Discussion 8 - info tech strat plan

School of Computer and Information Sciences

COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Information

ITS831 - B09 InfoTech Import in Strat Plan

Fall 2020 Second Bi-Term

Course Format: Online

CRN: 11974

 

Instructor Information

Name: Douglass Smith

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 785-256-0377

Office Location: Topeka, KS (Central Time)

Office Hours/Preferred Contact Times: Tuesday/Thursday: 1- 3 pm central time (others

by appointment)

Course Description

This course focuses on the information technology leader’s collaborative roles working

with an organization’s senior leadership, including aligning business strategy with IT

strategy, acting as an equal contributor to the formation of organizational strategy, and

integrating ethical policies and practices into an organization. Learners evaluate

multidisciplinary research and practices related to leadership, organizational structures,

and culture. Through the lens of complexity/chaos and change theories, learners

analyze information technology’s role in contributing to organizational resiliency.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course:

Students will be proactive with risk management practices

Students will understand IT business management

Students will understand the basics of Blockchain technology

Students will understand the economics of cloud computing

Students will understand the benefits of eco-efficient technology adoption

Students will understand how to balance customer and shareholder value

Students will understand how emerging technologies affect strategic planning

Learner Outcomes

Learn how to perform research identifying and analyzing technological

challenges

Build critical thinking skills to develop and apply solutions that achieve strategic

and tactical IT-business alignment

Develop professional skills and expertise to advance knowledge in your chosen

field or discipline within information technology

Conduct research with professional and ethical integrity

Address complex technical questions and challenge established knowledge and

practices in the area

Identify, comprehend, analyze, evaluate and synthesize research

Communicate effectively and employ constructive professional and interpersonal

skills

Critically evaluate current research and best practices

Demonstrate IT leadership skills at the team and enterprise levels following

tenets of professional, social, and ethical responsibility

Recommend IT strategies that support enterprise mission and objectives

Course Website

Access to the course website is required via the iLearn portal on the University of the

Cumberlands website: http://www.ucumberlands.edu/ilearn/ 

or https://ucumberlands.blackboard.com/

Required Books and Resources

Title: Academic Writer

Website: http://ucumberlands.libguides.com/c.php?g=504168

About: This is APA's resource for APA format, style, citations, and document types (like

how to write a literature review). UC has a dedicated link for students to create their

Academic Writer account, and that link can be found here

Title: Managing and Using Information Systems

ISBN: 9781119560562

Authors: Keri E. Pearlson, Carol S. Saunders, Dennis F. Galletta

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Publication Date: 2019-12-05

Course Required text can be found and purchased via the UC Barnes and Noble

Bookstore: https://cumber.bncollege.com/shop/cumberlands/page/find-textbooks

Suggested Books and Resources

Writing Center

Website: https://www.ucumberlands.edu/learningcommons/writingcenter

About: This website includes beginning information about the Writing Center. Look for

The Learning Commons in your class list in iLearn. Once you open The Learning

Commons "course", look for the Writing Center on the left menu bar

Writing Center

Subtitle: This website includes beginning information about the Writing Center. Look for

The Learning Commons in your class list in iLearn. Once you open The Learning

Commons "course", look for the Writing Center on the left menu bar.

Authors: https://www.ucumberlands.edu/learningcommons/writingcente

Academic Writer

Website: http://ucumberlands.libguides.com/c.php?g=504168

About: This is APA's resource for APA format, style, citations, and document types (like

how to write a literature review). UC has a dedicated link for students to create their

Academic Writer account, and that link can be found here

Academic Writer

Subtitle: This is APA's resource for APA format, style, citations, and document types (like

how to write a literature review). UC has a dedicated link for students to create their

Academic Writer account

Publisher: http://ucumberlands.libguides.com/c.php?g=504168

The Learning Commons (TLC)

Website: http://ucumberlands.libguides.com/c.php?g=504168

About: TLC is here to help you succeed in your courses, from your first day at

Cumberlands through completing your degree.TLC offers a variety of academic

resources both virtually and in-person that are informal and with qualified Academic

Fellows.

The Learning Commons

Subtitle: Cumberlands through completing your degree.TLC offers a variety of academic

resources both virtually and in-person that are informal and with qualified Academic

Fellows. ucumberlands.libguides.com

Publisher: http://ucumberlands.libguides.com/c.php?g=504168

Grammarly

Website: https://www.grammarly.com/

About: Compose bold, clear, mistake-free writing with Grammarly’s AI-powered writing

assistant

Grammarly

Subtitle: Compose bold, clear, mistake-free writing with Grammarly’s AI-powered writing

assistant

Publisher: https://www.grammarly.com/

Zotero

Website: https://www.zotero.org/

About: Zotero is a great, easy to use reference management tool, and it's free

Zotero

Subtitle: Zotero is a free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, cite, and share

research.

