Program Review for: Information Systems Program … · 2013-04-06 · Department of Accounting & Information Systems Report Completed by: ... 7.2 Narrative of Faculty Accomplishments:

Program Review for:

Information Systems Program

Department Head:

Dr. Michael Chiasson

Department of Accounting & Information Systems

Report Completed by:

The Information Systems Faculty

December 2010

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Table of Contents

1. Program Mission ........................................................................................................................ 4 1.1 Mission Statement for the Program: ..................................................................................... 4

1.2 Relationship to Institutional Mission: ................................................................................... 4 2. Program Curriculum .................................................................................................................. 5

2.1 Most Recent Curriculum Study: ........................................................................................... 5 2.2 Major/Minor:......................................................................................................................... 6 2.3 Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment (See part 2 of departmental annual plans): ... 7

2.4 General Education Requirements: ...................................................................................... 14 2.5 Anticipated Changes: .......................................................................................................... 16

3. Program Rationale ................................................................................................................... 17 3.1 Similar Programs Nearby ................................................................................................... 17

3.2 Relationship with these programs ...................................................................................... 18 4. Assessing Demand for Program............................................................................................... 19

4.1 List the types of jobs in which graduates with this degree could be expected to be

employed. ........................................................................................................................... 19

4.2 Specify national, state, and area need for graduates and indicate source(s) of data. ......... 20 4.3 Provide data on degrees awarded, number currently employed and projected demand for

graduates. ............................................................................................................................ 21

5. Outside Interest in the Program ............................................................................................... 22 5.1 Identify interest on the part of local groups, industry, research centers, other educational

institutions, or state agencies (example: Hospitals, culinary institutes, business.) ........... 22 5.2 Indicate the nature of contact made with these groups and the results of these contacts. .. 22 5.3 Summarize any formal arrangements with industry, government, and other agencies

outside of the academic community. .................................................................................. 22

6. Students .................................................................................................................................... 25 6.1. Enrollment: ........................................................................................................................ 25 6.2. Admissions Policies and Practices: .................................................................................... 26

6.3 Attrition and Graduation Record (See Appendix A): ......................................................... 27 6.4 Career Counseling:.............................................................................................................. 28

6.5 Follow-up and Student Placement: ..................................................................................... 28 7. Faculty...................................................................................................................................... 30

7.1 Faculty Who Are Direct Participants in the Program: ........................................................ 30 7.2 Narrative of Faculty Accomplishments: ............................................................................. 32 7.3 Staffing Changes: ................................................................................................................ 33 7.4 Strengths or Specialists Not Existing in Present Faculty: ................................................... 35 7.5 Special Faculty Services: .................................................................................................... 35

8. Departmental Objectives Related to the Program (See Part 1 of Level III Annual Plans) ...... 36 8.1 Annual Plans for Program ................................................................................................... 36

8.2 Changes in Departmental/Program Objectives: .................................................................. 36 8.3 Anticipated Changes in Departmental/Program Objectives: .............................................. 37 8.4 Do you believe the resources allocated to this academic program are adequate in

proportion to other programs in your college? If not, provide data and information to

justify your answer. ............................................................................................................ 37 9. Informational Resources/Libraries ........................................................................................... 37

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10. Facilities-Equipment .............................................................................................................. 38

10.1 Current Facilities and Equipment ..................................................................................... 38 10.2 Needed Additional Facilities: ........................................................................................... 39 10.3 Needed Additional Equipment:......................................................................................... 39

List of Tables

Table 1: Modified Course Requirements Effective in 2009 Catalog .............................................. 6 Table 2: Student Learning Outcomes ............................................................................................. 7

Table 3: Assurance of Learning: Database Design Assessment Results ...................................... 10 Table 4: Assurance of Learning: Computer Programming Assessment Results .......................... 11 Table 5: Assessment Results: Organizational Tools Initial and Final Exam ................................ 11 Table 6: Assessment Results: Effective Communication ............................................................. 12

Table 7: Competency in Business Disciplines: Assessment Results for Computer Information

Systems Program ........................................................................................................... 13

Table 8: Matrix Linking Program Curriculum to General Education Goals and Learning

Outcomes ....................................................................................................................... 15

Table 9: Comparison of Similar Programs by Program Name and Hours Required .................... 17 Table 10: Comparison of Course Requirements/Electives of Similar Programs .......................... 18 Table 11: Projections Data Projections data from the National Employment Matrix .................. 20

Table 5: Degrees Awarded in the CIS Program 2005-06 through 2009-10 ................................. 21 Table 13: Industries Employing CIS Graduates .......................................................................... 29

Table 14: Sample Employers of CIS Graduates ........................................................................... 30 Table 15: Faculty Profile And Teaching Load ............................................................................. 31 Table 16: Faculty Research / Scholarly Activities ........................................................................ 31

Table 17: Faculty Service and Awards ......................................................................................... 32

List of Figures

Figure 1: Average High School GPA of First-Time Students ...................................................... 25 Figure 2: Average ACT of First-Time Students ........................................................................... 25

Figure 3: Number of CIS Majors per Semester ............................................................................ 26 Figure 4: Average Number of Semesters to Graduate .................................................................. 27 Figure 5: CIS Degrees Awarded Per Year .................................................................................... 28 Figure 6: Average Number of Employees in Hiring Organizations ............................................. 29

Appendices

Appendix A: Fact Sheet for 5 Year Program Review, Faculty Profile Information, and SCH

Production Report ...........................................................................................................40

Appendix B: Evaluation Team Report ...........................................................................................60

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1. Program Mission

1.1 Mission Statement for the Program:

MISSION STATEMENT

INFORMATION SYSTEMS PROGRAM

The Information Systems program provides students with the knowledge, critical thinking skills,

and education to be successful in the information systems and business environment and to

perform as effective citizens.

1.2 Relationship to Institutional Mission:

The Nicholls State University Mission, the College of Business Administration Mission and the

Mission of the Information Systems program are closely correlated. The University mission

provides high-quality academic programs in disciplines that support the needs of Louisiana and

beyond. The College of Business Administration mission is supported by the IS program,

because the IS mission supports the College’s efforts to prepare students to participate in society

and the workforce as educated individuals. The purpose of the University, College, and the

program are also reflected in the objectives in the IS program. Information Systems offers a

quality academic program for students who wish to work in an information technology

environment and at the same time be productive citizens. The four-year curriculum prepares

graduates to successfully hold key information technology positions within an ever-changing

technology environment.

Beyond the classroom, the program encourages interaction among students and faculty through

sponsorship of the Information Systems club. Program faculty also advise and consult with

students concerning the achievement of academic and career goals.

Teaching is of primary importance, and faculty members are encouraged to continually develop

their pedagogy through continuing education, intellectual contributions, and professional

interaction. Faculty development is essential for the maintenance and improvement of programs

in order to continue to meet constituency needs.

NSU Mission Statement

Nicholls State University provides a unique blend of excellent academic programs to meet the

needs of Louisiana and beyond. The university cultivates productive, responsible, engaged

citizens in a personalized, culturally rich and dynamic learning environment through quality

teaching, research, and service.

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CBA Mission Statement

The College of Business Administration prepares students to contribute to a dynamic global

economy and diverse work force as well-educated, responsible business professionals by

continuously improving its teaching, research and service.

2. Program Curriculum

2.1 Most Recent Curriculum Study:

a. Last in-depth study:

The last program review was submitted in December 2005. Since that time, the curriculum has

been reviewed and changed so as to best meet the needs of students with increasingly limited

resources.

b. Changes to the curriculum were as follows:

2006

No changes.

2007

OIS 200 (Computers in the Office) is added as a requirement for CIS majors.

CIS 150 (Visual Computer Programming for Business) is developed and approved.

These courses are introduced into the curriculum to ease our beginning students into the

curriculum.

2008

MATH 261 requirement is changed to an elective because the Mathematics faculty were unable

to continue offering the course for our majors.

2009

The curriculum undergoes a dramatic revision. The changes include:

Giving students more flexibility to tailor their course of study to meet their interests by

introducing CIS elective requirements within the curriculum.

Easing the burden of a long sequence of required courses that must be taken in a specific

sequence—especially given that many of those courses were only offered once per

year—by modifying the prerequisite structure.

Giving students more hands-on practical experience in information systems by

introducing a series of required practicums.

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A summary of the modified course requirements is depicted in the following table.

Table 1: Modified Course Requirements Effective in 2009 Catalog

Courses Requirement Description

CIS 150 Visual Computer Programming for Business

CIS 255 Programming for Business Applications

CIS 231 Management Information Systems

Required courses introducing students to computer programming and the management of information systems.

