Syllabus MAS 261 Fall 1996

MAS 261

Introduction to Statistics for Management

M. J. W= hitman School of Managemen= t

Spring 2008

Course Information

Instr= uctor: Jorge L. Romeu, Ph.D.<= /span>

Lectu= res:&= nbsp; Tues, Thurs: = 12:30 to 2:00 PM

Offic= e Hours: Tues/Thurs: 2:00 to 2:45 PM

E-mai= l: jlromeu@syr.edu

Web P= age: http://myprofile.cos.com/romeu

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Purpo= se of this Course: MAS261= is an introduction to statistics for Management students. The goal of this course is to make students familiar with the concepts and methods that managers can use to an= alyze business and economic data, extracting relevant information to make better business decisions.

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Topics: the course will cover basic skills = in Data Analysis, Probability and Statisti= cal Inference. More specifically, it will co= ver descriptive methods; graphics; measures of central tendency, spread, and position; correlation and regression; probability; random variables; mean and varianc= e; binomial, normal, and other distributions; confidence intervals and hypothe= sis testing. Students will be expected to compute problems by hand, anal= yze data using statistical computer software, and interpret the results of such computations. Most course material is cumulative and relies on knowledge of previous sections and prerequisite courses.

Prerequisites: MATH 183 or equivalen= t; MATH 284 recommended.

Required Text: Anderson, Sweeney and WilliamsStatistics for Business and Economics,= Thompson South Western, 2005-2008 Edition.

Optional Text: McKenzie, Jo= hn D. and Goldman, Robert, The Student Ed= ition of Minitab (Release 12), ©1998, Addison Wesley. It is suggested th= at you wait a week or two before buying copies of this text. Minitab release 14 is available in the public clusters. However, if you prefer to work at = home or on your computer, you may lease a copy of Minitab release 14 for a five-= month period for $25.99; Visit sites:

http://www.e-academy.com/minitab. or http://www.minitab.com/education/semesterrental/default.aspx

Computer Software: The main statistical program that = we will use is Minitab for Windows release 14.   = ;

Course Grading:

Exam #1 (Mid-Term), 25%

Exam #2 (Final), 25%

Biweekly Quizzes, 25% (dropping the lowest of six)

Group Presentations and HWs, 15%

Pop-up quizzes (dropping the lowest= ), 5%

Class Par= ticipation, 5%

Homework and Team Presentations: problems will be assigned, but not collected or graded: they will serve as basis for= the quizzes. Students will work i= n teams or groups of four, to prepare their class presentations and HWs. Team members3 will be determined a= t the first class meeting; however, students may switch groups with permission fr= om the instructor. If your partn= er(s) do not participate in the group work, notify the instructor of the situation. Team work guidelin= es will be given later.

Note: Seeking assistance to obtain understanding or clarity of a concept is encou= raged and an integral part of learning. However, collaboration amongst teams is considered a violation of th= e School of Management’s Academic Integr= ity Policy and will be handled accordingly.&nb= sp; =

Quizzes:&n= bsp; six (6) quizzes are scheduled during the semester. They usually will require no more = than 15 minutes to complete. Their fo= rmat (multiple choice, short answer, and small problem) will vary throughout the semester. They will be used to measure progress on the readings and material covered in class. Class notes and textbook are not t= o be used during quizzes; however, a calculator may be needed. The lowest grade on these will be dropped in determining your final grade. No make-ups are allowed.

Pop Quizzes: there will be several unannounced= (Pop) Quizzes that will prepare you for the six above quizzes. Length and format = are the same as above. Lowest will be dropped. No make-ups either.

Exams:&n= bsp; There is one mid-term exam, and one final exam scheduled for this course. The dates are noted o= n the class schedule; however, they are subject to change based on the pace of the class. Any student with a conflict must notify the instructor in writing at least one week prior to the exam date. The midterm and final exams are closed notes and closed book, with the exceptio= n of all necessary tables that will be provided together with the exam paper. A simple calculator will be allowed.

Recitation sessions: You are required to attend the assigned recitation sessions on Friday. Attending different sessions is allowed with the approval of the instructor and the T= A. More examples and computer applications will be illustrated in recitation sessions. Occasionally, quizzes will be given in the recitation sessions.

Missing an Exam: If a test is missed because of a ve= rified extenuating circumstance, a make-up will be scheduled or the test will be skipped with extra weight applied to another similar test at the instructor’s discretion. Quizzes will not be made up. Special cases w= ill be analyzed on individual basis.

Web Page (blackboard): For the purpose of delivering assig= nments and information, there will be a web site created for this class. This site will be used to distribu= te class material, any corrections or clarifications about homework assignment= s, and any changes to exam times or locations. Students are responsible for checking the blackboard for announcements and updates at least twice a week. You may access the site using the Netscape Communic= ator or Internet Explorer program in the computer clusters. For online instructi= on of WSOM blackboard visit:

http://whitman.syr.edu/current/StudentComputing/blackboard= _instructionsstudent.asp

The WSOM blackboard site is: http://bizwiz.som.syr.edu

University and School Policies:

Academic Integrity Policy Certification Requirement.&n= bsp;

The faculty= of the School of Management has adopted an academic policy emphasizing that honesty, integrity, and respects for others are fundamental expectations in our School.&nb= sp; The Policy requires all students who take SOM courses to certify in writing that they have read, understand, and agree to comply with the Acade= mic Integrity Policy. SOM students should have already completed a certification statement. All non-SOM students enrolled in t= his course, including SOM minors, are also required to complete a certification statement available in the Undergraduate (Suite 210) and Graduate (Suite 222) O= ffices. Completed statements will be kept on file in the respective administrative Offices.

Work produced by students as part of this course will be used for educational purposes.

It is under= stood that registration for and continued enrollment in this course constitutes permission by the student to use his or her works for educational purposes. In compliance with = the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, works in all media produ= ced by students as part of their course participation at Syracuse University= may be used for educational purposes, provided that the course syllabus mak= es clear that such use may occur.

Compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973[1] =

Students wh= o may need special consideration because of a disability should make an appointme= nt to meet with the instructor during office hours within the first two weeks = of class and register with the Office for Student Assistance in 306 Steele Hall (ext. 4357) and/or the Center for Academic Achievement in 804 University Avenue, Room 303 (ex= t. 2622.)

In order to receive disability-related accommodations or services, students must disclo= se their disabilities. Students with disabilities must provide documentation to the appropriate office. The documentation must be current, it must originate from a qualified specialist, and it must establish the nature of the impairment. It should, wherever possible, recommend appropriate accommodati= ons. The documentation serves as the basis for accommodation forms that are generated on behalf of the student. A sample accommodation form may be obta= ined from either the Office for Student Assistance or the Center for Academic Achievement.

Study Hints for Quizzes and Exams

1.&n= bsp;     2.&n= bsp;     3.&n= bsp;     &n= bsp; Start homework early so you can ask timely, pertinent questions.

4.&n= bsp;     5.&n= bsp;     6.&n= bsp;

Classroom and Lecture Etiquette

1.&n= bsp;     2.&n= bsp;     3.&n= bsp;     Repeated late e= ntry communicates a lack of consideration for the learning needs of others.

4.&n= bsp;     In addition, you will have plenty = of time at the end of class to pack your bags and leave – allow the instructor to finish the class before preparing your exit.

5.&n= bsp;     6.&n= bsp;     7.&n= bsp;     A short e-mail to your instructor noting your anticipated absence from a class is a welcome courte= sy.