uam-web2.uamont.eduuam-web2.uamont.edu/pdfs/cis/2010assessment/2010assessment.pdf1. what are the...

UAM Assessment 2010Report School of Computer Information Systems

1. What are the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for your unit? How do you inform the public and

other stakeholders (students, potential students, the community) about your SLOs?

Graduates from the School of Computer Information Systems (CIS) should have mastery of the student

learning outcomes listed below. A complete assessment of each SLO is located in Appendix A. The

School of CIS website also has a complete list of student learning outcomes:

http://www.uamont.edu/CIS/program.htm.

SLO 1 - Practical knowledge of various productivity software packages.

SLO 2 - Practical knowledge of various programming languages.

SLO 3 - Knowledge of information systems development methods and techniques.

SLO 4 - Knowledge of data communications and local area networks. SLO 5 - Knowledge of communication skills.

Each syllabus (Appendix B) lists the student learning outcome(s) that pertain to that course. Promotional

PΛϟ̼Ϊ͵ΛͻΔθ ΧΪ̼ή̼Δθ̠θͻΛΔή ̠ήΛ ̮ΛΔθ̠ͻΔ θ̼ ͼͩ͜ή ̠Δ̸ ̠Ϊ̼ ήΛϟΔ ̸ϓΪͻΔͮ ήΧ̼̮ͻ̠ ̼Ϟ̼Δθή ήϓ̮ ̠ή ͼ̮Λ̠Ϊ’ή

Day and Weevil Welcome Days. The presentations are also located on the CIS website:

http://www.uamont.edu/cis/2010assessment/cismajor.ppt

http://www.uamont.edu/cis/2010assessment/cisminor.ppt http://www.uamont.edu/cis/2010assessment/ciscert.ppt

Prospective students who express an interest in pursuing a major, minor, or advanced certificate in CIS

receive a personalized letter (Appendix C) from the dean, in addition to a copy of the School of CIS

brochure (Appendix D) and degree requirements. The current brochure does not contain a specific

ͻήθͻΔͮ Λ͆ θ̼ ̸̼Χ̠ΪθΓ̼Δθ’ή ͼͩ͜ήʹ Λϟ̼Ϟ̼Ϊͳ it emphasizes the various productivity software packages

offered (SLO 1), the various programming languages offered (SLO 2), problem solving utilizing

verbal/written communication skills (SLO 3 and 5), networking (SLO 4) enabling the student to advance

in a complex business environment in the brochure.

2. Describe how your unit’s Student Learning Outcomes fit into the mission of the University.

The University of Arkansas at Monticello shares with all universities the commitment to search for truth

and understanding through scholastic endeavor. The University seeks to enhance and share knowledge,

to preserve and promote the intellectual content of society, and to educate people for critical thought.

The University provides learning experiences which enable students to synthesize knowledge,

communicate effectively, use knowledge and technology with intelligence and responsibility, and act

creatively within their own and other cultures.

The University strives for excellence in all its endeavors. Educational opportunities encompass the liberal

arts, basic and applied sciences, selected professions, and vocational and technical preparation. These

CIS Assessment Report 2010 Page 1

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opportunities are founded in a strong program of general education and are fulfilled through

contemporary disciplinary curricula, certification programs, and vocational/technical education or

workforce training. The University assures opportunities in higher education for both traditional and non-

traditional students and strives to provide an environment which fosters individual achievement and

personal development.

Student LearnͻΔͮ ͩϓθ̮ΛΓ̼ή 1ͳ 2ͳ ̠Δ̸ 4 ̸̸̠Ϊ̼ήή ̠ήΧ̼̮θή Λ͆ Ά!͢’ή ΓͻήήͻΛΔ that “͙̼Δ̠̭̼ ήθϓ̸̼Δθή θΛ

synthesize knowledge, communicate effectively, use knowledge and technology with intelligence and

Ϊ̼ήΧΛΔήͻ̭ͻͻθϥͳ ͶͶͶ”Ͷ ̼ή̼ ͼͩ͜ή ͆Λ̮ϓή ΛΔ θ̼̠̮ͻΔͮ ήθϓ̸̼Δθή θΛ ̭̼ ͮΛΛ̸ ̼̠rners. The software packages,

programming languages, and data communications standards and methodologies will continue to

change due to the rapid pace of change within the IT industry, but the purpose behind these SLOs is to

teach students how to effectively learn and utilize new concepts, and how to best apply that knowledge.

ͼͩ͜ 3 Ϊ̼̠θ̼ή ̸ͻΪ̼̮θϥ θΛ θ̼ ΆΔͻϞ̼Ϊήͻθϥ ΓͻήήͻΛΔ θΛ “̸̼ϓ̮̠θ̼ Χ̼ΛΧ̼ ͆ΛΪ ̮Ϊͻθͻ̮̠ θΛϓͮθ.” ͼϥήθ̼Γs analysis

is the second step in information systems development, and critical thinking skills are a core component

of this area. Successful students should develop the ability to analyze both existing systems and

proposals, address problem areas, and be able to develop solutions.

ͼͩ͜ 5 Ϊ̼̠θ̼ή θΛ ̠Ϊ̼ͮΪ ή̼̮θͻΛΔή Λ͆ θ̼ ΆΔͻϞ̼Ϊήͻθϥ’ή mission. PΪ̠ή̼ή ήϓ̮ ̠ή “͙ ή̼̼Ίή θΛ ̼Δ̠Δ̮̼ ̠Δ̸

ή̠Ϊ̼ ΊΔΛϟ̸̼̼ͮ” ̠Δ̸ “̼Δ̠̭̼ ήθϓ̸̼Δθή θΛ ήϥΔθ̼ήͻϪ̼ ΊΔΛϟ̸̼̼ͮͳ ̮ΛΓΓϓΔͻ̮̠θ̼ ̼̼̮͆͆θͻϞ̼ϥͳ ϓή̼

knowledge and technology with intelligence and responsibility, and act creatively within their own and

other cultur̼ή” ήθΪ̼ήή θ̼ ͻΓΧΛΪθ̠Δ̮̼ Λ͆ ή̠ΪͻΔͮ ̠Δ̸ ̮ΛΓΓϓΔͻ̮̠θͻΔͮ θ̼ ΊΔΛϟ̸̼̼ͮ ̼̠ΪΔ̸̼. To stress

this SLO, students are encouraged to work in groups to share their skills. They are also urged to practice

communications by writing memos, status reports, and system manuals, as well as preparing and giving

oral presentations for their peers. Throughout the CIS curriculum, good communication skills are

continually stressed, and the students share their knowledge via presentations and documents they

create.

3. Provide an analysis of the student learning data from your unit. How is this data used as evidence

of learning?

The School of CIS uses student performance in the classroom setting to measure student

comprehension and learning and is measured in a variety of ways that include the following: exam

scores, homework scores, quizzes, projects to demonstrate competence in topics covered in class,

programming assignments, situational analysis, research papers, and student attendance and

participation in class. These means of grading are designed to measure student learning and

understanding of concepts taught in each course. The variety of performance measures ͻΓͻθ ήθϓ̸̼Δθή’

ability to memorize textbook content to earn grades. Methods such as class projects, programming

assignments, and situational analysis require students to demonstrate understanding of the concepts

and their proper applications. Lecture explains concepts to the students, but students are more likely to

retain the material if they have the opportunity to put the concepts into action.

Several courses have prerequisites that require students to complete the previous course with a grade

Λ͆ “�” ΛΪ ̠̭ΛϞ̼ ̭̼͆ΛΪ̼ moving on to the next course. An example includes the requirement of a grade of


“�” ΛΪ ̠̭ΛϞ̼ ͻΔ �Iͼ2203 Programming Logic and Design before students may enroll in CIS3423 COBOL or

CIS3443 Object-Oriented Programming Languages. Students must also earn ̠ ͮΪ̸̠̼ Λ͆ “�” ΛΪ ̠̭ΛϞ̼ ͻΔ

CIS3423 COBOL or CIS3443 Object-Oriented Programming Languages before moving on to CIS3523

Structured Analysis and Design. These prerequisites require students to demonstrate acceptable

mastery of the concepts in these courses before progressing into the next courses in the sequence of

the CIS curriculum, thus demonstrating evidence of their learning.

Another method for the measurement of student learning is annual analysis of the CIS student exit

surveys (Appendix E)Ͷ ͼθϓ̸̼Δθή ̮ΛΓΧ̼θͻΔͮ θ̼ ΧΪΛͮΪ̠Γ’ή ̮̠ΧήθΛΔ̼ ̮ΛϓΪή̼ͳ �Iͼ4633 !ΧΧͻ̮̠θͻΛΔ

Software Development Project, complete the survey during the course. Their feedback is critical for the

development of the program curriculum. Eighteen students successfully completed the course in Spring

and Fall 2010, and eighteen students completed the survey. Quantitative results were examined and the

comments were consolidated. The 2010 results data was then compared to the historical results from

2006-2009.