CIS 310 Data Communications

CIS 320 Applied Database Development

CIS 330 Systems Analysis and Design

CIS 340 Electronic Commerce

A set of four junior-level courses required of all majors.

CIS 315 Advanced Networking and Telecommunications

CIS 355 Advanced Programming and Data Structures

CIS 420 Integrative Project Management

CIS 430 Information Technology Service Management

CIS 435 Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence

CIS 455 Integrated Web Development and e-Business

CIS 460 Management of Information Systems

Students are required to take CIS 460 as well as one of CIS 420 or 430. Students are also required to take 2 additional CIS electives—typically from those listed, an internship, or independent study/special topics course.

CIS 201, 202, 301, 302 A set of four 1-hour practicums is now required.

2010

No changes.

2.2 Major/Minor:

a. Major: The degree requires 122 hours.

b. Minor: This curriculum does not require a minor. Other majors can earn a minor in

information systems by completing 18 hours of coursework.

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2.3 Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment (See part 2 of departmental annual plans):

a. What are your student learning outcomes?

Table 2: Student Learning Outcomes

Goal 1: Students will be able to demonstrate competency in the development of information

systems.

Objective Course Assessment Method Expected Results

1.1 Students will be

able to perform a

systems analysis.

CIS 330

CIS 420

Systems analysis

project

80% of our CIS majors will meet or

exceed expectation on the systems

analysis project rubric


able to write computer

programs.

CIS 150

CIS 255

Programming

assignment


exceed the expectations on the

programming rubric.


able to design a

database.

CIS 320 Database assignment 80% of our CIS majors will meet or

exceed the expectations on the

database rubric.

1.4 Students will

demonstrate

knowledge in the area

of Networking.

CIS 310 LAN project 80% of our CIS majors will meet or

exceed the expectations on the LAN

rubric.

Goal 2: Students will be able to demonstrate competency in the management of information

systems.


2.1 Students will

show proficiency in

the use of

Organizational Tools

for the IS manager.

CIS 460 Exam 80% of our CIS majors will meet or

exceed expectation on the

Organizational Tools exam.

2.2 Students will

show proficiency in

project management.

CIS 420

CIS 330

Project 80% of our CIS majors will meet or

exceed expectations on the project

management rubric.

2.3 Students will

demonstrate an

understanding of IS

managerial

Perspective/Skills.

CIS 340

CIS 420

CIS 430

CIS 460

Managerial Case

Studies


exceed expectations on the

managerial case studies rubric.

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Goal 3: Students will be able to effectively communicate, both written and orally, information

systems developmental and managerial issues.


3.1 Students will

make effective

systems development

and managerial issues

presentations by

articulating their ideas

and thoughts clearly

and concisely in

grammatically correct

English using

presentation software.

CIS 310

CIS 340

CIS 460

CIS 485

Oral report and

PowerPoint

presentation

*Use the CBA

undergraduate oral

communications

rubric

80% of our CIS

majors will meet or

exceed expectations

on the oral

communications and

presentation graphics

rubrics.

3.2 Students will write

business reports

and/or other business

related

communications that

include effective

content presented

clearly and concisely

in grammatically

correct English using

appropriate

technology.

CIS 420

CIS 430

CIS 340

CIS 485

Written report

*Use the CBA

undergraduate written

communications

rubric

80% of the CIS

majors will meet or

exceed expectations

on written

communications

rubrics.

b. How are they assessed?

The student learning outcomes are assessed using a variety of projects, assignments, and exam

questions (as specified in the table above).

In addition, CIS students take the ETS Major Field Test in Business Administration. The results

of this exam are used to assess students’ knowledge of the various functional areas of business.

c. What are the results of those assessments and how have these results been used to

improve the academic program? (e.g. pedagogy, learning outcomes, classroom

experiences)

Goal 1: Students will be able to demonstrate competency in the development of information

systems.

For Learning Goal 1, Objective 1.3 (Students will be able to design a database) and Objective 1.2

(Students will be able to write computer programs) have been assessed every semester since

2009 Fall. The results of these assessments are summarized in the tables below.

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In respect to Database Design, the performance measures are mixed. Performance measures

related to designing databases using ER Diagrams and identifying keys are above the target of

80%. A little more attention to converting ER Diagrams into Relations and storing data in

relations is necessary. The lowest scores are related to the topic of Normalization. Interestingly,

the assessment results indicate that students are much better at applying Normalization to small

problems than large problems. This may indicate that they are more intimidated by more real-

world situations that contain more attributes. This material is initially covered in CIS 320

Applied Database Development. This course is being tweaked to focus on areas of weakness—

particularly normalization. Database design will also be covered in the new CIS electives CIS

435 and 455. We expect that this additional coverage will benefit students’ understanding of

these topics.

In respect to Computer Programming, students are better at structuring and debugging programs

than they are at defining methods and using objects. In analyzing these results, the faculty feel

that students are more capable than the results indicate. The primary argument against the results

that we’ve collected involves the conditions of the assessment. In real-world situations, students

have access to a huge array of references and examples to aid them in developing computer

programs. However, our assessments were conducted without allowing students to have access

to these resources. We are planning to allow students access to references in future assessments,

and we expect to see significantly improved results.

In addition to changes in administering the assessments, the faculty are planning modifications in

the curriculum to ensure that students are obtaining the necessary skills. In their second

programming course CIS 255 Computer Programming for Business Applications, students will

be assigned additional hands-on practical problems to help students to further develop the skills

measured by these performance measures. The new CIS courses 355 and 435 will also reinforce

computer programming concepts and skills. However, these courses are not required; they are

available as electives to students. This leaves us in a position where we should expect some

students (particularly those who decide to take the computer programming electives) to vastly

outperform others (those who do not take those electives) on Computer Programming

performance measures.

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Table 3: Assurance of Learning: Database Design Assessment Results

Semester Topic %Meet/Exceed Target SampleSize Below Meets Exceeds

2009 Fall ER Diagram 87% 80% 23 13% 78% 9%

2010 Fall ER Diagram 93% 80% 27 7% 93% 0%

2010 Spr ER Diagram 77% 80% 13 23% 77% 0%

Averages 85% 80% 21 15% 83% 3%


2009 Fall ER to Relations 74% 80% 23 26% 26% 48%

2010 Fall ER to Relations 89% 80% 27 11% 44% 44%

2010 Spr ER to Relations 69% 80% 13 31% 8% 62%

Averages 77% 80% 21 23% 26% 51%


2009 Fall Data in Relations 61% 80% 23 39% 26% 35%

2010 Fall Data in Relations 63% 80% 27 37% 19% 44%

2010 Spr Data in Relations 77% 80% 13 23% 31% 46%

Averages 67% 80% 21 33% 25% 42%


2009 Fall Normalization (Large) 48% 80% 23 52% 17% 30%

2010 Fall Normalization (Large) 33% 80% 27 67% 11% 22%

2010 Spr Normalization (Large) 38% 80% 13 62% 8% 31%

Averages 40% 80% 21 60% 12% 28%


2009 Fall Normalization (Small) 78% 80% 23 22% 26% 52%

2010 Fall Normalization (Small) 70% 80% 27 30% 41% 30%

2010 Spr Normalization (Small) 69% 80% 13 31% 38% 31%

Averages 73% 80% 21 27% 35% 38%


2009 Fall Identify Keys 83% 80% 23 17% 22% 61%

2010 Fall Identify Keys 96% 80% 27 4% 52% 44%

2010 Spr Identify Keys 85% 80% 13 15% 46% 38%

Averages 88% 80% 21 12% 40% 48%

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Table 4: Assurance of Learning: Computer Programming Assessment Results


2009 Fall Defining Methods 71% 80% 14 29% 29% 43%

2010 Fall Defining Methods 58% 80% 19 42% 26% 32%

2010 Spr Defining Methods 50% 80% 10 50% 20% 30%

Averages 60% 80% 14 40% 25% 35%


2009 Fall Using Objects 64% 80% 14 36% 36% 29%

2010 Fall Using Objects 47% 80% 19 53% 42% 5%

2010 Spr Using Objects 60% 80% 10 40% 40% 20%

Averages 57% 80% 14 43% 39% 18%


2009 Fall Structuring/Debugging 93% 80% 14 7% 14% 79%

2010 Fall Structuring/Debugging 89% 80% 19 11% 47% 42%

2010 Spr Structuring/Debugging 90% 80% 10 10% 20% 70%

Averages 91% 80% 14 9% 27% 64%

Goal 2: Students will be able to demonstrate competency in the management of information

systems.

