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ITM 215 -- Computer Applications in Business -- Spring 2014

Professor Peter Ross

Call No. 4736 Tues/Thurs 11:45 AM 1:05 PM LC 7


4737 Tues/Thurs 4:15 PM 5:35 PM LC 7

Professor: Peter Ross

Office Hours: Tues & Thurs 2:30 4:00PM and by appointment (I am also willing to meet with
students anytime you find me in my office. I am usually on campus Tues-Wed-
Thurs.)

Office: New Business Building #371****** (Do not call or leave a voice mail message -- email is the
best option if you cannot stop by during office hours.)

Email: p.ross@albany.edu

Text: There is a customized text for this course: ISBN-10 1-269-26565-2; ISBN-13 978-1-269-26565-2.
This includes the material for Excel and Access, as well as the access code for MyITLab. Thus, in
addition to the text, you require an access code for MyITLab. This package is available in the campus
bookstore and Mary Janes. The access code may also be purchased through the Pearson web site
below. The MyITLab Access Card information is: ISBN-10 1-269-46004-8;
ISBN-13 978-1-269-46004-0.

The publisher has set up a web site for this course where you can order directly from the publisher; if you wish
to purchase the materials and/or purchase and register for MyITLab, you may go to
http://www.pearsoncustom.com/ny/ualbanycis/ . The Text and MyITLab Access Code are required for this
course. You may share a text book, but you definitely need access to a text.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understanding of the role of information systems in business.


2. Hands-on experience developing business-oriented applications using MS Excel and Access
3. Introduction to basic computer programming concepts.

Course Description:

This course covers the role of information systems in business, including software applications, information
security, e-commerce, and cyber-ethics. Development of spreadsheets is emphasized, including elementary
computer programming concepts. Students develop business-oriented applications using Microsoft Excel
(comprehensive level) and Microsoft Access (introductory level).

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Assessment:

There are sixteen Homework assignments (Grader Homeworks) and three exams that will be used to determine
your grade. The 16 Grader assignments are composed of 12 Excel assignments and 4 Access assignments. The
files necessary to complete these assignments will be available on MyITLab.

Homework Assignments:

Twelve (12) Excel/VBA homework problems and four (4) Access homework problems have been assigned and
are located on MyITLab; for grading purposes, the lowest score of the 16 will be dropped and the remaining
fifteen will be used for determining your grade. These assignments are currently hidden and I will make them
available when we get to that point in the course. Below is listed the dates on which these assignments will be
available for download as well as the corresponding due dates, and the last day you may appeal the scoring on a
specific assignment. Completion of each assignment on the computer will help you learn the course material;
these are meant to be individual assignments, not group efforts. Instructions for completing each assignment
will be available on MyITLab. Your homework assignments must be submitted on-line, through MyITLab.

Appeals
Available Expiration
Assignment Date Due Date Date
Access Graders 1-4 2/18/2014 3/5/2014 3/19/2014
Excel Graders 1-4 3/11/2014 3/26/2014 4/10/2014
Excel Graders 5-8 4/1/2014 4/11/2014 4/25/2014
Excel Graders 9-12 4/24/2014 5/8/2014 5/13/2014

This semester you will be able to submit these assignments after the due dates and times; the system will
automatically deduct a 25% penalty for every day late. These assignments are due at 11:59 PM on the due
dates. If you submit any time in the 24 hour period after the due date and time, there will be a 25% penalty.
For every subsequent 24 hour period, there will be another 25% penalty. While each homework assignment is
worth 20 points in your grade for the course, MyITLab will grade each assignment based on 100 points, which
totals 1500 points for the highest 15 assignments. When we transfer the grades at the end of the semester, we
will make the adjustment. That is, if you earn 1350 points (90%), you will be credited with 270 points out of a
possible 300 points for the homework portion of your final grade.