FΛΪ θ̼ ̮ϓΪΪ̼Δθ ϥ̼̠Ϊͳ θ̼ ήθϓ̸̼Δθή’ Χ̼Ϊ̮̼ΧθͻΛΔή Λ͆ ΓΛήθ Λ͆ θ̼ ͼͩ͜ή ̠Ϊ̼ ͻΔ θ̼ EϤ̮̼̼Δθ range and have

improved over last year. During the 2009 assessment review, the School of CIS decided to place

emphasis on our newest SLO, knowledge of communication skills, by adding additional written and oral

assignments, which are discussed further in question 4. There was an increase in the 2010 results for

this SLO, moving the average to the Excellent rating (4.44) this year, an increase of 0.71 from 2009.

4. Based on your analysis of student learning data in Question 3, include an explanation of what

seems to be improving student learning and what should be revised.

Faculty met throughout the year to discuss curriculum, exit survey results, and learning assessment and

to address overall student performances as a guide to shaping program curriculum (Appendix F).

In regard to program curriculum, faculty noticed poor performance among students enrolled in CIS2223

Microcomputer Applications (Appendix G). Many freshmen were not succeeding in this course

seemingly because they were not well prepared. In an effort to improve student learning, CIS faculty

addressed this issue by creating a corequisite of concurrent enrollment in Composition I and

Intermediate Algebra to encourage students to delay enrolling in this course (Appendix H). This change

was effective Fall 2010. The faculty is encouraged by θ̼ ͆ͻΪήθ ή̼Γ̼ήθ̼Ϊ’ή Ϊ̼ήϓθή. Comparing Fall 2010

results to Fall 2008 and 2009, there has been a 9% drop in Fs and a 6% increase in students who

complete the course with an A, B, or C; but one semester is not an adequate judge of the change.

To provide an alternative for freshmen seeking computer courses, the CIS1013 Introduction to

Computers course was also overhauled in Fall 2010. Formerly, this course was strictly lecture-based and

involved the history of computing, terminology, and basic aspects of the computing field. Upon redesign

of the course, it now offers students instruction in areas such as usage of the UAM email system, the

Ά!͢ ͻ̭Ϊ̠Ϊϥ ήΛ͆θϟ̠Ϊ̼ ήϥήθ̼Γͳ �̠̮Ί̭Λ̠Ϊ̸ (θ̼ ΆΔͻϞ̼Ϊήͻθϥ’ή ̸ͻήθ̠Δ̮̼ ̸̼ϓ̮̠θͻΛΔ ήθ̠Δ̸̠Ϊ̸)ͳ θ̼ IΔθ̼ΪΔ̼θͳ

and Microsoft Word. A lecture-based approach to history and terminology still remain. In an effort to


help students further develop communication and research in the course, Ms. Cossey and Ms. Donham

require students to complete a research paper, which reinforces computer skills and terminology

learned during the course.

Material delivery changes have also been made over the last year. In CIS2223 Microcomputer

Applications class, Ms. Marsh requires students to read the course materials prior to class and have, at

minimum, a basic understanding of the concepts. Classroom time is then utilized for exercises that

demonstrate and refine ήθϓ̸̼Δθή’ ϓΔ̸̼Ϊήθ̠Δ̸ͻΔͮͶ ͻή change challenged students, allowing them to

work at their own pace, while providing classroom time for the instructor to work with students on

problem areas. The goal is to further develop students’ Ϊ̸̼̠ͻΔͮ ̮ΛΓΧΪ̼̼ΔήͻΛΔ ̠Δ̸ ΧΪ̠̮θͻ̮̠ ̠ΧΧͻ̮̠θͻΛΔ

skills.

5. Other than course level/grades, describe/analyze other data and other sources of data whose

results assist your unit to improve student learning.

Sources such as the student exit survey, alumni survey, faculty meetings, and informal discussions with

alumni ή̠Χ̼ θ̼ ͼ̮ΛΛ Λ͆ �Iͼ’ή ̮ϓΪΪͻ̮ϓϓΓ ̠Δ̸ ήθϓ̸̼Δθ ̼̠ΪΔͻΔͮ. The CIS student exit survey (Appendix

E) provides senior CIS majors an opportunity to reflect on the program, what areas of the program they

feel prepared them, and what areas they would suggest improvements. To clarify for the students the

precise meaning of each SLO, assessment statements were added to the student exit survey in 2010,

defining the specific skills in the SLO and the courses in which those skills were taught.

This data exhibits the declining student satisfaction with equipment and facilities and indicates a

growing need to improve equipment availability by upgrading hardware and software. Scheduled for

August 2011, several computer labs in the department will be upgrading to newer machines. Software

in these labs will also be upgraded to newer versions. The Babin Business Center is also scheduled to

offer WiFi connections for students by the end of 2011.

The CIS alumni survey (Appendix I) is conducted annually and queries graduates at one-year, three-year,

and five-year intervals. The data is then analyzed in aggregate for each survey year and is compared to

historical trends from previous years. In 2010, graduates from 2009, 2007, and 2005 were surveyed with

seventy-four surveys mailed and nine completed surveys returned.

The 2010 alumni survey results show continued strong scores in the areas of Academic Advising, Quality

of Instruction, Class Size, CIS Faculty, and CIS Staff. These results affirm that School of CIS faculty and

staff contribute to retention and student learning by development of strong interpersonal relations with

students. The alumni survey also showed improvements in areas such as Computer Technology,

Availability of Classes, Personal Attention, and Overall Quality of the Program. Comments in the survey

reveal student demand for additional courses in different operating systems and programming

languages and a desire for more courses in areas such as networking, security and database

development.


Throughout the history of the alumni survey, the response rate has been poor, with an average of 15%

of surveys being completed and returned. Two factors appear to be primary causes: inaccurate contact

information and survey length. The department is furthering its efforts to track alumni contact

information by using a Facebook fan page for UAM CIS Alumni to better keep in contact, and efforts are

working; there are approximately 60 members. The alumni survey is currently composed of five pages

with sixty-one questions. The School of CIS would like to improve this response rate and plan to

condense the alumni survey, having a tighter focus on the CIS program. As part of the focus to improve

the response rate, future surveys will be posted online, and alumni will be mailed postcards with the

URL printed, and receive notifications via email, with active links to the survey.

Another less formal, but no less important, means of gathering information to shape the program is

having discussions with students who have recently graduated and are looking for jobs and with

students who are working in industry and can provide feedback outside of the alumni survey. Former

students stopping by to visit with faculty, random emails from graduates, and CIS alumni contacts via

social networking websites and feedback from alumni speakers for CIS Alumni Day are all beneficial

methods of feedback with the current status of the CIS program. With former CIS students working in

the Information Technology industry, they are exposed to current trends and new and developing

technologies, and maintaining good alumni relations allows faculty access to this information.

CIS Alumni Day (Appendix J) featured five former CIS students returning to speak to current CIS majors

and minors. These alumni work in a variety of organizations, and their conversations included topics

such as work ethic, the importance of academics, finding a job, trends in hardware and software, and

how to be successful in their careers. These contacts helped motivate students, gave them a valuable

opportunity to network, and updated both faculty and students with important information about

technology usage within their organizations.

Internship opportunities are a valuable tool for the student interning and the faculty member

supervising. The School of CIS was fortunate enough to have students participating in internships in

2010 at Clearwater Paper, Arkansas Post, YMCA, and Delta Counseling. Opportunities such as these give

students a preview into what type of career they can expect and what their job roles may entail. Faculty

supervising student interns learn about the hardware, software, and methodologies businesses are

using, and can apply this industry information in their own classes. By adding this information to

discussions on curriculum, faculty gain important benefits from the internship process.

6. As a result of the review of your student learning data in previous questions, explain what efforts

your unit will make to improve student learning over the next assessment period. Be specific

indicating when, how often, how much, and by whom these improvements will take place.

Several efforts are planned to improve student learning. The alumni survey will be shortened and

addresses will be tracked via a central repository in an effort to improve response rates, which should

provide additional feedback that will be helpful in the continued development of the program.


Another change resulting from the feedback gathering include offering a new programming option to

our students in the form of a seminar course in CIS198V Game Programming scheduled for the Fall 2011

semester, and the re-introduction of a course that has not been offered in several years, CIS3233

Business Database Management Systems for the Spring 2012.