During the Spring 2009 semester, Learning Goal 2, Objective 2.1 was assessed in CIS 460.

Learning Goal 2: Students will be able to demonstrate competency in the management of

information systems. Objective 2.1 – Students will show proficiency in the use of organizational

tools for the IS manager. Assessment was based on an initial exam and a comprehensive final

exam. Expected results were that 80% of the students would meet or exceed expectations on the

exam. The initial results were that only 50% met the criteria.

Table 5: Assessment Results: Organizational Tools Initial and Final Exam

Expectations

Initial Exam

Number of

Students

Final Exam

Number of

Students

Below 4 1

Meets 4 4

Exceeds 0 3

All students were given written and verbal feedback. Students who were below expectations

were given additional feedback regarding inadequate coverage of at least two content areas. It

was expected that the additional feedback would explain to students why they were evaluated as

below expectations and that they would perform better in these areas on the final exam.

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Students did perform better on the organizational tools section of the final exam. The learning

goal was met in that 87% of students met or exceeded expectations on the organizational tools

sections of the final exam.

Goal 3: Students will be able to effectively communicate, both written and orally, information


Learning Goal 3, Objective 3.1 was assessed in CIS 440.

Learning Goal 3: Students will be able to effectively communicate, both written and orally,

information systems developmental and managerial issues. Objective 3.1 – Students will make

effective systems development and managerial issues presentations by articulating their ideas

and thoughts clearly and concisely in grammatically correct English using presentation software.

Assessment was based on the CBA undergraduate oral communications rubric.

Table 6: Assessment Results: Effective Communication

Organization Content Delivery

Expectations Number of Students Number of Students Number of Students

Below 0 0 0

Meets 0 8 12

Exceeds 18 10 6

All students were given verbal feedback. Students who were below expectations were given

additional feedback on their presentation. It was expected that the additional feedback would

explain to students why they were evaluated as below expectations. If the students use the

feedback to improve their performance, then learning and performance will improve in future

work. The learning goal was met in that 100% of the students either met or exceeded

expectations on the criterion of Organization, Content and Delivery.

Assessment of Knowledge of Business Disciplines

In addition to the assessments detailed above, CIS students are required to take the ETS Major

Field Test (as are all students in the College of Business). CIS majors are expected to

demonstrate competency in all core business disciplines. The following table summarizes

students’ performance on these tests along with actions taken to address areas of weakness.

Results for additional learning goals for the college, along with the results and the use of those

results, can be found in the college’s AACSB International annual maintenance reports.

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Table 7: Competency in Business Disciplines: Assessment Results

for Computer Information Systems Program

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d. List any recommendations from the University Assessment Committee (beginning with

2007 reviews). How have these recommendations been addressed?

Areas identified as needing improvement:

1) More computer hardware.

Significant additional investment has been made in updating the computer labs’ hardware as

detailed in section 10 (Facilities-Equipment).

2) Needs to better address declining enrollment.

We have drastically revised the CIS curriculum with an aim of better serving students and giving

them more choices in tailoring their degree to their particular interests within the field of

Information Systems. We believe that this change will result in increases in enrollment.

3) Need to hire new faculty and monitor the activities of existing faculty.

Because of the current budget issues, we are unable to hire additional faculty. We are, however,

very active in monitoring the activities of faculty. Annually, faculty must update their vita and

submit a listing of the activities in which they participate—focusing on teaching, research, and

service activities—via Digital Measures.

2.4 General Education Requirements:

a. List those courses in your curriculum which may be completed to fulfill general

education requirements.

OIS 200 (Computers in the Office) can be used to satisfy the General Education Computer

Literacy requirement.

b. Explain how courses in your curriculum which are NOT designated as General

Education Courses reinforce or supplement the General Education goals and learning

outcomes.

The Information Systems curriculum was developed—and is continually refined—to reinforce or

supplement the University’s General Education goals and learning outcomes (as well as those of

the College of Business). Examples of how specific Information Systems courses reinforce each

of the General Education goals and learning outcomes appears below.

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Table 8: Matrix Linking Program Curriculum

to General Education Goals and Learning Outcomes

General education core proficiencies applied in major courses

Courses Reading

Comprehension

Effective

Communication

Critical

Thinking

Quantitative

Reasoning

and

Mathematics

Information

Literacy

Computer.

Literacy

CIS 150 Read & Understand

Basic Computer

Programming

Concepts

Divide and

Conquer

approach to

solving

computer

problems

Visual Studio

Visual Basic

CIS 231 Read & Summarize

& Analyze Current

IS Articles

Oral and Written

presentation of

current technology

article.

Projects require

use of online

library database

resources for

research.

Excel, Access

DBMS, and

PowerPoint

Usage

CIS 255 Read computer

programming

system

requirements.

Analyze, Develop

& Implement

Computer

Programming

Solutions

Using available

resources to

understand

problem

specifications

and to develop

solutions.

Visual Studio

Visual Basic

CIS 310 Assessment of a real-

world LAN

Design & present

a LAN based on

a scenario

Locate and Use

Info. Related to

designing a

LAN

Client-server

and Peer-to-

Peer lab

assignments.

Take computer

apart &

reassemble.

CIS 320 Read & analyze

database

specifications.

Independently work

through Access

DBMS tutorials.

Analyze, Develop

& Implement

Database

Solutions

Data Storage,

Analysis, and

Retrieval

Use web resources

to develop

further

understanding of

problem

domain.

SQL Server

DBMS

CIS 330 Current Technology

Articles Summary

and Analysis

Orally present current

technology article.

Oral and Written

presentation of

Semester Project.

Develop IS by

applying

problem solving

skills.

Quantitative

Techniques such

as: Critical Path,

Weighted

Reasoning, and

Value

Management

Projects require

use of online

library database

resources for

research.

CIS 340 Read & Summarize

recent & classic

articles from Web

Presentation of a

business plan for an

online business.

How to apply

materials from

class in a

business plan

format.

Locate & Choose

components for

an online

business.

Lab

assignments

based on

Javascript,

HTML, and

XML

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CIS 355 Read & Analyze the

importance of data

validity in an IS

Display the results of

an IS system in an

easy to understand

manner.

Analysis of

various

approaches

aiming to

optimize speed

and efficiency.

Students research

concepts

involved in

implementing an

IS

Visual Studio,

Access

DBMS

CIS 420 Current Technology

Articles Summary

and Analysis.

Read and Analyze an

IS-related Book.

Orally present current

technology article.

Oral and Written

presentation of

Semester Project.

Apply project

management

critical thinking

skills.

Quantitative

Techniques such

as: Critical Path,

Weighted

Reasoning, and

Value

Management

Projects require

use of online

library database

resources for

research.

CIS 435 Read & Analyze

Problem

Specifications

Independently work

through a series of

tutorials.

Discussion-type

written exam

questions.

Data warehousing

analysis,

development,

and

implementation

Business

Intelligence data

analysis

techniques.

SQL Server

DBMS

Business

Intelligence

Development

Studio


Problem

Specifications

Analyze, Develop

& Implement

Database and

Computer

Programming

Solutions

Comparative

analysis of

various computer

programming/DB

solutions

SQL Server

DBMS

Visual Studio

ASP.NET

VB.NET


Case Studies.

Oral Presentations on

Case Studies

Discussion &

defense of

proposed

actions in mini

cases & larger

case studies.

Locate & read info

on an assigned

current topic.

2.5 Anticipated Changes:

What changes, if any, are planned in the program curriculum during the next several

years? Be specific. Why are these changes planned? How will these changes affect its

enrollment, staffing and costs?

Because of the recent budget issues and our inability to hire additional faculty, we are attempting

to replace the requirement of the series of practicum courses (CIS 201, 202, 301, 302) with

BSAD 101. This change also brings the CIS curriculum into greater alignment with the other

curriculums with the College of Business Administration—CIS has historically been the only

curriculum in the college that did not require this course.

We are also moving forward with a change to bring OIS 200 from a three-hour course to a two-

hour course. This change was encouraged by the administration of the university to aid

curriculums across campus in bringing the number of hours they require to 120 (as required by

the Board of Supervisors).

We do not foresee these changes drastically affecting our current enrollment, staffing or costs.

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3. Program Rationale

3.1 Similar Programs Nearby

List similar programs and the names of institutions (public and private) offering the same or a

similar program within a 100 mile radius. See the table below for similar program comparison.

