Instructor - Dr. James J. Cochran

• 117A CAB Building

M, W 8:30 a.m. – noon

T  8:30 a.m. –11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

or by appointment

• (318) 257-3445

• jcochran@cab.latech.edu

• http://www.cab.latech.edu/~Jcochran/index.htm

Lapin, Lawrence L. & William D. Whisler, Quantitative Methods for Business Decisions with Spreadsheet Applications, Duxbury Press, 7th edition, 2002.

Other Suggested Texts:

Anderson, David R., Dennis J. Sweeney, & Thomas A. Williams, An Introduction to Management Science, South-Western Publishing, 11th edition, 2002.

Ragsdale, Cliff, Spreadsheet Modeling and Decision Analysis, 3^rd edition, South-Western Publishing, 2006.

Prerequisite(s)

Grading

Cases/Computer Assignments (5)	90 points
Interim Exams (2)	200 points
Comprehensive Final	150 points

Course Objectives

The purpose of this course is to provide the student with an understanding of how to use basic Management Science techniques to solve business oriented problems. This purpose will be achieved through understanding:

• for what uses different Management Science techniques are suitable and why they are appropriate for their intended use;

• the circumstances under which the use of particular Management Science techniques are appropriate;

• the mathematical mechanics of various Management Science technique;

• how to interpret and explain the results achieved when using various Management Science technique; and

• how to use the computer to execute Management Science techniques.

You will be expected to do much more than simply solve textbook problems. Above all else, you must be able to determine what Management Science course of action is most appropriate under various circumstances. This means you must understand the concepts (not just memorize them). In doing so you will develop valuable analytic skills and your ability to think critically.

Office Hours and Student Appointments:

In compliance with Louisiana Tech University policy, I maintain ten office hours every week the university is open throughout the quarter. These hours are available so that I can i) answer specific questions students have about concepts covered in the course(s) I am teaching, ii) answer questions about course policy, iii) advise undergraduate students during registration, and iv). I maintain these office hours for your benefit – please utilize them. However, they are open, so you may have to wait until I have finished working with students who arrived prior to you. I will also make an appointment with a student outside of office hours if necessary. Finally, note that I share an office suite (CAB 117) with another faculty member – if I am not in my office, please do not disturb the faculty member with whom I share my office suite (i.e., if you come to my office and I am not in, do not ask if the faculty member with whom I share an office suite knows where I am or when I will be back).

Students With Learning Disabilities

Any student with a diagnosed learning disability should advise me of any special considerations (extra time for exams, exam proctors, etc.) immediately so that we can make proper arrangements for exams, etc. Please do not hesitate to see me about such issues. Louisiana Tech University is subject to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare regulations implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 provides that "No otherwise qualified handicapped individual in the United States . . . shall, solely by reason of his handicapped be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. This regulation includes students with hearing, visual, motor, or learning disabilities and states that colleges and universities must make 'reasonable adjustments' to ensure that academic requirements are not discriminatory. Modifications may require rescheduling classes from inaccessible to accessible buildings, providing access to auxiliary aids such as tape recorders, special lab equipment, or other services such as readers, note takers, or interpreters. It further requires that exams actually evaluate students' progress and achievement rather than reflect their impaired skills. This may require oral or taped tests, readers, scribes, separate testing rooms, or extension of time limits.' I sincerely endorse this policy and encourage you to please see me if you do have a diagnosed learning disability so that I can work with you to ensure that you have the same educational opportunities as all other students.

Webpage

• updates on reading assignments, case assignment due dates, examination schedules, and general information;

• the syllabus;

• the cases/computer assignments;

• ‘The Ten Deadly Sins of College Composition’;

• ‘Suggested Problem Solving Techniques’;

• ‘Suggested Approaches to Analyzing Cases’;

• practice problems;

• suggested exam study checklists; and

• the slides presented during lectures (to be posted after the material has been thoroughly discussed in class)

You should visit and review this page regularly.

