mist4600coursepolicies.html
URL: www.terry.uga.edu/~jaronson/mist4600/

MIST 4600
Computer Programming in Business
JE Aronson's Section(s)
Hippocratus refuses Alexander
(Image information: "Hippocrates Refusing Gift from Alexander."
Anne-Louis Girodet de Roucy-Trioson, Paris (1816).
 George Glazer Gallery, NYC, georgeglazer.com;
from www.bcm.edu/cms_web/84/Hippocrat.jpg)

Course Policies

Summary of the Most Important Course Policies

Active Learning: You are an adult and are responsible for your own learning. Take charge. I have given you a set of tools that work in practice. Use them.
Attendance: You are an adult and are responsible for your own learning. Take charge. I am concerned with performance and participation.
Course Behavior Policy: There are certainly many negative behaviors that interrupt the flow of class and thus disrupt the learning process. In other courses, I have listed a set of negative behaviors that demonstrate a lack of respect for members of the class and instructors. I do not plan to list them in this course. You are all adults and should by now know what these are. We can talk about these if you want. Keep in mind that repetitive negative behaviors will definitely result in your being dropped from the course. This is part of making the classroom environment work well by reenforcing your active learning processes.
Course Computer Use Policy: Technically, you are allowed to use the computers in the classroom for course specific work. If you have trouble doing this, you may be dropped from the course..
Course Seating Policy: There are currently no assigned seats. This might change depending on how the class wants to deal with several issues.If you have a need to sit in the front of the room, we can handle that.
Lost Files: You are responsible for not losing your files. Back up your work and submit it on time.
USB Flash Drive: You must own a USB Flash Drive (Key) and you must use it to back up your work.
Makeup Exams: There are no individual makeup exams. There is a single comprehensive makeup exam at the end of the semester.
Late Homework: May be submitted up to 12 hours late for a 50% penalty (no exceptions). After that, there is no excuse and it is not accepted under any condition..
Index Cards: You must use 3 x 5 inch index cards for some in-class activities.
Cell Phone: If your cell phone or pager beeps in class, you must bring a bag of candy with enough in it for everyone in the course to the next class.
Weather Class Cancellation: If the Clarke County Schools are closed due to bad weather, class is cancelled. And, obviously if The University is closed, class is cancelled.
WebCT Announcements and Email: You must check WebCT for announcements and its internal email daily. You may have to check your official UGA email daily. If so, this will be announced in class and via WebCT's email.
Course Updates: Course updates are only done on the WebCT courseware site.
Course Buddies: You need at least two course buddies to rely on if you miss class.
Email: When you email me directly, your subject must start with "MIST4600: " followed by a meaningful subject; you must also include your name in the message (preferably as a signature). If there are multiple course sections and it is relevant to your message, indicate that, too.
Articles and Materials: Course-relevant articles and material will be posted to the WebCT course site. These generally will cover material relevant to MIS as a major or career.
Academic Honesty: The University's Academic Honesty Policy is strictly enforced in this class. Follow it. It is very unpleasant for all of us when infractions occur.
Disclaimer: All documents related to the schedule and the syllabus should be viewed as a plan, not a contract.
Note: Much of this stuff is essentially obvious to most of you, but is included for several reasons.

Table of Contents

Summary of the Most Important Course Policies (directly above)
Syllabus Disclaimer
Quick Summary of What Generally Makes the Course Work and Worthwhile
Attendance Policies
Assignment Policies
Exams and Quizzes Policies
Grading Policies
Academic Honesty
Course Procedural Policies
Learning Performance (Success) Policies, Issues and Ideas and Test Preparation
Recommended Courses and Activities for MIS and Other Business Majors
Acronyms and Readings
Final Notes


Syllabus Disclaimer

This syllabus, including Course Policies and FAQs, outlines a plan and so it should be viewed as tentative. It is designed so that we can plan ahead. Thus, the syllabus is a guide as to how we shall proceed through the course; not a contract. Some University rules / guidelines may supersede information in this syllabus. We shall attempt to stay on track and minimize changes. I will attempt to be alert to anticipated changes, and be timely in announcing or considering them. Students are always responsible for staying up to date on changes (check your email and WebCT Announcements regularly). Be Alert! Details, as always, will be provided in class, by email, through WebCT, and/or through the Web.

While I recognize that much of what is in this document is obvious, it exists due to University Rules requiring explicit statements of policies, and (believe it or not) many people don't read their course policies and are then surprised as to  why the course is not working out for them.

