Kennesaw State University
DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Fall 2005
IS 8050/01

T 5PM-745PM, CL 2007

Course Information | Policies | Student Email & Web | Schedule | Assessment | Assignments | Computer Labs
Owl Printing | Course Evaluation | Final Grades | Integrity Statment | APA | Acknowledgment Statement forms

 

 

Course Description:

This course explores the application of project management methods and principles to information systems projects. Topics include project planning and estimation techniques, management of projects, budgeting, concurrent project management strategies, managing project relationships with customers, and controlling project risks.

Prerequisites:

Admission to the MSIS Graduate Program or permission of the MSIS Director. 

Textbook and Resources:

These textbooks will be used to support the learning outcomes for this course, through readings, examples, and exercises.

 

American Psychological Association (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edition). Washington, DC. [ISBN 1-55798-7912]

Schwalbe, K. (2006). Information technology project management (4th edition). Cambridge, MA: Course Technology. [ISBN 0-619-21526-7]

Other readings as assigned by the instructor.

Instructor:

 Amy B. Woszczynski, Ph.D.

Office Location:

 CL 3005

Email:

awoszczy@kennesaw.edu (24/7 availability) 

Office Phone:

770.423.6572 (may take 2-3 days to return calls)

Fax Number:

770.423.6731

Office Hours

T 4PM-5PM; W 330PM-6PM; Th 430PM-530PM, and by appointment

**Note that occasionally, I may have to attend a meeting or University function during scheduled office hours. Therefore, you are encouraged to make an appointment when possible.**

Website:

http://courses.kennesaw.edu

Learning Outcomes:

As a result of completing this course, student should be able to:

·    Work effectively as a project team member to plan, control, and complete a project.

·    Manage project scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, risk, communications, procurement, and integration processes.

·    Describe and explain the key concepts of CMM.

·    Prepare and track project schedules and budgets using appropriate manual or automated tools.

·    Apply generic project management tools and methods to software development projects.

·    Identify, evaluate and use resources for Information Systems Project Management.

·    Analyze and critique project management case studies and situations, in both written and oral form. 

Policies:

Lecture Notes:

All lecture notes, announcements, assignment guidelines, and the like will be available on the class Web site: http://courses.kennesaw.edu

 

Class Format:

This class will follow a hybrid method of instruction. For some of the scheduled class meetings, we will meet in-class with lecture and discussion format. For a portion of the scheduled class meetings, you will complete online activities. In the online activities, it is critical that you spend a significant portion of time checking WebCT discussion board postings and interacting with your classmates.

 

Exams:

There will be no make-up assignments or exams. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange for an excused absence before the scheduled due date. A grade of zero will be assigned for all assignments missed without an excused absence. If an emergency arises on the day of a scheduled assignment, and the instructor deems that the absence is excused, the student may be allowed to substitute a research paper or essay exam (instructor’s option) for a missed exam or assignment. Written verification of the excused absence must be provided to the instructor.

 

Guidelines for Submitting Work:

All hard-copy submissions should be arranged properly and stapled together. All assignments are due at the beginning of class, so if you are sending me an assignment via e-mail, it should be sent no later than the class start time. Late assignments will not be accepted! If you have any questions about your grades, contact me immediately. The end of the semester is too late to argue for grade changes on earlier assignments.

 

Participation:  Learning through discussion is best achieved through an active and enthusiastic debate. Feel free to offer your comments and to challenge (in a positive way please!) other class members on their observations during class discussion or on the class discussion board.

 

WebCT:

To login to WebCT, you will need to know your WebCT login ID and your PIN. Detailed instructions for determining your WebCT login can be found at http://online.kennesaw.edu/webct-help/index.html. You should forward your WebCT e-mail forwarded to your preferred e-mail address. Go to:

Mail…Message Settings…Forward my mail to:

and enter your preferred e-mail address. If you do not forward your e-mail, I will not respond to your mail questions.