Table 9: Comparison of Similar Programs by Program Name and Hours Required

University Program Name Major Hours Required

Nicholls State University (AACSB)

Computer Information Systems 37 major hours

1. Univ. of LA, Lafayette,

Louisiana (AACSB)

Business Systems, Analysis &

Technology (MIS)

33 major hours + 6

hours CMPS

2. LSU, Baton Rouge,

Louisiana (AACSB)

Information Systems & Decision

Sciences—Mngt. Info. Systems 39 major hours

3. Southern University,

New Orleans, Louisiana Management Information Systems 45 major hours

4. Tulane University,

New Orleans, Louisiana

Applied Computing Systems and

Technology (Engineering and Sciences

College)

36 major hours

*Note: In 2005-2006, both Loyola University and Our Lady of Holy Cross also had programs.

Loyola had a computer information science program within the College of Business, and Our

Lady of Holy Cross had a concentration in CIS. Since that time, both of those schools have

restructured curricula and currently offer no information systems or computer science programs.

The table below details a comparison of equivalent course requirements of similar programs

within a 100-mile radius.

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Table 10: Comparison of Course Requirements/Electives of Similar Programs

31 required hours are highlighted; students also take 6 hours of CIS electives

Nicholls

Course Description

Univ. of

LA

Lafayette

LSU

Baton

Rouge

Southern

University

New

Orleans.

Tulane

University

New Orleans

CIS 150 Visual programming X X X CIS 201 (l hr)* Practicum I CIS 202 (1hr)* Practicum II CIS 231 Mngt. Info. Systems X X X X CIS 255 Program. Bus. Apps. X X X CIS 301 (l hr)* Practicum III CIS 302 (l hr)* Practicum IV CIS 310 Data Communications X X X CIS 315 Adv. Network & Telecomm X CIS 320 Applied Database Devel. X X X X CIS 330 Systems Analysis & Design X X X X CIS 340 E Commerce X X CIS 355 Adv. Program & Data Struc. X X CIS 400 Internship in IS X X X CIS 410 Special Topics X CIS 420 Integrative Project Mngt. X X X X CIS 430 IT Service Management CIS 435 Data Warehousing & BI X X X CIS 455 Integrated Web Dev. & E

Bus X

CIS 460 Info. Resources Mngt. X CIS 485 Special Prob. in Bus. Info. X X CIS 490 Independent Study X X X

* These 4 hours of courses are scheduled to be dropped from the curriculum effective 2011-12;

students will take BSAD 101 instead to fit with CBA core and also reduce curriculum to 120 hrs.

3.2 Relationship with these programs

How does your program compare with program outcomes in other universities? What are the

similarities and differences in your curriculum and credit hours to these universities?

The Nicholls Computer Information Systems curriculum contains courses in particular that are

found in similar programs within a 100-mile radius. Four programs within a 100-mile radius

have a major that has similarities to the CIS program at Nicholls. Three of the four similar

programs are housed in a College of Business. Tulane’s program is housed in the School of

Continuing Studies. The four comparison programs have major course hour requirements

ranging from 36 at Tulane to 45 hours at Southern University, New Orleans. UL Lafayette,

19

LSU, and SUNO all have a mixture of general education and a set of business courses to give

graduates a basic general education and a foundation in business. These programs are related to

all of the business programs and have similar outcomes in that graduates must have a foundation

in the information systems area and must have a background in the foundations of knowledge in

business. The course work hours required in the major for each are shown in the table above.

Two of the programs reside in a College of Business that is accredited by the AACSB—

International. Although Tulane’s program is not housed in their college of business, promotional

materials for the major recommend that the majors consider a minor in business.

In the 2010-2011 CIS curriculum at Nicholls, the total requirements for the CIS degree consists

of 122 semester hours. The CIS program is designed to give its students a broad education. The

program achieves this goal by including courses in general education, foundation of business

knowledge courses, and computer information systems courses similar to surrounding programs.

Students are required to take 37 hours of CIS courses. Courses in the program are designed to

develop both breadth and depth of knowledge of the information systems field.

In addition, CIS majors are required to complete the foundation of business knowledge courses,

which consists of 42 hours of core courses in the areas of accounting, management, finance,

economics, marketing, computer information systems, quantitative business analysis, and

business administration. The capstone course for all majors in the College of Business

Administration is the BSAD 490 - Business Policy course.

4. Assessing Demand for Program

4.1 List the types of jobs in which graduates with this degree could be expected to be employed.

Information systems and information technology (IS/IT) has become an integral part of modern

life and of the competitiveness of businesses, from largest global corporations to very small

entrepreneurships. IS/IT professionals are necessary in for-profit, not-for-profit, and

governmental organizations of all types and sizes. In addition there are employment

opportunities within the Information Systems and Technology industry itself. Whether a

business is large enough to employ its own IS/IT departments or a smaller organization that pays

for consultant services in the IS/IT area, many job opportunities and career paths exist for

today’s information systems graduate to choose from. The Nicholls IS program, which

combines a business core of coursework and information system/technology specialized courses,

prepares students for positions such as the following:

Analyst/Administrator

Application Engineer

Applications Analyst II

Business Analyst

Client Solutions Web Developer

Computer Analyst

Customer Relationship Management Systems Administrator

Database Administrator/Help Desk Technician

20

Database Specialist

Information Technology Applications Programmer I

Information Technology Manager

Network Administrator

PC Specialists and/or Technicians

Programmer

Programmer/Analyst

Senior Programmer/Analyst

Software Developer

Systems Analyst

Team Leader/Application & Technical Support

4.2 Specify national, state, and area need for graduates and indicate source(s) of data.

Nationally, the employment outlook is strong, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in

the Employment Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011. For computer network, systems, and database

administrators, the BLS predicts 286,000 new jobs in 2008-2018. Job prospects are also

excellent for computer software engineers within that same timeframe, although programmer

jobs are expected to decline by 3% within the decade. Computer systems analysts will have

excellent job prospects because of continual adoptions of increasingly sophisticated

technologies. Computer support specialist job prospects will also be especially good for college

graduates in the field. Finally, computer and information systems manager job prospects are also

excellent for the decade. The employment increase in each of these areas is projected above the

average for all occupations, as reported by the 2010-2011 Occupational Outlook Handbook. The

table below, from the Handbook, provides a summary of projections data.

Table 11: Projections Data Projections data from the National Employment Matrix

Occupational Title SOC Code

Employment, 2008

Projected Employment,

2018

Change, 2008-18

Detailed Statistics Number Percent

Computer network, systems, and database administrators

— 961,200 1,247,800 286,600 30 — —

Database administrators 15-

1061 120,400 144,700 24,400 20 [PDF] [XLS]

Network and computer systems administrators

15-1071

339,500 418,400 78,900 23 [PDF] [XLS]

Network systems and data communications analysts

15-1081

292,000 447,800 155,800 53 [PDF] [XLS]

All other computer specialists

15-1099

209,300 236,800 27,500 13 [PDF] [XLS]

Computer and information systems managers

11-3021

293,000 342,500 49,500 17 [PDF] [XLS]

NOTE: Data in this table are rounded. See the discussion of the employment projections table in the Handbook introductory chapter on Occupational Information Included in the Handbook.

ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/ep/ind-occ.matrix/occ_pdf/occ_15-1061.pdf

ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/ep/ind-occ.matrix/occ_xls/occ_15-1061.xls









http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco2001.htm#projections_data

21

Statewide, computer information related occupations are projected to average over 30 percent

10-year growth for the comparable areas above. Five categories specifically: computer software

engineers/applications; computer software engineers/system software; network and computer

system administrators; network systems and data communications analysts; and database

administrators, together reflect a 10-year new job growth of 2340 positions..

Over the next five years, the overall projected demand for CIS graduates looks bright, but

competitive, on the national and state levels; however, in the local area, CIS graduates will

continue to face a more competitive job market. But there is a need for our graduates in the

immediate local level of Assumption, Lafourche, and Terrebonne (Regional Labor Market Area

3) with the area projected to experience a 50% 10-year job growth in computer software

applications engineers and network and computer systems administrators. Additionally,

computer software engineers, systems software, network systems and data communications

analysts are expected to experience a 67.7% job growth within that same timeframe. In fact both

groups are listed as part of the top 25 fastest growing occupations through 2014 by the Louisiana

Department of Labor. Opportunities are brighter for CIS graduates willing to leave the region.

While a competitive job market exists outside the region, the demand for CIS graduates in larger

metropolitan areas is sufficient to provide a CIS graduate an opportunity to secure employment.

Additionally, several graduates have started technology consulting businesses while employed in

other occupations in the region.

Sources of Information:

National data was obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics within the Occupational Outlook

Handbook 2010-2011 (www.bls.gov).

The source for the state and local job growth statistics is taken from the Louisiana Works website

of the Louisiana Department of Labor.

