MIS: Preparing Students for Leadership in the Age of Information Technology
 

From Hartford to Sri Lanka, CCSU Management Information Systems graduates are building careers beyond traditional data processing. “Our MIS program is based on the realization that in order for information systems to solve real business problems, those who design, develop, and manage them must have an understanding of both business and technology,” said Dr. George Claffey, MIS department chair and a Central 1970 graduate. The new information systems professional is becoming part of the leadership team that develops and implements strategic vision and mission. Therefore, he said, the emphasis of the major is on “preparing information specialists in systems, data management, operations, and functional areas, including accounting, management, finance, and other business areas.”

The “pervasive use of information technology in virtually every field of industry or service,” said Claffey, has led to increased enrollment in MIS programs and courses. The department’s 162 majors, many of whom have transferred from community colleges, are mostly adults holding full-time jobs. Some are clamoring for knowledge and skills in using technologies that apply to their day-to-day work, while others seek understanding of systems and technologies to afford their organizations an edge in the marketplace. “Business leaders value an educated MIS workforce, because it is essential for achieving competitive advantage in the globalized digital business environment,” observed Claffey.

The curriculum is built on a solid foundation of business courses—covering accounting, communication, finance, law, marketing, and management—enforced by the MIS core courses designed to stimulate innovation and analytical skills in e-business and e-commerce, project management, outsourcing, networking and systems analysis, and design. “We want students to be adept at generating timely, quality information for business decision-making,” explained Claffey.

Faculty Bridge Theory and Practice

A dedicated faculty is responsible for delivery of the teaching and learning of this varied program. They explore new technologies through research. “Because technology changes so rapidly, we must keep ourselves current,” stated Dr. Joo Eng Lee-Partridge, newest member of the department. “We cannot repeat our old notes.” And her research interests underscore the newness of the field: knowledge management, end-user computing, conflict management, Internet auction, and technology support of group work.

Education with a long-term view is a key philosophy in the department. Dr. Marianne D’Onofrio, a Central ’70 B.S. and ’74 M.A. graduate, commented, “Students need to develop knowledge and skills to work in the global business environment. They want to move forward in leadership and decision-making roles.” Misty Morrison ’03, consultant with the accounting firm of Deloitte and Touche, said, “My networking and application development classes—while they don’t have a direct relationship to what I do—were important to my current job. I’m not doing programming at all, but I read code in order to understand what the system does with information. Plus, the business-technical combination has helped me to integrate into my environment.”

A 15-year veteran on the MIS faculty, D’Onofrio has done research in collaborative technologies, information systems, curriculum and community informatics, and IT leadership and strategy. She has collaborated with Dr. Olga Petkova, whose expertise spans more than 25 years in software development, research, and teaching. Petkova stated that among the many “practical” projects MIS students undertake as part of their studies, several have been of service to “the communities of New Britain and Hartford, including Web sites for the New Britain Chorale, The Hartford Educational Deployment Utilities and even ‘The Hook-Up,’ a match-making site created by my students.”

Student Success Stories

Dr. Leslie Leong, whose expertise is in e-business and strategic IT management, believes in “teaching by application and not by memorization.” She stressed, “I integrate ethics in the courses I teach. I want our graduates to be accountable, ethical, and able to bring new ideas and solutions to their organizations.” She, like her colleagues, has invited as guest speakers senior officers from area companies so students gain insight into the practical applications of MIS. Plus, the MIS Students Club provides seminars and acquaints students with the evolving needs and opportunities for employment in Connecticut businesses.

Leong points with pride to a foursome of MIS graduates who started their own company. Brian Gibeault, Scott Taylor, Joseph Rasamny, and Richard Vinhais in their senior year launched Paradox Solutions, an IT solutions firm doing everything from Web design to network administration and wireless. It was initially based in CCSU’s business incubator facility in downtown New Britain. “Members of the MIS department were instrumental in helping us get started,” said Vinhais. The business still exists but is no longer a full-time concern. The partners have all found employment as infrastructure engineers, and Vinhais affirms, “We all got first-hand experience straight out of college, seeing what it takes to manage a business and to be successful in the competitive IT world. It was invaluable.”

Noting how variable are the routes to careers, Associate Professor Michael Gendron endorses a broad-based education that encourages flexibility. A 28-year veteran in IS and IT, Gendron has focused on management issues. He notes, “We provide a multidisciplinary view that integrates not just business and management but also writing, critical-thinking, and knowledge-acquisition skills in our courses.”

The case-study approach to teaching is widely used in the MIS department. In the international MIS graduate course, for example, “students study and analyze the deployment of global IT information systems in an actual company and present their findings,” according to D’Onofrio. One case study used in Dr. Tom Jarmoszko’s class dealing with a business plan in Jamaica prompted Benzy Fernando ’03, to start his own Internet café (complete with 10 PCs and Internet connectivity) in his native Sri Lanka.

Eight years since graduating in MIS, Jason Rosa has just been promoted as a Project Development Team Leader in IBM’s Enterprise on Demand organization. He will be responsible for projects that enhance productivity and efficiency of IBM’s global workforce of 320,000 employees. Rosa neatly summarized the benefits of the MIS program: “CCSU provided me with the business, technical, and communication skills necessary to understand and apply technology to solve business problems; to successfully market myself to employers; to build a substantial network of life-long personal and professional contacts; and to prepare me for an MBA degree for further career advancement at IBM.”

— Geri Radacsi

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Lat Modified: Tuesday April 15, 2008