Dominican University – Brennan School of Business
FIN490/MGMT490 : Special Topics in Management & Finance
Fall 2017

REQUIRED RESOURCES & TEXTBOOK INFORMATION

The following information will help you prepare for your first session. If you are not purchasing the text from Dominican University, please be sure you possess the correct version of the text.

COURSE DESCRIPTION & GOALS

The main goal of this course is to increase the student’s ability to use software as a tool in business and finance. A secondary objective is to expose the student to basic concepts in Management Information Systems such as Project Management; Database Management; Cloud Computing; and Big Data. The course covers advanced topics using spreadsheets, statistical packages, and business application software. It emphasizes a hands-on approach and encourages the student to experiment. Canvas Modules will contain a mix of lecture (videos), reading, discussion, and hands-on computer work. Hands on work will include Excel time value of money functions, pivot tables, and use of macros. Simulations and advanced techniques in financial modelling and use of large sets of data will also be included.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion of this course, a student should be able to:

• Utilize common Excel functions and data tables.
• Utilize Excel for decision analysis such as scenario/what-if analysis and goal seeking analysis.
• Construct Excel macros for appropriate common applications.
• Use data and text manipulation and summarization functions (subtotal, right, left, mid, concatenate, if, sum, and count)
• Demonstrate effective use of MS Project to construct flowcharts, organizational charts, and project schedules manifested in Gantt charts, PERT charts, and Network Diagrams
• Generate reports and presentations of project information captured and maintained in MS project.
• Use R or SPSS to analyze data and then draw conclusions from analysis.
• Create a business website.

 
COURSE GRADING & DISTRIBUTION

Your grade will consist of the following components:

Attendance: You are required to log into this course several times each week in order to watch videos, participate in online discussions, and complete your assignments and exams. Attendance in all classes (3 per week) is required with the following exceptions: You are allowed three unexcused absences. You can be excused if you send the instructor an email before the class starts. On each unexcused absence after three, your grade will be reduced by 5%.

Online Discussions: In some weeks in this course, you will be required to participate in online discussions. During those weeks, you are required to post at least three times on three separate days to each Discussion. (Example: In a week with two Discussions, you must post at least six times). One of your postings in each Discussion should be your answer to the question(s). The other postings should be comments, questions, and responses to your fellow students.
Assignments: Assignments are generally not accepted via email.  Assignments must be submitted to Canvas. If you have difficulty with Canvas logistics, please send Jim Miller an email explaining the problem.

All assignments are to be completed by one person individually.  Group work on assignments results in zero points being awarded to all members of the group.  However, you can ask for our help via email. Also, you can ask each other questions as long as you each do your own work and completely understand all the work you have done. The line between "help" and "doing" the other person's work" is when you take control of the mouse or keyboard. Exception: A few assignments will be done in teams in class. You can work with members of your team on these assignments.

Exams: Exams will consist of multiple choice, definitions, short answers, and problems. A part of the exam may be distributed as a project. Students are expected to follow the directions and use appropriate technology. It is an individualized exam, regardless of whether portions of the exam are provided as a take-home. Students may not consult with each other or solicit help from anyone (except the instructors). No substitute exams will be administered without prior notification and instructor consent.

SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS IN A TEAM-TAUGHT COURSE
 
Although the responsibility for learning rests upon the student, we are always available and provide assistance. Each student should realize that this course can be very rigorous and requires assignments. Because we want every student to be successful, we have provided suggestions and resources for the students to use to increase the likelihood of success.

