INSTRUCTOR: Ghassan Y Yacoub, Ph.D.

BIOGRAPHY:  Dr. Yacoub has been with Intel Corporation's Business and Technology Programs organization since 1997 serving as a Strategic Technology Planning Manager. Prior to Intel, he was with the Hughes Electronics Corporation for twelve years and served as Section Head of VLSI Signal Processing Design for five years before leaving in 1993 to co-found dQdt, a Hughes spin-off company. Dr. Yacoub has twenty years of experience in the high-tech industry, fifteen of which in managing organizations. His interdisciplinary interests and expertise include business management, business processes, strategic planning, and information systems management. He is a Howard Hughes Doctoral Fellow and holds a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) where he served as a Visiting Scholar in 1997 conducting research in advanced VLSI chip design methodology. 

NOTE: Course syllabus and schedule may be subject to adjustment in the event of extenuating circumstances.

E-MAIL: sy263@ghassanyacoub.com

LOCATION & LOGISTICS:  Summer II, 2001, term (weeks of July 2 through August 18, 2001), Tuesday (5:30 to 8:45 pm) at Moffett Field in Mountain View, with online Internet-based class discussions. This course will meet at Moffett Field Bldg. N-241, Classroom 147. Map of Moffett Field: http://msm.cnd.edu/Moffett.gif. Please call 650-524-9830 for information about getting a gate access badge if you are not familiar with the process.  Enter at the double doors on the raised loading dock platform in back, turn left through the double doors, turn right, and the room is next to the food machines. 

Please NOTE: ***The doors to Bldg. N-241 are now locked at 5:30pm. Please inform the instructor in advance or we cannot guarantee you can enter the building. If you arrive and the door is locked, push the doorbell button to the left of the doors. This should ring a bell in the classroom and someone will come to let you in. Otherwise, go back to the guard at the entrance gate and ask for NASA Security to assist you.

TEXT:  Laudon, K. C., & Laudon, J. P. (2000). "Management information systems: Organization and technology in the networked enterprise." (6th ed.). New York: Prentice Hall.

CATALOG DESCRIPTION: Evaluate, design and select information systems which support an organization's knowledge management goals. Includes knowledge management; information system analysis, design and implementation; selection criteria; current and advancing technology; strategic objectives, business processes, reengineering systems; database management systems, decision support, data mining.

OVERALL OBJECTIVE: To provide a framework for understanding and managing information systems in organizational environments.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: To successfully complete this course, the student will:

1. Appreciate the increasing importance of information systems technology and how it is changing the role of the business manager.
2. Understand the evolving role played by the various hardware platforms in the business organizations of today.
3. Recognize how networks are being used to reduce costs and delays, provide improved customer service and build strong links with customers and suppliers.
4. Appreciate the need for data management and understand management’s key role in establishing and maintaining an effective data management environment.
5. Become proficient in identifying the fundamental types of information systems used to provide real business benefits.
6. Recognize the need for an effective information system development process, and will be able to describe the tools needed to support it.
7. Appreciate the need for an information technology plan, identify its key elements, and outline a process to develop one.
8. Recognize the term business process reengineering and will be able explain how it can lead to dramatic changes in the business.
9. Become knowledgeable in management’s key role to ensure the successful development and acquisition of information technology resources.
10. Appreciate the need for management to make certain that the organization has a sound plan for ensuring computer security and disaster recovery.

All students must have access to at least a Windows 95 based computer with Office 95 and a connection to the Internet.

Before the first class, each student must supply the program coordinator with his or her e-mail address. (Student may choose to use a free, web-based e-mail service just as yahoo, hotmail, or mail.com)

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

1. Build a relational database. The system should contain at least 10 variables, 2 related tables and 1 report. This is an individual project.
2. Chapter summary and case study analysis. Each student will select a chapter, present its key concepts and lead the discussion for a chapter case study.
3. Participate in classroom and on-line discussion.
4. Midterm-end of section case study.
5. Final-trends project. This is a group analysis and presentation on a management information systems trend (i.e., the next three to five years). The trend may be product, process, people or technology oriented. The specific topic must be developed by the students with prior approval of the Professor. (Powerpoint slides are required. A hard copy of the slides must be delivered to the Professor at the time of the presentation.)

The premise of the research endeavor is to allow you to conduct an autonomous learning endeavor within an area that interests you. It should be noted that the professor of this course is predominately concerned with facilitating an atmosphere conducive to learning and thinking. You should seize this opportunity to conduct some viable research that will facilitate our common learning. Do not confuse this creative opportunity with an easily completed task for evaluation - the lack of specificity of this project was an intentional consideration that should afford one a great deal of creativity and learning.

Please recognize that a graduate level analysis differs from the typical undergraduate project. Graduate level research is not just a repeat of information found in textbooks. The graduate project should demonstrate your understanding and application of advanced concepts of the discipline, as they are currently defined. That means your investigation should include the latest academic and professional research on the subject.

Lecture on selected topics, class discussion of assignments, and class participation. This course is conducted as a graduate seminar. Class participation is crucial, and students are encouraged to share ideas, experience, knowledge and opinions. Students are expected to have read all the assigned readings and case studies before each class. Material will be discussed in the classroom that is not covered in the readings. Graduate level work ought to be both challenging and experiential in nature. You can look forward to a lively, interactive class.

Additional class interaction will occur online, particularly using the WebCT environment.

Participation is integral to successful mastery of the material. Students will be asked to share their understanding of the material and evaluate the applicability of selected concepts to actual practice. Since the discipline derives much of its applicability from interdisciplinary thought, many of the class projects will incorporate the use of teams and a percentage of every individual’s grade will be based on team participation.

METHOD OF EVALUATION:

ASSIGNMENT OF GRADES:  A = 90-100%; B = 80-89%; C = 70-79%; D = 60-69%; F = less 60%

ATTENDANCE POLICY:  The student is expected to attend all classes. Exceptional cases will be handled on an individual basis.

MAKE-UP POLICY:  Missed classes may require additional assignments, including written material to be turned in and/or examinations. Make-up examinations may differ from original exams.

ADVISEMENT TIME: The Professor can be contacted for appointments by calling the Professor’s home phone, and/or e-mail.

ACADEMIC ETHICS: Details on the ethical standards of reporting information may be found in the "Publication Manual of the APA." The CND "Standards of Conduct" published in the "Graduate Bulletin" should also be consulted.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: If the student’s disabilities fall within ADA, please inform the Professor at the beginning of the course of any special needs or equipment necessary to accomplish the requirements for this course.

COURSE SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNMENTS: