonesty
(see below) and will be subject to disciplinary actions that could result in a failing grade or expulsion from the
University.

Scholastic Honesty:
We expect UTD students to be academically honest. Because the value of an academic degree depends upon
the absolute integrity of the work done by a student for that degree, it is imperative for students to maintain
a high level of individual honor in his or her scholastic work. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited
to, statements, acts or omissions related to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the
submission as one's own work of material that is not one's own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves
one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion, and/or falsifying academic records. Students
suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings. Specifically, copying another
student's computer files or buying assignments from a third party is Scholastic Dishonesty. Penalties that
may be imposed for Scholastic Dishonesty include: grade penalties, disciplinary probation, suspension, or expulsion. For
more information on Scholastic Dishonesty see http://www.utdallas.edu/judicialaffairs/UTDJudicialAffairs-
AcademicIntegrity.html