Publisher: www.zotero.org

Requirements and Policies

Academic Integrity/Plagiarism

At a Christian liberal arts university committed to the pursuit of truth and

understanding, any act of academic dishonesty is especially distressing and cannot be

tolerated. In general, academic dishonesty involves the abuse and misuse of

information or people to gain an undeserved academic advantage or evaluation. The

common forms of academic dishonesty include:

Cheating – using deception in the taking of tests or the preparation of written

work, using unauthorized materials, copying another person’s work with or without

consent, or assisting another in such activities.

Lying – falsifying, fabricating, or forging information in either written, spoken, or

video presentations.

Plagiarism—using the published writings, data, interpretations, or ideas of another

without proper documentation

Plagiarism includes copying and pasting material from the internet into

assignments without properly citing the source of the material.

Episodes of academic dishonesty are reported to the Vice President for Academic

Affairs. The potential penalty for academic dishonesty includes a failing grade on a

particular assignment, a failing grade for the entire course, or charges against the

student with the appropriate disciplinary body.

Attendance Policy

Course enrollment and participation will be monitored and verified for all students

during the first two weeks of classes. Lack of participation during this time may

jeopardize enrollment status. Each student is expected to meet course expectations by

completing the coursework required each week. Active participation and staying abreast

of the material is essential to success. Program specific attendance policies may still

apply.

Study after study has linked successful academic performance with good class

participation. Those who assume positions of responsibility must “show up” in order to

be effective. Therefore, students are expected to actively participate in intelligent

discussion of assigned topics in all areas (Discussion Board Activities, Synchronous

Sessions, Forums, Shared Papers, etc.) to help process course material and/or to

demonstrate understanding of course content. Point adjustments will be taken for non-

participation.

Disability Accommodations

University of the Cumberlands accepts students with certified disabilities and provides

reasonable accommodations for their certified needs in the classroom, in housing, in

food service or in other areas. For accommodations to be awarded, a student must

submit a completed Accommodations Application form and provide documentation of

the disability to the Disability Services Coordinator (Mr. Jacob Ratliff, Boswell Campus

Center, Student Services Office Suite, [email protected]). When all

paperwork is on file, a meeting between the student and the Coordinator will be

arranged to discuss possible accommodations before accommodations are formally

approved. Students must then meet with the Coordinator at the beginning of each

semester before any academic accommodations can be certified for that term.

Certifications for other accommodations are normally reviewed annually.

Academic Appeal

Both undergraduate and graduate students have the right to challenge a grade. If

discussions with the course instructor and department chair do not lead to a satisfactory

conclusion, students may file a formal written appeal with the Vice President for

Academic Affairs, who will forward the appeal to the chair of the Academic Appeals

Committee. This formal written appeal must be filed by the end of the 4th week of

classes in the next regular term following the term in which the course in question was

taken. The Academic Appeals Committee then gathers information from the student, the

instructor, and any other relevant parties. The Committee will deliver its

recommendation on the complaint to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. After

reviewing this recommendation and concurring or amending it, the Vice President for

Academic Affairs will inform the student and instructor of the disposition of the

complaint no later than the last day of classes of the term in which the complaint was

filed. Records of all actions regarding academic grade appeals, including their final

disposition, are maintained by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Academic

Appeals Committee. (Undergraduate Catalog/Graduate Catalog)

Student Responsibilities

Students should: 

Use University of the Cumberlands email system for all academic, administrative,

and co-curricular communication between faculty, staff and peers. 

Check for email and class announcements using iLearn (primary) and University of

the Cumberlands webmail (secondary) daily. 

Demonstrate Cumberlands Character in and outside the classroom per the

University Mission & Vision

Ensure you have consistent required technology for the course

Participate in courses regularly to:

Find announcements and updates

Complete assignments on time. Keep in mind that all deadlines use Eastern

Standard Time (EST).

Engage in discussion

Connect with fellow students and faculty

Present written work in an academic and professional manner.

Take examinations on the designated dates and times. Students should make

arrangements with faculty before the designated date for any needed

accommodations. 

Contact faculty or student success coordinator with questions or concerns.

The only authorized electronic means of academic, administrative, and co-

curricular communication between University of the Cumberlands and its students

is through the UCumberlands email system (i.e. Webmail). Each student is

responsible for monitoring his/her University email account frequently. This is the

primary email account used to correspond with you directly by the University;

imperative program information is sent to this email account specifically from

campus and program office. 

Students should check for e-mail and class announcements using iLearn (primary)

and University of the Cumberlands webmail (secondary).

Students are expected to find out class assignments for missed classes and make

up missed work.

Students are expected to find out if any changes have been made in the class or

assignment schedule.

