Terry Begley MBA, MCSE
COBA Technology Coordinator
tbegley@creighton.edu
280-2619 (office) 280-2172 (fax)
http://eden.creighton.edu/mis470

Course Resources
The textbook is Business Data Communications and Networking by Panko, third edition. The ISBN is 0-13-088262-3. We will also use TCP/IP Jumpstart: Internet Protocol Basics by Blank. The ISBN is 0-7821-2644-8. Our course website is http://eden.creighton.edu/mis470. Check the link to news for updated class information before every class. We also have a class listserv, called mis470@creighton.edu that you should subscribe to.

Contact Information
I am a Creighton staff member, and my office is located in BA 112A. I am at work generally from 8:00am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. See above for phone and email information. You can also check outside my office door for my weekly schedule. If you send email with attachments, please note that Creighton does not allow emails over 1.5 megabytes in size. When you email, please use a subject line with the words MIS 470 in the title so I can identify the message in my inbox easier.

Course Objectives
The course introduces the student to data communications concepts and terminology. The focus is on network design and management in a constantly changing environment. Specific communication-intensive business applications are considered and discussed. They include the Internet, EDI, inter-organizational information systems, and global network applications. Specific emphasis will be placed on the TCP/IP networking protocol, as it is the most common network protocol in use today.

Homework and In-Class Assignments
There will be several homework assignments throughout the semester in order to illustrate important concepts in the course. Some assignments will be completed in class using hardware and software specific to the assignment. More information will be given on each assignment as they arise.

Group Projects and Presentation
Working in one of six groups, students will explore one specific area of networking. Each group will have a project and present a paper and a working network to the class during the final exam time, Monday May 6^th. More information will be given on a separate handout and webpage.

Tech Tips and News
There is always something new and exciting in the technology field. Twice during the course you will make a presentation to the class on an interesting website, a new product, a new service, or something new and exciting in the technology field. You can use any of the presentation media in the classroom. You must turn in a one-page sheet to me describing to me your site, item or news as you present your Tech Tip and News. Each item should take about three to five minutes to present.

Quizzes
There will be a total of twelve quizzes. A quiz cannot be made up under any circumstances. Quizzes may be short answer, true/false, matching or multiple choice or other types. They may be given out on paper, assigned via email or on a web page. The quizzes may be "open" or "closed" in regards to using reference materials depending on the topics covered.

Grading and Grading Scale
The student is required to take notice of where he or she stands in regards to their performance and attendance in this class. If special needs arise, or their is a problem with the students attendance, or grade, the student is responsible for contacting the professor to discuss those concerns, in as timely a manner is as reasonable. Students may contact me by any of the methods listed earlier at any time. Email and telephone voicemail are available 24 hours a day. Failure on the part of the student to proceed under these guidelines, or to violate any rules set out in this syllabus, or in the Student Handbook, including those dealing with academic honesty, may result in a lowering of the students grade, or a grade of F or AF, at the discretion of the professor.

Make-Up and Late Policy
All assignments that are handed in late will be docked 10% per day that they are late, unless arrangements have been made at least 24 hours before the due date. The term LATE refers to all assignments turned in after the class time on the assignment's due date.

Attendance Policy
Please note that all students are expected to attend every class session on time. Students are responsible for the material covered each class time, and missed notes, handouts and URL's should be obtained from another student who was in class that day. In the case of severe weather closings and cancellations, call the Creighton Weather Hotline at 280-5800 to find out if classes are in session.

Email and News Policy
Please note that all students are expected to check their email at least daily, and preferably more often. Students should also check our class news page, at http://eden.creighton.edu/mis470/news/news_and_views.htm. Attention AOL and Hotmail users: I cannot be responsible for the multiple problems that AOL and Hotmail can bring, such as refused mail, mail treated as spam and deleted, and mail bounced back due to the user being over quota. Based on past experience, I strongly suggest that you avoid these services.

Course Outline and Assignments