Introduction to Management Information Systems

Instructor: David Murray Teaching Assistant: Galyah Ghajar

Email: djmurray@buffalo.edu TA Email: galyahgh@buffalo.edu

Office: Jacobs 284 Phone: 645-3249 TA Office: Jacobs 206J

Office Hours: Wednesday 6:00-7:00 PM (or by appointment) TA Office Hours: Immediately after recitation

Course Objectives:

This course provides students with an introduction to Information Systems (IS) and Information Technology (IT) and their use in an increasingly competitive business world. As future managers, you need to be equipped to make decisions concerning the planning, development and implementation of information technology resources to increase organizational effectiveness and create a strategic advantage. The course accomplishes this by:

· Introducing basic concepts of IS and IT

· Exploring how technology can be used to create business value.

· Providing an overview of the components of computers

· Examining the potential benefits and limitations of IT

· Increasing awareness of managerial issues raised by the use of IT

· Providing hands on exercises to practice course material

· Providing a foundation needed for subsequent MIS coursework

Prerequisites:

MGQ 201 - Computer Applications in Management. Concurrent registration is not allowed.

Course Materials:

· A Windows or Mac computer with a working webcam and microphone

· Information Systems for Business and Beyond, Bourgeois, Open Textbooks, 2019.

· Microsoft Access 365 Tutorial and Lab Manual, Murray, Creative Commons Licensed OER, 2024.

Lectures:

The course lectures will be posted prior to the scheduled class session. It is important to keep up with the lectures online just as you would a “live” class. Please do not ask me or your TA questions about the class, homework or project if you haven’t watched the lecture that week yet! It’s your responsibility to first watch the lectures.

Labs:

The lab provides you with an opportunity to practice material covered in lecture and to work on homework assignments and the team project. Virtual lab attendance with a live webcam is mandatory each Thursday from 7:00-9:00 PM, and each absence will result in a 5-point penalty assessed on your Professionalism grade. Students arriving more than five minutes late to lab will be marked absent. Students arriving unprepared may result in a 3-point penalty at the discretion of the TA. Students are expected to actively use the lab time for the MGS351 coursework. Students who fail to properly utilize lab time may be penalized at the discretion of the TA. Please don’t ask me to change any of your lab grades as I will not change a lab grade that a TA has submitted to me.

Homework Assignments:

There are six homework assignments designed to help reinforce the material that has been covered in the lecture and labs. Completion of these assignments is crucial to your success in this course. Late assignments are not accepted and will receive a score of 0. Questions pertaining to your homework grades must be addressed to your TA within two weeks of the assignment due date.

Final Team Project:

You will work in teams of no more than five to develop a database system using Microsoft Access and the Salesforce platform. Your teams will be assigned in labs so that you will have a dedicated time during which your team can meet. Additionally, teams are expected to connect and meet virtually at least once a week outside of class. Projects will be evaluated based on the system’s required functionality and enhancements, adequacy of system testing, attention to aesthetics and group member peer evaluations. Further details will be given in lab.

Exam:

The midterm exam is scheduled on Tuesday, 6/16 from 7:00-8:00 PM. Please let me know at the beginning of the semester if you have a conflict with that time.

Course Conduct:

You are required to observe the rules of academic integrity and classroom conduct established by the University at Buffalo. Cheating will not be tolerated. Students found cheating will receive a grade of F for the course and may be subject to further disciplinary action by the University at Buffalo. The University at Buffalo Academic Integrity Policy is posted on the course website and should be reviewed carefully.

Grading:

Assignment	Points
Midterm Exam	40
Team Project Proposal & Design	5
Final Team Project Access Prototype	30
Final Team Project Salesforce	30
Homework 1: Chapters 1 and 2 Guided & Applied Exercises	15
Homework 2: Chapter 3 Guided & Applied Exercise	15
Homework 3: Chapters 4 and 5 Guided & Applied Exercises	20
Homework 4: Chapter 6 Guided & Applied Exercise	15
Homework 5: Chapter 7 Guided & Applied Exercise	15
Homework 6: Salesforce Trailhead Modules	20
Lab Assessments, Exercises and Professionalism	25

A course grade of A is 215 points and above, A- is 207 points and above, B+ is 199 points and above, B is 192 points and above, B- is 184 points and above, C+ is 176 points and above, C is 169 points and above, C- is 161 points and above, D+ is 154 points and above, D is 149.5 points and above and a grade of F is earned if you receive less than 149.5 points. Any decision to adjust the scale will only be made at the end of the semester once all of the course grades are in.

According to University Regulations, a grade of Incomplete can only be given if the student is currently passing the course and circumstances prevent them from completing the semester. **June 23^rd is the last day to resign the course.

Tentative Course Schedule:

Date	Text	Ch	Topics	Assignments (Dates Due)
5/26			Welcome and Course Introduction	Download & Read Syllabus
	Bourgeois	1	The Information Age in Which You Live
	Access	1	Overview of Microsoft Access Databases
5/28	Access	2	Design and Create Tables to Store Data	HW 1 due Saturday 11:59 PM
	Access	3	Simplify Data Entry with Forms	HW 2 due Saturday 11:59 PM
6/2	Bourgeois	2, 3	Computer Hardware and Software
	Access	4	Obtain Valuable Information Using Queries
6/4	Access	5	Create Professional Quality Output with Reports	HW 3 due Saturday 11:59 PM
	Access	6	Design & Implement Powerful Relational Databases
6/9	Bourgeois	4	Final Project Overview – Relational Database Design
	Access	7	Build User-Friendly Database Systems
6/11	Bourgeois	5	The World Wide Web and the Internet	ERD Quiz due before recitation
	Salesforce		Salesforce Introduction	HW 4 due Saturday 11:59 PM
	Salesforce	1	Overview of Databases & Salesforce	HW 5 due Saturday 11:59 PM
	Salesforce	2	Design and Create Objects to Store Data
6/16	Midterm (Bourgeois Ch. 1, 2, 3, 5 and Murray Ch. 1, 2, 3 and 4) at 7pm			Project Design due 6/15 11:59 PM
6/18	No Class. Juneteenth Holiday
6/23	Salesforce	3	Simplify Data Entry with Page Layouts
	Salesforce	4	Obtain Valuable Information Using Queries
6/25	Salesforce	5	Create Professional Quality Output with Reports	Prototype due Saturday 11:59 PM
	Salesforce	6	Build User-Friendly Information Systems
6/30			Final Project Work	HW 6 due Tuesday 11:59 PM
7/2			Final Project Work
7/6			Final Project Work	Project due Monday 11:59 PM