4.3 Provide data on degrees awarded, number currently employed and projected demand for

graduates.

A Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a major in Computer Information

Systems is awarded. For the program review period the number of degrees awarded are reported

below. The Department believes that the program is currently returning to an upward swing, as

illustrated in a later section that reports number of majors currently enrolled.

Table 12: Degrees Awarded in the CIS Program

2005-06 through 2009-10

Year Degrees Awarded

2005-06 18

2006-07 19

2007-08 11

2008-09 4

2009-10 10

Total 62

http://www.bls.gov/

22

In fall 2008, the College of Business surveyed all 2003-2007 business graduates. Ten percent of

alumni responding to the survey were CIS graduates. All CIS graduates indicated they are

currently employed, although two were not in the IS field.

Of those students employed in the IS/IT field, the lowest salary range was $30,001-$40,000 (5);

the next salary range was $40,001-$50,000 (4); the top salary range was $50,001-$60,000. The

students who responded to the survey were employed in IS/IT positions in education,

governmental agencies, oilfield services companies, manufacturing organizations, and IS/IT

companies.

5. Outside Interest in the Program

5.1 Identify interest on the part of local groups, industry, research centers, other educational

institutions, or state agencies (example: Hospitals, culinary institutes, business.)

5.2 Indicate the nature of contact made with these groups and the results of these contacts.

5.3 Summarize any formal arrangements with industry, government, and other agencies outside

of the academic community.

The Information Systems faculty stays in contact with IS leaders in our community. Local

business and industry calls upon the program when specific position openings occur. Some do

this instead of (or in addition to) contacting the University Placement Office because of personal

contacts made and maintained with the faculty within the program. Additionally, several local

companies have partnered with the IS program, through the Information Systems Club, to have

students visit their facilities. These companies include Cisco Systems, New Orleans Hornets,

and Thibodaux Regional Medical Center. To further give students access to the pulse of the IS

community, faculty involved in the IS program frequently invite local executives as guest

speakers for conferences and classes. Particularly noteworthy, we have developed a relationship

with Microsoft through Dr. Bradley Jensen (Principal Academic Relationship Manager,

Microsoft Corporation) and with IBM through Ms. Sherry Welsch (IT Services Curriculum

Program Director, IBM Global Services). Both have visited Nicholls to give lectures and to meet

with faculty, administrators, and students.

Department faculty members serve as information systems consultants for area businesses. Our

faculty have either worked directory with, or interest has been shown by many groups, including

the following outside groups: Supreme Services, Tri-Parish Times, Habitat for Humanity,

Thibodaux Family Church, and CrossRoads Crisis Pregnancy Center. Database and World Wide

Web applications have been developed in connection with Supreme Services. Faculty have

worked with groups of students on projects to develop a website for a component of the Tri-

Parish Times newspaper and to design and implement a system to manage volunteers and

beneficiaries at Habitat for Humanities. The faculty has aided Thibodaux Family Church with its

Accounting Information System, with a system to maintain contact with its partners, and with

help in applying for local grant funding. Information systems support has also been provided to

CrossRoads Crisis Pregnancy Center.

23

Besides the work done with entities outside of Nicholls, the faculty has also been very involved

with assisting many different departments within the university community by sharing their IT

expertise. Some of the on-campus departments assisted recently include the following:

Research and Sponsored Programs, Physical Plant, Controller’s Office, and the Department of

Management and Marketing.

The CIS program also participates in the Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance Program and is

a member of the IBM Academic Initiative. The Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance

connects the CIS program with over 10,000 Microsoft Partners and more than 1,600 other

academic institutions around the world to provide shared curriculum resources and professional

development. In addition, the alliance makes the software that we utilize in our classes available

to our students for little or no cost. The “IBM Academic Initiative is a global program that

facilitates the collaboration between IBM and educators to teach students the information

technology skills they need to be competitive and keep pace with changes in the workplace. …

[Members] get no-charge access to hardware, full-version software, professionally developed

courseware, tools, training, books, and discounts” (IBM Academic Initiative).

The Otto Candies family has established a $1,000,000 Otto Candies Family Chair in Computer

Information Systems. The funds from this donation have been used to bring Dr. Neset Hikmet to

the faculty. Entergy, Inc. of Louisiana has established a $100,000 Professorship in the IS

Department. This professorship is held by Dr. Randy Ryker. These donations indicate strong

support and recognition that business and industry have given to the CIS program.

Dr. En Mao is responsible for coordinating the College of Business Administration’s study

abroad program in China. As such, she has worked to form a partnership with Hyundai Motors,

the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, and various entities within Hutong, Beijing, and Shanghai.

As the world’s second largest economy, one of the fastest growing superpowers, the fastest

growing telecommunications market, and the United States’ largest trading partner, China is a

unique learning opportunity for business students. The understanding and experience in China

will enable business students to compete more effectively in today’s global economy. The study

abroad program contains a ten-day trip in China, during which students tour multinational

corporations, have business lectures, visit historical sites, and attend cultural activities.

CIS majors also have the option to schedule the CIS 400 Internship course. Each internship site

supervisor signs the Internship Cooperative Agreement and Plan of Work to provide the intern

with specific experiences related to the CIS major. The companies listed below have all

provided internship opportunities for our students; the companies represent a broad selection of

industries, as well as governmental and not-for-profit entities.

Access Com

American Express Financial

Ascension Parish School Board

Chet Morrison Contractors

Cypress Development Group

Environmental Safety & Health Consulting

24

ES & H Consulting Services Inc.

LA Computer Medics

Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office

Loreliei Walker, CPA, LLC

Lorris G. Towing

Marine CFO

NSU Computer Services

Oceaneering International

Productivity Network Innovations

Rouse's Supermarket

RPC, Inc.

Shamrock Management

SLEC

South Central Planning & Development

St. Charles Public Schools

Thibodaux Regional Medical Center

Transech

The CIS Program has also formed a partnership with a number of eminent IS leaders within our

society who have agreed to serve on our advisory board. The advisory board meets annually to

provide oversight, guidance, and feedback for our program’s development. Below are the

members of our advisory board:

Terry Evans

Chief Information Officer

Thibodaux Regional Medical Center

Alan R. Hevner, Ph.D

Eminent Scholar and Professor

College of Business

University of South Florida

Sherry Welsch

IT Services Curriculum Program Director

SSME Advocate

IBM Global Services

Ralph S. Melian

VP of Business Development

Antares

Joseph Orgeron, Ph.D.

Chief Technology Officer

Montco Offshore, Inc.

Chris D. Oubre, Ph.D.

Baton Rouge Risk Management

ExxonMobil

Stewart Saathoff

President

Transech

25

6. Students

6.1. Enrollment:

a. What recruitment initiatives are in place other than the university recruitment program?

It is recognized that while there are increasing numbers of IS jobs in market, the number of IS

majors is shrinking. Several reasons contributed to the gap in the job market and enrollment. First,

many students do not appreciate the importance of technology in today's workforce. Second,

students do not know the job opportunities exist in the market. Third, the negative perception of IS

jobs created by the dot com crush at the turn of century lingers. In an effort to correct

misconceptions and get out the message of opportunities available, the IS faculty developed

brochures, fliers, and course materials for the entry-level classes targeting the misconceptions. The

IS website was also revamped to be more relevant.

In addition, faculty volunteers attend Transfer Day events at area Junior Colleges to promote all

College of Business Administration majors including Information Systems. These events are held

each spring, and those institutions that have pre-arranged transfer agreements with the colleges are

key targets. Faculty volunteers also attend College Days at area high schools in the fall semester.

The College’s External Relations and Communications Committee works with faculty to staff these

events and also to assure IS faculty attend the University Majors Day in which undecided freshmen

gather information about potential majors at Nicholls State. This committee is also charged with

other initiatives to increase interest in all CBA majors.

b. What are the qualities of students attracted to the program, (e.g., standardized test scores

for admission, GPA, etc).

The average high school GPA and ACT scores of students enrolling in the IS program are

summarized in the charts provided below. The average ACT scores show a marked increase initially

from 19.08 to 21.67 and then a stabilization at near level. This is expected due to the university’s

enactment of selective admissions policies. It is surprising, however, that we see a reverse

relationship in the high school GPA of these first-time students. While the 2005-2006 first-time

students had the lowest ACT scores, they have among the highest high school GPAs. Overall, there

is not much variation in the high school GPAs. They typically are a little higher or lower than 3.0.