Grader Scoring Appeals:


After you have reviewed the MyITLab Marked-Up report, if you believe a specific Homework assignment was
not graded correctly then you may appeal score. The first step in the appeals process is to go to the TAs. If
they are unable to explain the scoring, then you may email an appeal to me. The appeal must identify yourself,
which section you are enrolled in, the assignment, the step you believe was graded incorrectly and why you
think your solution was correct. I will review the assignment and step, and if appropriate adjust you score. The
deadline for appealing the grading on homework assignments is specified in the chart above.

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The chart below indicates which chapter in the text (the Pearson custom BITM 215 text) corresponds to which
Grader Homework:

Custom Book
Chapter Grader Assignment
1 None
2 Excel Grader 1
3 Excel Grader 2
4 Excel Grader 3
5 Excel Grader 4
6 Excel Grader 5
7 Excel Grader 6
8 Excel Grader 7
9 Excel Grader 8
10 Excel Grader 9
11 Excel Grader 10
12 Excel Grader 11
13 Excel Grader 12
14 Access Grader 1
15 Access Grader 2
16 Access Grader 3
17 Access Grader 4

Grading:

Your final grade in this class will be based on 15 Grader homework assignments (the lowest Grader score will
be dropped) plus your score on an Access Exam (50 points) and two Excel Exams (one for 50 points and one
for 100 points). Each counted Grader Homework assignment is worth 20 points (possible total of 300 points);
the three Exams are worth 200 points towards your final grade. That is a total of 500 possible points. The chart
below specifies the minimum number of points for each letter grade category.
Final grades will be assigned as follows:

Total Points Grade Category


450-500 A (A-, A)
400-449 B (B-, B, B+)
350-399 C (C-, C, C+)
300-349 D (D-, D, D+)
Less than 300 E

Thus, anyone with a cumulative score of 90% or more (that is accumulating 90% of the possible 500 points
during the semester) will get at least an A-; anyone with 80% or more will get at least a B-; and anyone with

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70% or more will get at least a C-. Based on the final distribution of the points, I will decide on the exact
breakdown in each letter category.

All Grader Homework scores will be available on the MyITLab site. As you submit each Homework on the
MyITLab site, that assignment will be automatically graded, and you should be able to see your grades in the
gradebook area of the site. The Exam scores and any extra credit quizzes I decide to give will be posted on
Blackboard.

Academic Integrity:
This issue is taken very seriously at the School of Business and in BITM 215. I want to encourage you to take it
seriously as well, and avoid any temptations, errors of judgment, or other weaknesses that would put you at risk.
Therefore, please be clear on the following expectations.

I assume that all work done for credit in this course will be the result of your own efforts. Anyone who gives or
receives unauthorized assistance in the preparation of graded course work will be subject to disciplinary action,
which would include failure in the course (BITM 215) and possibly expulsion from the University.

I encourage students to be able to learn from each other in BITM 215. The following describes the difference
between unauthorized assistance and the collaborative learning that I encourage. Collaborative learning is
different than collaborative work. The former is encouraged, the latter is unauthorized. To work
collaboratively means to push each others boundaries with regard to the skills and knowledge of the course. It
may be accomplished through examples and illustrations that aid a classmate in understanding challenging
material. With respect to collaborative learning, the distinguishing point you must be clear about is that
collaborative learning must end when you are producing your to-be-graded work.

Should you believe you are wading into what may be a grey area in the distinction between collaborative
learning and unauthorized collaborative work, I strongly advise you to err on the side of caution. Ultimately it
is the instructor in BITM 215 who decides on matters of academic integrity in this course, and not the student.
The consequences of breaches of academic integrity, or errors in judgment that lead to breaches of academic
integrity are severe and include failure in BITM 215, and possibly expulsion from the University.

In BITM 215 the following are considered Integrity Violations; if you commit any of these actions, I will file an
academic dishonesty violation with the Office of Conflict Resolution & Civic Responsibility.

