Syllabus comm 290 2021 Sauder UBC Business School PDF

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Comm 290 syllabus 2021/2022 Sauder School of Business Vancouver Main Mall #nexttomercante lol...

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COURSE INFORMATION Course title: Introduction to Quantitative Decision Making Course code: COMM 290 Credits: 3 Session and term: 2021W1 Class location: HA 098 Sections and times: 101.......................................... MW 8:30–10:00 102.......................................... MW 11:30–13:00 103.......................................... MW 13:00–14:30 104.......................................... MW 21:00–22:30 Labs: Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays (each student is registered in one lab section) Course duration: Sep – Dec, 2021 Pre-requisites: n/a Division: OPLOG Co-requisites: n/a INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION Instructor (1st half): Greg Werker, PhD Greg’s office: HA 479 Office hours: Tue 2–3:30, Thu 10–11:30 (Check Canvas for updates) Email: [email protected]

Instructor (2nd half): Tim Huh, PhD Tim’s office: HA 465 Office hours: Posted on Canvas Email:

[email protected]

ADMINISTRATION All administrative enquiries should be addressed to Stella Lee, the Course Administrator: [email protected]. All course content-related questions must be addressed by your instructor during office hours and/or lectures. Please do not email your instructor or Excel lab TA with content questions. Section changes and new registrations: Instructors and TAs cannot authorize section changes to lectures or labs. Please contact the Commerce Undergraduate Office (UGO) for any such requests. COURSE DESCRIPTION Numbers are all around us. How can we use numbers to make better choices? Commerce 290 provides an introduction to modeling, analyzing and solving business decision problems under certainty and uncertainty. By developing good modeling skills, students will begin to develop managerial insight in a variety of problems that arise in business settings. The course also develops concepts of uncertainty, probability and simulation which are the foundation of many business problems. Microsoft Excel will be used to model and solve many of these problems. COURSE FORMAT Lectures: COMM 290 meets twice per week (Monday and Wednesday) for lectures. Lecture recordings (either from section 104 or from last year’s Zoom classes) will be made available for students who are unable to attend (see Attendance below). Labs: Each student must be enrolled in one lab. Labs meet once per week (on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday) and are up to 50 minutes in duration. Lab recordings will also be made available. Labs begin the first week of classes.

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Syllabus LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end of this course, students will be able to: 1. Use analytical skills to create a precise and structured understanding of a complex business problem. 2. Use Excel and appropriate algebra to structure, model and solve linear programming (LP) and other quantitative problems which will allow for dynamic changes. 3. Perform sensitivity analysis algebraically and in Excel and be able to interpret this output in a managerial setting. 4. Understand the benefits and limitations of quantitative models. 5. Apply the underlying foundation of probability to construct decision tree models and interpret solutions in a risk environment. 6. Model discrete random variables in business problems and apply formulas in both univariate and bivariate settings. ASSESSMENTS Summary Component Homework In-class participation Excel lab: Participation and attendance Midterm exam Final exam Total

Weight 8% 6% 6% 30% 50% 100%

Note that… 1. The evaluation weights listed here are non-negotiable. 2. To pass the course you must achieve at least 50% overall.

Note: A student may earn a bonus mark up to 1% for participation in an optional research experiment. INFORMATION ABOUT EXAMINATIONS Commerce 290 exams are computer-based. During an exam you are not allowed to consult other online resources. This behavior is considered academic misconduct and will result in serious consequences. ➔ Midterm Examination Thursday, October 21, from 7:00pm – 8:30pm Information will be posted on Canvas closer to the exam date. • The midterm is 90 minutes long. • This exam covers all the material up to the end of LP topics in the course outline. ➔ Final Examination Date: To be determined by Enrollment Services. The final exam period is December 11 – 22. • The exam is 2.5 hours. • The exam is cumulative; it will cover all the material in the course with an emphasis on the material after the midterm. Additional details will be posted on Canvas.

