M&IS 44095 Fall 2006 Howard

TERM	TIME/DAYS	ROOM	CALL NUMBER	INSTRUCTOR	CONTACT INFO
Fall 2006	12:30 - 1:45 TH	324 BSA	14189	Geoff Howard	Office: 427A BSA  E-Mail: ghoward@kent.edu  Home Phone: 330.628.5707

CONCEPT: This is a supported self-study credit-for-exam workshop. If you pass a certification exam during the period of the course, you'll be awarded an "A" (or an "A-" (see below)) and three credit hours. (You can quit coming as soon as you pass an exam, even if it is the first week!) You'll receive guidance on selecting which is the most appropriate Microsoft or other vendor's certification exam for you to take, will be guided in selecting study materials, and may then be grouped with other people who are preparing for that same exam. Class time will be devoted almost entirely to supervised group study. I'll be available for coaching. (I have multiple Microsoft certifications.) You should have taken "Small Systems Technology" in order to succeed in this workshop if you choose to take a networking (MCSA or MCSE) exam, or "Computer Programming for Business" if you choose to take a development (MCAD or MCSD) exam. But certification can still be achieved if you have good study discipline and good Windows 2000 or 2003 pre-knowledge.

PREREQUISITES: M&IS 24060 ("Systems Analysis I"), M&IS 24070 ("Principles of Systems Development"), Junior/Senior standing. The prerequisites listed in the on-line catalog are wrong. To do well, you need to have a fundamental understanding of Windows, and very good study habits.

COURSE MATERIALS: There are 10 of us in the course, and each person will select a Microsoft or other exam for which to study. Click here for the list of suggested materials. After you have selected your "target" exam, you may want to buy the "Transcender" practice exams for your chosen certification. We have an arrangement with Transcender Corporation that I'll explain in class. Neither of these (Transcender or a book) are required for the course, but they are helpful in preparing for the exam. You should consider buying the Visual CertExam Manager software for $19, which makes it possible to use a large number of free practice tests from http://www.examcollection.com . Also, you may choose to go to a commercial bookstore and buy the materials appropriate to your particular exam.

TEST FEES: You will be taking the certification exam at a Thompson Prometric Learning Center or at a Pearson Vue testing center. KSU is not authorized to administer these exams. There is a $125 fee for each test you take, whether you pass or fail. If you have to take a test twice to pass, you could be paying $250 or more out of pocket. Kent's Center for Information Systems is offering to reimburse certification exam fees for the first five people in the section who are MISA members and pass a certification exam.  

CONTACTING THE INSTRUCTOR: I'm very responsive to e-mail -- ghoward@kent.edu . Don't hesitate to call me at home if you need something in a hurry. 330.628.5707

PRACTICE EXAMS: I will administer the practice exam appropriate to your chosen certification in class on September 12, October 10, and October 12. Your test will be exactly the same practice exam on both dates, and it will be exactly the same practice exam (question pool) from www.examcollection.com from which you have been studying since the course began. You need to score at least 50% on the September practice test and at least 80% on the October practice test or you'll lose half a letter grade for the course at the end of the term. (See the grading table below.)

(Classes will not meet on any Tuesday/Thursday dates not shown in the table.)

TEXT: Varies -- we'll discuss in class on the first day. If you have not yet done so, click here for text suggestions.

WHY MICROSOFT CERTIFICATION ? There is high demand in the employment marketplace for people who possess formal industry skills certifications. Read "Benefits of Certification" to see how you can benefit from obtaining this credential. Also read the IDC White Paper on benefits of certification. You earn certifications by passing a test or a series of tests that prove the depth of your conceptual and practical knowledge. The most important of these are the two main certifications available from Microsoft: the MCSE ("Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer") and the MCSD ("Microsoft Certified System Developer.") Passing even only one of the exams gives you an edge in the job market and earns you MCP status, with these benefits. 

DELIVERABLES: There are no papers, projects, homeworks, or tests except for the certification exam itself.

GRADING:

 

REGISTERING FOR THE EXAM: You can register on-line at http://www.vue.com, but they require that you first establish a "web account" with them, which can take as long as 24 hours! The process is clunky. It is faster to phone the Pearson Vue registration hotline at 800.837.8734. You'll have to provide a credit card number to pay for the exam at the time of registration. Register at least a week in advance of your test date to reduce the chance that you will get closed out. 

UNIVERSITY BOILERPLATE
> <br> The Following Policies apply to everyone in this course.  

A.   Students attending the course who do not have the proper prerequisites risk being deregistered from the course.  

B.   You have responsibility to ensure they are properly enrolled in courses. You are advised to review your official course schedule (using Web for Students) to ensure you are properly enrolled in this course and section. Should you find an error in your course schedule, you have until [date will be provided soon] to correct the error with your advising office. If registration errors are not corrected by this date and you continue to attend and participate in courses for which you are not officially enrolled, you are advised now that you will not receive a grade at the conclusion of the semester for any course in which you are not properly registered.

C.   Academic honesty: Cheating means to misrepresent the source, nature, or other conditions of your academic work (e.g., tests, papers, projects, assignments) so as to get undeserved credit.   In addition, it is considered to be cheating when one cooperates with another in any such misrepresentation.  The use of the intellectual property of others without giving them appropriate credit is a serious academic offense.  It is the University's policy that cheating or plagiarism result in receiving a failing grade for the work or course.  Repeat offenses may result in dismissal from the University.

D.   Withdrawal: For Fall 2006, the course withdrawal deadline is Sunday, November 5. Withdrawal before the deadline results in a "W" on the official transcript; after the deadline a grade must be calculated and reported.  

E.   Students with Disabilities: University policy 3342-3-18 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access equal access course content.  If you have documented disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments.  Please note, you must first verify your eligibility for these through the Student Disability Services (contact 330-672-3391 or visit www.registrars.kent.edu/disability for more information on registration procedures).