 

Instructor Absence: Normally I am in class on time. If I am more than 20 minutes late and prior arrangements have not been made, class is canceled.

Diversity Statement:
All courses offered by the Computer Science and Information Systems department will adhere to the KSU policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, disability, national origin, or sexual orientation.

Withdrawal Policy:
The last day to withdraw without academic penalty is
10/14/2005. Ceasing to attend class or oral notice thereof DOES NOT constitute official withdrawal from the course. Students who simply stop attending classes without officially withdrawing usually are assigned failing grades. Students wishing to withdraw after the scheduled change period (add/drop) must obtain and complete a withdrawal form from the Academic Services Department in the Registrar's Office.

A new University Withdrawal policy is in effect Fall semester, 2004. Below is an excerpt from the catalog. For further details, please refer to Academic Policies at http://www.kennesaw.edu/academicaffairs/acadpubs/ucat2004-05/i.acadpolicies.pdf , page 42 or the 2004-2005 printed catalog.

"Students may withdraw from one or more courses anytime before the last three weeks of the semester. However, as of fall 2004, students will be allowed a maximum of eight total withdrawals if they enter KSU as a freshman. Transfer students will be allowed one withdrawal per fifteen credit hours attempted, for a maximum of eight. Students who choose to pursue a second degree at KSU will be allowed two additional withdrawals. Students who entered KSU before the fall of 2004 will be allowed one withdrawal per fifteen credit hours attempted for a maximum of eight after the institution of this policy. To withdraw they should complete an official withdrawal form in the Office of the Registrar. Students who officially withdraw from courses before mid-semester will receive a "W" in those courses and receive no credit. "

Email Policy:
The instructor guarantees replies to emails received from your Kennesaw email account (netid@students.kennesaw.edu) and mail messages sent through your specific WebCT course (http://courses.kennesaw.edu). Emails sent from other email domains may not reach the instructor's mailbox. In order to ensure receipt/responses to your email be sure that you communicate with the instructor via your Kennesaw email account or via WebCT.

Enrollment Policy:
Only those students who are enrolled in the class may attend lectures, receive assignments, take quizzes and exams, and receive a grade in the class. If a student is administratively withdrawn from this course, they will not be permitted to attend class nor will they receive any grade for the class.

Electronic Devices
In order to minimize the level of distraction, all beepers and cellular phones must be on quiet mode during class meeting times. Students who wish to use a computer/PDA for note taking need prior approval of the instructor since key clicks and other noises can distract other students. Recording of lectures by any method requires prior approval of the instructor. Students using a laptop in class should not check their email, browse the web, or in other way detract from the focus of the class.

Classroom Behavior
Students are reminded to conduct themselves in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct, as published in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs. Every KSU student is responsible for upholding the provision. For more details, visit http://ww.kennesaw.edu/academicaffairs/acadpubs/ucat2003-04/x.genpolicies%20.pdf . Students who are in violation of this policy will be asked to leave the classroom and may be subject to disciplinary action by the University.

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Student Email and Web Account Access:

KSU uses a central authentication server that will allow one username and password to be used by all KSU users to access an increasing variety of applications (email, WebCT etc.) This unified network identification is referred to as your "NetID". The source for university-provided email and web space for students is located at http://students.kennesaw.edu . Students have access to this system once they have established their NetID. This system will provide email service through a web based interface, FTP and SFTP.

How to Activate your NetID:
To activate your NetID go to http://netid.kennesaw.edu and click on the "Sign up Now!" link. You will be asked to provide information to verify your identity and set your password. This password will only be for NetID enabled applications.

How to Look Up a NetID:
After you have activated your NetID, you can look up other users by logging into http://netid.kennesaw.edu and clicking on Directory Search.

How to Send Email:
For student email, your NetID in combination with the new email address would look like netid@students.kennesaw.edu .