The seminar in CIS198V Game Programming course will offer students an opportunity to explore the

concepts and structures used in game development, and expose them to additional programming

languages and methodologies. This course will be offered online and will be open to students from any

major.

CIS3233 Business Database Management Systems has not been offered in several years because of low

demand. This course focuses on Microsoft Access database software and is being re-introduced into the

schedule to offer students more depth and experience with database concepts and hands-on experience

in the application of these concepts.

The dean of the School of CIS is also forming an advisory council composed of alumni, faculty, and local

business people. The goals of the advisory council will be to add another source of input to shape the

program in areas such as suggested improvements, opportunities with local businesses, and service

projects. The advisory council will begin meeting during the Fall 2011 semester.

From the student learning data that has been compiled, one area of improvement mentioned by many

students has been continued updates in technology. Due to the nature of change in the information

technology industry, hardware and software improvements are in constant demand. To meet this

demand, the School of CIS will be upgrading several of its computer labs during the Summer 2011. The

BBC 122 classroom lab will receive all new computers and two new printers. The PC Hardware and

Software Maintenance lab (BBC 121), the Networking and Data Communications lab (BBC 104), and the

Web Development lab (BBC 116) will be getting more recent computers to give students access to more

current hardware and software configurations.

In 2005, the department converted BBC 110 into a small 4-computer lab to give students an additional

lab workspace that can be accessed while classes are in session. Although successful in meeting

ήθϓ̸̼Δθή’ Δ̸̼̼ήͳ ͻts limitation has been that the small room size. As a result of the success and heavy

usage of the lounge, an additional small lab workspace will be introduced to students by January 2012

(BBC 115).

To continue toward the goal of teaching students on the most current software possible, all School of

CIS office and classroom computers will be upgrading from Microsoft Office 2007 to Microsoft Office

2010 during August 2011. Other programs, such as SQL Server and Windows Server software, are

scheduled for upgrades as well. Offering the most current software possible insures that students are

prepared and adequately trained when they complete the program.

A final update in technology is the expected addition of WiFi, or wireless Internet connectivity, to the

Babin Business Center. This technology is commonplace and a part of day-to-day life for many students.

The ability to have instant Internet access from any classroom will be a tremendous benefit to student


learning, giving them the ability to instantly research or access topics wirelessly provides an avenue for

students to use personal laptops, tablet or notebook PCs, and smartphones for scholastic application.

Information Technology has scheduled completion of the WiFi installation in the Babin Business Center

by the end of 2011.

7. What new tactics to improve student learning has your unit considered, experimented with,

researched, review or put into practice over the past year?

The School of CIS has discussed several new tactics over the last year to improve student success in CIS

courses. One significant change was adding prerequisites to CIS2223 Microcomputer Applications.

During the Fall 2009, CIS faculty decided to explore adding prerequisites to Microcomputer Applications

θΛ ̭̼θθ̼Ϊ ͻΓΧΪΛϞ̼ ̠ ήθϓ̸̼Δθ’ή ήϓ̮̮̼ήή Ϊ̠θ̼ ͻΔ θ̼ ̮ΛϓΪή̼Ͷ Previously, any student could enroll in this

course, regardless of skill level or classification. After much discussion with the Colleges of Technology

and other academic departments, a corequisite of English Comp I and Intermediate Algebra ensures a

level of maturity and general comprehension during the word-processing and spreadsheet units. The

course changes were approved by the Curriculum & Standards Committee on April 19, 2010, and

implemented for the Fall 2010 (Appendix H). Comparing Fall 2010 results to Fall 2008 and 2009, there

has been a 9% drop in Fs and a 6% increase in students who complete the course with an A, B, or C. The

results are encouraging, but one semester is not an adequate judge of the change (Appendix G).

Since restrictions were placed on Microcomputer Applications, the CIS faculty moved forward with

course changes to CIS1013 Introduction to Computer-based Systems. CIS senior exit surveys were

replying that this course was less and less relevant to the major, so the course was dropped as a

requirement in 2008. On March 15, 2010, the Curriculum & Standards Committee approved a new

catalog listing so that the CIS department could better target incoming freshmen who are taking one or

more developmental classes. The previously lecture-based class has been reformatted to include hands-

on components of file management, basic word-processing, Internet, UAM email, Blackboard, and

WeevilNet. Using the UAM library resources has also been added as a component of the course. The

justification is that this course teaches the basics of computing and the resources available at UAM for

better preparing students for their college careers. For students who struggle with using computers,

this class could also be used as a stepping-stone into Microcomputer Applications.

A corequisite of general education mathematics has been implemented for the Fall 2010 for CIS2203

Programming Logic and Design (Appendix H). The department also instituted prerequisites of

completing general mathematics with a C or better for CIS3423 COBOL and CIS3443 Object-Oriented

Programming Language. Because students in CIS3453 WWW Programming seem to be less prepared for

the course and lacked a basic knowledge of file management, a prerequisite of CIS2223 Microcomputer

Applications was also implemented in Fall 2010.

There has also been discussion to implement further prerequisites in CIS3103 Advanced Microcomputer

Applications to ensure that juniors/seniors are taking the course. This discussion has been tabled until


faculty can assess if the newly implemented requirements for CIS2223 Microcomputer Applications are

working.

To further address SLO 5, knowledge of communication skills, several CIS classes have been tweaked to

improve student learning. For the Fall 2010, the instructor of CIS3523 Systems Analysis & Design

increased the number of presentations from one to five. Students are expected to dress in business

casual attire while exhibiting professional presentation skills. Classmates use a rubric to score each

presenter. Students are expected to analyze their feedback, create an improvement plan, and

implement the plan during the next presentation. After one semester, the instructor has seen a marked

improvement in presentation skills by the end of the course and plans to continue her efforts.

8. How do you ensure shared responsibility for student learning and assessment among students,

faculty and other stakeholders?

Students are given the opportunity to evaluate courses near the end of the semester. The compiled

results are distributed to the instructors to disseminate and adjust as necessary. While this is an

important outlet for students to discuss and evaluate a course and instructor, there are other

opportunities for students to assess.

Group work is an important component of many CIS courses. In CIS4623 Database Management

System, students evaluate their teammates on a participation level. These peer evaluations are linked

θΛ ̠ ήθϓ̸̼Δθ’ή course grade. This encourages students to participate in the work, instead of allowing a

few to carry the burden of many. Since students are more likely to actively participate, they are better

able to practice the skills of the course, thus improving their student learning.

As discussed in question 7, CIS3523 Systems Analysis & Design requires students to evaluate their peers

during presentations. ̼ή̼ Χ̼̼Ϊ ̼Ϟ̠ϓ̠θͻΛΔή ̠Ϊ̼ Γ̼̠Δθ θΛ ͻΓΧΪΛϞ̼ θ̼ͻΪ ̮̠ήήΓ̠θ̼ή’ ̮ΛΓΓϓΔͻ̮̠θͻΛΔή

skills, in addition to strengthening their own by observing other presentations.

The CIS exit survey is administered at the end of each semester to students completing the capstone

course of the major, CIS4366 Advanced Software Development Projects. One of the requirements of the

course is to complete the survey, giving the faculty feedback and valuable perceptions of their time here

at UAM.

Faculty discussed the results of the alumni and exit survey, as well as casual observations, during

department meetings (Appendix F). From these meetings, the faculty is apprised of the results and can

brainstorm potential curriculum changes and teaching techniques.

9. Describe and provide evidence of efforts your unit is making to recruit/retain/graduate students in

your unit/at the University.


Recruiting can never begin θΛΛ ̼̠Ϊϥ ͻΔ ̠ ϥΛϓΔͮ Χ̼ΪήΛΔ’ή ͻ̼͆ʹ ͆ifteen kindergarteners from Monticello

School District visited UAM on December 10, 2010, to learn more about computers and UAM. Eight CIS

majors and four faculty members hosted the students in the Babin Business Center computer lab 102,

taking the opportunity to introduce them to UAM and the School of CIS, while teaching them a bit about

computers by helping them to each create a mini-story book and Christmas card (Appendix K). The

department plans to continue this event.

Communication is crucial to recruiting and retaining students within any major. Potential students of

the School of CIS receive a letter from Dean Hairston and a department brochure. These names are

̼ͮΔ̼Ϊ̠θ̸̼ ͆ΪΛΓ θ̼ !̸ΓͻήήͻΛΔή ͩ͆͆ͻ̮̼ͳ ͼ̮Λ̠Ϊ’ή D̠ϥͳ Β̼̼Ϟͻ Β̼̮ΛΓ̼ D̠ϥͳ ΛΪ θ̼ CIS website.

