Columbia College Online Campus P a g e |1

BUSI 502 C
Information Systems for Management
June 2015 Session 14-M55

June 1 July 25, 2015

Course Description
Examination of the value and uses of information systems for business operations, management decision-
making, and strategic advantage. Discussions and applications focus on business information systems and its
usefulness as a managerial aid.
Prerequisite: None
Proctored Exams: None

Textbooks
Title: Management Information Systems for the Information Age, 9th edition
Author(s): Haag/Cummings
Publisher: Richard D. Irwin, Inc.
Year: 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0-07-743743-5
Textbooks for the course may be ordered from MBS Direct. You can order
online at http://direct.mbsbooks.com/columbia.htm (be sure to select Online Education rather than
your home campus before selecting your class)
by phone at 800-325-3252
For additional information about the bookstore, visit http://www.mbsbooks.com.

Course Overview
The information we are going to exchange in the context of this course will enable all of us to appreciate the
complexity of information systems and their role in assisting decision making in a business setting.
Information system refers broadly to a computer-based system that provides managers with the tools for
organizing, evaluating and efficiently running their departments. In order to provide past, present and
prediction information, an information system can include software that helps in decision making, data
resources such as databases, the hardware resources of a system, decision support systems, people or project
management applications, and any computerized processes that enable the department to run efficiently.
Your participation is vital to not only your understanding of the material but also to add to your fellow
classmates understanding of principals and concepts. In addition to your own book work, I will be sending
you out to the Internet for material vital to this discipline. Together we can make this a great learning
experience.
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e |2

Technology Requirements
Participation in this course will require the basic technology for all online classes at Columbia College:
A computer with reliable Internet access,
a web browser,
Acrobat Reader,
Microsoft Office or another word processor such as Open Office.
You can find more details about standard technical requirements for our courses on our site.
For this class, you will be expected to complete assignments using Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Course Objectives
To explore the fundamental concepts and components of Information Systems (IS)
To learn methods of managing and organizing an IS

Measurable Learning Outcomes

Explain the importance of Management Information Systems (MIS) within the business community.
Analyze the components of MIS decision-support systems and their impact on decision-making.
Explain how to collect, manage, and use data to support managerial decisions.
Appraise how MIS influence the overall decision-making process from a functional area perspective.
Describe how an IS helps to integrate business operations.

Grading
Grading Scale Grade Weights

GRADE POINTS PERCENT ASSIGNMENT POINTS PERCENT

A 738-820 90-100 Discussions (8) 120 15
B 656-737 80-89 Dropbox Assignments (8) 160 20
C 574-655 70-79 Article Reviews (3) 45 5
F 000-573 0-59 Case Projects (3) 75 9
Exams (2) 300 36
Research Paper (1) 120 15
TOTAL 820 100

Schedule of Due Dates

Week Assignment Point Due Date
Value
1 Introduction - Wed
Discussion 1 15 Wed
Dropbox Assignment 1 20 Sun
Article Review 1 15 Sun
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e |3

2 Discussion 2 15 Wed
Dropbox Assignment 2 20 Sun
Case Project 1 25 Sun
3 Discussion 3 15 Wed
Dropbox Assignment 3 20 Sun
Article Review 2 15 Sun
4 Discussion 4 15 Wed
Dropbox Assignment 4 20 Sun
Case Project 2 25 Sun
Mid-Term Examination 100 Sun
5 Discussion 5 15 Wed
Dropbox Assignment 5 20 Sun
Article Review 3 15 Sun
6 Discussion 6 15 Wed
Dropbox Assignment 6 20 Sun
Case Project 3 25 Sun
7 Discussion 7 15 Wed
Dropbox Assignment 7 20 Sun
Research Paper 120 Sun
8 Discussion 8 15 Wed
Dropbox Assignment 8 20 Sat
Final Examination 200 Sat
Total 820

Assignment Overview
Online discussions postings should be completed by Wednesday (W) of each assigned week, and responses
to at least three classmates should be posted by Sunday (S) of the assigned week. Discussions are graded on
criteria listed in the rubric near the end of this syllabus. Note: you must post your original response
before you can view other classmates posts.

