Discussion Responses

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School of Computer & Information Sciences

COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Name: ITS 630 – Organization Leadership & Decision Making Section – 04 SEMESTER – First BI-TERM – Online Course

Professor: Dr. Sherri Braxton Contact Information: Office Hours: By appointment

E-mail: [email protected] Online Support (IT) and I-Learn Policy:

All members of the University of the Cumberlands’ community who use the University’s computing, information or communication resources must act responsibly. http://www.ucumberlands.edu/it/downloads/terms.pdf

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/

Course Description: One of the most important skills a business leader needs to have concerning technology involves effective decision making and governance. This class will consist of a case study approach presenting different scenarios that require decisions to be made on technology issues that are relevant to today’s business environment. Students will develop the skills for understanding the components and elements of these technology decisions, and assess associated risks. This course will draw upon a cross section of technology, finance, security, project management, leadership, and other aspects of effective decision making.

Course Objectives/Learner Outcomes:

Course Objectives/Learner Outcomes: Upon completion of this course, the student will: • Develop IT strategy for business value • Understand business metrics • Understand how to communicate with business managers • Understand the management of IT-based risk • Create and evolve a technology roadmap

Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course. Books and Resources:

Required Text James D. McKeen, Heather A. Smith, IT Strategy: Issues and Practices, Third Edition. Pearson, 2015, ISBN-13 978-0-13-354424-4.  Recommended Reading:

• High, Peter A. Implementing World Class IT Strategy. Jossey-Bass, 2014. • Tiwana, Amrit. IT Strategy for Non-IT managers, MIT Press, 2017 Aaron K. Olson, B. Keith Simerson

Other articles and readings may be assigned by course professor.

Course Expectations Course Activities and Experiences:

Students are expected to: • Review any assigned reading material, complementary materials, and weekly lectures 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.

Academic Integrity: 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

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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: When any student has exceeded 20% of the time prescribed for any class, that student will be automatically dropped from that particular class with the grade of “F.” This grade is placed on the official transcript of the student and is treated as a failing grade in calculating the grade point average. The definition of a class absence is a student’s failure to attend class for any reason. Instructors may count three times tardy or leaving early to be equal to one class absence. There are no excused absences, regardless of the reason for the class having been missed. However, faculty will make reasonable provisions to allow students to make up work if the absence is due to a university-sponsored function or a medical or family emergency that is documented in a timely manner. Allowance for students to make up work for other reasons is at each instructor’s discretion. A class absence does not excuse the student from being responsible for course work missed; the student is responsible for contacting the faculty member in order to make up class assignments. The Vice President for Academic Affairs is the authorized agent to consider any exceptions to the above regulations. (Undergraduate Catalog) Residency Attendance: Each student must be in attendance for the entire duration of the required residency weekend. Late arrivals and/or early departures are not permitted. Punctuality is important as each student is required to have the documented in-seat time per USCIS regulations. If a student is not in attendance for the full session, he/she will be counted absent for the entire session, and receive an automatic “F” and will be required to pay the $300.00 make-up fee and attend a residency make-up session.

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.

Student Responsibilities:

• 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. o 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

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before the designated date. If you miss the exam, you must have a legitimate reason as determined by your professor.

Deadlines and Dues Dates:

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.

Writing Expectations: Learning outcomes for candidates’ writing competencies include clarity of thought, discernment in planning and organization, and integration of evidence and criteria.

• The instructor expects that students will have knowledge of appropriate forms of documentation and use it where appropriate. APA format is required and style of notation to credit all sources that are not your own.

• 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.

• All assignments, unless otherwise instructed, should be submitted in APA format. Participation Policy: 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.

Academic Appeals: 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)

Links to Support: Orientation to I-Learn: Student training course on I-Learn, https://ucumberlands.blackboard.com/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp Book Store: http://cumber.bncollege.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/BNCBHomePage?storeId=50059&catalogId=1000 1&langId=-1 Library: http://www.ucumberlands.edu/library/

Course Assignments and Evaluation Evaluation Method: Graded work will receive a numeric score reflecting the quality of performance. Relative weights assigned to

graded work are as follows:

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Course Evaluation

Students will be evaluated on: 1. Exams - Each exam will consist of multiple choice, multiple answer, matching, and True/False questions.