Appendix C contains letters for those who are interested in a major, minor, or advanced certificate in

Computer Information Systems. Appendix D contains the recruitment brochure.

Once a student becomes a CIS major, each advisor sends a hand-written note welcoming the student to

the major and encouraging him/her to stop by with questions or concerns. Advisors also send birthday

cards to advisees as another opportunity to connect and open the lines of communication. CIS faculty

participates in the annual UAM Parents/Family Day each fall, offering another opportunity for

instructors to connect with students and meet their families, in hopes of strengthening the student-

faculty bond.

The School of CIS also works to offer required courses, as well as electives, on flexible scheduling.

Courses have been offered online, in the afternoon, at night, and on the Colleges of Technology

campuses (Appendix L). Students appreciate the flexibility and often fill the classes. Faculty strives to

balance traditional classroom settings and scheduling with non-traditional course delivery and will

continue to offer a variety of scheduling options for students as they complete a CIS major, minor, or

advanced certificate.

IΔ ΛΔΛΪ Λ͆ Ά!͢’ή �̼Δθ̼ΔΔͻ̠ �̼̼̭Ϊ̠θͻΛΔͳ θ̼ ͼ̮ΛΛ Λ͆ �Iͼ ήΧΛΔήΛΪ̸̼ ̠ �Iͼ !ϓΓΔͻ D̠ϥ ͻΔ ̠͢Ϊ̮ 2010ͳ

inviting five graduates to speak to classes about their careers, how they got there, and how their CIS

courses helped prepare them. Many also spoke about the interview process. Graduates came from

Dillards, Entergy, JRMC, Monticello School District, and The Price Companies. The goal of this event was

to enlighten students on possible career paths and employers. See Appendix J ͆ΛΪ θ̼ ̸̠ϥ’ή ΧΪΛͮΪ̠Γ,

including a job description of each speaker. The department received positive feedback from the

students on the presentations and plans to host a similar event each spring.

The School of CIS sponsors a student organization, Chi Iota Sigma. Membership gives students a vested

interest in their chosen field of study and is available to any UAM CIS major or minor. The club is seen as

a good retention tool, but it also helps faculty to better know the students who become involved, thus

strengthening the faculty-student bond. During the monthly meetings, students are fed and plan the

ϥ̼̠Ϊ’ή ̠̮θͻϞͻθͻ̼ήͶ ̼ organization sponsors philanthropic activities such as fall and spring canned food

drives and an Angel Tree Christmas toy drive. Students also participate in an annual field trip to area

businesses that hire UAM CIS graduates. Previous industry tours have included trips to Entergy (Pine


Bluff), Acxiom (Conway), Windstream (Little Rock) and Dillards (Little Rock). In 2010, students and club

sponsors traveled to the Information Technology department of JRMC (Pine Bluff).

Food may be an unconventional retention tool, but it is another opportunity to bond with students,

hoping to encourage them to complete their degrees. The School of CIS has been sponsoring an annual

Christmas Buffet of Sweets for all students taking CIS classes for several years. As a symbol of

congratulations to graduating seniors, the department also hosts a graduation dinner following

commencement rehearsal each year. This is an opportunity to congratulate them for a job well done

and encourage them to remain in touch via email, phone calls, or by joining the UAM CIS Alumni page

on Facebook.

The School of CIS recognizes student achievement each spring semester by hosting an awards reception,

in which all nominated students are encouraged to attend and invite guests. The faculty takes this

opportunity to publicly recognize academic success of CIS majors by awarding certificates and

scholarships. The department awards an Outstanding Senior of the Year, Outstanding Junior of the Year,

and an Outstanding Rookie of the Year, whose names remain on perpetual plaques outside the

̸̼Χ̠ΪθΓ̼Δθ’ή Λ͆͆ͻ̮̼Ͷ ͼθϓ̸̼Δθή also received $5,806 in scholarships for the 2010-2011 academic year.

See Appendix M for a breakdown of scholarships awarded.


Appendix A

Student Learning Outcomes

School of Computer Information Systems

CIS Assessment Analysis 2010

Learning Outcomes:

Practical knowledge of various productivity software packages

Assessment Statement:

Students’ ability to efficiently use Microsoft Office 2007.

Skills Assessed:

This will be accomplished through various assignments using Microsoft Windows Vista

and Microsoft Windows 7 Operating System, Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0, Microsoft

Word 2007, Microsoft Excel 2007 and Microsoft PowerPoint 2007. The technical aspects

of each package comprise the core of the learning experience; students are also exposed

to many managerial concerns and the resulting impact on the business environment. A

large number of hands-on assignments are given as homework and as in-class tasks.

Individual instructor prerogative dictates the frequency and type of exams/quizzes.

Course(s) in which conducted:

CIS 2223 Microcomputer Applications

Description of findings:

Students have difficulties following the step-by-step procedures outlined in the

textbook’s hands-on exercises and assignments for all of the productivity software

packages. Reading comprehension deficiencies are still apparent as the complexity of the

software increases. Mathematics deficiencies surface most commonly when spreadsheet

software is being taught. Otherwise, students seem to naturally gravitate toward

microcomputer-based tasks in the software packages that they are familiar with such as

Internet Explorer, Word, and PowerPoint. A prerequisite of ENGL Composition I and co-

requisite of Intermediate Algebra to CIS 2223 were added during the fall semester to

ensure that the students are better prepared for taking the course. Early indications that

students are better prepared for the course since the prerequisites have been added.

Proposed changes, if any:

There are no proposed changes to the assessment procedure for this learning objective.


Student Learning Outcomes:

Practical knowledge of various programming languages


Students’ ability to develop logical solutions utilizing various programming languages,

data file usage, flowcharts, pseudocode, structure charts, printer spacing charts, and/or

IPO charts.

Skills Assessed:

This will be accomplished through various assignments that seek to demonstrate any

number of standard programming concepts. Each assignment should gradually build upon

previous work. Students should be able to develop logical solutions via tools such as

flowcharts, pseudocode, structure charts, printer spacing charts, and/or IPO charts

utilizing the software package Microsoft®

Visio. From these designs the students write

the appropriate code to solve the problem using correct syntax which has been stressed in

class lecture and with sample programs. Students are required to have a sufficient

background in the construction of data files and/or usage of existing data files on each

program assignment. Students will utilize various debugging techniques to ensure

compilation, linkage, and execution. Although documentation is an on-going process,

students should understand its importance and ensure that all coded modules are easily

maintainable.

At the end of the term, students in the CIS 3443 class are currently required to design, code, and

formally present an independent project to the class which utilizes basic skills learned in the

class.


CIS 3423 COBOL

CIS 3443 Object-Oriented Programming Languages


COBOL:

As each new programming concept was introduced, students were able to develop structure

charts, input record layouts in defining the problem, and printer spacing charts for output design

utilizing Microsoft Visio. These processes including discussion of IPO charts aided the student

in presenting the logical sequencing required for the problem. Students exhibited confidence

when creating data files and/or usage of existing data files when proceeding through the

programming process. Student’s exhibited confidence when completing the logical sequence

using the VAX Dec system to compile, link, debug, and execute the program. The students

further utilized documentation during the programming process, creating maintainable projects.

Students worked independently to complete each assignment and all assignments were

completed successfully arriving at the correct output.

Object-Oriented Programming Languages:

Because our students have a background in producing logical diagrams from their first core

course in the curriculum they are comfortable with the VISIO program and are able to produce

program flowcharts with relative ease. It is evident that when students take the first COBOL

class before taking the OOP class, they have a better conceptual background and can then work

faster and more confidently in an object environment. After completing a programming

assignment, students were sometimes asked to run their applications for the instructor. Relevant

questions were posed as the students ―demo‖ their programs. This technique affords the

instructor a better measurement of how well students understand the topics at hand. Many

debugging strategies were employed and internal documentation (comments) was also stressed

heavily.



Learning Outcomes:

Knowledge of information systems development methods and techniques


Student has the ability to perform the analysis (requirements gathering, modeling, etc.) and the

design (input, output, database, web, error messages, etc.) necessary to build an information system.

Skills Assessed:

The student reads technical information and translates that information into practice.

In the analysis phase, the student demonstrates the ability to gather system requirements and use spreadsheet software to analyze the results. The student uses diagramming software to create the illustrations needed when performing various modeling techniques. In addition, database software is used to develop various elements of a data dictionary and create prototype forms.

During the design phase, the student uses the analysis information to create various types of

reports and devise a database schema using database software, design a web site using web-

publishing software, and develop GUI screens with informative error messages.