Dropbox Assignments are written assignments designed to deepen your understanding of specific
information/concept(s). The number and type of Dropbox Assignments due each week will vary. Each
Dropbox Assignment, which is due Sunday, will have variable points depending on the type of assignment.
Grade criteria are listed in the following tables. Be sure to read your assignment three times to fully
understand all the details you are required to submit. I do not accept bulleted or numbered lists. I expect
your answers to be in meaningful paragraphs composed of well-formatted sentences with appropriate flow.
Be sure to restate the question in your answers so as to make sure you cover all of the material requested.
Please see the grading rubric provided near the end of this syllabus.

Article reviews will be assigned several times during the course. These assignments are submitted via the
Dropbox function. There is a required format designed to have you focus on the key points of the article. You
must develop each point of this format to benefit from your analysis. There is a template to be used for these
reviews in the Course Overview module (found in the Content area). All of the articles assigned are available
in the appropriate weekly module in the Content area. The key points of your review should address:
The main idea of the article
Discuss three important facts the author uses to support the main idea
What information or ideas discussed in this article are also discussed in your textbook or other
readings?
Cite any examples of bias or faulty reasoning that you found in the article
Define any new terms you discovered as a result of reading this article
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e |4

The criteria for grading these reviews are listed in the rubric near the end of the syllabus.
Case Projects are to be submitted to the proper Dropbox folder. You will have three projects during the
course. These projects will require you to download a file and complete required analysis and deliverables as
specified. You will use Word, Excel and PowerPoint to complete these assignments. The files you will need
are located in appropriate weeks Assignments topic (found in Content area).
The criteria for grading these projects are listed in the Rubric near the end of the syllabus.

Research Paper fulfills a key requirement in the class. The subject matter is limited material related to that
covered in the class. I would like to see your topic by the end of week two. The reason for previewing your
proposed topic is to make sure you have the proper scope for a paper of this size.
The length of your paper should be a minimum of 15 pages, double spaced. The cover and bibliography are
not to be included in this page count, but both are required. An abstract is your choice but again not included
in the page count. Please use APA style. The font size is limited to 12, with one-inch margins all around.
Images should be limited and must be of reasonable size.
You must cite from 5 to 7 references. If you use an internet source, it may have a valid URL associated with it.
Your text book is not to be used as a reference. This assignment is due on Sunday of the Seventh (7) week of
class. Research papers will be graded using the criteria listed in the Rubric near the end of the syllabus.
Exams are scheduled twice in the course. There will be a mid-term and final exam. Both will be in short
essay format or M/C & T/F format with a two hour time limit for each exam. In each case the exam will be
open on the Wednesday of exam week and remain open until midnight Sunday for the midterm and Saturday
for the Final. You will have one attempt at the exam; be sure to save your work often. At the beginning of this
syllabus there is a course overview starting on page 1. You should consider this as your study guide. The
mid-term will cover chapters 1 4 and the final will be over chapters 5 8.

Course Schedule
Week 1 The Information Age in Which You Live
Reading Assignment
Chapter 1: The Information Age in Which You Live: Changing the Face of Business

Discussions
Introduction: Tell us a little about yourself.

Discussion 1: In this chapter, we discussed the use of loyalty programs in the travel industry as a mechanism
for reducing buyer power. What is another industry that also uses loyalty programs to reduce buyer power?
How does that industry use loyalty programs to do so? Your discussion post is due on Wednesday (W) with
follow up on a minimum of three of your classmates posts by Sunday (S). 15 points

Dropbox Assignment 1: Using Porter to evaluate the movie rental industry

One hotly contested and highly competitive industry is the movie rental business. This weeks
assignment will require you to use Porters Five Forces Model to evaluate the relative attractiveness
of entering the movie rental business. Detailed instructions are available in the courses Content
area. This assignment is due Sunday (S). 20 points

Article Review 1
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e |5

Write an article review on Miles to Go by John Foley. The article and a template for the article
reviews are available in the Content area of the course. This assignment is due on Sunday (S). 15
points

Week 2 Major Business Initiatives Gaining Competitive Advantage with IT

Reading Assignment
Chapter 2: Major Business Initiatives: Gaining Competitive Advantage with IT

