Everything here is subject to change! 
Changes will be announced in class and on Blackboard or whatever we wind up using. 
It is your responsibility to check for changes in schedule, assignments, etc.

Instructor

Student Learning Objectives

Bus-119h/118s  is a 2-semester advanced course on the Practice of MIS, particularly the implementation of information systems. Its purpose is to provide you with real world experience working on an application project and learning about all the issues associated with the successful completion of the project.

As a practicum, Bus-119h/118s provides the opportunity  to learn a number of skills directly related to being successful in the workplace. Specifically, Bus-119h/118s provides an opportunity to:

•  Participate in a team to complete an IT project for a sponsor in the community.

• Develop and practice the following key skills:
  ·     using industry-standard project management tools and methods
  ·      applying technical skills to a business need
  ·       teamwork
  ·       leadership
  ·      communication
  ·      flexibility and adaptability

Specifically, you will learn to:

• Act professionally as a team-member to plan, design, implement, and deliver a real-world application project that is accepted by the sponsor

• Identify issues associated with the development and management of MIS projects and formulate appropriate strategies for handling them

• Create and use project management plans and updates in accordance with industry standards

Prerequisites

You must be admitted to the MIS Honors Program.

Required Text

Marchewka, Jack T. Information Technology Project Management: Providing Measurable Organizational Value. 3rd Edition. John Wiley & Sons: 2009.

General Course Policies

We will spend the class time on discussion of assigned readings, other relevant topics and issues that arise in your projects. You are expected to participate actively in class. Depending on project complexity, your team may be asked to undertake more than one project or to help another team.

Check the handbook for COB students for general guidelines for nearly every academic assignment business faculty require--plus advice on studying, participating, etc. More resources for you are available on the COB website: www.cob.sjsu.edu under student services.

• Two semester class. The honors practicum 119h/118s is a two-semester class to allow us to undertake larger, more complex projects. You will receive incomplete for the 1st semester that will be cleared after it is clear that the 2nd semester is well underway, but early enough to not mess up GPA calculations for graduation.
• Readings. You are always responsible for reading the assigned chapters before class, completing a Reading Journal, and generally being prepared to discuss the material. There will be no "lectures" if I can help it. I assume you can and will read, so class time will be used to clarify principles from the reading and practice applying them.
• Blackboard (Blackboard). Blackboard is the central information repository for this class. You are expected to log onto Blackboard at least once a week to check for new information, download reading journals, etc. Instructions will be handed out at the first class. This may change in Fall 2009, but the same rules will apply to whatever system we use.
• Email. Email is the fundamental communication means between classes. I expect you to check and respond to email at least daily, preferably more frequently. This includes email exchanges with your teammates as well as with me.
• Class starts on time. Please get to class on time, prepared to begin promptly at the appointed hour. Please plan ahead with regard to traffic, parking, etc. Arriving late and disrupting the class is rude, shows poor management skills and will negatively affect your participation grade.  
• Assignments will be graded for grammar, spelling, clarity of presentation and overall appearance as well as content. Everything that is handed in for a grade must be prepared electronically with an appropriate word processing and or graphical tool such as MS Word, Visio, Microsoft Project or Microsoft PowerPoint.  Most assignments will be turned in by email. Assignments and/or requested information turned in electronically (e-mail, CD, disks) must be scanned and cleaned of any computer virus. Failure to do so will result in a failing grade for the course. Late assignments without prior approval are penalized 10% for every due date missed.
• Always make backups of all assignments before submitting them. A disk or system crash is no excuse for not completing assignments on time. A backup also protects you from accidental loss on my part.
• Laptops may be used in class for taking notes or completing assignments. Surfing the web, playing games or using them for anything not directly related to the current class activities will result in an invitation to leave class and will have an undesirable effect on your grade.
• Drop/Add: since this is an honors section, please see me if you are thinking of dropping the class. If you wish to apply for the honors program, please read about it (MIS Honors Program) and follow the instructions there to apply. Contact me with questions.
• Contacting Me: I am here to help you, but you have to let me know what you need. I will be happy to talk with you during scheduled office hours, after class or during breaks, through email, by phone, or by appointment as necessary. If you need to contact me outside of class and office hours, email is the most reliable way to do so. 
• If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with DRC to establish a record of their disability.  
• Food and beverages are not allowed in class except for water in a container that can be sealed between drinks (i.e. bottled water or a sports bottle). Please turn off your cell phone ringers and do not answer calls during class.
• Professional behavior is expected at all times. This includes showing respect for alternative points of view, diverse abilities, cultural and linguistic perspectives.

