MIS 3581--Co-operative Experience in Management

Assignments

There will be two types of assignments for this course. 

1. A PowerPoint presentation that describes your experience and how this experience relates to and supports your education.  This presentation, if given, would be approximately 10 minutes long.  The target audience for this PowerPoint presentation would be other MIS students, in particular, students who are in the early portions of the program (i.e. taking MIS2101).  This PowerPoint presentation will be due on August 15^th and accounts for 90% of your final grade.   
2. All students will be required to submit semi-monthly status reports.  These status reports will not be graded.  However, failure to submit timely and accurate status reports will negatively impact your final grade for this course (-1% for each day status report is late up to max 3% per status report).  Status reports will be submitted via e-mail to both your supervisor and your instructor.  A template that will be used for status reports can be found on the community site.  Status reports will be submitted as follows:

If you are not working during these periods (i.e. you don’t start you job until June 1^st) just let me know; a status report will not be required for this period or we will adjust your dates.

Dialog with Supervisors

During the semester I may be in contact with your supervisors to discuss your performance throughout your co-op.  I may exchange e-mail or speak with them on the telephone.  We will discuss your business skills, technical skills and interpersonal skills.  Surveys will be distributed that we will ask your supervisors to fill out.  While you performance on the job is not formally part of the grading criteria for this course, in borderline cases, positive feedback from supervisors may “tip” your final grade.

Final PowerPoint Presentation

The final PowerPoint presentation will be approximately 10 minutes long.  The goal of the presentation is to share your experiences with other students.  The presentation should include time for Q&A.

Items to include in the presentation

1. Describe your firm including the industry it is in and what it produces.
2. Describe the basic business model of the firm, that is, how it makes money.  Include a description of the various revenue streams, its major costs, and the most significant assets of the firm.
3. Describe the role that the organization you are working in within the firm plays.  Be sure to describe how the role your organization plays supports the objectives of the firm as a whole.
4. Describe in detail the role that you are playing, the contributions you make to the organization and the firm as a whole.
5. Describe how your experience relates to courses you have taken as part of:
   1. Your university core curriculum
   2. The Fox School core business requirements
   3. The MIS programs required courses

Emphasis should be placed on how this experience relates to Fox School core business courses and required courses in the MIS program. 

Your grade for this class will be driven by the quality of the final presentation.  Outlines and drafts will not be graded but will be used as a mechanism for me to provide feedback on your progress to date.  Failure to hand in an outline, draft, or final presentation as described in the schedule below will have a negative impact on your final grade (-1% for each day outline, draft, or final presentation is late up to max 3% per status item).

Presentation 

In addition to handing in the PowerPoint presentation, this course has a “soft requirement” related to this PowerPoint presentation.  If scheduling permits, students must be willing to give this brief presentation to two different MIS classes in following academic year.  Students will work with the instructor to identify up to two classes that the student can give their presentation.

Attendance Policy

There will be no in-class meetings.  I will occasionally check in with you supervisor.  I will occasionally exchange e-mail with you throughout the summer.

Throughout the semester your instructor will pose questions to the class regarding their experiences on the job.  All students are expected to respond to these questions and share their response with the rest of the class by pressing the “Reply to All” button.  Failure to participate in these electronic discussions may, at the discretion of your instructor, have an impact on your final grade.