CIS 3523 Systems Analysis & Design


The student creates an analysis manual to demonstrate his/her ability to gather system

requirements, analyze those requirements, and then create modeling diagrams and documents to

show how the system will work.

While the students can successfully use Visio, Excel, and Access to create diagrams, charts, and

data, they tend to think of each assignment as an individual exercise, instead of a smaller part of

the whole. I need to emphasize more how each part builds on the next.

A design manual is where the student exhibits his/her ability to plan a database schema,

determine the various types of reports needed and generate effective reports, create user-friendly

GUI screens and web pages, and write informative error messages.

The design part of the class is easier for most students. It is more hands-on; the physical system

design rather than the logical design needed in the analysis phase. Students have an easier time

in designing specific items. No changes are planned for this area.

Several presentations demonstrate the student’s ability to use correct terminology and explain

various system analysis and design concepts.

For the first presentation, students tend not to practice their presentations before hand causing

them to stumble around making them appear as if they have limited knowledge. Many of the

students use bad grammar, again making them appear less than knowledgeable. However, after a

couple of presentations, students learn to practice their presentations and be very aware that their

grammar effects how people perceive their work. I will continue to emphasize the need for

correct grammar and stress the importance of practice.

Subjective quizzes determine if students are getting the main concepts of the course. The results

show that the students understand the major concepts presented.


None at this time.


Learning Outcomes:

Knowledge of data communications and local area networks


Students’ ability to plan, create, and manages a local area network

Skills Assessed:

This course includes two forms of assessment. Most of the course grade comes from three

exams administered throughout the semester. Each exam consists of both objective and

subjective questions and is designed to test knowledge, as well as application of the concepts in

short-answer and essay-based questions. Subjective questions must be answered in complete

sentences, using an organized and straightforward manner. This method of testing strengthens

critical and logical thinking, and written communication skills.

Class participation is another degree of assessment for the class. Because a portion of the course

is lab work, the participation grade is based on involvement in building and troubleshooting the

networks while working in a 1- to 2-person team environment. In both lecture and lab, questions

and comments related to the course topics are encouraged so that, throughout the course, the

class learns from others’ experiences. The overall goal is to apply the book knowledge and

classroom definitions into real-world illustrations using the client-server laboratory settings. Not

paying attention in the lab and excessive tardiness and absences negatively affects the class

participation grade.


CIS 4503 Business Data Communications


Students like the opportunity to discuss exam questions. By spending time reviewing the exams,

the class is encouraged to compare the correct and incorrect answers, thus reinforcing oral

communication, reasoning, and logic skills. This also serves as a chance to tie previous concepts

to those that will appear in upcoming chapters and to reinforce concepts before entering into new

material.

This is a comprehensive course that continues to build upon its concepts. Information from early

chapters is still used at the end of the semester. These topics are also applied in the computer

laboratory setting. Students have a greater understanding of the course topics after they have

applied their knowledge in the computer laboratory. While working individually to construct the

networks, students are encouraged to share knowledge and experience, giving classmates an

opportunity to employ the course concepts.

In the hands-on lab, students are not always attentive and will click through a software download

without reading the instructions on the screen. The controlled laboratory setting shows the

consequences of not paying attention to the messages on the computer screen, and if a group gets

too far behind on their network, outside class work on the network may become necessary.

Students are encouraged to work together in listening to instruction, taking notes, and learning

the material. If problems arise, students must troubleshoot to find the error and can rely on their

peers to assist them. Information technology (IT) departments often employee this technique of

sharing information with other IT staff.


An upgrade in software and hardware is planned for the 2011-2012 academic year.


Learning Outcomes:

Knowledge of communication skills

Description of assessment procedure:

Student has the ability to produce memos, status reports, Gantt charts, manuals,

programming documentation, knowledge contributions, and oral presentations utilizing such

packages as Word, Visio, and PowerPoint.

Skills Assessed:

This assessment is accomplished using the following:

An informational memo to the instructor detailing the content of his/her system

A status report template to communicate the project’s weekly status and Gantt charts showing

the deliverables and communicating graphically progress on those deliverables

A manual illustrating the analysis and design of their system containing both narrative documents and system diagrams

Programming documentation describing what the code is doing and knowledge contributions describing a problem along with the solution for an online Book of Knowledge.

A system manual written from a technical viewpoint and a user documentation manual

containing user-friendly, detailed information a user would need to operate the system

Two formal presentations using PowerPoint and many one-on-one conversations with the

instructor.


CIS 4633 Application Software Development Project (AKA Senior Project)


With memos, many students forget to initial by their name and/or use a formal letter

closing. If faculty requires a memo, reinforce the need to initial by their name and not have a

formal letter closing.

The students are able to complete status reports, Gantt charts, the various manuals, programming

documentation, knowledge contributions and perform presentations. The students demonstrate

appropriate use Visio, Word, and PowerPoint.

Incorrect grammar, whether written or spoken, is a problem for many students. Faculty is asked

to reinforce grammar skills whenever an opportunity presents itself.


None at this time.

Appendix B

Syllabi for the following courses:

SLO 1 – CIS2223 Microcomputer Applications

SLO 2 – CIS3423 COBOL

SLO 3 & 5 – CIS4366 Advanced Software Development Project

SLO 4 – CIS4503 Business Data Communications


CIS 2223 – MICROCOMPUTER APPLICATIONS COURSE SYLLABUS – Fall 2010

INSTRUCTOR OFFICE: Lynn Harris Room 106, BBC OFFICE HOURS PHONE MW 8:00 - 10:00 460-1231 (direct) MW 12:00 - 1:00 460-1031 (secretary) TH 12:00 - 2:00 Other hours by appointment E-MAIL: [email protected]

COURSE TEXT: New Perspectives on Microsoft Office 2007 – First Course, Windows 7 Edition. Shaffer, Carey, Finnegan, Adamski, Ageloff, Zimmerman. Course Technology, Inc., 2010. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS: Each student should have access to a computer that has Microsoft Windows 7, Word 2007, Excel 2007, and PowerPoint 2007. Each student should also have a computer account that provides access to e-mail and the Internet. Visit the Information Technology Department for help. COURSE OBJECTIVES: The student who successfully completes this course will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the Windows operating system Internet connection applications and the World Wide Web Word word-processing application Excel spreadsheet application PowerPoint presentation application STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: It is the policy of the University of AR at Monticello to accommodate individuals with disabilities pursuant to federal law and the University’s commitment to equal educational opportunities. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor of any necessary accommodations at the beginning of the course. Any student requiring accommodations should contact the Office of Special Student Services located in Harris Hall Room 120; phone 870 460-1026; TDD 870 460-1626; Fax 870 460-1926.

mailto:[email protected]

INCOMPLETE POLICY: A student must be current with course work assignments and/or examinations and must have completed at least 75% of all required course work assignments and/or examinations to be considered for a grade of incomplete (I).

ATTENDANCE: Students are expected to log in at least three (3) days a week to BlackBoard. Students are responsible for all technology: access to a computer, Internet, and all course-related software. GRADING POLICY: There will be four (4) exams including the final. Each exam will be worth 100 points. Test #1 – September 17 Test #2 – October 14 Test #3 – November 19 Test #4 – December 13 2. Random homework assignments and in-class exercises will also be graded for a total of 495 points. 3. The total earned points (895 possible) are accumulated, converted to a percentage, and applied to the following scale to produce the final grade. A = 90% - 100% B = 80% - 89% C = 70% - 79% D = 60% - 69% F = 0% - 59% The above grade assignment may be revised at the discretion of the instructor. 4. Make-up exams are not guaranteed. Every effort should be made to notify the instructor before the exam if the exam is to be missed. I must be contacted within 24 hours of the scheduled exam. Failure to observe this deadline will result in a grade of

zero being assigned for the exam. Any make-up exam allowed will carry a ten percent

penalty. These make-up tests will be given and scored at the convenience of the instructor. 5. Late work must be received by the instructor no later than one week past the original due date for half credit. Late work is defined as work received after the beginning of class on the assignment=s due date.

PLAGIARISM/ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: I reserve the right to dismiss and/or fail any student who participates in cheating whether it is on an exam, quiz or assignment. If plagiarism or cheating is suspected, the instructor may, at her discretion, take any of the following actions: 1) issue a warning to the student; 2) lower the grade awarded to the student for the paper or test; 3) require the student to retake the test or rewrite the paper; 4) award no credit for the paper or test; or 5) award the student a failing grade for the course. See the UAM Catalog for more information on Academic Code Violations. If any student is caught posting another student's work, both students will receive a zero on that assignment. If any student is caught doing this twice, that student will receive an F for the course.