Discussions
Discussion 2 In ten years will Facebook still be so popular and so dominant? What competitors might
overtake it? What are substitute products to social networking like Facebook?
Your discussion post is due on Wednesday (W) with follow up on a minimum of three of your
classmates posts by Sunday (S). 15 points

Dropbox Assignment 2: Coca- Cola Is Everything: SCM, CRM, ERP Social Media,
Everything
This week you will read the case study starting on pages 59, 60 and evaluate IT-enabled initiatives.
Answer the questions at the end of the case. This assignment is due Sunday (S). 20 points

Case Project 1: Analyzing the Value of Information

Read the AFFORDABLE HOMES REAL ESTATE on page 287 of the textbook. Detailed instructions for
this assignment, along with the file you need to prepare your report, are available in the Assignments
topic for Week 2 (found in the Content area). Submit your report via the Dropbox by Sunday (S). 25
points.

Week 3 Databases and Data Warehouses

Reading Assignment
Chapter 3: Databases and Data Warehouses: Building Business Intelligence

Discussions
Discussion 3: Business intelligence sounds like a fancy term with a lot of competitive advantage
potentially rolled into it. What sort of business intelligence does Columbia College
need? Specifically, what business intelligence business intelligence would it need to predict
enrollments in the coming years? What business intelligence would it need to determine what
curriculums to offer? Do you think Columbia College gathers and uses this kind of business
intelligence? Why or why not? Your discussion post is due on Wednesday (W) with follow up on a
minimum of three of your classmates posts by Sunday (S). 15 points

Dropbox Assignment 3: Closing Case Study Two When Making a Database of Private and Company-
Strategic Information Available to the Public Can Be Good.

. Page 90, 91. Answer questions 1, 2 and 3.

Detailed instructions for this assignment and the article may be found in the Content area. Submit
your answers via the Dropbox by Sunday (S). 20 points

Article Review 2
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e |6

Write an article review on Instant Insight by Alan Joch. The article and template for article reviews
are available in the Content area. This assignment is due on Sunday (S). 15 points

Week 4 Analytics, Decision Support and Artificial Intelligence Brain Power for Your
Business
Reading Assignment
Chapter 4: Analytics, Decision Support and Artificial Intelligence: Brainpower for Your Business

Discussions
Discussion 4: After reading the brief article, "An NFL Team Needs More than Athletic Ability"
(found in the Content area), answer the following questions:
1. Could decision support systems with predictive analytics be used to gain the advantage in
other sports? Choose a sport and explain how that might work.
2. Even though coaches rely heavily on IT, they are not allowed to bring computers onto the
playing field. All they may have is their clipboard. Would allowing coaches to have laptops on the
field change the game appreciably? Explain your answer. Would it be a good idea? Explain.
3. What other aspect of football could be improved by decision support systems?
Your discussion topic is due on Wednesday (W) with the follow up on a minimum of three of
your classmates posts by Sunday (S). 15 points

Dropbox Assignment 4:
Closing Case Study Two pages 121,122
Decision Support is Good for Your Health. Read the case and answer questions 1, 2, 3 and 4 on page 122. This
assignment is due Sunday (S). 20 points

Case Project 2: Creating a Decision Support System

Read BUY VERSUS LEASE found on page 298 of the textbook. Detailed instructions and the file you
need to prepare this assignment may be found in the Dropbox: Case Project 2 topic of Week 4 (found
in the Content area). Submit your report via the Dropbox by Sunday (S). 25 points

Mid-Term Examination
The exam will consist of short essay format or M/C & T/F format. There will be a two hour time
limit, with one attempt allowed. Make sure you save your work often during the exam. Remember to
read each question three times to understand the scope of your answer. If you have any difficulties
with the system refer to assistance information detailed in the syllabus. The exam will be open in the
Quizzes area from 8:00 am on Wednesday of exam week and will close at midnight on Sunday. 100
points

Week 5 Electronic Commerce

Reading Assignment
Chapter 5: Electronic Commerce: Strategies for the New Economy