1. Exams - Any act of Academic Dishonesty associated with an exam will result in failing the course,
examples of Academic Dishonesty include (but are not limited to):

a. Talking during an exam/quiz


b. Copying another students answers during an exam/quiz
c. Using any electronic aid, such as a computer, smart phone, translator, pad, tablet, etc. during an
exam/quiz
d. Using cheat sheets, information written on clothing or body parts, other written material during
an exam/quiz.

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2. Homework Assignments - The following are examples act of Academic Dishonesty with respect to the
Grader Homework assignments; the penalty for these infractions is failure in the course:

a. Paying another person to do your assignment.


b. Having a tutor work with you on a homework assignment.
c. Copying any data from a file posted on the web and pasting that data on your worksheet or data
base, and submitting it as your work.
d. Copying another students file (or part of a file) and submitting it as your own work.

If you commit an integrity violation and subsequently drop the course, after the drop date, the registrar will
reinstate you in the course, and you will receive an appropriate failing grade. In addition to the above noted
penalty, I will file an academic dishonesty violation with the Office of Conflict Resolution & Civic
Responsibility. Generally, even a student with no prior disciplinary record may face suspension from the
University for a Minimum one semester, or longer in aggravated cases.

Extra Credit:
Recognizing that some students have historically paid others to do their Grader Homeworks, I am offering 50
extra credit points to any student who provides solid documentation (email, tweet, Facebook posting, etc.) that
an individual is completing assignments for students in my class for compensation. If more than one student
submits documentation about a student offering these services, the first student to submit the documentation
will receive the 50 points, and I will decide whether to provide extra credit points to the subsequent submitting
students. This also applies to any student submitting documentation showing that a tutor is helping a student
complete a Grader Homework.

In essence 50 extra credit points would raise your grade an entire letter category; that is if you earned a C+ the
50 extra credit points would move you to a B+. I would prefer to reward students who are doing their own
work and trying, than not take every opportunity to penalize those students who are trying to buy a grade.

Downloading Files: (These steps are required each time you download a file from MyITLab)
When you navigate to the MyITLab site and log in, you should then navigate to which ever assignment you are
ready to complete. Select that assignment and a dialog box will open. Select Download Files, and another box
will open. You may download the ZIP folder with the Excel/Access file and the Instructions, or download each
file individually.

These Excel/Access files will have a name such as:

Exploring_a04_Grader_EOC.accdb (Access Grader 4 End of Chapter)


Exploring_e01_Grader_EOC.xlsx (Excel Grader 1 End of Chapter)

At this point you should open the file, then go to the File Tab and select Save As. A dialog box will open and
you should change the file name to something that will distinguish it as your file, such as:
Ross_Excel_Grader_1.xlsx or a name designated in the directions. Then select a location to save the file in,
such as the S drive on a public campus computer, a flash drive, etc. Close all the files (handle the directions

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files any way you want). Then open the application file (Excel or Access Grader that you just renamed and
saved) and do the assignment.

When you have completed the assignment, save the file, close the file, navigate to the MyITLab site and upload
your submission in the Course Content area. If you are on a public computer (Library, user room, etc.) delete
your file off the desktop/My Documents (you may save it to the S Drive) and log off the computer.

Hardware & Software requirements to complete the coursework:

1. Access to a computer with MS-Excel, MS-Word and MS-Access 2013 installed. You must use a PC
(not a MAC) for the Grader assignments. It is advisable not to use a computer with a foreign operating
system, such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, etc.
2. You are expected to complete the Hands-On Exercises in the Excel and Access text. These exercises
require student data files (Hands-On files) that can be downloaded from the publishers web site; these
files (Hands-On) are also posted on Blackboard.
3. If you do not have MS Office 2013 on your personal computer (PC not a MAC) the university has been
arrangements so you may purchase Office 2013 at a student discount price. Use the link below or go to
the MyUAlbany site: http://e5.onthehub.com/WebStore/Welcome.aspx?vsro=8&ws=0c5aff69-5d7a-e111-
a407-f04da23e67f6&JSEnabled=1

The Hands-On Exercises are not collected. You should complete them, and then you should have learned the
skills necessary to complete the corresponding Homework assignment available through the MyITLab site.