Web Address:
For student web address, your NETID in combination with the new server address would look like http://students.kennesaw.edu/~netid.

If you have problems please call the Service Desk at ext. 6999 or e-mail service@kennesaw.edu .

Tentative Course Schedule: Subject to change

Week

 

Date

Topic

Chapters

1

8/23

Introduction to Course

What is Project Management?

S1, S2

2

8/30

INITIATING PROCESSES

Project Management Processes

Project Planning & Integration

Academic Honesty Quiz Due

S2

S3, S4

3

9/6

Group Chat/Meetings

Online Activities

Project Charter Due

Project Scope Discussion Board

4

9/13

PLANNING PROCESSES

Scope Management

Communication Management

 

S5

S10

5

9/20

Group Chat/Meetings

Online Activities

PM Book Discussion Board

6

9/27

Book Presentation

Assignment #1 (group)

7

10/4

Human Resource Management

 

Software Project Management

S9

Supplemental Readings

CMM1, CMM2

8

10/11

 

Midterm Exam

9

10/18

EXECUTING PROCESSES

Quality Management

 

S8
Supplemental Readings

10

10/25

Group Chat/Meetings

Online Activities

Quality Discussion Board

11

11/1

Risk Management

Apollo 13 Video

S11
Case – Apollo 13

Supplemental Readings

12

11/8

Group Chat/Meetings

Online Activities

Risk Matrix Discussion Board

13

11/15

CONTROLLING PROCESSES

Time Management

Cost Management

 

S6

S7
Supplemental Readings

14

11/22

Group Project Work Day

 

15

11/29

CLOSING PROCESSES

Procurement Management

Assignment #2

S12

16

12/6

Final Project Presentations

 

Final Exam

12/13

630PM: Final Projects Due

 

READINGS/CHAPTERS LEGEND:

S: (Schwalbe) Information technology project management, 3rd ed. (Text)

CMM: Capability Maturity Model for Software (SEI Free Publication)

 

Special Dates:

 

Last day to withdraw without penalty

10/14/2005

Last day of class

12/6/2005

Final Exam

12/13/2005

Graduation

12/15/2005

Notes:

 

Ø       The syllabus is tentative & may change. All changes will be announced in class & posted on the web.

Ø       An outline of all lectures is available on the class web site. 

Ø       Refer to University published material for information on date changes. 

Ø      Any student who needs special assistance or accommodations, please see me after class.

 

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Assessment:

 

Midterm Exam (individual)

15%

Assignment #1 (group)

Assignment #2 (individual)

20%

20%

Online Activities

10%

Quizzes

10%

Project

25%

TOTAL

100%

Grade Evaluation:

 

100 - 90

A

89 - 80

B

79 - 70

C

69 - 60

D

59 - 0

F

 

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Assignments:

Each student will complete 1 individual assignment, 1 group assignment, an individual midterm exam, and a final group project. In addition, you will complete 4 online activities and a 10-question multiple-choice quiz on every chapter. The content of the quizzes, exams and assignments will come primarily from class notes and the text. Note that material presented in class will supplement, and often exceed, the assigned reading. Therefore, class attendance and good note-taking are essential tactics for succeeding. 

 

The group assignment (Assignment #1) requires a 15-25 minute presentation on a book related to project management along with a 10-20 page, double-spaced write-up. Suggested books include The Goal, The Mythical Man-Month, The Psychology of Computer Programming, etc.

 

The midterm exam may include multiple-choice, short answer, and/or essay questions. The exam may be in-class, closed-notes, or take-home. If an exam is take-home, no late exams will be accepted for any reason.

Project Requirements:

Each student will be assigned (self-selected) to a four/five-member project team for the entire course. In addition to completing various in-class assignments and team projects, each team will be expected to complete a major project that will constitute the “final exam” for this courseEach team will have the option of developing a detailed project plan with supporting documentation or conducting an exploratory case study of an actual information systems project that is being undertaken by an organization of the team's choice. Both options will require delivery of a formal oral presentation and written plan/report.  Further details about the project will be discussed in class and posted on WebCT. Specific date requirements of both options are as follows.