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Syllabus INFORMATION ABOUT HOMEWORK (8%) No late submissions will be accepted for any reason. There will be 11 required (and one optional) homework assignments — one every week except for the week of the midterm exam (also HW10, the week of mid-term break, will not be handed in). The objective of the homework is to help you learn the course material presented in lectures and Excel labs, to provide practice with the style and type of questions on exams and to expand your understanding of course material. Homework is due each Friday at 1:00pm (and is typically posted a week prior). Solutions are usually posted a few days after the homework due date. You may discuss homework questions with other students but you must submit only your individual work for grades. Copying any part of another student’s homework will be considered academic misconduct. IN-CLASS PARTICIPATION (6%) Lectures, starting in Week 2, will include iClicker Cloud questions. Each question will usually count for participation (1 mark) and for correctness (1 mark). At the end of the semester, the three lectures with your lowest participation grades will be dropped (e.g., if you have technology issues, are sick or have an appointment). Students must attend their assigned section to receive credit for in-class participation. EXCEL LAB: PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDANCE (6%) Students must attend their assigned Excel lab section (check your time and section number!) to receive credit for attendance and participation. Students may miss up to one Excel lab per term with no deduction to their grade. LEARNING MATERIALS Canvas: Course notes, assignments, information and other material will be posted on the main COMM 290 Canvas page. Supplementary resources (videos, practice problems, practice exams, etc.) will also be posted on Canvas. Laptop: A laptop is strongly recommended (or equivalently powerful tablet, e.g., that can run the full version of Excel). During lectures, there will be times when students will want to take their laptop out to follow along with an Excel problem. Additionally, the midterm exam and final exam will be computerbased. While it may be possible to get by with a lower-end tablet, students will generally find it necessary to use a laptop. Microsoft Excel: Much of the material, particularly in the first half of the semester, relies on Excel. While we know that other spreadsheet programs exist, students must be able to run optimization problems in Solver, so it is highly recommended to use Excel. If you choose to use a different spreadsheet program, we will not be able to help you if you run into problems. EMAIL ETIQUETTE Please follow these guidelines of email etiquette when emailing the course administrator ([email protected]). With such a large course (~900 students), these guidelines are necessary: • From: display your correct name (no email nicknames please).

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Syllabus • • • •

Subject: identify the main issues in the email. In the body of your email, include your full name and student number, the course number (COMM290) and section number. Use one email address for all correspondence. Dont write 2 us like ur txting :)

POLICIES APPLICABLE TO UBC SAUDER UNDERGRADUATE COURSES Respectfulness in the classroom Students are expected to be respectful of their colleagues at all times, including faculty, staff and peers. This means being attentive and conscious of words and actions and their impact on others, listening to people with an open mind, treating all UBC Sauder community members equally and understanding diversity. Students who act disrespectfully toward others will be asked to leave the class and be marked as absent for the day. They may also be removed from a team, lose credit for in-class assessments and activities, or be asked to complete a group assignment individually. Respect for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion The UBC Sauder School of Business strives to promote an intellectual community that is enhanced by diversity along various dimensions including status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, political beliefs, social class, and/or disability. It is critical that students from diverse backgrounds and perspectives be valued in and wellserved by their courses. Furthermore, the diversity that students bring to the classroom should be viewed as a resource, benefit, and source of strength for your learning experience. It is expected that all students and members of our community conduct themselves with empathy and respect for others. Electronic Devices During lectures, students are not permitted to use any electronic devices (other than the primary one used for attending the online lecture if you are joining via Zoom (e.g. laptop or desktop). When the instructor advises that it is OK to do so, the use of another device or application for an in-class activity is encouraged (e.g., Excel). Feedback from students indicates that personal devices is the number one distraction from effective learning and participation in the learning environment. COURSE-SPECIFIC POLICIES AND RESOURCES Missed or late assignments, and regrading of assessments Late assignments will not be accepted. If you think a grading error has been made, please contact your instructor within two weeks of receiving the grade. Academic Concessions For missed assessments due to valid academic concessions the following accommodations will be provided: •

•

Missed HW, labs, lectures: The grade(s) will be dropped entirely, with the weight shifting to the rest of the assessments of the same type. E.g., if you are granted a concession to miss one HW, then the remaining HWs will be weighted slightly more to make up for it. Exams: An alternate arrangement will be made to make up the missed exam.

See UBC Senate Policy V-135 for more information on academic concessions.