Discussions
Discussion 5: In your opinion, according to Porters Five Forces Model (refer to Chapter 1), has
competition increased or decreased overall as a result of the Internet and e- commerce? Specifically
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e |7

address each of the five forces in Porters model. Your discussion thread is due on Wednesday (W)
with follow up on a minimum of three of your classmates posts by Sunday (S). 15 points

Dropbox Assignment 5: When Youre Big, You Can Be Your Own B2B
E-Marketplace Business to Business (B2B) e-marketplaces are the growing trend in the B2B e-
commerce business model. Businesses from all industries and countries can gather, perform
commerce functions, share mission-critical information, and deploy infrastructure applications that
allow those organizations to tie their internal systems to each other. Read a brief article discussing
the customized e-marketplace business model for Volkswagen AG and answer the questions
provided. Detailed instructions for this assignment may be found in the Content area. This
assignment is due Sunday (S). 20 points

Article Review 3
Write an article review on Strategies for Transitioning Old Economy Firms to E-Business by Edieal
J. Pinker, Abraham Seidmann, and Reginald C. Foster. The article and the template for article reviews
are available in the Content area. This assignment is due on Sunday (S). 15 points.

Week 6 Systems Development: Phases, Tools and Techniques

Reading Assignment

Chapter 6: Systems Development: Phases, Tools and Techniques

Discussions
Discussion 6: You are talking with another student who is complaining about having to learn about
the systems development life cycle, because he is not going to work in an IT department. Would you
agree with this student? What would you say to him to convince him that learning about the systems
development life cycle is important no matter where he works? Your discussion topic is due on
Wednesday (W) with follow up on a minimum of three of your classmates posts by Sunday (S). 15
points

Dropbox Assignment 6: Tablets Take Their Place in the PC Market.

Ending Case Study 2, page 187, 188. Answer all the questions at the end of the case.
This assignment is due Sunday (S). 20 points

Case Project 3: Making the Case with Presentation Software

Read INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ETHICS page 296 of the textbook. For this assignment, you will
develop a presentation using a presentation package such as Microsofts PowerPoint. Detailed
instructions for this assignment may be found in the Content area. Submit your report via the
Dropbox by Sunday (S). 25 points
Course Evaluations: Please evaluate the course. You will be able to submit your course evaluation between
Sunday of Week 5 and Thursday of Week 7. A link will be sent to your CougarMail that will allow you to access
the evaluation.

Week 7 Enterprise Infrastructure Metrics and Business Continuity Planning

Reading Assignment
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e |8

Chapter 7: Enterprise Infrastructure Metrics, and Business Continuity Planning: Building and
Sustaining the Dynamic Enterprise

Discussions
Discussion 7: In this chapter, we focused on metrics for measuring the success of your IT systems
including infrastructure- centric metrics, Web- centric metrics, call center metrics, and financial
metrics. Another important area of metrics is security metrics, or how well you are doing at stopping
viruses from coming in, protecting against identify theft, and the like. Do some research on the Web
and develop a list of commonly used metrics in the area of security. Be sure to define each metric.
Your discussion topic is due on Wednesday (W) with follow up on a minimum of three of your
classmates posts by Sunday (S). 15 points

Dropbox Assignment 7: Denver Health Operates with a Private Cloud and Thin Clients
Closing Case Study Two, pages 219,220. Answer all six questions at the end of the case.
This assignment is due Sunday (S). 20 points

Research Paper

This paper is to fulfill a key requirement in the class. The subject matter is limited material related to
that covered in the class. I would like to see your topic by the end of Week 2. The reason for
previewing your title is to make sure you have the proper scope for a paper of this size.
The length of your paper should be a minimum of 15 pages, double spaced. The cover and
bibliography are not to be included in this page count, but both are required. An abstract is your
choice but again not included in the page count. Please use APA style. The font size is limited to 12,
with one-inch margins all around. Images should be limited and must be of reasonable size.
You must cite from 5 to 7 references. If you use an Internet source, it may have a valid URL
associated with it. Your textbook is not to be used as a reference.
The paper is due Sunday (S). 120 points

Week 8 Protecting People and Information

Reading Assignment

Chapter 8: Protecting People and Information: Threats and Safeguards / Emerging Trends and
Technologies: Business, People and Technology Tomorrow