 

DUE 9/6: Project Charter, including Team Roster, Project Selection, Preliminary Plan (1-2 pages)

DUE 10/11: Interim Project Deliverable

DUE 12/6: Project Presentations

DUE 12/13 at 630PM: Final Project Deliverable

You are encouraged to submit in-progress drafts of your project to the instructor for feedback. Note that a turnaround time of about 1 week is to be expected for each draft reviewed, so prepare accordingly. You should submit an interim project deliverable on 10/11, with all work completed to date.

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Computer Labs

Please be aware of and follow all computer lab user policies

Burruss Building
The labs on the fourth floor of the Burruss Building are open 7 days each week. See the schedule below. The Burruss labs are open most holidays however they are closed during most semester breaks. Be prepared to show your current student ID card upon entering the lab. The telephone number of the Burruss Building lab is 770-423-6110.

LAB HOURS:
Monday - Thursday 6:30 am - Midnight
Friday 6:30 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday 7:30 am - 7:30 PM
Sunday 10:00am - Midnight

SUMMER HOURS:
Monday - Thursday 7:30 am - 11:30pm
Friday 7:30 am - 5:00 PM
Saturday 8:00 am - 6:00 PM
Sunday 12 noon - 10:00pm

Science and Mathematics Building
The lab in SC 228 of the Science and Mathematics Building is open as listed below. The telephone number of the Science and Mathematics Building lab is 770-499-3351.

Monday - Thursday 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
Friday 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Sunday Closed

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Owl Printing System:

The Owl Print system (student network printing/copying solution) is in place in the KSU library as well as all the open labs and lab/electronic classroom combinations across campus. Students must have an Owl Print card to use printing/copying services.

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Student Course Evaluation:

A standard questionnaire (described below) will be administered during the last two weeks of the semester in all classes. Additional questions developed by the college or instructor(s) may be included as well. It is important that each student provide meaningful feedback to the instructor(s) so that changes can be made in the course to continually improve its effectiveness. We value student feedback about the course, our teaching styles, and course materials, so as to improve our teaching and your learning. At a minimum, the following two questions will be asked: 1) Identify the aspects of the course that most contributed to your learning (include examples of specific materials, exercises and/or the faculty member's approach to teaching and mentoring), and 2) Identify the aspects of the course, if any, that might be improved (include examples of specific materials, exercises and/or the faculty member's approach to teaching and mentoring).

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Acquiring Final Grades:

The final grades for this course will be posted to the student's permanent record using the KSU Banner system. Students may acquire their final grades by accessing their Banner account online. Grades are no longer mailed to students. Students needing verification of grades or enrollment should request either an official transcript or an enrollment verification through the Office of the Registrar.

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APA Documenting Examples:

All MSIS students are required to have a copy of the American Psychological Association (APA) Publication Manual, available in the KSU bookstore and elsewhere.

When any portion of another author's work is used, whether it be from a course textbook or outside work, including the World Wide Web, in whole, in part, or paraphrased, that work must be cited. Proper citation formats are provided on the reverse of this document. Failure to do so can result in Academic Misconduct Proceedings.
Acceptable Reference Formats (from North and Blade, 1998 (see below) reprinted with permission)

There are two components to a proper citation: the text citation and the reference or endnote. The text citation will usually consist of the author's or authors' last name(s) and the year of the publication. The endnote citation will read as follows:

Books

 

Last-name, First-initial. (Date). Book title. City, State: Publisher.

 

A reference for a single-author book:

 

North, M. M. (1996). Virtual reality technology. New York: Best Press.

 

A reference for a multi-author book:

 

North, M. M. & Blade, R. A. (1998). How to build skills for research. Colorado Springs: IPI Press.

