a) Grading Components and Determination 

Exams.  ‘Bluebook’ format (a combination of short answer, essay, and problems).

Assignments.  Meant to provide exposure to problem solving and written report writing (key skills of effective operations managers).  A1 is mandatory plus two other case-based assignments from the assignment list (selection criteria to be discussed in class).  A written report for each assignment is to be submitted in memo format on the specified due date.  Work in groups of three or more on each assignment.

Reading Q&A. At least four 20 minute in-class exercises based on selected readings from our textbooks.  Format of the Q&A may vary from multiple choice quizzes to short essays to small case analysis.  The readings will be assigned at least one class in advance of the in-class exercise.  However, the date of the in-class exercise will not be announced in advance, and may range from one to three classes after the reading assignment.  Therefore, if you are not in class on the day of the in-class Q&A, then you will receive no credit for that exercise.  

 Class Forums.  There will be three class forums during the term.  Forums are in-class discussions centering on OM topics relevant to organizations and society.  You will prepare a one page brief on the topic ahead the discussion (50% of the grade) and then participate in the discussion (the other 50% of the grade).  Work in groups of three or more on each forum.

Professionalism.  I will focus on mannerisms that you should exhibit as an effective manager.  The extent to which you demonstrate engagement, respect, persistence, teamwork, and reliability will weigh heavily on your professionalism mark.

 Extra Credit.  Will be possible as term unfolds.  More later.

Course grading policy follows a conventional +/- scale.  Percent of total class points between: 93-100 A, 90-93 A-, 87-90 B+, 83-87 B, 80-83 B-, 77-80 C+, 73-77 C, 70-73 C-, 67-70 D+, 60-67 D, <60 F  

b) Attendance

Lack of attendance and low levels of participation will impact your professionalism mark.  Moreover, due to the nature of our class format, you WILL struggle if you miss class.  

Teams of at least 3 are mandatory for assignments and forums.  You determine team membership and how to divide work among the members.  A leader should be designated for each project.  Written submissions should list all contributing team members and who the leader was.  Whether or not leaders rotate from project to project is up to the team (leadership helps your professionalism score).  You are not committed to the same team for all projects; membership can change from project to project.

You can fire a team member for poor performance.  Before you do so, the team (preferably the leader) must notify the poor performer in writing (email message with cc me) that the team is considering firing the person and why.  The team member should have reasonable time to respond to the warning.  Names of team members who have been fired should not appear on written submissions; those individuals will receive zeros for the project and will need to find another team for future projects.  Teams that have fired members prior to a project due date may submit their written reports with less than 3 contributors for that project.  Whether that situation is permitted to carry over to future projects should be discussed with me. 

Maintenance of academic standards and integrity includes the obligation not to cheat or plagiarize.  A student who uses a dishonest or deceitful means to obtain a grade is guilty of cheating; a student who submits another’s work as one’s own without adequate attribution is guilty of plagiarism.  Identical work will earn a grade of zero.

Students are fully responsible for learning the course content and material disseminated in the class.  Absences do not release you from this responsibility.  Please see the NKU Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities at www.nku.edu/~deanstudents. 

For cheaters, I will enforce school policies to the fullest extent possible. 

e) Syllabus Changes and Current Information: Class Website

Dates and assignments documented in this syllabus are subject to change at my discretion, meaning that this paper version of the syllabus will become outdated as the term progresses.  While I will try to announce significant changes to our syllabus during class meetings, the electronic version of the syllabus posted on the class website will be updated as necessary to provide the definitive reference.  Indeed, our class website is your best source for course information.  Refer to it often. 

f) End of Semester Online Course Evaluations

Northern Kentucky University takes Instructor and Course evaluations seriously.  It is a responsibility of NKU students as citizens of the University to participate in the instructor and course evaluation process.  During the two weeks prior to the end of each semester, you will be asked to reflect upon what you have learned in this course, the extent to which you have invested the necessary effort to maximize your learning, and the role your instructor has played in the learning process.  It is important that you complete the online evaluations with thoughtfully written comments. 

Students who complete an evaluation for a particular course (or opt out of doing so in the evaluation) will be rewarded for their participation by having access to their course grade as soon as that grade is submitted by the instructor.  Students who do not complete the course evaluation (or opt out of doing so in the evaluation) should expect to incur a two week delay in access to their grades beyond the university’s official date for grade availability. 

To complete online evaluations go to http://eval.nku.edu.  Click “Student Login” and use your username and password as used on campus. 

g) Other Policies