CI214: Microcomputer Database Management — Syllabus and Introduction

Instructor: Charles Ott

Your goal in this course is to learn how to use database software to hold, retrieve and understand business information. Although the principles will apply to any database program, the course is closely focused on Microsoft's Access and you will have difficulty using any other program.

The textbook is Skills for Success with Microsoft Access 2010 by Townsend and Hayes.

Contact the instructor at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . I will try to reply by the next day.

What You Will Need

• Your own copy of the textbook.
• An email account. Please use your school email for this.
• The use of a computer system with Access software.
• A USB flash drive to hold or backup your files.

Website

I maintain a web site at http://CharlesOtt.com with a section for this course. Each week, the course page will have lecture notes and homework assignments. All students should visit this web site each week.

Tests, Homework and Grading

The course is 11 weeks long. There will be a quiz every week on the first day of class, which will cover the previous week's topics. There will not be a midterm exam, but there will be a final which will be worth the same as three quizzes.

You will be able to use Access, and the Access on-line Help, during quizzes. You will not be able to use your book or notes.

There will also be a homework assignment every week. Homework assignments will generally be turned in on paper, but you will need the computer to create your pages. All homework is due the week after it is assigned. If you will not be attending class, you can submit your homework by email before this time to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . In the last week, a final project assignment will be due which counts as much as three regular homeworks.

So there will be a total of 27 grades for this course: 11 quizzes, 10 regular homework assignments, the final project assignment (worth three grades) and the final exam (worth three grades). I will drop the lowest four of these grades, so your course grade will be the average of your best 23 grades. You can see your current grades at any time with the Grade Clerk program. You will be given an initial sign-on for this program after the class starts.

Late work will not be accepted at any time from anyone for any reason.  Also, no makeup quizzes will be given. The dropped grades will cover any work you miss. Perfect attendance bonus: you will be given an extra one-half letter grade if you attend all classes.

Email Policy

Email is an official means for communication within East-West University. Students are expected to check their official EWU email account on a frequent and consistent basis in order to stay current with University communications. Students are also expected to use their EWU account for communication with instructors in their courses; the use of an outside email account for assignment submissions and faculty correspondence is discouraged as a University policy.

Plagiarism Policy

The University considers student plagiarism to be a serious offense. Plagiarism is defined as the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and words of another author and the representation of this material as one’s own original work. For the first account of plagiarism, a zero is given for the assignment. The instructor is required to meet with the student regarding the first plagiarism charge. A second account of plagiarism results in the student failing the course. The faculty member is required to notify the student as well as the Records Office immediately following the decision to assign an ‘F’ grade.

In cases where students feel unsure about a question of plagiarism involving their work, they are obliged to consult their instructors on the matter before submission.

Cell Phone Usage

Cell phones must be turned off during any class period or exam. If a cell phone is used during exam, the student runs the risk of failing the exam. The instructor reserves the right to assign a penalty for cell phone use in class at any one given time. All cell phones must be turned off before entering class and safely put away.

Classroom Policy:

• No eating or drinking is allowed in the computer labs. Please do not bring food into classrooms.
• No use of cell phones, CD players or other electronic devices.
• No children are allowed in the classroom.

Fictitious Companies

See the Fictitious Companies page. This is a table of logos and descriptions for companies that are not real. You will choose one of these companies and use it to create your homework assignments in most weeks. You can choose any company you like, but you must keep the same fictitious company for the entire course.

Weekly Schedule