3.23

3.09

3

2.91

3.09 3.09

2.7

2.8

2.9

3

3.1

3.2

3.3

Fall

20

05

Fall

20

06

Fall

20

07

Fall

20

08

Fall

20

09

Fall

20

10

19.08

20.31

21.67 21.24

21.75 21.6

17

18

19

20

21

22

Fall

20

05

Fall

20

06

Fall

20

07

Fall

20

08

Fall

20

09

Fall

20

10

Figure 2: Average High School GPA

of First-Time Students Figure 1: Average ACT

of First-Time Students

26

c. Explain enrollment trends (number of majors) for the 5-year period under review (See

Appendix A).

The chart below graphically depicts the enrollment trend for the IS program over the past five

years. Enrollment in the IS program was declining from 112 to 72 from 2005 to 2007.

However, since this low point, enrollment has more than doubled (to 146). The changes in the IS

program have had a significant impact on enrollment in the program.

Figure 3: Number of CIS Majors per Semester

d. Provide a 5-year projected enrollment for the program.

While the entire US economy has been challenged in recent years, the IS area has not been hit as

hard as many other industries. While many areas of the economy are shrinking, there is an

increasing number of IS jobs in the market. Many employers are worried about the availability

of those with appropriate skills. We believe that this trend will continue to push enrollment

higher. We also believe that the positive effects of the changes to the IS curriculum will

continue to boost enrollment. These factors pushing enrollment in the IS program higher may

even double the number of students that are currently enrolled. However, this trend may be

tempered by the effects of the strained budget situation currently facing the university. The

availability of course offerings and the number of faculty available to service IS students may be

inhibiting factors.

6.2. Admissions Policies and Practices:

Are there special admissions policies for students wishing to enter this program? If so, explain.

For example, indicate numbers applying, accepted, and enrolling; the geographic areas from

which they came; special recruitment programs for minorities and other special considerations.

There are no special admissions or recruiting policies for students wishing to enter the

Information Systems Program.

112

102

89

77 72

82

93 101

141 133

146

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

2005Fall

2006Spring

2006Fall

2007Spring

2007Fall

2008Spring

2008Fall

2009Spring

2009Fall

2010Spring

2010Fall

27

6.3 Attrition and Graduation Record (See Appendix A):

a. Explain attrition record of candidates for degrees during the last 5 years. What

strategies are in place to address attrition?

The attrition rate shows a dramatic change within the past 5 years. The attrition rate before 2007

was above 60%. This trend is partly related to loss of students following Katrina recovery period

and partly due to students becoming frustrated with the program’s course offerings. Due to

faculty constraints, we were unable to offer many of the required IS courses more than once per

year. This brings up a particularly serious problem for some students when the degree requires a

particularly long sequence of prerequisites. Students who avoid scheduling advice may fail to

register for degree requirements, and students who do register may not pass the course. This

problem puts students in a situation where they must either delay their anticipated graduation

date by a year or switch majors. Many students are not able to (or willing to) delay their

graduation date for a number of reasons, so they switch majors.

To address this issue, we have undergone a drastic revision of the IS curriculum to remove this

long sequence of prerequisites. Since we have begun this initiative, only 1 student (from the Fall

2004 cohort) of those included in the data provided by Institutional Research did not stay

enrolled in the IS program. All other students graduated. Therefore, we see drastic

improvements in the attrition rate since that point in time.

b. Explain number of semesters to graduate. If average number of semesters to graduate

exceeds university average, please explain.

The average number of semesters to graduate is depicted in the following chart. The program is

relatively consistent in graduating students in less time than the university’s average. The

exception was in 2008-2009. In this year, we had a dip in the number of graduates. The average

ACT of graduates was particularly low that year (see Appendix A), and a larger proportion of

those graduating were required to repeat courses required by the degree.

Figure 4: Average Number of Semesters to Graduate

12.53 12.66

11.86

12.88

12.25

11.5

12

12.5

13

2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010

CIS

NSU

28

c. Explain graduation data (trends or fluctuations in number of degrees awarded) for last 5 years.

The number of degrees awarded is summarized in the chart below. The pattern that we see here

matches the enrollment pattern for the program. We expect to see a marked improvement in the

coming years as the enrollment in the program has drastically improved.

Figure 5: CIS Degrees Awarded Per Year

6.4 Career Counseling:

What advisement and counseling service, other than provided by the university, do you provide

to students?

The Information Systems program prides itself on being accessible to students for career

counseling and advising throughout their academic career. Beyond the official university

advising period, faculty consistently practice an open-door policy, encouraging students to come

to them with questions on any aspect of their academic careers and their future career choices. In

addition, the CBA maintains close ties to many regional employers who routinely provide us

with information on job openings in their organizations. This information is disseminated to

students and alumni via email, Blackboard, and two plasma screens located in Powell and White

Halls. Area businesspeople and recruiters occasionally make presentations to students about

career opportunities and/or job hunting tips either in classes or to student organizations.

The College internship program has helped many students obtain internships giving them real-

life, hands-on experience in various areas of management. Some students have obtained

permanent employment through their internship participation.

6.5 Follow-up and Student Placement:

a. Provide information with respect to former students in the program (job placement, continuing

degree work, etc.) over the past five (5) years?

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010

29

The region from which we draw many students has experienced an exceptionally low

unemployment rate during the cycle covered by this report, and our students have benefited with

ample employment options. However, we anticipate with the current economic decline we may

face new challenges with placement—although the unemployment rate in the area is still

extremely low.

Based on (1) the data reported by alumni in a recent College of Business Administration survey

of undergraduate graduates and upon (2) personal contacts between faculty and alumni

(including references and letters of recommendation), we provide the following data relative to

job placement of IS graduates.

Our graduates work in a number of different types of businesses—including education,

information technology, governmental, telecommunications, and retail. We summarize the data

reported in the following table. We believe that the large proportion of graduates reporting that

they work in education is not representative of the overall population. However, the faculty are

in more direct contact with these graduates (several of them work for the university)—so they

may feel more compelled to respond to our survey request. We believe that the percentage of

CIS graduates employed in education is inflated because of this.

Table 13: Industries Employing

CIS Graduates

Education 33%

Information Technology 19%

Governmental 14%

Telecommunications 10%

Retail 10%

Health Care Services 5%

Oilfield Services 5%

Manufacturing/Production 5%

As the chart to the right indicates, our

graduates work in many varied-sized

organizations. Nearly half of our graduates

work in organizations that are very large

(with 250+ employees). Of the other

respondents, a few work in very small

organizations (25 or fewer employees). The

other half of our graduates are pretty evenly

distributed among organizations with 26 to

250 employees.

1-25 5%

26-50 20%

51-100 15%

101-250 15%

250+ 45%

Figure 6: Average Number of Employees

in Hiring Organizations

30

Listed below is a sample of employers who hire our students. This list is not exhaustive. It is

designed to demonstrate that Computer Information Systems graduates are succeeding with job

placement.

Table 14: Sample Employers of

CIS Graduates

Advance Software Advanced Logistics, LLC Antares Assumption Parish School Board Central Catholic High School Complete Network Management

Department of Public Safety Disability Determinations ExxonMobil Fletcher Technical Comm. College Lafourche Telephone Co, LLC Microsoft Montco Offshore, Inc. Nicholls State University Rouses Schlumberger St. Genevieve School Textron Marine & Land Systems

Thibodaux Regional Medical Center Transech Vandebilt Catholic High School

b. What percentage of graduates from this major has entered graduate or professional school?

The IS program has had a total of 62 graduates in the past 5 years. During the same period, we

have had 13 students who were CIS students graduate with MBAs from Nicholls. We are aware

of 6 additional CIS graduates who have completed or are pursuing Masters degrees at other

institutions. Additionally, 2 CIS graduates from within the past 5 years have either completed or

are pursuing Doctoral degrees.

7. Faculty

7.1 Faculty Who Are Direct Participants in the Program:

See Tables 15, 16, and 17.

31

Table 15: Faculty Profile And Teaching Load

(Report quantity for last 5 years or since last review)

Name Date of

Employment Present Rank

Full-Time /

Part-Time

Tenured/

Non-

Tenured

Highest

Degree

Earned

Average

Teaching Load

Average No. of

Advisees

Assigned by

Program

FT PT T NT Credit

Hour

Contact

Hour Grad.

Under-

grad

Dr. Khurrum Bhutta 2001-2008 Assistant

Professor FT T Ph.D. 11 10 15

Dr. Ronnie Fanguy 1999 Associate


Dr. Neset Hikmet* 2008 Professor FT* T Ph.D. 7 7 20

Dr. Betty Kleen 1979

Distinguished

Service

Professor

FT T Ed.D. 6 6 18

Dr. En Mao Associate


Dr. Ken Rachal 1981-2006 Professor FT T Ph.D. 9 9 0

Dr. Randy Ryker 1994 Professor FT T Ph.D. 10 10 18

Mr. Kit Williams 1987 Instructor FT NT M.S. 13 13 18

*As of Fall 2010, Dr. Neset Hikmet is only a part-time faculty member.