Written work must be presented in a professional manner. Work that is not

 submitted in a professional manner will not be evaluated and will be returned as

unacceptable.

There is a craft to writing. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and diction (word

usage) are all tools of that craft. Writing at the collegiate level will show

careful attention to these elements of craft. Work that does not exhibit care

with regard to these elements will be considered as inadequate for college

writing and graded accordingly. 

Students are expected to take the examinations on the designated dates. If you

are unable to take the exam on the scheduled date and know in advance, you are

to make arrangements with your professor before the designated date. If you miss

the exam, you must have a legitimate reason as determined by your professor.

Recognizing that a large part of professional life is meeting deadlines, it is necessary to

develop time management and organizational skills. Failure to meet the course

deadlines may result in penalties. Keep in mind that all deadlines are set

using Eastern Standard Time (EST). Late assignments will NOT

be accepted.

Students are expected to:

Review any assigned reading material and prepare responses to homework

assigned.

Actively participate in activities, assignments, and discussions.

Evaluate and react to each other’s work in a supportive, constructive manner.

Complete specific assignments and exams when specified and in a professional

manner.

Utilize learned technologies for class assignments.

Connect content knowledge from core courses to practical training placement and

activities.

Links to Support

UC Academic Catalog: https://www.ucumberlands.edu/academics/academic-catalog

UC Student Handbook: https://www.ucumberlands.edu/student-handbook

Academic Resources & Writing Center: www.ucumberlands.edu/learningcommons

Library: http://www.ucumberlands.edu/library/ 

Bookstore: https://cumber.bncollege.com/shop/cumberlands/home

About University of the Cumberlands:

https://www.ucumberlands.edu/about/presidents-welcome

Instructions for Accessing, Downloading, and Activating Office 365 Pro Plus

(free for UC Students):

https://helpdesk.ucumberlands.edu/support/solutions/articles/7000045435

Course Evaluation

Graded work will receive a numeric score reflecting the quality of performance.

Relative weights assigned to graded work are as follows:

For an 8 week course

Weekly Research Papers (Weeks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) 50% (500 points = 100

points per paper)

Weekly Discussions 20% (200 points = 25 points per discussion)

Final Portfolio Project/Research Paper (week 7) 20% (200 points)

Practical Connection Activity (week 5) 10% (100 points)

Total = 1,000 points

Total = 1,000 points

Grading Scale

Graded work will receive a numeric score reflecting the quality of performance

as given above in evaluation methods. The overall course grade will be

determined according to the following scale:

A = 90 – 100 (90% - 100%)

B = 80 – 89 (80% - 89%)

C = 70 – 79 (70% - 79%)

F < 69 (Below 69%)

Course Schedule

Course Schedule 8 Weeks

Weekly

Unit

Readings/Topics Assignments and Due

Dates

1

Chapter 1, “The Information Systems Strategy Triangle

Dent, A. (2015). Aligning IT and business strategy: an Australian

university case study.Journal of Higher Education Policy &

Management, 37(5), 519–533. Retrieved

fromhttps://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2015.1079395

Chapter 2, “Strategic Use of Information Resources” pp. 38-46;

51-54

Zhang, Y. (2016). What Makes Information Strategic? An

Examination of Access to Information Resources for

Entrepreneurs and Business Performance.ProQuest LLC.

Retrieved fromhttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=eric&AN=ED588420&site=eds-

live

Welcome

Discussion

Discussion 1 

*Failing to

Participate in

Week 1 may

result in being

dropped from

the course.

Academic

Honesty

Pledge Signed

*

*Must sign

this

pledge to

continue

with the

course

All

assignments

are due

starting on

the first Unit

by Sunday

night 11:59

PM

2

Blockchain: 

Stoyanovich, M., & Tanz, F. E. (2019). Coming to Grips with

Blockchain.Benefits Magazine,56(5), 20-25. Retrieved

fromhttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=f5h&AN=135900272&site=eds-

live

Waldo, J. (2019). A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Blockchain

Universe.Communications of the ACM,62(3), 38–42. Retrieved

fromhttps://doi.org/10.1145/3303868

Burns, S. (2019). Blockchain: Hype Vs Reality.Computer Weekly,

21-24. Retrieved fromhttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=f5h&AN=138564674&site=eds-

live

Tarzey, B. (2019). Inside Blockchain and Its Various

Applications.Computer Weekly, 16-20. Retrieved

fromhttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=f5h&AN=138681123&site=eds-

live

Carson, B., Romanelli, G., Walsh, P., & Zhumaev, A. (2018).