Grading

Since this is a two-semester class, with projects expected to span the semester, you will receive an incomplete grade at the end of the first semester that will be cleared sometime after the drop date for the 2nd semester. Your grade for the first semester will be an assessment of your progress so far. Your final grade for the 2nd semester of the practicum will reflect the entire year as shown below. The point allocation for the entire class is below.

If you drop out of the class after the first semester and do not complete the project, your incomplete grade will be converted to a letter grade based on the points allocated for the 1st semester less approximately 200 points, i.e., the equivalent of a letter grade. This is a 2-semester class.

Note that a large portion of your grade requires that you create and follow a project plan, adjusting appropriately as the project proceeds. This is all subject to change. We will discuss changes in class to be sure everyone knows in advance what is happening.

The following approximate scale will be used on total percentage earned by student. Since this is an honors class, I expect everyone to earn an "A"! However, it's yours to earn--or not. I do award + and - grades for borderline scores.

Team Projects

The team project is the most important part of this class.  You cannot pass the class without successfully participating in the team project. Details about the team project are available in the Assignment Info section of the Blackboard site.

Reading Journals/Speaker Assessment

There will be a reading journal for reading assignments to help you focus on the assigned readings and to prepare for the class discussions. Reading Journals will be available on Blackboard when the assignment is made. Submit them to me by email. Your grade for each reading journal  is all or nothing: if you submit the journal  on time and you've clearly put reasonable thought into it, you get the points. Unless you make other arrangements with me in advance, if the time-stamp on your email is later than the beginning of class or if it is too sketchy, your grade for that Reading Journal will be 0. Speaker Assessments are treated like reading journals for grading: all or nothing. When we have a guest speaker, you submit a 1-page write-up (by email) about the speaker prior to the next class. The write-up should include a short summary of what the speaker discussed plus your evaluation of what was interesting and important about what the speaker presented.

Participation 

Participation means active involvement in class by participating in discussions and working well with your team. Everything you do in the class and with your team can help or hurt your participation grade. For example, leading discussions helps, sleeping or doing non-related activities hurts. Everyone starts with 75 points. Showing up for most classes, speaking up occasionally and not doing anything disruptive (like web surfing) lets you keep your 75 points. Enthusiastic, regular participation throughout the semester gets you more points. If you "go the extra mile" for your team, you gain points. If you are a challenge for your team, you lose points.

If You Need Help

If you are having trouble understanding the material, having technical or management difficulties with your project, etc., please ask for help right away! The only stupid question is the one not asked. If your team is having difficulties, or you are having difficulty with your team, ask for help as soon as you are aware of the problem. If I don't know about it until the end of the project, it's too late to help. You can come see me during my office hours, or make an appointment. Good management says you should try to resolve it yourself, but if you can't in a reasonable amount of time, find help!

Class Schedule

Details will be announced in class and posted on Blackboard.

University Policies

Academic integrity

Students should know the University’s Academic Integrity Policy that is available at
http://www.sa.sjsu.edu/download/judicial_affairs/Academic_Integrity_Policy_S07-2.pdf
Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University and the University’s integrity policy, require you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The website for Student Conduct and Ethical Development is available at
http://www.sa.sjsu.edu/judicial_affairs/index.html

Instances of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Cheating on exams or plagiarism (presenting the work of another as your own, or the use of another person’s ideas without giving proper credit) will result in a failing grade and sanctions by the University. For this class, all assignments are to be completed by the individual student unless otherwise specified. If you would like to include in your assignment any material you have submitted, or plan to submit for another class, please note that SJSU’s Academic Policy F06-1 requires approval of instructors.

Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the DRC (Disability Resource Center) to establish a record of their disability.