Cases

Written analyses of five case problems will be due at various times throughout the quarter, with one due the class period immediately prior to each exam. Each analysis should be a maximum of two typed, doubled-spaced, stapled pages (with one-inch margins and 10 or 12 point font), presented in the following format:

I will retain your cases for additional review at the end of the quarter. For any student within 3% (15 points) of a letter-grade improvement, I will review the cases s/he submitted throughout the quarter. If the work on these cases is excellent, I will consider improving the student's final letter grade to the next highest level.

Homework

Class Participation

Participation in classroom discussion of course material, homework problems, and cases is essential for good understanding, even in large classrooms. Questions and comments are encouraged. However, discussion of anything (including course material) with other students is rude and disruptive and will not be tolerated. Repeated late arrivals to class are also rude and disruptive and will not be allowed. Reading newspapers (or other non-class related material) is also rude and disruptive and will not be permitted. Unless silent, cell phones and pagers must be turned of prior to the beginning of class and remain off for the duration of the class.

Quizzes

Approximately one to two times every week, you will be given a short (no more than 10 minute) unscheduled quiz. The quizzes will consist of simple questions and/or problems that allow you to demonstrate that you comprehend (on a very elemental level) the material we are discussing. A quiz may include questions and/or problems concerning any material discussed or assigned up to the point the quiz is given (including material discussed during the class meeting in which the quiz is administered). Note that no partial credit will be given for the quizzes. However, each student will be given an opportunity to earn full credit for up to two (2) missed or incorrect quizzes.

Midterm Examinations

Comprehensive Final Examination

Final Grades

I will only consider adjusting grades (i.e., “curving”) when assigning the final grades. If you wish to receive your final grade before official grade reports are mailed, you may leave a stamped, self-addressed envelope with me by the day of your final exam and I will mail your grade to you. I cannot, under any circumstances, send your grade to you through e-mail or give a grade out over the telephone. I will also retain your formula sheets and final exams for you to review for the first three weeks of the following (Winter) quarter. The only justifications for changing final grades are i) mistakes in grading and ii) mistakes in recording your grade(s). No second chances (i.e., incompletes or retakes) will be given once you have taken your final exam.

Extra Credit

No opportunities to gain extra credit are provided.

Policy on Late Assignments and Missed Exams

Late assignments will not be accepted. If you know you will miss a class when an assignment is due you may turn the assignment in early, give the assignment to a classmate to turn in for you on the due date, or mail the assignment to me on or before the due date so that the postmark shows that the assignment was completed on time. Late computer assignments will be accepted only if the date given on the printout satisfies the due date. If you miss a midterm exam, prior arrangements have been made with me, and documentation of an acceptable reason (medical emergency, death in family, automobile accident) is provided, I will re-weight your final examination so that it counts for both the missed midterm and the final exam.

Student Responsibilities

1. Be seated and ready to begin when class starts.

2. Remain seated throughout the class (unless you have an emergency).

3. Remain attentive throughout the class.

4. Refrain from disruptive behavior throughout the class.

1. Don’t talk to other classmates (about anything) during class.

2. Turn cell phones and beepers with audible signals off.

5. Take responsibility for your education:

1. Come to class prepared (i.e., with your assignments completed).

2. Ask questions when you don’t understand.

3. Comply with the Louisiana Tech University Student Honor Code. The Honor Code statement will be included on every examination. Your continued enrolment in this class constitutes agreement by you to comply with the Louisiana Tech University Student Honor Code (i.e., don’t cheat).