I know this is a long document. This is about as concise as it can be. I have spent uncountable hours (many, to say the least) thinking about, creating and refining these policies with student and faculty input over several decades of teaching. A lot of refinement took and continues to take place in updating these as content and times impact the evolution of policies, and as better approaches to creating an environment of excellence for learning are discovered or invented. Do read these. They will improve your course performance and save you a lot of time.

I am also aware that much of this is blatantly obvious and second nature. This document exists mainly to clarify the subtle points and differences between expectation and reality; essentially to spell out the facts about the course explicitly. If you have a question about course structure, refer to these documents first, then ask.


Quick Summary of What Generally Makes the Course Work and Worthwhile
(Note - Even though many of you already know your best approach towards learning; here is a set that works well in practice.)
  1. Take ownership of your learning: be active in your learning.
  2. Come to every class - even if you are late.
  3. Check your email, course Announcements, and the Course Calendar daily.
  4. Read all of the books and other material, in advance of class. Try the programs as well. And try the end of chapter exercises.
  5. Keep up.
  6. Turn your phone and/or beeper off before coming to class.
  7. Pay attention and take notes (on paper by hand because it activates a learning center in your brain).
  8. Never surf the Web, use Facebook, or check email in class (feel free to take notes electronically, but it is actually more effective to write with a pen or pencil).
  9. Practice peer learning. Communicate regularly with your course buddies.
  10. Commit to the class.
  11. Try things out. Experiment!
  12. Focus on learning the material, not on attaining a specific grade as a course goal. Truly mastering the course material ideally will result in a good grade.
  13. Follow the instructions of the assignments, exams, and other items.
  14. Be flexible and honest.
  15. Enjoy yourself.
Some additional things that are helpful to do and/or know:
  1. Learn to write well.
  2. Learn to present well.
  3. Class is cancelled if either The University cancels classes, or Clarke County School classes have been cancelled due to bad weather.
  4. Get at least two course buddies.
  5. Follow the UGA Academic Honesty Policy.
  6. Stop using alchohol or illegal substances (these affect learning).
  7. Adopt a healthy lifestyle through proper nutrition and regular exercise (these affect learning).

Attendance Policies

Attendance: [Important, but I don't take attendance. The rest is commentary as to why you should come to class.] I do feel that attendance is important. It is important to come to class. The University's attendance policy is in effect. There is no way for you to make up any in-class exercises (that do count for course credit). Research has shown that the most reliable indicator of success in classes is attendance (especially on exam days). Class attendance is an essential part of your learning experience. This class relies on hands-on participation. You cannot participate unless you show up. Again, I do take attendance very seriously from a learning perspective. As far as I am concerned, students in this class are adults, and must decide whether or not to attend class, so I do not take attendance. You, as an adult, are responsible for your own learning and understanding and applying the best ways that you learn. I do want to get to know each and every one of you. I do notice (and note) excessive absences (and more importantly excessive attendance) and recognize how this impacts on your exam and assignment scores. The Instructor's discretionary part of your grade will clearly be linked to your participation (not attendance per se, but participation), especially through some in-class work that is turned in. I expect that you will attend classes and be responsible for obtaining information from missed classes from other students (this includes announcements, software information, handouts, schedule updates, changes to due dates, etc.). That is why you will have at least two course buddies (see below). So clearly  it is important to come to class to participate, and to contribute. You do not need to contact me to tell me you are going to (or did) miss a class, unless it is an exam class, or unless there is an issue that causes you to miss several classes [in fact, please do not because the volume of emails would clog up my inbox]. So, please do come to class (unless you are ill), even if you don't pay attention, as this is the most important factor towards determining your grade. And do come in late instead of skipping class. I would rather have you there. Do note that it is not possible for me or any other instructor to repeat a lecture (that's why you have course buddies and we announce what we are covering in the class via email and the WebCT Announcements). And, I plan to post audio files of every class, along with the working files.

First Class Day: The first class is a real class. I will be there. I expect you to be there. Thanks for coming and showing your interest in the class. If you miss it, find one or two course buddies and find out what we went over and where all this material is.

Summary of Attendance Issues: Coming to class (unless you are ill), even if you don't pay attention, is the most important factor towards determining your grade. Attendance is important (even if you're late, do come to class). If you miss it, check course announcements, the daily activities, your email, and get with your course buddies to find out what happened (see below) (in WebCT, you have the capability to email anyone and/or everyone in the class).