Discussions

Discussion 8: Have you, or someone you know, experienced computer problems caused by a virus? What
did the virus do? Where do you think you got it? How did you fix the problem? What was the cost to you
in time, trouble, and stress? Your discussion post is due on Wednesday (W) with follow up on a minimum
of three of your classmates posts by Saturday (S). 15 points

Dropbox Assignment 8: Sony Reels from Multiple Hacker Attacks

Closing Case Study Two, pages 252,253. Answer all the questions at the end of the case.
This assignment is due Saturday (S). 20 points
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e |9

Final Examination
The exam will consist of short essay format or M/C & T/F format questions. There will be a 2 hour time
limit, with one attempt allowed. Make sure you save your work often during the exam. Remember to
read each question three times to understand the scope of your answer. If you have any difficulties with
the system refer to assistance information detailed in the syllabus. The exam will be open in the Quizzes
area from 8:00 am on Wednesday of exam week and will close at midnight on Saturday. 200 points

Course Policies
Student Conduct
All Columbia College students, whether enrolled in a land-based or online course, are responsible for
behaving in a manner consistent with Columbia College's Student Conduct Code and Acceptable Use
Policy. Students violating these policies will be referred to the office of Student Affairs and/or the office of
Academic Affairs for possible disciplinary action. The Student Code of Conduct and the Computer Use Policy
for students can be found in the Columbia College Student Handbook. The Handbook is available online; you
can also obtain a copy by calling the Student Affairs office (Campus Life) at 573-875-7400. The teacher
maintains the right to manage a positive learning environment, and all students must adhere to the
conventions of online etiquette.
Plagiarism
Your grade will be based in large part on the originality of your ideas and your written presentation of these
ideas. Presenting the words, ideas, or expression of another in any form as your own is plagiarism. Students
who fail to properly give credit for information contained in their written work (papers, journals, exams, etc.)
are violating the intellectual property rights of the original author. For proper citation of the original authors,
you should reference the appropriate publication manual for your degree program or course (APA, MLA, etc.).
Violations are taken seriously in higher education and may result in a failing grade on the assignment, a grade
of "F" for the course, or dismissal from the College.
Collaboration conducted between students without prior permission from the instructor is considered
plagiarism and will be treated as such. Spouses and roommates taking the same course should be particularly
careful.
All required papers may be submitted for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of
plagiarism. All submitted papers may be included in the Turnitin.com reference database for the purpose of
detecting plagiarism. This service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com
site.

Non-Discrimination
There will be no discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, religion,
ideology, political affiliation, veteran status, age, physical handicap, or marital status.

Disability Services
Students with documented disabilities who may need academic services for this course are required to
register with the Coordinator for Disability Services at (573) 875-7626. Until the student has been cleared
through the disability services office, accommodations do not have to be granted. If you are a student who
has a documented disability, it is important for you to read the entire syllabus before enrolling in the course.
The structure or the content of the course may make an accommodation not feasible.

Online Participation
You are expected to read the assigned texts and participate in the discussions and other course activities each
week. Assignments should be posted by the due dates stated on the grading schedule in your syllabus. If an
emergency arises that prevents you from participating in class, please let your instructor know as soon as
possible.
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e | 10

Attendance Policy
Attendance for a week will be counted as having submitted a course assignment for which points
have been earned during that week of the session or if the proctoring information has been
submitted or the plagiarism quiz taken if there is no other assignment due that week. A class week is
defined as the period of time between Monday and Sunday (except for Week 8, when the week and
the course will end on Saturday at midnight). The course and system deadlines are all based on the
Central Time Zone.

Cougar E-mail
All students are provided a CougarMail account when they enroll in classes at Columbia College. You are
responsible for monitoring e-mail from that account for important messages from the College and from your
instructor. You may forward your Cougar e-mail account to another account; however, the College cannot be
held responsible for breaches in security or service interruptions with other e-mail providers.
Students should use e-mail for private messages to the instructor and other students. The class discussions
are for public messages so the class members can each see what others have to say about any given topic and
respond.