Exam items derived primarily from lectures and readings. Exams will be available through iLearn and completed independently.

2. Homework Assignments, Discussion, & Quizzes – Assignments, Discussion, & Quizzes will be given throughout the term. Each quiz will consist of multiple choice/answer, short answer questions, matching, and True/False questions. Quiz items derived primarily from lectures and readings. Quizzes will be available through iLearn and completed independently. Assignments and Discussions will come from the course lectures, materials, and required reading assignments.

3. Practical Connection Assignment – Written Assignment where students will reflect on course concepts and their practical connection to a working environment.

4. Residency Project - Research project completed during the residency weekend. Students will be randomly grouped in iLearn. Each group will submit their research project as a group. Students need to bring their laptops to conduct research, write research paper (SafeAssign reviewed), create PowerPoint presentation, and present their project orally before the class. Students must attend the residency weekend to earn a grade, there are no exceptions to this rule. Students not attending will earn zero points and a 0% as a grade. Please be note that the totality of all residency activities will constitute 60% of the course grade. You will complete 3 assignments, one each day of the residency, that make up this percentage of your overall grade.

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= 900 – 1000 (90% - 100%) B= 800 – 890 (80% - 89%) C = 700 – 790 (70% - 79%) F < 690 (Below 69%)

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. Course Assignments and Evaluation Criteria Grading will be based on accumulated points of each graded requirement in the course distributed as described in the table below: Assignment Description Weight Exams (2) Each exam will consist of multiple choice, short answer questions,

discussion questions, and other related questions. Exam items will be derived primarily from lectures and readings. Exams will be available through iLearn, but must be completed independently. See course calendar for tentative due dates.

40%

Case Studies & S STP

Case studies will be assigned to supplement the required readings. Create a Strategic Technology Plan for online course completion.

30%

Policies Acceptance of Course Policies 5% Participation Discussion and Class Participations 25% TOTAL 100%

Assignments may change at the discretion of the professor and changes in the assignments will be announced in class. Students are responsible for noting and completing any changes in assignments

Tentative Course Expectations (specific due dates are listed in the course module)

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Week Topic Assignments

1 1/6 – 1/12

Introduction to the Course Chapter 1, “Developing and Delivering on the IT Value Proposition” Chapter 2, “Developing IT Strategy for Business Value” Chapter 3, “Linking IT to Business Metrics”

Welcome Discussion Discussion Acceptance of Course Policies Hefty Hardware Case Study *Failing to Participate in Week 1 may result in being dropped from the course.

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1/13 – 1/19

Chapter 4, “Building a Strong Relationship with the Business” Chapter 5,” Communicating with Business Managers” Chapter 6, “Building Better IT Leaders from the Bottom Up” Chapter 7, “IT Shared Services”

Discussion STP – Strategic Technology Plan ModMeters Case Study

3 1/20 – 1/26

Chapter 8, “Delivering IT Functions: A Decision Framework” Chapter 9, “The IT Budgeting Process” Chapter 10, “Managing IT-Based Risk”

Chapter 11, “Information Management: The Nexus of Business and IT”

Discussion RR Communications Case Study Nationstate Insurance Case Study

4 1/27 – 2/2

Chapter 12, “Innovation with IT”

Chapter 13, “Big Data and Social Media”

Chapter 14, “Improving the Customer Experience: An IT Perspective” Midterm Exam

Discussion Midterm Exam

5 2/3 – 2/9

Chapter 15, “Business Intelligence” Chapter 16, “Enabling Collaboration with IT”

Discussion International Foods Case Study IFG Case Study

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2/10 – 2/16

Chapter 17, “Application Portfolio Management” Chapter 18, “Microsoft Windows and the Security Life Cycle”

Discussion Minitrex Case Study Datatronics Case Study

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2/17 – 2/23

Chapter 19, “Best Practices for Microsoft Windows and Application Security”

Chapter 20, “Enhancing Development Productivity”

Discussion MM Case Study

8 2/24 – 3/1

Chapter 21, “Information Delivery: IT’s Evolving Role” Final Evaluations *SHORT WEEK* All assignments must be completed by the last day of the term by 5pm EST.

Discussion Genex Fuels Case Study Final Exam