STUDENT CONDUCT: All students are required to comply with the requirements of the Student Conduct Code as specified in the Student Handbook. The handbook which includes the conduct code is available online at: http://www.uamont.edu/pdf/Student%20Handbook.pdf.

SPECIAL DATES: August 25: First day of classes August 31: Last day to register or add fall classes September 6: Labor Day Holiday November 8-19: Preregistration for spring November 10: Last day to drop with W November 24-26: Thanksgiving holiday December 7: Last day to withdraw from class December 10: Last day of classes December 13: Final exam

http://www.uamont.edu/pdf/Student%20Handbook.pdf

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COBOL CIS 3423

(PREREQUISITES: General Education Mathematics, minimum "C" in CIS 2203)

ASSOC. PROF: Lori Selby

OFFICE: BBC 108 DIRECT PHONE: 460-1811

CIS OFFICE PHONE: 460-1031

Email Address: [email protected]

OFFICE HOURS:

Mon, Wed -- 9:00 - 10:00, 12:00 - 1:00

Tues, Thurs – 9:30 - 11:00, 12:30 - 1:30

Friday -- 9:00- 10:00

REQUIRED TEXT AND MATERIAL:

COBOL for the 21st Century; Stern/Stern/Ley, 11th Edition, Wiley Publishing

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

A major objective of this course is to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of proper structured

software development techniques, and competence in their application using the COBOL language. Both

batch and interactive processing environments will be studied with an emphasis on file maintenance activities and the development of programs to perform them. Students will utilize the DEC system to: 1)

compile, link, execute, and 2) use of editorial commands to copy, move and delete statements.

Students will be able to code on mainframes, minis, and microcomputers using the COBOL compiler

emphasized in this course. The student is assessed on her/his ability to construct algorithms, develop

printer/monitor spacing charts for report writing, code the applications, and properly document

solutions to facilitate future maintenance.

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS:

There will be program assignments from each chapter designed to test the students' ability regarding each new concept. The student will turn in a structure chart using Microsoft VISIO, a program listing and

the program output for each assignment for a total of 50 points. Late assignments will not be accepted,

however, hand in whatever you have completed for partial credit. Students are expected to complete all assignments on time. The instructor does NOT guarantee make-up assignments or credit for work that is

turned in late.


-------------------------------------------

GRADING AND EVALUATION CRITERIA

Exams ................................. 80%

Exam I - Ch 1 - 3

Exam II - Ch 4 – 5

Exam III - Ch 6 – 7

Final - Ch 8 - 9 Friday, December 17, 1:30

Program Assignments........ 10%

Quizzes/Assignments.......... 10%

Total Available ..................100%

EXAMINATIONS:

There will be three examinations worth 100 points each.

Should it be necessary to miss an exam due to an emergency or illness, the professor should be notified

within 24 hours of the missed exam, call 460-1031 or 460-1811. The student will be expected to take

the exam the day that he/she returns and there may be a 10% penalty on the exam.

Quizzes missed due to unexcused absence will not be made up.

GRADES:

The following table is based on total percentage points accumulated, and will be used to assign final

course grades:

90% - 100% A

80% - 89% B

70% - 79% C

60% - 69% D

Below 60% F

GRADE REPORTS:

UAM will no longer mail grade reports to all students. You may access your grades through Campus

Connect on the UAM homepage, http://www.uamont.edu. To have your grades mailed to you,

̮ΛΓΧ̼θ̼ θ̼ ͮΪ̸̠̼ Ϊ̼Ωϓ̼ήθ ͆ΛΪΓ ̠Ϟ̠ͻ̠̭̼ ͻΔ θ̼ ̼ͮͻήθΪ̠Ϊ’ή ͩ͆͆ͻ̮̼ ͻΔ ͢ΛΔθͻ̮̼Λ ΛΪ θ̼ ͼθϓ̸̼Δθ ͼ̼ΪϞͻ̮̼ή

offices in Crossett and McGehee.

http:http://www.uamont.edu

INCOMPLETE POLICY:

A student must be current with course work assignments and/or examinations and must have

completed at least 75% of all required course work assignments and/or examinations to be considered

for a grade of Incomplete (I).

ATTENDANCE:

Regular and timely attendance is expected. In addition to lectures, attendance is expected at all

scheduled programming lab days. Students not attending the lab days will receive a zero (0) on the

assigned program assignment. Cell phones should be turned to SILENT before entering classroom.

POLICIES AND CONDUCT:

Students are expected to adhere to all University policies and regulations as set forth in the UAM Catalogue and Student Handbook. Cheating and/or plagiarism will NOT be tolerated in this class. I

reserve the right to dismiss and/or fail any student who participates in cheating. This includes copying

program assignments from fellow students. Students are not to work on other tasks unrelated to class

while in my classroom, unless approved by me.

PARTICIPATION: 100% participation of all class work completed and turned in on time -- will result in a passing grade for

the student.

PLAGIARISM/ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. If plagiarism is suspected, the instructor may, at her discretion, take

any of the following actions as outlined in the Student Handbook.

STUDENT CONDUCT CODE:

All students are required to comply with the requirements of the Student Conduct Code as specified in

the Student Handbook. The handbook which includes the conduct code is available online at:

http://www.uamont.edu/pdf/Student%20Handbook.pdf. This includes Disorderly conduct: Any behavior

which disrupts the regular or normal functions of the University community, including behavior which

breaches the peace or violates the rights of others.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:

It is the policy of the University of Arkansas at Monticello to accommodate individuals with disabilities

pursuant to federal law and the University's commitment to equal educational opportunities. It is the

responsibility of the student to inform the instructor of any necessary accommodations at the beginning


of the course. Any student requiring accommodations should contact the Office of Special Student

Services located in Harris Hall Room 120; phone 870 460-1026; TDD 870 460-1626; fax 870 460-1926.

E-MAIL

All students are requested to obtain an e-mail account. If you have any questions about the course or

need assistance, please contact me in person or by telephone during office hours; or by e-mail at any

time.

SPECIAL DATES:

September 6 Labor Day

November 10 Last day to drop with W in regular classes

December 7 Last day to withdraw from class

December 10 Last day of classes

CIS 4633 - SENIOR PROJECT

COURSE SYLLABUS – FALL 2010

INSTRUCTOR: Angela Marsh OFFICE 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

MWF

HOURS: 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. TT

OFFICE: BBC Room 118 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. MW

Other hours by appointment

PHONE: 870.460.1341 (direct) EMAIL: [email protected] 870.460.1031 (CIS office)

WEB SITE: http://www.uamont.edu/FacultyWeb/Marsh/

PREREQUISITES:

CIS 3523 Systems Analysis & Design and CIS 4623 Database Management Systems

COURSE TEXT:

None

OBJECTIVES:

The student who successfully completes this course will:

Analyze, design, code, test, document, and present an information system,

Obtain experiences which better enable the student to enter the job force with confidence, and

Demonstrate higher-level communication skills.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:

It is the policy of the University of Arkansas--Monticello to accommodate individuals with disabilities

pursuant to federal law and the University's commitment to equal educational opportunities. It is the

responsibility of the student to inform the instructor of any necessary accommodations at the beginning of

the course. Any student requiring accommodations should contact the Office of Special Student Services

located in Harris Hall Room 120; phone 870 460-1026; TDD 870 460-1626; fax 870 460-1926.

ATTENDANCE:

The student will meet with the instructor at all designated times. Students are expected to attend these

meetings punctually.

STUDENT CONDUCT CODE:

All students are required to comply with the requirements of the Student Conduct Code as specified in the

Student Handbook. The handbook which includes the conduct code is available online

at: http://www.uamont.edu/pdf/Student%20Handbook.pdf.

GRADING POLICY:

1. The grade will be awarded based on the extent to which the student is able to accomplish deliverables

and produce a quality product. Included in the grade assignment are the professionalism of your manuals,

presentations, project management, knowledge contributions, and programming. All deliverables must be

completed in order to successfully complete this course. The following table explains the scoring.

http://www.uamont.edu/pdf/Student%20Handbook.pdfhttp://www.uamont.edu/FacultyWeb/Marshmailto:[email protected]

Deliverable Points

System Analysis & Design Manual 12

Systems Analysis & Design Presentation 5

Working System 30

Programming Review Memo 2

Knowledge Contributions 4

Documentation Manuals 20

System Presentation 5

Weekly Status Updates & Deliverables 22

Total 100

Your total earned points are accumulated and applied to the following scale to produce your final grade.

A = 90 - 100 B = 80 - 89 C = 70 - 79 D = 60 - 69 F = 0 - 59

2. Late work is defined as work presented to the instructor after the end of the week of the assignment’s

due date and will carry a 10% penalty.

