Ellis Blanton

PROFESSOR

Ellis Blanton, PhD
CIS 2063
Office: 974-6757
Office Hours: TR 12:00-12:30, T 5:30-6:00, or by appointment
E-Mail: eblanton@coba.usf.edu

TEXT

L.M. Applegate, F.W. McFarlan, and J.L. McKenney, Corporate Information Systems Management 5th ed., Richard D. Irwin, 1999.

OBJECTIVES

This course is intended to be the capstone course for MIS majors. The focus of the course is on synthesis of material already studied as well as discussion and presentation of current topics in the IS field. Specific objectives are:

To acquaint MIS students with the terminology and concepts that apply to the management of information technology (IT) in contemporary organizations.

To introduce MIS students to the management of IT at the individual level, organizational level, and global level; and

Particular attention will be given to several skills that are key to success as an IS professional:

ability to research a technology topic and present the results in written and in presentation forms;

ability to discuss IT topics in group settings; and

ability to synthesize material and write extended text on your understanding of an issue or topic (i.e., essays).

GRADING

Participation= 20%

Presentation = 15%

Management Report = 20%

Mid-Term Exam = 20%

Final Exam = 25%

ABSENCES

Attendance and participation in classroom activities is a critical aspect of this course. A significant part of your class evaluation will be based on your participation in discussions and presentations. Each student is expected to attend all classes. However, understanding that sometimes personal and work considerations have a higher precedence, each student will be allowed one absence. Additional absences will result in a reduction in "Participation" points (day class:2 points; evening class: 4 points).

 

ACADEMIC POLICIES

If you must miss an examination, you must notify the instructor before the exam, discuss the reason for missing the exam, and make arrangements for a makeup exam. Makeup examinations are always different exams.

Academic dishonesty of any type will result in a grade of "F" for the course. Please see below the text from the USF policy on academic dishonesty.

 

HONOR CODE

The policy of the University of South Florida on academic dishonesty states:

Each individual is expected to earn his or her degree on the basis of personal effort. Consequently, any form of cheating on examinations or plagiarism on assigned papers constitutes unacceptable deceit and dishonesty. This cannot be tolerated in the university community and will be punishable, according to the seriousness of the offense, in conformity with this rule.

Cheating is defined as follows:

1. the unauthorized granting or receiving of aid during the prescribed period of a course-graded exercise: students may not consult written materials such as notes or books, many not look at the paper of another student, nor consult orally with any other student taking the same test;
2. asking another person to take an examination in his or her place;
3. taking an examination for or in place of another student;
4. stealing visual concepts, such as drawings, sketches, diagrams, musical programs and scores, graphs, maps, etc. and presenting them as one's own;
5. stealing, borrowing, buying, or disseminating tests, answer keys or other examination material except as officially authorized, research papers, creative papers, speeches, etc.;
6. stealing or copying of computer programs and presenting them as one's own.

MANAGEMENT REPORT

Each group (three or four students) will prepare a Management Report on an IT topic that must be turned in by the Final Exam (hard copy of complete report and disk copy of text and references, NO viruses please). This report should include the following sections: executive summary (one page), description of the technology or issue' differing points of view on the technology or issue, and a description of action items for a C10 on the technology or issue. The text part of the Management Report should be least 3500 words (excluding references).

For the Management Report, you will need to use at least EIGHT sources. Sources may include books, newspapers, journals, personal interviews, and web pages. These sources must be cited fully and completely at the end of the report. If you do a personal interview, please provide contact information for the individual interviewed. Failure to provide reference information for your sources will result in a reduction in the grade for the assignment.

REPORT PRESENTATION

The presentation should last approximately 50 minutes. The format of the presentation can be varied: a traditional presentation supported by overheads or other visuals, handouts, a debate, and/or a role play. The goal of the presentation is to inform the audience about the IT issue. Focus on the key information that an IT manager needs to know about an issue or technology. Grades of the presentation will be based on both content and quality of presentation.

Each student in the group is expected to participate in the preparation of the

Management Report, and each student should have a role in the presentation. At the end of the semester, all group members will get a chance to evaluate their group-mates contribution to the Management Report and presentation.

MANAGEMENT REPORT TOPICS

1. Human Resources: Issues and Trends

2. Ethics: Fact or Fiction in MIS

3. Legal Issues: Copyright, Patents, etc.

4. E-Business: IT Applications and Issues

5. Enterprise Resource Planning Systems: Applications and Implementation

6. Data Mining: Technologies and Applications

7. Y2K: The Aftermath

8. ISO 9000: Application to MIS

9. International Business: IT Issues