Extended Illness: We adhere to The University's Policies on Extended Illness - either physical or emotional. If this applies to you, get professional help first. Worry about this course later (do get documentation).

Course Buddies: This idea may seem a little unusual but has proved effective in class performance and learning. Identify at least two class members to be your course buddies. Exchange complete contact information with them. You should be able to rely on your course buddies if you miss class or come late. They should pick up any material passed out (except for graded materials), give you copies of their notes, including announcements made in class, and discuss with you what we did that day. This applies if you are late for class as well. So, get with your course buddies if you are late or miss class. This is important because you should not simply wait to connect with your Instructor, nor should you expect him or her to replicate the class for you.


Assignment and NonAssignment Policies

Purpose: The primary purpose of the Assignments is to aid in learning the course material. They provide practice and exposure to relevant material, and demonstrate working knowledge of the course material. They are like the practice required before a sports game, like the rehearsals required before a play or musical performance. While you spend more time working on assignments than taking exams, the credit for doing them is significantly less. This is also true for sports, plays and musical performance. Hours of practice precede an hour of playing time, and yet you are judged strictly by your public performance at the end (ticket prices, reviews, CD sales, etc.). Assignments will vary in terms of complexity and contribution to the course grade. All Assignments are required. This includes attending 5 SMIS meetings. In-class exercises count towards homework and/or participation.

Specific Assignments: Specific programming and other assignments and course materials are developed in a timely manner as the course progresses.  No, they are not available at the start of the course, and it has nothing to do with level of organization of the class. They are created, modified, adjusted, etc. as course needs dictate.

Nonassignments occur as we discover that some additional work might be necessary to really gain a mastery over material. Often, they arise through the help/review sessions. This extra work, though not required, if done will generally enhance learning (and exam performance). I suggest that you do these as well. Just because something is not required does not mean that it is not worth doing. (Think about sports. One of the reasons Tiger Woods is an excellent golfer is because he does weight training. Is it required for golf? No, and most golfers do not do this... But in his case, it makes a difference and gives him the edge to being the best he can be. If you want to master programming, try to do these on a a regular basis.)

Individual versus Team Work: Almost (probably) all of the assignments in this course are individual work. This means that you are not to solve problems together or compare answers prior to turning in the work. You may help each other in understanding concepts, but not in actually doing the work. And, you may not share files. Some in-class experiental work and assignments may involve teamwork (if so, it will be part of the Assignment description), and so teams will be formed. I this case, you work together and the scores on the assignment reflect everyone's work. Nonperformers names should not appear on any assignment as they should receive no credit for work not done. This is required by The University's Academic Honesty Policy. Do note that many courses in the Terry College require teamwork and typically team members evaluate each others' performance. Nonperformers can typically be dropped from a team at any time and earn zero credit for the group work (and ocassionally flunk courses and/or do not graduate as a consequence). Be a functioning team member and communicate well.

Follow Instructions: If not, penalties ranging from 10% to 100% may be incurred.

Assignment Due Dates and Times: Assignments have specific due dates and times. The Executive Summary involves turning in typed documents on paper, while the main assignments involve developing Java programs are to be turned in electronically via WebCT ( never  email). Electronically submitted assignments are due in the designated location at the specified date and time due. Do NOT email the files to your Instructor. Do NOT email the files to your Instructor. (Repeated for emphasis!)I will not track track down your files on your computer or jump drive under any circumstances. The work is simply not accepted.

Late Assignments: Late assignments are accepted electronically via WebCT only up to 12 hours after the assignment was due. There will be a 50% penalty for late work within 12 hours. After that, I will not accept a late assignment under any condition. If a solution is discussed in class before the 12 hours are over, then the due date/time is that point in time when it is discussed in class. There are no makeup assignments for those not turned in, or those turned in too late to earn points. BUT, you may attend 5 additional SMIS meetings to cover at most one nonsubmitted assignment (see www.ugasmis.org for meeting and schedule details).

Hard Copy Assignment Format: All written assignments (Executive Summary) are to be typed, double-spaced, in a  12 point font with standard one inch margins all around (or metric equivalent), and printed. Paper copy is required (unless otherwise specified). Staple or clip together multiple sheet assignments. Names: Make sure your name appears on the top right corner of the first sheet of every hard copy assignment. Note, if the assignment is to be late, you still must submit hard copy. Do not email it to me.