4. Be concerned about understanding and learning - your grade will take care of itself.

5. Take initiative to work out problems on your own.

6. Complete all prerequisites prior to enrolling for this class.

1. Have an appropriate level of mathematical maturity.

2. Be computer literate at the necessary level.

Instructor Responsibilities

1. Arrive to and begin class promptly.

2. Don’t keep class beyond the dismissal time.

3. Be prepared and organized for each lecture.

4. Attempt to give students a perspective that differs from the textbook.

5. Encourage students to i) ask questions and ii) think about the course material.

6. Provide students with i) concrete examples and ii) opportunities to work on realistic applications.

7. Maintain reasonable availability to discuss questions with students outside of class.

1. Have a reasonable amount of accessible office hours.

2. Be available, with reasonable advance notice, for appointments of reasonable i) length and ii) time.

If we all meet our respective responsibilities (as outlined here), we will have a productive, enjoyable, and constructive semester of learning. If you do not meet your responsibilities (as outlined here), you will suffer the obvious consequences (a poor grade). If I do not meet my responsibilities (as outlined here), you have the right (and obligation) to complain to the appropriate administrative authority (Department Chair, Dean, etc.). Continued enrollment in this course constitutes agreement to these terms.

FAQ’s

17. Will this be on an exam?

1. Could be. Anything assigned or discussed can be on an exam.

17. You said you considered improvement. Even though I earned 22% and 25% on my two interim exams and then earned a 44% on my final exam (and so basically DOUBLED my interim exam scores on my final exam), I still received a final letter grade of 'F." Why?

1. While improvement must be substantial to be a consideration in your final grade, it can not overcome a series of poor grades (particularly when the final exam grade is poor). A student who does not pass any exam can not expect to pass the course.

17. Why don’t the exam problems look like the homework or practice problems?

1. Why doesn’t the real world look like a textbook? You are taking a business course – not a mathematics course. You are responsible for learning when and how to use the Management Science techniques covered in this course. I cannot assess your ability to this if the test problems all look like example problems (obviously all problems don’t look alike in the real world). The key to learning the material covered in this course is to focus on concepts and ideas – rote memorization of how to mechanically solve problems will not get you far (either inside or outside of class).

17. There is so much material on the QA 525 Virtual Classroom. Why are we responsible for all this material in addition to the material in the textbook?

1. I have provided all material on the QA 525 Virtual Classroom to support and/or enhance your understanding of the concepts covered in the textbook and in class. You are not required to use the QA 525 Virtual Classroom but I do strongly recommend that you do so).

17. Why don’t you give ‘open-book’ exams like the other QA professors?

1. I have concluded, based on many years of experience, that I am best able to foster my student’s retention of course material through ‘closed-book’ examinations. However, I do not expect students to memorize or know formulae - you are allowed formulae sheets for each exam. Thus you are encouraged to understand, rather than memorize, the material.

17. Sometimes I feel as though we move past a topic before I understand what we just finished discussing. What should I do?

1. Ask questions in class when you don’t understand - the opportunity to do so is a primary reason for your attendance;

2. Read the assigned material before class - you will find that the lectures are much clearer when you do so; and

3. Visit my office and ask for an explanation. However, do not wait until you are totally lost - it is not feasible for me to provide reviews of entire lectures or assigned chapters for individual students.

      Each of these approaches can work (and have worked for students who have taken and passed this class prior to you) - decide which approach best suits you and use that approach consistently.

17. Why do we have a cumulative final?

1. To give me an opportunity to evaluate your mastery of all the material in an integrated fashion.

2. To reward students who have mastered all of the material;

3. It provides students who have difficulty early in the quarter to demonstrate mastery of the material.

17. Why do we have some cases due before we have discussed the necessary topics in class? How am I supposed to complete case assignments under these conditions?

• you are capable of performing some analysis of the cases prior to in-class discussed of particular topics - thinking logically about a problem and using simple analytic techniques goes a long way, and

• there are many (possibly superior) approaches to analyzing the cases even after in-class discussed of particular topics (there are many Management Science methods and techniques I know little or nothing about as well).

      Under such circumstances you must give your best effort - provide an analysis supported with defensible logic, and you will have done well. Remember also that I do consider such circumstances when grading the cases.