3. To receive the two points for Weekly Status Updates & Deliverables each week, you must provide the

instructor with a status report and Gantt chart, and show evidence that progress is being made on the

weekly deliverable. To receive the weekly points, all data is required by noon on Friday.

4. Plagiarism is not tolerated. Do you own work. Plagiarism, cheating, or stealing another’s work will result in a grade of zero on the assignment for all involved.

5. A student must be current with course work assignments and/or examinations and must have

completed at least 75% of all required course work assignments and/or examinations to be considered for

a grade of Incomplete (I).

COURSE CONTENT:

System Analysis and Design - An investigation identifying the nature and scope of the system. Used to

determine and document not only what input, processing, output, and testing is needed but also how best

to construct the system to satisfy those needs. A manual will be created and a presentation given at the

end of this phase.

Programming - The point where the system is actually constructed. Programs are written, internally

documented, and tested. Databases are created and web pages are published. A working system will be

produced in this phase.

Programming Review Memo – A correctly formatted memo submitted to the instructor comparing the programming in your system to the programming requirements detailed in the syllabus. Extra features you

added to the basic requirements should be included.

Knowledge Contributions – Relevant knowledge shared with the class which can be viewed via the

Book of Knowledge links from the instructor’s web site. For credit, all contributions must be received by

the final day of the programming phase.

Documentation Manuals – Both a system manual and a user manual are created. The two manuals

should be submitted in one physical manual. Your working system on a disk should also be included with

this documentation.

System Presentation - An oral presentation of your system is given. A hard copy of the presentation will

also be provided.

Status Reporting – Weekly reporting of your system that includes a status report and Gantt chart.

SPECIAL DATES:

September 6 ...............................Labor Day Holiday October 8....................................Deadline to file for graduation

November 10..............................Last day to drop with a ―W‖

November 24 – 26......................Thanksgiving Holiday December 10 ..............................Last day of classes December 13 - 17.......................Final exams

SENIOR PROJECT GUIDELINES

Systems Analysis and Design

Contents

System Requirements and Narrative

List of requirements needed by your system translated into a system narrative written in layman’s

terms (no CIS terms) describing the features of your system

System Design

Context Diagrams, Data Flow Diagrams, Decomposition Diagrams, System Flowcharts, Use Cases,

Technical Specifications, and/or other appropriate diagrams and documents

Input Design

Source Documents, Screen Designs, Web Page Design

Output Design

Report Layouts, Screen Designs, Web Page Design

Database Design

File/Table Layouts, Data Dictionary, Relationships

Testing Procedure

Test Plans, Testing Conditions and Error Messages for each form/screen

Evaluation Criteria

Clarity

Contents

Organization

Presentation

Deliverables with Due Dates

August 30 Week

System Requirements and Narrative & SAD Manual with sections

September 6 Week

System Design & Updated SAD Manual

September 13 Week

Input and Database Design & Updated SAD Manual

September 20 Week

Output and Database Modification & Updated SAD Manual

September 27 Week

Test Plan, Error Messages, & Updated SAD Manual

October 4 Week

System Analysis and Design Manual

Project Presentation with hard copy

Programming

Contents - Minimum

Two files/databases/tables (you should be able to create, read, update, and delete [CRUD] all data fields

and/or records)

Extensive use of one programming language (programmer-generated internal program documentation is

expected)

A password system

A GUI allowing user-friendly navigation and appropriate access of your system

One detail report, one summary report, and one exception report

One web page showing basic information about your system published to the Internet. The web page

should contain at least your system name and logo, a hypertext link, a graphic, and text.

Evaluation Criteria

System Design

User Friendliness

System Performance

Internal Program Documentation

Extras

Special Note – If your system correctly performs the minimum contents listed above, the equivalent of

80% (B) or 24/30 points will be awarded. To earn more points, additional technical features will be

required. To verify an extra is sufficient to earn a point, check with your instructor. You are expected to

specify your system extras in the Programming Review memo in order to receive additional points.


October 11 Week

Menu and password system working

October 18 Week

CRUD programming

October 25 Week

CRUD working

November 1 Week

Reports working

November 8 Week

Web page working

November 15 Week

Testing & Preliminary Presentation

November 22 Week

One-on-one system presentation to instructor & Programming Review Memo

Documentation Manuals

Contents

System Manual - Written with the computer programmer in mind and containing minimally the following

information:

Table of Contents

System Narrative

Technical Specifications including Operating Systems, Computer Applications, and Programming

Languages

Test Plan

System Design Section showing System Flowcharts, Data Flow Diagrams, Decomposition Diagrams, Use

Cases, and other appropriate diagrams and documents

Data Dictionary Section listing files, databases, tables, relationships, data names, field descriptions, field

characteristics, etc.

Program Section

Program narrative

Sample program output

Program hard copy

Copy of system on appropriate media

User Manual - Written with the end user of your system in mind. Your approach should be user-friendly

and detailed. This manual should minimally contain the following information:

Table of Contents

System Narrative

Screen Section

Screen narrative

Sample screen

Screen field identifications and definitions

Error messages and corrections

Report Section

Report narrative

Sample report

Report printing procedure

Web Section

Web narrative

Sample web page

Balancing Procedures (if applicable)

Evaluation Criteria

Contents

User Friendliness

Organization

Presentation


November 29 Week

System Manual and User Manual - rough draft

December 6 Week (by last day of classes)

System Manual and User Manual – Both manuals physically reside in one notebook along with your

system on a storage device

System Presentation

Contents

Oral presentation of your system

System name, logo

System narrative (bullets)

Two (2) screen shots which illustrate your design

Two (2) things in your system of which you are proudest

Two (2) things that you learned about yourself

Hard copy of presentation

Evaluation Criteria

Contents

Organization

Clarity

Grammar

Presentation


Thursday, December 16, 1:30 – 3:30 - Finals Week Formal system presentation

Presentation hard copy

Status Reporting

Contents

Status Report - must minimally contain the following information: system name and/or logo, student

name, week number, date submitted, accomplishments this week, plans for next week, things that went

well, problems encountered, and what you learned.

Gantt Chart – updated weekly and printed on one page

Evaluation Criteria

Design

Contents

Clarity

Grammar

Presentation

Deliverable with Due Dates

Due Weekly

Starting January 18 week

Ending April 12 week

CIS 4503 – Business Data Communications Course Syllabus – Fall 2010

Instructor: T. Cossey Course Time: MW 1:10-2:30pm

Office Hours: Office: BBC 113 MW 8:30-9am, 10-11am, 12-1pm, 2:30-3:30pm E-mail: [email protected] F 8:30-9am, 10-11am, 12-1:30pm Telephone: 460-1541 **Other hours by appointment**

Course Prerequisite Students must have successfully completed COBOL or Object-Oriented Programming.

Students should also have an active e-mail account and Internet access.

Required Text and Materials Data Communications and Computer Networks, Sixth Edition. White, Curt. Course

Technology, 2011.

Course Objective This course is intended to provide a strong introduction to both communications and

networking for those desiring a career in computers. After successfully completing this course, students will be able to: Understand data communications Demonstrate knowledge of networks Display ability to configure a server-client network

Course Policies Attendance Students are expected to attend all classes. Students are responsible for notifying the instructor of their late arrival to avoid incurring an absence. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the instructor of any excused absences prior to the missed class.

A student must make a concerted effort to complete this course. To be considered for a grade of incomplete (I), a student must be current with course work assignments and/or examinations and must have completed at least 75% of all required course work assignments and/or examinations. Attendance will be turned in to the Financial Aid Office and/or Academic Affairs Office upon request.

Grading Policy There will be three (3) exams, including the final, throughout the course. Each exam

will be worth 100 points. Assignments, quizzes, and class participation will total up to 150 points. The possible points are accumulated, averaged, and applied to produce the final grade:

A = 90% - 100% D = 60% - 69% B = 80% - 89% F = 0% - 59% C = 70% - 79%


The above grade assignment may be revised at the discretion of the instructor. Make-up exams are not guaranteed. Every effort should be made to notify the

instructor before the exam if the exam is missed. The instructor must be notified within 24 hours of the scheduled exam. Failure to meet this deadline will result in a grade of zero being assigned for the exam. Any make-up exam allowed will carry a 10% penalty and will be given and scored at the convenience of the professor.

Late work will not be accepted. Cheating will not be tolerated. Do your own work. Plagiarism, cheating, or stealing another’s work will result in a grade of zero for all persons involved on the assignment. If you are caught cheating, you forfeit all bonus point opportunities that may be offered.

NOTE: Cell phones, pagers, MP3 players, and Bluetooth devices should be silenced and stored away during class. A device that is used to send/receive messages or rings during class will result in a penalty of 5 participation points. An answered call results in a 10-point penalty and dismissal from class for the day.