Note: Many people ask why I require hard copy in this electronic day and age. Quite simply, I grade more accurately, and probably higher, and certainly faster, when I grade paper copies versus screen versions. One reason is that when I am in the office grading, I get many interruptions, whereas I typically will take the stack of paper to the library or a coffeehouse to grade, and have no interruptions. Paper still fits my modus operandus. Do not email these assignments to me. It only clogs up my mailbox.

Soft Copy Assignment Format: For electronic assignments, make sure that you include your full name (first and last), section, and date (and version) at the top of every program segment/object in a comment.

SMIS Meetings as an Assignment: You are required to attend 5 SMIS meetings this semester as part of this course. These 5 meetings together count as a single assignment. You will have to sign an attendance sheet for MIST 4600 including my name at the meeting to verify that you have attended (sign the correct sheet). I suggest that you attend these early in the semester. Details appear in the Assignments document. I also recommend that you join this organization. You may attend up to 5 additional meetings to cover one missed Programming Assignment.

Prior Approvals: Some assignments may require prior approval before starting them. This may include an Executive Summary, Term Paper, and/or Major Course Projects. In these cases, you must turn in hard copy of your topic by a specific time for approval. These are valid, and required parts of each assignment.
 
Lost Files: These are your responsibility (and if you forget to save your files when working in the labs, they are typically simply gone). Backup your assignment files early and often. And be sure to back up the exact, specific files that you submit for grading. Ideally copy them to your (USB) jump drive (required for this class), and/or a 3.5 inch floppy disk. You can also use your U: drive when you are logged into the TCBCC (Terry College of Business) network or the network in the Student Learning Center. When you get home, copy the files to your home PC. Instructors are  never  responsible for tracking down your files. Once you shut down a PC in the Lab, all files saved on its hard drive disappear.

Important File Submission Note: When you are doing computer-based homework, typically you have an open file that you will periodically save. If you have not closed the file, but make changes in it and then submit it, the previously saved version will be submitted. For safety's sake, close all files before submitting them. CAUTION: We do not know whether if BlueJ has your files open if they can be submitted (and they must be zipped before submission because BlueJ uses several files in a folder for a project). We also don't know if you email a file to yourself (while it is open), whether the actual file contents will be attached, or whether it will be just an empty file.

Jump Drive: You are required to own and bring a Jump (Flash/USB) (disk) Drive to class, and to use it to back up your work. These inexpensive devices will save you a lot of pain and grief.

Exam Policies

Exams: The purpose of the exams is to test your knowledge. They give you a chance to demonstrate true mastery of the material. They represent the actual performance or game. The outcome is judged on this performance, not on your preparation. There are 3 Exams and a (comprehensive) Final (4th) Exam. They will normally be scheduled during the regular class periods. There may be some miniexams and some in-class exercises that can be considered pop quizzes. Miniexams and pop quizzes may be counted as exams or discretionary points. The specific cutoff date for exam material is announced in class, by email, and in WebCT before the exam. Instructions will be given at the beginning of the exam, but may also be available in advance via WebCT and/or email. Each exam will primarily test the most current material, but effectively will be comprehensive. This is because the new material builds on the older material. Exams are typically hands-on programming implementations, but may include closed book conceptual parts. Any conceptual (literacy) parts of the exams will be closed book, closed notes with the computers (or just the monitors) off. The programming parts of the exams will be open book, open notes, and Web access to Help Systems for our designated software. No email is allowed. You may also use the book's files, and any files that you or I have developed. (Bring your book(s) and jump drive to all classes, including exams.) You may not use email or access Web sites that are not related to the approved Help Systems. Doing so is an Academic Honesty violation. All files are to be submitted electronically to the designated location like the assignments with appropriate file names. Do NOT email files to your Instructor. Initial files for exam problems will be in WebCT. The amount of time available to work on an exam is limited.

Missed Exams and Makeup Exam Policies: In fairness to the majority of students who will be doing all their work on time, there are no special makeup exam for each exam. (There is no makeup capability for in-class exercises/quizzes, etc.) And, I never administer an exam early. However, valid  complications due to illness, family issues, interviews (not an excessive amount, though), or other valid situations may cause missed class and consequently a missed exam. To accommodate at most  one missed exam, there will be a single, comprehensive makeup exam at the end of the semester. If you have a valid, documented excuse (ideally let your Instructor know beforehand, but definitely give him/her documentation within 5 working days of your return) for missing an exam, you must take the makeup exam. The documentation must be in writing. You cannot miss two exams and pass the course.

Late Exams: You may not submit exam files late, that is, once the Instructor indicates that the exam has ended.