 

Note that all correctly formatted APA references should be double-spaced and use hanging indent.

Journals

Last-name, First-initial. (Date). Article title. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), pages.

Journal Reference:

Here is an article in Volume 45, Issue 3, spanning pages 54-61.

Kelly, F. G. (1997). Networking made efficient. Journal of Computer Networking, 45(3), 54-61.

Conference Proceeding

Vanner, F. D. (1996). A survey of medical issues using virtual reality. Proceedings of the Virtual Reality Medical Technology. 119-132. Nice, France.

World Wide Web (from http://www.apa.org/books/pubmant.html):
Available references from the web include: newspaper articles, newsletters, journals, research papers, government reports, online books or brochures)

Minimum requirements for documenting a reference from the web should include: a document title or description, a date (either the date of publication, update, or retrieval date), a complete URL. If possible, identify the author(s) of the document. Entire site no specific page.

Vanner, F. D. (1996). A survey of medical issues using virtual reality. Proceedings of the Virtual Reality Medical Technology. 119-132. Nice, France.

Kidspsych is a wonderful interactive Web site for children (http://www.kidspsych.org).

No reference entry is needed.

Citing Specific Documents on a Web Site:

American Psychological Association. (1995, September 15). APA public policy action alert: Legislation would affect grant recipients [Announcement]. Washington, DC. Retrieved January 25, 1996, from the World Wide Web: http://www.apa.org/ppo/istook.html.

Individual document with no author identified or date:

ABC's Website Survey: (n.d.). Retrieved August 5, 2004, from http://www.abc.com.


An independent document (no author identified): 1

 

Electronic reference formats recommended by the American Psychological Association. (2000, August 22). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Retrieved August 29, 2000, from the World Wide Web: http://www.apa.org/journals/webref.html .

If the primary author is not available for the body citation, the first key word is to be used:

(Electronic, 2000).

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Academic Integrity Statement:

Every KSU student is responsible for upholding the provisions of the Student Code of Conduct, as published in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs. Section II of the Student Code of Conduct addresses the University's policy on academic honesty, including provisions regarding plagiarism and cheating, unauthorized access to University materials, misrepresentation/falsification of University records or academic work, malicious removal, retention, or destruction of library materials, malicious/intentional misuse of computer facilities and/or services, and misuse of student identification cards. Incidents of alleged academic misconduct will be handled through the established procedures of the University Judiciary Program, which includes either an "informal" resolution by a faculty member, resulting in a grade adjustment, or a formal hearing procedure, which may subject a student to the Code of Conduct's minimum one semester suspension requirement.

Students are encouraged to study together and to work together on class assignments and lab exercises; however, the provisions of the STUDENT CONDUCT REGULATIONS, II. Academic Honesty, KSC Undergraduate Catalog will be strictly enforced in this class.

Frequently students will be provided with "take-home" exams or exercises. It is the student's responsibility to ensure they fully understand to what extent they may collaborate or discuss content with other students. No exam work may be performed with the assistance of others or outside material unless specifically instructed as permissible. If an exam or assignment is designated "no outside assistance" this includes, but is not limited to, peers, books, publications, the Internet and the WWW. If a student is instructed to provide citations for sources, proper use of citation support is expected. Additional information can be found at the following locations.

http://www.apa.org/journals
http://www.lib.duke.edu/libguide/citing.htm
http://bailiwick.lib.uiowa.edu/journalism/cite.html
http://www.cas.usf.edu/english/walker/papers/copyright/ipdummie.html
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets.shtml
http://plagiarism.phys.virginia.edu/links.html
http://alexia.lis.uiuc.edu/%7ejanicke/plagiary.htm
http://webster.commnet.edu/mla/plagiarism.shtml
http://www.virtualsalt.com/antiplag.htm 

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Acknowledgment and Acceptance of Academic Integrity Statement: (PDF FORM)

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