Attendance:

Attendance will not be taken in ITM 215. However, it is strongly recommended that you attend every class in
order to successfully complete this course. I consider lecture time to be my primary means of communication
with the students in this class. I do not guarantee that all administrative information discussed during lecture
time (i.e. changes in the syllabus, details regarding extra credit quizzes, etc.) will be posted on Blackboard.
Additionally, in class I will provide you with Tips and Cautions with respect to completing and submitting
specific Grader Homeworks. Regular attendance is the only way to ensure that you know what is going on in
ITM 215.

Late arrivals and early departures from class are rude and disruptive for everyone. If you must arrive late or
leave early, please take a seat in the back of the lecture center.

Help:

Four MBA/Upperclass students have been assigned to this class as Assistants (TAs). Their primary
responsibility is to help ITM 215 students during regularly scheduled office hours in Graduate Assistants office
on the 3rd floor of the New School of Business building. You are strongly advised to go see a TA as soon and
as often as you need help. Neither the TAs or myself will help you complete a specific Grader Homework
assignment; if you did not understand a particular function or area in Excel, we will work with you so you can
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understand that area, but we will use files other than the Grader Homework file to explain it. Prior to seeking
help for a particular topic, you should have already completed the corresponding Hands-On Exercise in the
textbook for that topic. If you have not completed the appropriate Hands-On Exercise, the TAs (and myself)
will not help you. You will learn the Excel and Access material by completing the Hands-On Exercises. The
TAs office hours will be posted on Blackboard by the end of the second week of classes.

If you would like to meet with a TA but are unable to come in during the regularly scheduled office hours, send
an email message to Professor Ross or the TAs, and we will try to make arrangements for you to meet a TA at
another time. These sessions will require at least 3 days notice. Professor Ross will be available to provide
assistance during his office hours and by appointment.

Schedule: The following is a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary.

Class Date Topic Complete Hands-On


# Exercises in Excel &
Access
1 1/23 Introduction
2 1/28 Security; Cyber Safety
3 1/30 Security; Hacking
4 2/4 E-Commerce; EBay
5 2/6 File management; Cyber Ethics Chapter 1 File
Management
6 2/11 Data Base Concepts
7 2/13 Data Base Concepts & Data Mining
8 2/18 Introduction: Access Chapter 14 Access
9 2/15 Relational DBs & Queries Chapter 15 Access
10 2/27 Customize, Analyze & Summarize Query Data Chapter 16 Access
11 3/4 Creating & Using Professional Forms & Reports Chapter 17 Access
12 3/6 Access Exam (30 Minutes)
13 3/11 Introduction: Excel Chapter 2 Excel
14 3/13 Formulas & Functions Chapter 3 Excel
15 3/25 Charts Chapter 4 Excel
16 3/27 Datasets & Tables Chapter 5 Excel
17 4/1 Subtotals, PivotTables & PivotCharts Chapter 6 Excel
18 4/3 What-If Analysis Chapter 7 Excel
19 4/8 Specialized Functions Chapter 8 Excel
20 4/10 Statistical Functions Chapter 9 Excel
21 4/17 Excel Exam (60 Minutes)
22 4/22 ITM Careers; Extra Credit Quiz?
23 4/24 Multiple Worksheets Chapter 10 Excel
24 4/29 Importing Data, Web Queries & XML Chapter 11 Excel
25 5/1 Collaboration Chapter 12 Excel
26 5/6 Templates, Styles & Macros Chapter 13 Excel
27 5/8 Excel Exam (30 Minutes)

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Your homework assignments must be submitted on-line, through MyITLab.

To register for MyITLab, follow the directions on the MyITLab registration document posted on Blackboard for
the section which you are registered for. The Registration period is from January 30 until March 12.

MyITLab Browser: When accessing MyITLab, the recommended browser is Chrome. FireFox would be a
second choice.

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