Ballcaps: Because we want to see your smiling faces and get to know you,   no ballcaps are permitted during exams (with one exception).

Lost Files: See "Lost Files" under "Assignments" above.

Tips for Preparing for an Exam: See the document mist4600testtaking.html .


Grading Policies

Grading Information, Computation and Scale: See the "Grading Information" document for the specific weights of course components and how they are scaled: mist4600gradinginformation.html .

How Grades are Earned: Grades are be  earned  based on your performance alone; not exactly a curve. You will NOT be competing with other class members for a fixed number of A’s, B’S, C’s, etc. A 100 point scale is used. The University requires plus and minus grading, though plusses and minuses do not affect Hope Scholarship eligibility. (But, they do affect your GPA as reported by The University.)

Letter Grades: Letter grades are initially assigned according to the traditional 100 point scale using the weighted total points accumulated as shown in the table in the specific mist4600gradinginformation.html document. (At the Instructor’s discretion, these boundaries may be (and typically are) moved downward, but will under no circumstances be moved upward. The exact cutoffs will not be known until after all the materials are graded and recorded, because there is no way to determine how the boundaries will (if at all) move down.).

About Estimates and Grade Earning: Do not ask me to estimate your score for the course. I cannot determine how well you will do on the remaining work because I do not know what you know, what you don't know, how long it takes you to learn and apply material, etc.. Also, do not explain to me why you need a specific score to maintain the Hope or other scholarship. I already know that everyone needs to earn the highest grades possible, but do realize that you earn your grade. I do not give  you a grade. I am objective and fair and do not make exceptions. In return, I expect you to be responsible for doing your best to achieve the highest scores you possibly can based on the efforts you exert.

Grading Complications: We want all grading in the course to be fair, accurate, and objective. We have put a lot of thought into how to do this. Our policy on contesting grades and/or scores received on any assignment, quiz, paper, exam, etc., is to handle them promptly. All questions about grades that potentially involve a change in points must be submitted, in writing (not email or telephone). The write-up must include details about the requested change, your name and ID number, and information about the assignment or the hard copy. You must also sign the request.

Grade Reporting: To facilitate accurate and timely grade reporting, and to make them available to class members, anywhere/anytime, grades are only be posted electronically to the WebCT courseware site (the Grading Area is secure). The weights and total points reported by WebCT are meaningless in establishing grades. Also the scores reported for an assignment submitted to WebCT may be in a different item that that to which it is submitted.

Academic Honesty

We appreciate the fact that honesty runs rampant in our classes. We strive to have a culture of complete academic honesty. Thus, The University’s Academic Honesty Policy is in effect (available at  www.uga.edu/honesty/). ’A Culture of Honesty’ is The University of Georgia’s policy about academic honesty. … Every student who enrolls at the University agrees to be bound by the policy. Each student  has a responsibility to read, be informed and be aware of The University's official academic honesty and dishonesty policies. Technically, this means that each student must read the policy and comply with it. Infractions cannot effectively be defended with statements such as "I didn't know that was prohibited." Students must perform all of their academic work without plagiarizing, cheating, lying, tampering, stealing, receiving assistance from others (unless the faculty member authorizes that assistance) or using sources to assist in that work (without giving fair attribution). [Source: “A Culture of Honesty at the University of Georgia.” A pamphlet published by the UGA Office of the Vice President for Instruction].

In my classes, sometimes violations have occurred. If an alleged incident occurs, the situation will immediately be documented and sent to the Office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs for processing, and your grade in this course will be an NR (Not Reported) until the matter has run through due process. Officials in that Office will directly contact all parties involved. Do NOT contact me about the incident. If you have any questions, refer to The University’s Academic Honesty Guidelines in The University of Georgia Publications for more details on the rules and procedures). If you have questions about specific acts and whether they are academically honest or not, please contact me or the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (see link above). In general, if you think it might be dishonest, it probably is. Again, we do appreciate your honesty. Here are some specifics relating to this course:

When taking a closed book exam portion, everything except exam materials must be off the desk/table.
You may not use email or cell phones during an exam.
You may not surf the Web during an exam, unless you are accessing a permitted Web site.

We do want to point out that the Academic Honesty Policy does not apply to helping someone understand basic concepts, explaining to someone the interpretation of an assignment, or clarifying how to use software. It applies to direct intervention in producing materials turned in for grading (exams, assignments, etc.). This includes file sharing. Please do help each other learn. This can save valuable time and aggravation, and really reenforce your own learning. If you have any questions, just ask.

