COURSE ACTIVITIES, POLICIES AND REQUIREMENTS 

A. Language of Instruction and Communication 

The language of instruction and communication in the classroom during or outside the lecture hours is English. This is an absolute rule that must be strictly followed both by the instructor as well as the students. Persistent, intentionally recurring violation of this rule results in disciplinary action against the violator. Students are welcome and encouraged to talk with the instructor in English also during the office hours.

B. Make-up Exams 

Midterm Exam

A conflict or overlapping with another exam or activity in your schedule is not a considerable reason for missing the midterm exam of MGIS 410. The exam schedule of MGIS 410 is announced early enough to avoid such conflicts. In such an event, it is your responsibility to have the other exam or activity rescheduled. If you must absolutely miss the midterm exam (severe illness, death in the family, etc.) please consult with the instructor IMMEDIATELY. However, you MUST also do the following in lieu of the missed exam: 

a. Notify your instructor in advance by email or by phone that you are going to miss the exam. If you do not have access to your email at that moment, and if your instructor is out of office, then you may leave a message/note at the office of the Faculty Secretary Mrs. Gülçin Atatkli (0212-338 1454).

b. Submit a written and signed statement as soon as possible stating why you were unable to take the exam. Include any supporting documentation such as a doctor's medical report etc.) 

Failure to comply with these instructions unconditionally leads to zero being awarded for the midterm exam. 

Final Exam: There will be no final exam in MGIS 410 this semester.

Quizzes : There is no such thing as make-up quiz. 

C. Professional Conduct

Although the class discussion will be conducted in an open atmosphere, students should learn to develop professional business manners in asking questions and replying to questions from both the instructor and other classmates. The importance of coming to class on time, of reading and preparing for the material to be discussed in class should be clear to all students. Please avoid private conversations that may distract your classmates and your instructor. Come to class prepared and informed, much as you would to a job interview or business meeting. Turn off your cellular phones' volume!

D. Disabled Students

Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent her or him from fully demonstrating her or his abilities should contact the instructor personally during the FIRST WEEK of classes. The instructor will arrange accommodations necessary to ensure full participation, and also he will be in charge of facilitating such a student's educational opportunities.

E. Academic Integrity and Honesty 

Cheating, plagiarism, and collusion are serious offenses resulting in an F grade and disciplinary action. Universities worldwide experience reports regarding incidences of plagiarism, cheating and collusion at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Please refer to the Koç University site http://www.ku.edu.tr/yonetmelik/index.html (it is completely in Turkish) for an explicit statement of what constitutes plagiarism, cheating or collusion.  

By virtue of reading this syllabus, consider yourself informed regarding rules and regulations on academic integrity and honesty. 

F. Absence and Class Participation 

You are expected to attend all classes, read the assigned readings / textbook chapters for the dates specified and ACTIVELY participate in class meetings. Assessment of your class participation is rather a subjective matter. Eagerness, enthusiasm, constructive contribution during the lecture hours, and demonstration of your knowledge of the relevant subject will all count towards your full credit in class participation. There will be one or two prospective seminars by guest speakers throughout the semester. These seminars can also be scheduled to an off-class hour to fit the guest speaker's own program. No matter whether it is during the regular class hour or during an off-class hour, attendance to these seminars is EXTREMELY important. Failure to attend one ore more seminars will directly result in zero participation points for the entire semester.

When you miss a class AND if there are any study questions posted on the course Web site for that day, then you must return WRITTEN ANSWERS to those study questions before or latest in the next class. If you do not come to class and do not submit written answers for study questions on time either, then your participation grade for that day will be zero.

G. Group Project and Project Presentation

For the term project you can work in groups of 3-4 students. You are to form and manage your own groups.  Otherwise, your instructor can assign you randomly to groups with vacancies.  Group memberships should be submitted to the instructor at the end of the first three weeks of classes. All members of the group are expected to contribute to the project. Remember this is a group project; thus it is a team work. A group member's failure to do so must be reported immediately to the instructor without waiting until the end of the semester. (The instructor reserves the right to adjust individual project grades based on intra-group evaluations.)

Details and insights on the group project will be provided to you latest by the end of the first 5 weeks of classes.

H. Project Presentation

Each group (team) is going to give an executive briefing to the class assuming their classmates are the CEOs and chief officers of finance, information, operations, technology, corporate relations, and human resources. You may like to use either PowerPoint slides or your project's Web site or both during your presentation. It is recommended that all team members participate in the presentation. Listening students will get a project participation grade by asking related, value-adding questions.

Attendance to project presentations is obligatory. Absence during a class of presentations will result in zero participation points for that class, and cannot be compensated.

L. Examinations

There will be one midterm exam scheduled to December 13, 2007 Thursday, 5:00-7:00pm. The material of the MT will be announced in class well ahead of the exam. Unless stated otherwise, everything covered before the exam including class discussions, presentations made by students, and seminars given by guest speakers will likely be included in the exam. 

There will be no final exam this semester in MGIS 410.

Quizzes are a regular event in MGIS 410 too. They carry a substantial weight in the overall grade. There will be both announced (scheduled) as well as unannounced (surprise) quizzes. The total number of quizzes will possibly be 4-5.

All types of exams are closed notes & closed book exams consisting of short answer questions, multiple-choice questions, and true/false questions. Specifically in the final exam, there might be also one or two short essay type questions. 

  GRADE DISTRIBUTION : Your cumulative course grade will be determined according to the following scheme: 

QUIZZES                             
MIDTERM EXAM               
CLASS PARTICIPATION / PRESENTATIONS  
GROUP PROJECT ABSTRACT / OUTLINE  
GROUP PROJECT WEB SITE 
GROUP PROJECT PRESENTATION  
PARTICIPATION IN OTHER TEAMS' PROJECT PRESENTATIONS 

15 pts 
35 pts 
15 pts
10 pts
15 pts
5   pts
5   pts 

TOTAL 

100 pts