Blockchain beyond the hype: What is the strategic business

value?McKinsey Quarterly, (4), 118–127. Retrieved

fromhttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=buh&AN=133693412&site=eds-

live

Discussion 2:

Blockchain

Research

Paper

Due: Sunday

night 11:59

PM

3

Chapter 4, “Digital Systems and the Design of Work” pp. 83-98

Harris, W. J. (2018). Technology adoption by global virtual teams:

Developing a cohesive approach.SAM Advanced Management

Journal, 83(1), 4-21. Retrieved

fromhttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=buh&AN=135806019&site=eds-

live

Chapter 5, “Information Systems and Digital Transformation” pp.

109-121

Strutynska, I., Kozbur, G., Dmytrotsa, L., Sorokivska, O., & Melnyk,

L. (2019). Influence of digital technology on roadmap

development for digital business transformation.2019

9 th

International Conference on Advanced Computer Information

Technologies (ACIT),333-337. Retrieved

fromhttps://doi.org/10.1109/ACITT.2019.8780056

Discussion 3

Research

Paper

Due: Sunday

night 11:59

PM

4

Chapter 6, “Architecture and Infrastructure” pp. 143-

150

Singh, M. (2018). Virtualization in Cloud Computing-

a Study.2018 International Conference on Advances

in Computing, Communication Control and

Networking (ICACCCN), 64. Retrieved

fromhttps://doi.org/10.1109/ICACCCN.2018.8748398

Verma, A., Malla, D., Choudhary, A. K., & Arora, V.

(2019). A Detailed Study of Azure Platform & Its

Cognitive Services.2019 International Conference on

Machine Learning, Big Data, Cloud and Parallel

Computing (COMITCon), 129. Retrieved

fromhttps://doi.org/10.1109/COMITCon.2019.8862178

Discussion 4 

Research Paper

Due: Sunday night

11:59 PM

5

Chapter 7, “Security”

Khelf, R., & G-Z, N. (2018). IPsec/Firewall Security Policy Analysis:

A Survey.2018 International Conference on Signal, Image, Vision

and Their Applications (SIVA), 1. Retrieved

fromhttps://doi.org/10.1109/SIVA.2018.8660973

Chapter 10, “Information Systems Sourcing” pp. 224-234

Buhrendorf, E. (2019). Outsourcing IT is a money-saving cyber

safety net for company data.Fairfield County Business Journal,

55(20), 12. Retrieved

fromhttp://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=b9h&AN=136657455&site=eds-

live

Practical

Connection

Activity – 500

word personal

paper:

Due

Thursday

Discussion 5 

Research

Paper

Due: Sunday

night 11:59

PM

6

Chapter 9, “Governance of the Information

Systems Organization”

Sari, R., Kosala, R., Ranti, B., & Supangkat, S. H.

(2018). COSO Framework for Warehouse

Management Internal Control Evaluation:

Enabling Smart Warehouse Systems.2018

International Conference on ICT for Smart

Society (ICISS), 1. Retrieved

fromhttps://doi.org/10.1109/ICTSS.2018.8549983

Chapter 12, “Business Intelligence, Knowledge

Management, and Analytics”

Dong-Hui Jin, & Hyun-Jung Kim. (2018).

Integrated Understanding of Big Data, Big Data

Analysis, and Business Intelligence: A Case

Study of Logistics.Sustainability

Discussion 6 

Research Paper

Due: Sunday night 11:59

PM

7

Chapter 11, “Managing IT Projects” pp. 246-259

Jenkin, T. A., Chan, Y. E., & Sabherwal, R. (2019).

Mutual Understanding in Information Systems

Development: Changes within and across

Projects.MIS Quarterly,43(2), 649–671. Retrieved

fromhttps://doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/2019/13980

Yang, Z., Sun, J., Zhang, Y., Wang, Y., & Cao, L. (2017).

Employees’ collaborative use of green information

systems for corporate sustainability: motivation,

effort and performance.Information Technology for

Development,23(3), 486-506. Retrieved

fromhttps://doi.org/10.1080/02681102.2017.1335281

Discussion 7

Final Portfolio Research

Paper

Due: Sunday night

11:59 PM

Week

8

Chapter 13, “Privacy and Ethical

Considerations in Information Management”

pp. 299-311

Final Evaluations*SHORT WEEK* 

Check with instructor for last day of

class and last day to submit assignment

Discussion 8: Reflective

Activity

Syllabus Disclaimer: 

This syllabus is intended as a set of guidelines for this course and the professor reserves the right to

make modifications in content, schedule, and requirements as necessary to promote the best

education possible within conditions affecting this course. Any changes to the syllabus will be

discussed with the students. 

Syllabus Disclaimer

This syllabus contains important information critical to your success in this course. It

includes guidelines for this course and the instructor’s current expectations about

content, schedule, and requirements necessary for each student to achieve the best

educational results. While you must review and become familiar with the contents of

this syllabus, the instructor reserves the right to make adjustments or change in the

syllabus from time to time. Any changes to the syllabus will be discussed with the

students.