Table 16: Faculty Research / Scholarly Activities


Name

No. of

Refereed

Publications

No. of

Citations

Grants No. of

Presentations No. of

Exhibitions No. Amount Paper Poster

Dr. Ronnie Fanguy 7 4 $151,328 9

Dr. Neset Hikmet 13 2 $763,311 12

Dr. Betty Kleen 8 5 $231,860 11

Dr. En Mao 9 6 $211,652 6

Dr. Randy Ryker 3 3 $176,846 1

Mr. Kit Williams 3 $147,623

32

Table 17: Faculty Service and Awards


Name Committees National/State

Committees

Professional

Committees

Awards /

Recognition Univ. College Prog. Dept.

Dr. Ronnie Fanguy 3 5 4 2

Dr. Neset Hikmet 1 1 3

Dr. Betty Kleen 13 6 2 10 5

Dr. En Mao 2 6 2 10 3

Dr. Randy Ryker 5 4 2 1

Mr. Kit Williams 9 3 5 2

7.2 Narrative of Faculty Accomplishments:

Summarize quality of faculty achievements accomplished in program.

Dr. Ronnie Fanguy primarily teaches database and computer programming courses. Dr. Fanguy

actively shares his enthusiasm for IS in the classroom. In addition, he strives to bring as much

practical, hands-on experience as possible into his courses with the aim of achieving higher

levels of student engagement and understanding. Dr. Fanguy has been active in publishing

research with numerous colleagues within the College of Business. He has twice received

Distinguished Paper Awards for his research. Dr. Fanguy has also been successful in obtaining

grant money to improve the technological facilities of the campus. While he is active in

providing service to the campus and community, Dr. Fanguy has, perhaps most notably, served

as the coordinator for the College of Business’ Annual Honors Banquet since 2005.

Dr. Neset Hikmet was hired in 2008 as the Otto Candies Endowed Chair in Information Systems.

Dr. Hikmet’s research interests are the use of information technology and the economics of

information technology investments in organizations. His keen interest is to advance the

strategic application of information systems aimed at improving the effectiveness of value

creation in organizations. Dr. Hikmet has published numerous scientific papers, and he is very

active in professional organizations. Dr. Hikmet was the coordinator for the recent revision of

the Information Systems curriculum and is primarily responsible for initiating our department’s

participation as a Microsoft Dynamics Academic Alliance Member and as a member of the IBM

Academic Initiative.

Besides serving as the Director of University Graduate Studies, Dr. Betty Kleen is an Alcee

Fortier Distinguished Professor and Distinguished Service Professor of Information Systems.

Dr. Kleen typically teaches Business Communications and Introduction to MIS. In 2006 the

International Association for Computer Information Systems recognized her as Computer

Educator of the Year. In 2007 she received the 2007 Outstanding Educator Award from the

Association for Business Communication, Southwestern U.S. Dr. Kleen has published 8

33

refereed journal articles and 11 conference proceedings and received 3 best paper awards in the

last five years. She has participated in obtaining over $225,000 in grant money for the College

of Business in that same timeframe. In addition to being very active in providing service to

Nicholls, Dr. Kleen is extremely active in various professional organizations. She currently

serves as the Executive Director of the Federation of Business Disciplines, Editor of the Journal

of Business and Training Education, board member of Thibodaux Friends of the Library, and

manuscript reviewer for several professional organizations and publications.

Dr. En Mao believes information systems is a critical skill every student needs to be educated

about. The field also offers excellent career opportunities, especially in the midst of a shortage

of individuals trained in information systems. She teaches IS courses at both the undergraduate

and graduate levels (including both the traditional and Executive MBA programs). Dr. Mao

developed the China study abroad program at Nicholls State University. She led the first group

of Nicholls students to China in Summer 2009 and a second group in Summer 2010. Dr. Mao’s

current research interest is information technology acceptance issues and technology

management in China. She has published 8 refereed journal articles, 6 conference proceedings,

and a book chapter in the past five years. In addition, Dr. Mao has participated in 6 grant

projects resulting in over $200,000 in funding. She has also been awarded the Agnes H. Candies

Professorship in Business Administration and the Organizational Leadership Award by the

Global Information Technology Management Association.

Dr. Randy Ryker holds the Entergy Endowed Professorship in Information Systems. He has

been chosen as a Fulbright Scholar. Dr. Ryker teaches Management Information Systems

courses as well as courses in Data Communications and Electronic Commerce. Dr. Ryker has

recently published an analysis of “Special Topics Courses in Information Systems”—research

for which he was awarded a Distinguished Paper Award. Dr. Ryker has been designated a

Master Advisor as of 2008, and he has participated in obtaining over $175,000 in grant funding.

Mr. Kit Williams teaches courses primarily focused on computer programming, computer

literacy, and decision-making techniques. He regularly receives letters of recognition from past

students. He works cooperatively with businesses in the region and particularly with other

departments at Nicholls. Mr. Williams is very involved with the university’s athletics

associations.

7.3 Staffing Changes:

a. What staffing changes have occurred in the last five (5) years?

2006

In the fall of 2006, Dr. Ken Rachal retired (having previously served as Department Head of

Information Systems), and Dr. En Mao joined the Information Systems faculty. That same

semester, the Information Systems Department and the Department of Accounting and Business

Law merged into the Department of Accounting and Information Systems with Dr. Michael

Chiasson (from the Accounting faculty) as Department Head.

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2007

No changes.

2008

After the Spring semester, Dr. Khurrum Bhutta left the Information Systems faculty. In the Fall

semester, Dr. Neset Hikmet joined the IS faculty as the Otto Candies Endowed Chair in

Information Systems.

2009

No changes.

2010

Beginning with the Fall semester, Dr. Neset Hikmet’s rank was changed to adjunct instructor.

b. What staffing changes are planned (needed) in the next five (5) years?

We would like to hire 2 additional Information Systems faculty members—one academically

qualified tenure-track position and one professionally qualified non-tenure-track position.

c. Give a rationale.

In the past, the department has relied heavily upon adjunct faculty to teach OIS 200 (computer

literacy). With the recent budget cuts, we have been unable to hire adjunct instructors to cover

this course. As a consequence, the offering of OIS 200 sections has been reduced. This creates

problems for students who need this course to fulfill their general education computer literacy

requirement. In addition, the offering of CIS courses has been limited as well because faculty

who would normally teach the CIS courses are teaching OIS 200 instead. In fact, most of the

three- and four-hundred level CIS classes are offered at most one section per year. Therefore,

CIS students have more difficulty in getting the appropriate classes. If they do not schedule a

required class when it is offered or if they happen to fail a required CIS class, the setback can be

significant. Hiring a professionally-qualified, non-tenure-track faculty member to focus on

teaching OIS 200 would ease these problems.

At this point, we are unsure as to whether or not Dr. Neset Hikmet will continue to be associated

with the IS faculty. We will need to hire someone to fill his position if he leaves.

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7.4 Strengths or Specialists Not Existing in Present Faculty:

What strengths or specialties not possessed by current faculty would be desirable to

improve the program and its mission?

There are no obvious areas of weakness in meeting the needs of Information Systems students.

7.5 Special Faculty Services:

a. What professional development program(s) or activities, other than provided by the

university, does the department have for its faculty?

The Accounting and Information Systems Department, as part of the College of Business,

regularly provides partial funding ($1000 per year per faculty member) for faculty members to

attend academic conferences to present scholarly works, such as academic papers and case

studies.

Most of the Information Systems faculty (Dr. Betty Kleen, Dr. Randy Ryker, Mr. Kit Williams,

and Dr. Ronnie Fanguy) have been certified as Master Advisors through the Master Advisor

Workshops Program directed by Dr. Robert Alexander.

b. What other services are the faculty providing?

Administrative services are provided by Dr. Betty Kleen, who serves as the Director of

University Graduate Studies, and Dr. Ronnie Fanguy, who is the coordinator for the Annual

College of Business Honors Banquet. Both Dr. Kleen and Dr. Fanguy also serve as advisors for

honor societies within the university community.

Dr. Mao provides services as a co-principal investigator on various technology grants for the

College of Business, including a recent LEQSF grant titled “Interactive Teaching Classroom in

Support of the Computer Information Systems Program at Nicholls State.” She is an associate

editor of the Journal of Information Privacy and Security and an editorial review board member

of the Journal of Global Information Technology Management.