File Security:  With regard to Academic Honesty, you must take reasonable precautions to ensure that others cannot copy your files and submit them as their own. This means that, among other things: you should not allow other students to borrow your assignment files; you should use good password procedures for your accounts; and you should not leave copies of your files on the hard drives or desktops of shared computers. If you allow others to use your personal computer or if you use another computer to complete an assignment, be sure that you open and use only those assignment files that you created. NOTE: At the instructor’s discretion and as a part of the UGA Academic Honesty process, if an academic dishonesty case arises due to a student’s lack of file security penalties may be assessed.

Important! You are NOT to receive ANY direct outside assistance on the programming assignments or exams other than from your Instructor without prior approval from your instructor. In fairness to the students who are academically honest, any student found violating the academic honor code will be reported to the Office of the Vice President for Instruction’s Academic Honesty Office.  If an individual does not contribute to a team project, he/she earns a score of zero (0) for the project. Taking credit for work not done is a violation of the UGA Academic Honesty Policy. And, listing a nonperforming student on a team project is a violation of the UGA Academic Honesty Policy.

Minimum Penalty: When a case from this course goes forward to the Office of the Vice President for Instruction, at the first phase of the process, I automatically recommend a nonnegotiable minimum penalty of  (1) a maximum grade of D in the course, (2) a minimum one year Honor Violation mark on the official transcript, and (3) a minimum of 50 hours of community service of which at least one half be performed in the Athens area.


Course Procedural Policies

Professional Behavior and Norms: We expect you to participate in class activities in a mature and appropriate manner. Disruptive or otherwise unacceptable behavior will not be tolerated and students will be asked to leave the classroom. Disruptive students may be dropped from the course or earn a grade of F at the instructor’s discretion. This policy is not meant to stifle honest and frank academic discussions. Unacceptable behaviors include but are not limited to reading newspaper or other non-course related material, working crossword puzzles, excessive talking, cell phone ringing, playing games on PDAs or other electronic devices, Web surfing, using email, IMing, working with Facebook, etc. I view this course as being partly responsible for inducing your academic and professional growth to maturity. You must take responsibility for your own learning, and for your behavior at a professional level (I expect it in this and every course I teach or take). So for example, when I get an unsigned email message with a subject like "Re:" or "Hey about the homework," it tells me something about how seriously you are involved in both the course, and in your own education (and I am unable to answer your email with no context). This is also true if you ask about something that is blatantly stated somewhere in the Syllabus documents including this one. I have spent countless hours structuring the course (and my sections') policies in a way to make the course environment work for all of us. So, for example, I do not collect excuses for missed classes, and will not redo a whole lecture if you miss one (get with a course buddy and listen to the audio file). (For more, read Teacher Man: A Memior by Frank McCourt.) There are other aspects as well. We want to course to work for all of us, and for it to be a rewarding, educational experience for all of us. Help out by following directions, starting with reading all course documentation that is required.

Excessive Talking/Disruptions in Class: If people around you are being too noisy so that you cannot concentrate, please first ask them twice to be quiet. Then involve me. I will either drop them from the course or assign an F grade if the behavior continues.

Electronic Communication (Web, WebCT and Email List): Most course information, materials, and announcements will be electronic at the WebCT course site. This is where the  official set of material for the course  is. By being registered in this course, you will have access to the WebCT  course site at webct.uga.edu. You simply login and can access the materials for your course. Your login ID is your myID. Your password should be the same as that for all UGA systems. A course ListServ may be set up. If so, you must subscribe to it to remain in the course. Instructions to follow.

The bulk of the original syllabus and material is on the Web at www.terry.uga.edu/~jaronson/mist4600/. But, the material here will not be updated. Only material on WebCT will be updated.

In WebCT, you will have the ability to email the entire class, the Instructor(s), or specific individuals. If you have a question about an assignment (understanding it, etc., but not about scoring), please email or call your course buddies first. If you cannot contact any of them, then email the entire class instead of just your Instructor. And if you see such a message, answer it if you know the answer to everyone (and noone else replied yet). If you think that you are about to email about something that is explicitly stated already in a course document, do try to look it up first (actually, if this is the case, I'll probably respond with "look it up" - thanks).

