INTRODUCTION TO MIS - BA3351

Fall 2007

Instructor: Dr. Kutsal Dogan, Assistant Professor of MIS

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

Course: BA 3351

Class Hours:

Office and Office Hours:

By appointment.
Room SOM 3.415

Required Textbook: TBD

Software:
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.

Readings:
I will follow the textbook. You are required to read the chapters in advance.

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

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. 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
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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. 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:
Assignments will involve the use of Microsoft Office 2003. There will be assignments relating to Word,
PowerPoint, Excel and Access. You must use Microsoft Office 2003 or newer; 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 NAME and NetID should appear on the top of each page that
you submit. 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 20% of the assignment value per
day (including weekends) is assessed on late assignments beginning on the day due.

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.

Exams:
There will be 3 exams 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, class lectures and assignments.
Exams will 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.

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):
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 Individual Weight Total Weight
Assignment 0 1% 1%
Attendance, Class 3% 3%
Participation and Small
In-Class Quizzes
Other TBD 21 %
Assignments
Exams 25 % 75 %
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):

96 % ≤ S < 100 % A+
93 % ≤ S < 96 % A
90 % ≤ S < 93 % A-
86 % ≤ S < 90 % B+
83 % ≤ S < 86 % B
80 % ≤ S < 83 % B-
76 % ≤ S < 80 % C+
73 % ≤ S < 76 % C
70 % ≤ S < 73 % C-
66 % ≤ S < 70 % D+
63 % ≤ S < 66 % 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 do the assignments on their
own. Copying the computer files of some other student 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 Dishonesty:
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
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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