Special Dates September 6 –Labor Day Holiday (no classes) November 10 – Last day to drop with a “W” November 24-26 – Thanksgiving Holiday (no classes) December 8 – Last day of classes December 15 – Final Exam 8:00am-10:00am

Student Conduct Code

Students with Disabilities It is the policy of the University of Arkansas at Monticello to accommodate individuals

with disabilities pursuant to federal law and the University’s commitment to equal educational opportunities. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor of any necessary accommodations at the beginning of the course. Any student requiring accommodations should contact the Office of Special Student Services located in Harris Hall room 120, phone 870-460-1026, TDD 870-460-1626, fax 870-460-1926.

All students are required to comply with the requirements of the Student Conduct Code as speci ied in the Student Handbook. The handbook, which includes the conduct code, is available online at http://www.uamont.edu/pdf/Student%20Handbook.pdf.


Appendix C

Sample Letters to Prospective Students interested in the following:

CIS Major

CIS Minor

CIS Advanced Certificate


April 2, 2012

«First_Name» «Last_Name» «Address_Line_1» «Address_Line_2» «City», «State» «ZIP_Code»

Dear «Salutation»:

Thank you for your recent request for information concerning the Computer Information Systems

program at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

Enclosed is a brochure describing the program and an information sheet with a list of degree requirements

for the Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems. We hope you will find this

information helpful. In addition, we would like to invite you to our campus by calling the Office of Admissions at (870) 460-1026 for a scheduled tour.

The faculty and staff look forward to assisting you with your educational planning. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me at (870) 460-1538 or come by my office in the Babin Business Center room 111.

Sincerely,

Brian W. Hairston, Dean School of Computer Information Systems

BWH:kj

Enclosures

April 2, 2012



Thank you for your recent request for information concerning the Computer Information

Systems program at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

Enclosed is a brochure describing the program and an information sheet with a list of

requirements for a minor in Computer Information Systems. We hope you will find this

information helpful. In addition, we would like to invite you to our campus by calling the Office of Admissions at (870) 460-1026 for a scheduled tour.

The faculty and staff look forward to assisting you with your educational planning. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me at (870) 460-1538 or come by my office in

the Babin Business Center room 111.

Sincerely,


BWH:kj

Enclosures

April 2, 2012



Thank you for your recent request for information concerning the Computer Information Systems

Advanced Certificate program at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

Enclosed is a brochure describing the School of Computer Information Systems and an information sheet with a list of requirements for the Advanced Certificate in Computer Information Systems. We hope you

will find this information helpful. In addition, we would like to invite you to our campus by calling the

Office of Admissions at (870) 460-1026 for a scheduled tour.

The faculty and staff look forward to assisting you with your educational planning. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me at (870) 460-1538 or come by my office in the Babin Business Center room 111.

Sincerely,


BWH:kj

Enclosures

Appendix D

Current Brochure


Appendix E

Student Exit Survey


Memo

To: School of Computer Information Systems

From: Angela Marsh

Date: April 2, 2012

Subject: CIS Student Exit Survey

Both the Spring and Fall 2010 CIS 4633 Senior Project classes were given the attached UAM CIS Student

Exit Survey. Of the 18 students successfully completing the course, 18 completed the survey. The

quantitative values were examined and the comments were consolidated. The 2010 data was then

compared to the results from 2006 – 2009.

FΛΪ θ̼ ̮ϓΪΪ̼Δθ ϥ̼̠Ϊͳ θ̼ ήθϓ̸̼Δθή’ Χ̼Ϊ̮̼ΧθͻΛΔή Λ͆ ΓΛήθ Λ͆ θ̼ ͼͩ͜’ή ̠Ϊ̼ ͻΔ θ̼ EϤ̮̼̼Δθ Ϊ̠Δ̼ͮ ̠Δ̸

improved over last year. During the 2009 assessment review, the School of CIS decided to place more

emphasis on our newest SLO, Communication of Information. While the 2009 average was in the

Good/Average range, the unit decided to stress proper communication skills. This added emphasis

resulted in an Excellent rating (4.44) this year, up .71 from 2009. Good job! Keep stressing those

communication skills.

Knowledgeable faculty, academic advising, staff and technical support, the CIS Club, and the overall CIS

experience continue to be strong aspects of our CIS program. The advancing age of our computers

shows in the continuing decrease in the Quality of Equipment aspect. The Quantity of Equipment also

continues to decrease. Students specifically mentioned wanting an increase in the number of computers

in the CIS side lab.

For the CIS Course Content and Effectiveness, both the Microcomputer Apps and the Advanced Apps

courses are in the Excellent area with a steady trendline prediction. While most of the other courses

have a declining trendline, the averages remain in either the Excellent or Good range.

The following questions in bold are the open-ended questions asked on the survey. The comments that

follow each question summarize the answers.

What do you see as the greatest strengths in the CIS program?

Almost every student (14 out of 18) mentioned the knowledge and helpfulness of the faculty as a

strength. This supports the 4.61/5.00 average for Knowledgeable Faculty and the 4.50/5.00 rating for

Academic Advising on the CIS Program Aspects.

http:4.50/5.00http:4.61/5.00

The few other comments made in this area were varied and received only one mention. The small class

size, the good fundamental knowledge received, and programming classes were mentioned.

What would you like to see changed about the CIS program?

Several students mentioned the need for more programming languages such as RPG and Python and

advanced courses in languages such as C. Students would also like to see another networking course.

Changes receiving only one mention on this question were more interaction with former students or

speakers (CIS Day), less business courses, more night classes, and 24/7 access to the CIS server.

Please share any additional comments or suggestions that would help us improve the CIS degree

program.

Many students mentioned the CIS Lab. They would like the lab to be bigger, have more computers, be

available to CIS majors only, and/or make sure the lab is used for academics only, no Facebook, etc.

Other suggestions receiving more than one comment were more operating systems (UNIX, Mac),

wireless access, and more on Crystal Reports.

Many comments received only one mention. These comments suggested requiring only one accounting

class, making COBOL an elective, developing an active internship program, and having less server

restrictions.

One comment was of p̠Ϊθͻ̮ϓ̠Ϊ ͻΔθ̼Ϊ̼ήθͶ ͩΔ̼ ήθϓ̸̼Δθ ̠ήΊ̸̼ͳ “Β̠θ ͻή ̠Δ I͵ͩ ̮̠Ϊθͫ”

In 2010, we added an assessment statement to every Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) on the CIS

Student Exit Survey. This statement was added to aid the student in ranking each SLO by providing an

explanation of the specific skills being assessed.

The following is the information on SLO #2:

Student Learning Outcomes #2:

Practical knowledge of various programming languages


ͼθϓ̸̼Δθή’ ̠̭ͻͻθϥ θΛ ̸̼Ϟ̼ΛΧ Λͮͻ̮̠ ήΛϓθͻΛΔή ϓθilizing various programming languages, data file usage, flowcharts, pseudocode, structure charts, printer spacing charts, and/or IPO charts.

Is the IPO chart used by any of our classes? If the IPO is used in only one class, other courses should

reinforce this topic. If the IPO is not used, does it need to be taught or does it need to be removed from

our assessment statement? As a unit, we should address this issue.

As you review these documents, please note any ideas for improvement. These CIS Student Exit Surveys

have resulted in many positive changes for our department and will continue to help us strengthen the

program.

Attachments.

UAM CIS Student Exit Survey

CIS Student Exit Survey – Current Year Charts

CIS Student Exit Survey – Comparison Year Charts

CIS Student Learning Objectives – Trendline Charts

CIS Program Aspects – Trendline Charts

CIS Course Content and Effectiveness – Trendline Charts

UAM CIS Student Exit Survey

Please take a few moments to fill out this survey. Your input is vital in improving our CIS major. The survey is done anonymously and the data collected is used in aggregate only; no individual information can be identified from the results.

Using the following scale, please indicate the extent to which the CIS program has contributed to your growth in each of the following areas.

5 – Outstanding 4 – Excellent 3 – Good/Average 2 – Fair 1 – Poor N/A – Not applicable

Skill 5 4 3 2 1 N/A Comment

Practical knowledge of various productivity software packages Students’ ability to efficiently use Microsoft Office.

Practical knowledge of various programming languages Students’ ability to develop logical solutions utilizing various programming languages, data file usage, flowcharts, pseudocode, structure charts, printer spacing charts, and/or IPO charts.

Knowledge of information systems development methods and techniques Students’ ability to perform the analysis (requirements gathering, modeling, feasibility, etc.) and d