17. Why can’t I arrange to take an exam early/late?

1. I have approximately 100 students, so I can not logistically accommodate such requests.

17. I missed class yesterday. Did I miss anything important?

17. I missed class yesterday. Can I copy your lecture notes?

17. Do I have to do all the homework problems?

17. What is the “curve” for this exam?

17. Why can't you send grades out over e-mail?

17. Often, when I take a mathematical course, the concepts make sense in class. Then when I get home and try to work the problems, I become confused and frustrated. How can I avoid this problem?

17. I have worked harder in this class than in any other class this quarter, but I am still doing better in my other classes. Is this fair?

17. A friend of mine studies very little for this course (while I study a great deal) and still earns much better grades than I do. Is this fair?

17. I’ll lose my scholarship/be put on academic probation/be suspended if I don’t earn a letter grade of ‘C’ or better in this course. What can I do?

In order to correct the problem, you must become acutely diligent about your coursework. You must work assiduously and contentiously on the course material throughout the academic term. Make a realistic study schedule in which you budget regular and frequent sessions that you will devote to each of your courses and adhere to this schedule. Of course, you should also promptly discuss (with me, in my office) any difficulties you are having with the course material.

17. There were times when the class lectures didn’t coincide with the readings, problems, and slide sets assigned for that day on the syllabus. Why can’t the class follow the schedule on the detailed course syllabus?

1. The daily schedule provided as part of the detailed course syllabus is clearly marked as tentative and is a general guideline of what we will try to accomplish in this course during the quarter - it is not a contract. I could easily adhere to this schedule if I didn’t allow for extra classroom time when students have questions or are having difficulty with some concept. Classes are not a perfectly predictable process - each class learns and proceeds at a different some rate. If I feel a class legitimately needs more exposure to some concept, I will spend additional class time on that concept. As the instructor in this course, I reserve the right to adjust the pace of this course to best suit the needs of the students. This means we may occasionally sometimes proceed at a pace faster or slower than suggested by the syllabus. If you attend class regularly, you should know what topics have been covered in previous class meetings and what topics will be covered in upcoming class meetings. Finally, periodic updates on the class progress are provided on the QA 525 Virtual Classroom's scroll bar.

17. I’m not a business major, so it isn’t fair that I have to take this course. I don’t even have the same academic background as a business major!

1. If you have to take this course, it is because your academic unit that oversees the degree you chose to pursue has decided it is an essential part of your degree program. This is not a business course, but a Management Science course taken primarily by business majors. Furthermore, all students in this course must meet the same prerequisites (college algebra and computer literacy). Finally, this is a sophomore-level course for business majors, so the business majors in this course have taken very few of their business requirements. Thus, non-business majors are not at a disadvantage relative to business majors in this course.

17. What is your policy on “academic misconduct” (i.e., cheating)?

1. You are required to comply with the Louisiana Tech University Student Honor Code (which will be included on every examination). Your continued enrolment in this class constitutes agreement by you to comply with the Louisiana Tech University Student Honor Code. In accordance with Louisiana Tech University policy, I will report any act of academic misconduct to the appropriate administrative authorities. Additionally, I will assign such a student a letter grade of “F” and will have a designation for academic dishonesty added to the violating student’s transcript. There will be no exceptions to this rule! Please do not cheat – you are all intelligent people who are capable of earning a good grade in this class. Do not let put yourself in such a desperate situation that you would consider cheating, and do not put me in a situation in which I must penalize you. It is just not worth the risk!

17. Why am I required to take this course? I’ll never use Management Science?

1. There are three reasons you are required to take this course. They are, in no particular order:

1. The AACSB (the organization that accredits the Louisiana Tech University business program) requires that this course be included in an accredited program. If you want an accredited degree (and most students do), you must pass this course.

2. It will be useful to you throughout your career. The belief that you will never use Management Science in your career reflects a narrow mind-set. Management Science is used extensively throughout business. If you do not use Management Science , you will almost certainly not have a very successful career in any business field.

3. This is a university, not a trade school. Our primary goal is to educate you, and Management Science is an important part of that education. In fact, many now feel that an understanding of basic Management Science is a critical component of basic literacy. This course will enhance your marketability throughout your career!