Late Assignment Policy

An online class requires regular participation and a commitment to your instructor and your classmates to
regularly engage in the reading, discussion and writing assignments. Although most of the online
communication for this course is asynchronous, you must be able to commit to the schedule of work for the
class for the next eight weeks. You must keep up with the schedule of reading and writing to successfully
complete the class.
Late assignments will only be accepted with prior approval by the instructor. Unapproved late assignments
cannot receive full credit. The amount of the deduction will be determined by how long the assignment is
overdue. Twenty percent (20 %) will be deducted for each 24 hours past the due date.
Course Evaluation
You will have an opportunity to evaluate the course near the end of the session. Course evaluations will open
on Sunday of Week 5 and will remain open until Thursday of Week 7. A link will be sent to your CougarMail
that will allow you to access the evaluation. Be assured that the evaluations are anonymous and that your
instructor will not be able to see them until after final grades are submitted.

Additional Resources
Orientation for New Students
This course is offered online, using course management software provided by Desire2Learn and Columbia
College. The Student Manual provides details about taking an online course at Columbia College. You may
also want to visit the course demonstration to view a sample course before this one opens.

Technical Support
If you have problems accessing the course or posting your assignments, contact your instructor, the Columbia
College Helpdesk, or the D2L Helpdesk for assistance. Contact information is also available within the online
course environment.

CCHelpDesk@ccis.edu helpdesk@desire2learn.com
800-231-2391 ex. 4357 877-325-7778
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e | 11

Online Tutoring
Smarthinking is a free online tutoring service available to all Columbia College students.
Smarthinking provides real-time online tutoring and homework help for Math, English, and Writing.
The Writing Center can be used for writing assistance in any course.

Smarthinking also provides access to live tutorials in writing and math, as well as a full range of study
resources, including writing manuals, sample problems, and study skills manuals. You can access the
service from wherever you have a connection to the Internet. I encourage you to take advantage of
this free service provided by the college.

Access Smarthinking through CougarTrack under Students->Academics->Academic Resources.

Library Resources
To access the Columbia College library, Stafford Library, go to http://www.ccis.edu/departments/library

Grading Criteria

Grade Criteria for Online Discussion Postings

1215 = A Online posting is on time and answers given for all questions. Answers are
complete and good examples are used. Student responded to the required
number of classmates.
911 = B Assignment is complete and fully answered including examples with the required
number of responses but is more than 24 hours late. Or the work is not
complete, does not have examples or the required feedback to classmates.
68 = C Assignment answers are not fully developed, missing examples or feedback.
05 = F Assignment is late and incomplete

Grade Criteria for Dropbox Postings

18 -20 = A Submission is on time. The authors central point is identified and defined.
Answers are complete and concise and good examples are used.
15-17 = B Assignment is on time but has failed to answer all questions appropriately, or is
complete but poorly written.
11-14 = C Assignment is late with answers are not complete or no examples
0-10 = D Assignment is incomplete.

Grade Criteria for Article Reviews

1215 = A Submission is on time. The authors central idea is described. Three distinct ideas
supporting the central idea are identified and defined. Examples supporting
these ideas are illustrated. Cross referencing the material in the article with
content in the text is included. Faulty or biased logic is identified and explained.
910 = B Submission is on time but all review points are not fully answered.
68 = C Submission is late with complete review point answers.
Columbia College Online Campus P a g e | 12

0-5 = F Submission is late with incomplete or under developed review points.

Grade Criteria for Project

22 25 = A Work done on time. Required analysis complete with well-formatted presentation.
18 21 = B Work done on time, weak answers, poor collaboration or presentation.
13 17 = C Work is late, but analysis, presentation good.
0--12 = F Work is late and incomplete

Criteria Description of Research Paper Skills Points Possible

Content The paper develops a central point, idea, or thesis that is clearly
defined and supported by concrete, substantial and relevant 30
evidence.
Organization The paper is organized in paragraphs that are unified, coherent and
effective, with transitions between ideas. The sentences are 30
correctly constructed, logical and complete
References The paper uses 5 7 references that are properly cited using APA
30
style. Internet sources include valid URL.
Mechanics The paper uses standard grammar, punctuation and spelling. The
paper is at least 15 pages excluding the title, abstract and 30
bibliography, with proper margins, font, and double spaced.
Total 120