Dr. Ryker provides services as the faculty advisor for the Nicholls Karate Club. Each year he

coordinates a one-week karate camp for children ages 6-13 to raise monies for the club. He also

trains the club on an as needed basis. He supports the IS Computer Club by attending their

meetings and their field trips. Recent trips have been made to the New Orleans Arena, Cisco's

headquarters in New Orleans, and Thibodaux Regional Medical Center. He continues to

participate in grant writing in the interest of improving/maintaining the computing and

technology infrastructure of the College of Business.

Members of the IS faculty have taught several independent studies courses and supervised

several internships at no cost to the university (in addition to the normal teaching load).

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8. Departmental Objectives Related to the Program (See Part 1 of Level III Annual Plans)

8.1 Annual Plans for Program

What objectives related to your program has your Department achieved within the past five

years? (As reflected in Part I of the Level III Annual Plan Assessments for past five years)

In support of maintaining a commitment to intellectual contribution, Information Systems

faculty continue to publish and present research.

The program accepts transfer credits from community colleges as per agreements.

OIS 200 has been offered as an online course since Fall 2007 semester, and CIS 231 was

initially offered as an online course Spring 2010.

Faculty continue to write grant proposals and receive monetary awards.

In support of efforts to increase recognition and visibility of the CBA, IS faculty have

appeared on HTV (Dr. Hikmet, Dr. Mao) and other media outlets.

Dr. En Mao is responsible for developing an opportunity for students to study abroad in

China.

An IS course has been developed in support of the EMBA program.

All faculty are using Blackboard.

8.2 Changes in Departmental/Program Objectives:

What changes, if any, have occurred in program objectives within the past five years?

The Computer Information Systems Expected Learning Outcomes and Objectives were refined

within the last five years to target specific areas of expected competence. Previous outcomes and

objectives were seen as too broad and too cumbersome to assess and control effectively. The

current outcomes and objectives reflect the core components of the Information Systems

program, and they can be addressed and assessed in specific courses that students are required to

take.

The current student learning outcomes, as reported in Section 2, are as follows:

1. Students will be able to demonstrate competency in the development of information

systems.

a) Students will be able to perform a systems analysis.

b) Students will be able to write computer programs.

c) Students will be able to design a database.

d) Students will demonstrate knowledge in the area of networking.

2. Students will be able to demonstrate competency in the management of information

systems.

a) Students will show proficiency in the use of organizational tools for the IS

manager.

b) Students will show proficiency in project management.

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c) Students will demonstrate an understanding of IS managerial perspective/skills.

3. Students will be able to effectively communicate, both written and orally, information


a) Students will effectively make presentations related to information systems

development and management by articulating their ideas and thoughts clearly and

concisely in grammatically correct English using presentation software.

b) Students will write business reports and/or other business-related communications

that include effective content presented clearly and concisely in grammatically

correct English using appropriate technology.

8.3 Anticipated Changes in Departmental/Program Objectives:

What changes, if any, in program objectives are being considered for the future (ex:

expansion? downsizing? other?) Why? To what extent will the change in objectives

affect changes in the program? How will these changes affect enrollment, staffing and

costs?

Because of the recent revision in the curriculum, we are in the process of reviewing the program

objectives to determine if they need to be revised as well. However, we do not expect any major

changes.

8.4 Do you believe the resources allocated to this academic program are adequate in proportion

to other programs in your college? If not, provide data and information to justify your answer.

The resources allocated to the Information Systems program seem adequate in proportion to the

other programs in the college.

9. Informational Resources/Libraries

Are the library resources appropriate for the needs of the program? Why or why not?

Current informational resources properly satisfy the Information Systems faculty’s informational

needs. Specifically, the research collections and databases available via the electronic library

resources provide the information necessary to support classes and research. Additionally, when

articles/books are not immediately available, the interlibrary loan services provide a timely

response to faculty needs.

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10. Facilities-Equipment

10.1 Current Facilities and Equipment

All faculty in the information systems program have computers and printers in their offices.

These include network and Internet access, as well as a web-based e-mail system. Faculty, staff,

and students have access to many on-line search engines and databases through Ellender

Memorial Library. Students have dial-up access, university e-mail accounts, and Internet access

to the Blackboard e-learning system. The College also has on-site computer support staff.

Powell and White Halls, as well as the courtyard between the buildings, have wireless access.

Two computer labs are available in Powell Hall. One lab, 109 Powell, has 29 Pentium 4

computers with CD-ROMs, DVDs, and CD burners, two laser printers, one color inkjet printer, a

scanner, and a copier. These computers all have Internet access and are running Windows XP,

MS Office Professional, SQL Server, Visual Studio, SPSS, QM, POM, Excel QM2, Research

Insight, Business Strategy Game 7e, and Peachtree Complete Accounting (educational version).

The other lab (110 Powell), designed for teaching, has 40 computers, including 39 for students

and one for faculty, with the same specifications and software as those in Powell 109. This lab

also has a ceiling mounted projection unit and laser printer.

Two additional computer labs in White Hall are utilized by the CIS program. Both of these labs

underwent complete renovations in 2009-2010. The lab in room 202/203 was funded by a

$48,723 Nicholls ITS grant, and the lab in room 205 was funded by an LEQSF grant “Interactive

Teaching Classroom in Support of the Computer Information Systems Program at Nicholls

State,” Contract No. LEQSF(2008-09)-ENH-UG-21. This grant totaled $71,768.

The Nicholls ITS grant for 202/203 White was used to upgrade 30 existing computers and

purchase 14 additional computers to bring the total number of computers available to 44 (43

student computers and 1 teaching computer). The grant also provided a dual projection system

and network upgrades.

The LEQSF grant money for 205 White was used to acquire and install 24 student machines and

an instructor machine with Sympodium. These are Dell Optiplex 760 Mini Tower Base with 19”

Ultrasharp Widescreen flat panels, 2.80GHz processor, 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, and 160 GB

harddrive. The student monitors are widescreen, selected to provide ample screen work area for

technical classes. The instructor’s station has the same computer as the student stations. In

addition, a 17” Sympodium is added.

A new dual projection system was also installed in this lab which enables instructors to project

two completely separate contents. For example, the instructor can project a database logical

design on one screen and demonstrate the creation of the actual database on the other screen.

New motorized screens were installed to facilitate changing to whiteboard use during class time.

The instructor Sympodium and the monitor mirror the dual projection system. One advantage of

this is that it allows the instructor to discuss lecture materials and demonstrate technically in a

program simultaneously.

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The grant also provided a new scanner and document camera. Four servers were purchased to

support various class projects. A brand new dual projection system was installed with sound and

video capturing capability. The wiring of the entire room has been upgraded and properly

restored. The room also had been repainted and a new whiteboard was installed.

The upgrades also include a video camera system that directly links to the existing MediaSite

server. This camera system can be used to facilitate and assess student team project work.

Student project presentations can be created as stream videos and instructors can critique

interactively with students. Students can also use the camera system to create video components

for various class projects, such as web applications and training videos for a system they

develop. The lecture can also be preserved using this system and used during Hurricane

interruptions. Key components of the system include a Sony EVi-70 Camera, a Confidence

Monitor, and the Shure PG14/PG185 Receiver Package.

A document camera is yet another technical extension provided in the lab upgrades. The

information systems class work and projects involve a significant amount of current technology

readings and diagramming. The document camera is similar to the traditional overhead projector

in concept; however, it does not require faculty to have to produce a transparency. This also

helps to enhance the interactivity of all CIS classes. Student work that is on paper, such as a

system design sketch, can be immediately projected for the entire class using this camera.

Technology components such as computer chips (which many be damaged in handling) can also

be immediately projected rather than handing them out to each individual student.

10.2 Needed Additional Facilities:

a) What additional facilities, if any, are needed in order to improve the quality of the

programs being offered?

b) List any such items proposed for the next five years and provide a cost estimate for

each biennium.

No additional facilities are deemed critical for the next five years.

10.3 Needed Additional Equipment:

a) What additional fixed and movable equipment, if any is needed in order to improve

the quality of the program being offered?

b) List all items proposed for the next five years and provide a cost estimate.

Since we recently (2009-2010) upgraded the computer labs that we primarily use to teach

Information Systems courses, we do not foresee additional hardware upgrades in the next few

years. However, software upgrades as appropriate based on industry releases will be essential.

Program Review for: Information Systems Program … · 2013-04-06 · Department of Accounting & Information Systems Report Completed by: ... 7.2 Narrative of Faculty Accomplishments:

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