EMAIL SUBJECT FIELD: This issue is hypercritical. It is important to indicate in every email message about or for the course, context about what you want or need information about. I teach several courses simultaneously, so when I see a message with a subject of "Re:" or a message asking about "the assignment due Tuesday," and the message isn't signed (and especially if there is no way to figure out from the email address who you are), I probably will have no idea about what you are asking me, and we could either play email tag until I do, but I will probably just delete the message as meaningless. The reason is that the context and information about the question is hypercritical for me to understand what you want. So, precede the Subject field of all course emails to the class, and me with "MIST4600: " and include something about what the subject really is. I need for you to do this. Subjects like "Assignment" or "I have a question," or "Re:" indicate nothing. In fact, the email client may automatically filter these out as spam and discard them before I even see them. Do put your name at the bottom of the message (always sign correspondence (another expected common courtesy) - in this case, electronically). These are expected common courtesies in business communication. The burden should never be on the recipient to figure out who you are and what you want. (If there are multiple instructors and/or sections, additional subject identifiers may be required.)

Announcements will be regularly posted to the WebCT site (only) as will Assignments, Assignment Solutions, and other course information and materials. You are responsible for checking your regular and WebCT email, and the WebCT course site for Announcements every day.

Instructions on how to submit files electronically in WebCT are elsewhere.

Multiple Sections of the Course: There may be other sections of this course being taught concurrently by the same or different Instructors. Even though these courses may share common assignments, exams, etc., these are separate and independent courses. The schedules, topics, books, assignments, etc. must be assumed to be different. For example, if one Instructor announces the availability of some document or scores being posted for an assignment, you cannot assume that to be true for any of the other Instructors' sections. You may only attend the section for which you have registered unless your Instructor indicates otherwise, even if it is the same Instructor. It is important to note that grade determination in each section should be considered separate and independent.

I want to rework this policy with you:
Cell Telephone, Beeper, Web Surfing and Email in Class: We recognize that there are sometimes compelling reasons to keep your cell phone or beeper on during class. Every once in a while we have to do so, too. If you have a silent or vibrating ringer, please turn it on, and the ringer sound off [silent mode]. The beeping does interrupt the flow of class. Consequently, if your cell phone or beeper rings in class (even if we - that is anyone in the class - hears the ring or vibration [this includes ring tones set beyond the frequency that most people 25 or older cannot hear]), then for the next class you are responsible for bringing a bag of enough candy so everyone can have a piece. (Chocolate is a preference!) Cell phones may not be used during an exam. If you expect an important call during an exam, give your Instructor your phone. These rules also apply if you are surfing the Web or using email instead of focusing on class. These rules also apply to me (during a final exam in a large lecture class, I got a phone call and delivered several bags of chocolate candy during the exam).

Computer Lab Classroom Use: It is disruptive to have others in the room during our class, so, we devote the room 100% to you. (Note that you must respect other classes being held in the Lab classrooms as well.) When we are having class, the lab classroom is entirely devoted to our class. If you find someone from another class working in the room, ask him/her politely to leave, or let me know, so we can ask the person to leave. Some Lab classrooms are available for general lab use when no classes are using it. However, students from classes other than ours also use the Lab classrooms to complete homework, so you need to start assignments well ahead of time (at least 3 days in advance). Waiting until the night before an assignment is due is a sure key to disaster and high stress levels.

Texts and Software: You must have the correct edition(s) of the text(s) and develop your assignments and exam in the correct version(s) of the software.

Withdrawal: If you drop this class before the end of Drop/Add, then it never appears on your transcript. Following this, you may withdraw from the class at any time, but you must receive a grade, which appears on your official transcript. If you withdraw up until The University's designated Withdraw Date (around the Midpoint of the Semester), you will receive a "W" if you have obtained at least fifty percent of the points to date in the course; otherwise you will receive a "WF." If you withdraw after that date, you must receive a "WF" grade (sorry - "Rules is Rules!" (Ayn Rand)).

Bad Weather Cancellation: If the Clarke County Schools are closed due to inclement weather like snow, ice, heavy thunderstorms or tornadoes, class is canceled. Unfortunately, The University's official policy does not consider the fact that I cannot get out of my driveway if the roads are so bad that the county schools are closed. We can reschedule canceled classes. WNGC's (106.1 fm) Web site (www.1061wngc.com) should have the cancellation announcement, as hopefully will the main UGA Web site (www.uga.edu), and any other related site.

Here is part of the official University statement about cancellation: When winter weather threatens, faculty, staff and students can learn of changes in UGA's hours of operation from a variety of sources. Up-to-date information will be posted on the UGA home page (www.uga.edu) and more detailed information can be found on the UGA Today Web site (www.uga.edu/news).