• Regular and conscientious logging into our online course manager is important.
• Self-motivation: Self-motivation includes the desire to learn when reading lessons and textbook material. Note taking and highlighting portions of the lessons and textbook are included in motivation.
• Personal Scheduling: We suggest you arrange your personal schedule to allow at least 6 - 10 hours per week on this course. Block out weekly hours in your calendar now, and do not schedule other appointments during your scheduled study time.
• Studying: Studying requires more than reading. Studying requires highlighting, margin notes, margin questions, review of lesson notes, and review of text material. Conscientious preparation of all written assignments is paramount to a successful experience.
• Communication: Students must have a working email address, available to send and receive messages. Students must check their email on a regular basis, as this is one of our main forms of sending important messages concerning due dates, grades, assignments, etc. You must make sure the Instructor has a working email address for you at all times. You should be receiving several broadcast emails. If you are not receiving these emails, you should bring this to the Instructor's attention, and verify that your email is working and the address is correct
• Grades: Grades must be submitted by your instructors to the Registrar within 48-72 hours after the end of the session. All of your assignments must be submitted by the end of the session to be counted towards your final grade. No extensions can be granted beyond the end of the session.
• Due Dates: Course material is broken into weekly segments. Don’t fall behind. Late assignments will not be accepted. If your classmates can work towards a deadline, you can too! That being said, in the event of a serious family event, email the instructor - ahead of the deadline if possible.
• Practice time management. Because this course is preparation intensive, students must practice time management. This course requires preparation and may require that the student use additional resources for success. If you think you do not have the time to use suggestions/resources to be successful, would have time to retake the course?

POLICIES ON REVIEWING YOUR GRADED ASSIGNMENTS

When exams/cases/projects are graded in Canvas, you have seven days from the grading timestamp in Canvas or 24 hours before the grade for the course is due to the registrar (whichever comes first) to review the work with the instructor by appointment. Before the expiration of the deadline, a written extension may be requested by the student. If granted, the request will be for as many days as the instructor feels are warranted in the circumstances and will apply only to those students whose requests for extension have been granted.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Please take the time to read the web page below that provides details of Dominican’s Academic Integrity policy.   http://domweb.dom.edu/library/Crown/plagiarism.htm Also, please see the following website, which discusses how plagiarism is being combated in our Internet enabled age http://www.plagiarism.org/.

All your work must be your own unless collaboration has been authorized. If collaboration is authorized, you must acknowledge the collaboration in writing. Your grade will be based in large part on the originality of your ideas and your written presentation of these ideas. Presenting as one's own the words, ideas, or expression of another in any form is cheating through plagiarism.

• If you are unsure what constitutes plagiarism, review the rules of original writing at the following web site: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ . This link provides valuable information, including examples about plagiarism.
• To review some plagiarism tools available to students, take a look at and http://www.schoolsucks.com . The content of these plagiarism sites would, if you were lucky, get you a "D" in this course if you were not caught. It is substandard work indeed, but you will almost always be caught if you try to cheat, due to the plagiarism prevention tools available to instructors.
• Here are two sites that may be of interest: http://www.indiana.edu/~istd and http://www.plagiarism.com .

Warning: Plagiarism will not be tolerated and may result in an automatic failure (F) for the semester. Plagiarism will not be tolerated and the claim of ignorance is no excuse. Those found plagiarizing may fail the course. Collaboration with other students is not permitted without explicit permission from the instructor. This is a form of plagiarism. Roommates and spouses taking the same course should be particularly careful.

Students with Disabilities: Students requesting classroom accommodations must first register with the Dean of Students. If you have documentation from our Disability Support Offices, please provide me with paper during the first week of classes.
COURSE CALENDAR (A full course calendar is available online via CANVAS)

Please note that the course schedule and outline may change at the discretion of the instructor. Please attend class regularly to be updated on the status of lecture material. Also, please check the syllabus online for updates and links to datasets used for classroom simulations! Please allow me to make adjustments as circumstances arise.

For your convenience, here is a copy of the Registrar's Academic Calendar.

2017 - 2018 Academic Calendar Fall 2017

August 28 First Day of Classes; Last day to apply to graduate Fall 2017

September 4 Labor Day - No Classes

September 5 7:00PM deadline for adding/dropping undergraduate classes

September 12 6:30PM deadline for adding/dropping graduate classes

September 12 Last day to declare satisfactory/fail grade option for undergraduate classes

September 26 Caritas and Veritas Day (class schedule suspended)

September 26 Last day to declare course intensification option for undergraduate classes

October 20-22 Long Weekend (no undergraduate classes)

November 8 Last day to withdraw from fall semester courses

November 22-26 Thanksgiving Vacation

December 9 Last day of undergraduate classes

December 11-16 Undergraduate Final Examinations

December 16 Last day of graduate classes

December 19 Final Grades due at noon for all classes