Athens-area cable subscribers can tune to channel 15 for further information, as well.

People can also tune to one of these Athens radio stations for up-to-date UGA closing information:

Office Hours: I take office hours very seriously and will make every attempt to be there. Occasionally events preventing me from being there do occur (illness, meetings, emergencies, etc.). If I know about these in advance, I shall announce this to the class, email you all, and set up a WebCT Announcement. If you need to see me outside of office hours, please check with me before or after class, or email or call to set up an appointment. Dropping by may or may not work, because generally all faculty have other teaching commitments, meetings and research activities. Please be patient. I will make every effort to help you out.

Physical (and Emotional) Disabilities: I adhere to The University's Policies on disabilities (in fact I go beyond them). If you have a disability (whether obvious or not), please inform your Instructor about it (details will remain confidential - in the case of emotional disabilities/issues, do not go into details beyond existence and what is necessary and how it can be worked out within The University structures), and discuss any special needs that you have and how to go about meeting them. (If you or I suspect that you have a disability, with your permission we should discuss this.) We appreciate additional information regarding your situation and suggestions as to how we can accommodate you.

Athletes: Get me your documentation about scheduled absences relevant to the course and indicate your name on the letter. As always, you are still responsible for missed material.

Focus Group(s): We can set up a focus group for feedback in each section of the course. We can organize these in the second week of class.

Course Evaluations: We do run a course evaluation towards the end of the course, but I like to get feedback well in advance to improve the course as we go. Though not every suggestion can be implemented,  I do want your feedback, anytime, so, please provide it. I need to know if you are not learning. Learning how to program can be tricky. [Please note that input is acceptable with no fear of retribution. I have never, nor ever will act dishonerably toward anyone with honest feedback. I appreciate the feedback.]

Questions: Just ask, either in or out of class. Don't be shy. If it's tangential to the course topics, we can discuss it later outside of class. Generally if we're in the office, we're available.

Problems/Issues: If you have any problem(s) or issues that may impede your performance in this course (especially medical, emotional, or learning complications), please bring it to your Instructor's attention as soon as possible. He or she will be as flexible as possible to make this course work for you.


Learning Performance (Success) Policies, Issues and Ideas and Test Preparation

These appear in the following documents
mist4600learningapproaches.html
mist4600testtaking.html

Also, see the Day1 Activities document (  mist4600day1activities.html).

Recommended Courses and Activities for MIS and Other Business Majors

This list will come as a bit of a surprise to many, but these courses are useful for MIS, and even any business major in his/her future careers. When you earn a degree with a major in the Terry College of Business, employers expect you to be competent in your discipline. These courses take you beyond that. Note, you may find that some courses are not offered at UGA as academic ones, but the knowledge and skills are invaluable.


Acronyms and Readings

Acronyms: Many people, especially computer novices, feel that the world of computers has a vast number of acronyms. It seems like computer people are using a whole different language (they probably are). I have put together a fairly comprehensive list of acronyms  (www.terry.uga.edu/people/jaronson/acronyms/acronym.html). 

Readings: Much of today’s technology appears in science fiction writings, movies, and television shows in the past (have a look at Jules Verne’s work). For example, many envisioned flying heavier than aircraft (first demonstrated in 1903 - and in Luckenbach, Texas around 1880), space flight (Verne wrote about it a long time ago), light beams with incredible power (lasers), time travel and teleportation devices. Laboratory work has produced: 1) successful teleportation of a beam of light (reported in December 1997 by a group of Swiss scientists), and 2) detection of very small particles traveling backward in time. I have put together a list of suggested science fiction (and managerial) works (www.terry.uga.edu/people/jaronson/readings/readings.html).


Final Notes

The most interesting thing that a student once said at the start of the first class about why he was in the class was: "It's because I didn't do all those things you mentioned so I could succeed in the class. I flunked it last semester and I'm here now." What I have included in the Course Policies, Course FAQs, and the rest of the Syllabus and Course Materials is information about how to succeed in the course. I are very much looking forward to your learning computer programming, and know that together we can make this an enjoyable and beneficial experience!

And, if you have ideas about what might work better for you or others in the class, bring them to my attention. I am open to suggestion and continually learning. Do let me know.


Colombia-Guatavita Laguna

Near Bogotá, Colombia, Guatavita Laguna, June 24, 2007


Page Maintained by: JE Aronson
Last Modified: December 30, 2008