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Syllabus COVID 19 considerations If you feel unwell or have other circumstances that prevent you from attending class or completing assessments, you should make sure you are responsible for any material you miss (e.g., talk to classmates, watch class recordings). The following should also be taken into consideration, keeping in mind that there are specific deadlines to request academic concessions: • If you miss assessments worth less than 25% of the overall course grade, or less than two weeks of classes, you should email the instructor directly to discuss options for missed assessments or classes. Concessions in this scenario are granted by the instructor and do not need support from the Sauder Undergraduate Office or your home advising office. • If you miss assessments worth 25% or more of the overall course grade, or two or more weeks of classes, you must request academic concession through the Sauder Undergraduate Office at https://mybcom.sauder.ubc.ca/academic-concession. If you suspect a possible Covid-19 infection, you should use the BC Ministry of Health’s self-assessment tool to help determine whether further assessment or testing for COVID-19 is recommended. Students who are required to self-isolate or quarantine must follow BC health guidelines. If extenuating circumstances inhibit your ability to come to campus to complete assessments, please review your eligibility for an alternate format assessment. Other Policies All students are expected to use common sense when attending lectures and labs with respect to attendance, being on time, cell phone and laptop use, participation and interactions with others. As well, students can expect the instructor to: 1. Design, develop and deliver course materials to the highest possible standard. 2. Be attentive of, and respectful to, everyone in the room. 3. Create an atmosphere where students treat all others appropriately. Attendance: Students are expected to attend 100% of their scheduled classes unless there are exceptional circumstances such as conflicting responsibilities (e.g., representing the university or serving in the Canadian military), unforeseen events (e.g., illness or other personal challenges), or religious observances. Additionally, for the fall of 2021, students may miss class due to travel issues (visa delays, flight restrictions, quarantine) or Covid-related circumstances (symptoms, positive test, exposure event). Tardiness: Students are expected to arrive for classes and activities on time and fully prepared. Electronic Devices: COMM 290 follows a “minimal tech” policy in class. This means all laptops, tablets, and other devices must be devoted solely to lectures. Students are expected to refrain from engaging in other online activities or other work during COMM 290 lectures and labs. Other Resources Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) are hour-long group study sessions led by an upper-year student and offer a collaborative environment for extra revision where no grades are taken. Each session will cover material from the previous week in a manner that focuses on course concepts and study skills. Larger sessions will be scheduled prior to midterm and final exams.

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Syllabus UNIVERSITY POLICIES AND RESOURCES UBC provides resources to support student learning and to maintain healthy lifestyles but recognizes that sometimes crises arise and so there are additional resources to access including those for survivors of sexual violence. UBC values respect for the person and ideas of all members of the academic community. Harassment and discrimination are not tolerated nor is suppression of academic freedom. UBC provides appropriate accommodation for students with disabilities and for religious observances. UBC values academic honesty and students are expected to acknowledge the ideas generated by others and to uphold the highest academic standards in all of their actions. Details of the policies and how to access support are available on the UBC Senate website at https://senate.ubc.ca/policies-resourcessupport-student-success. Academic Integrity The academic enterprise is founded on honesty, civility, and integrity. As members of this enterprise, all students are expected to know, understand, and follow the university policies and codes of conduct regarding academic integrity. At the most basic level, this means submitting only original work done by you and acknowledging all sources of information or ideas and attributing them to others as required. This also means you should not cheat, copy, or mislead others about what is your work; nor should you help others to do the same. For example, it is prohibited to: share your past assignments and answers with other students; work with other students on an assignment when an instructor has not expressly given permission; or spread information through word of mouth, social media, or other channels that subverts the fair evaluation of a class exercise, or assessment. Violations of academic integrity (i.e., misconduct) lead to the breakdown of the academic enterprise, and therefore serious consequences arise and harsh sanctions are imposed. For example, incidences of plagiarism or cheating may result in a mark of zero on the assignment or exam and more serious consequences may apply if the matter is referred to the President’s Advisory Committee on Student Discipline. Careful records are kept in order to monitor and prevent recurrences. Academic Freedom and Students Studying from Outside Canada During this pandemic, the use of online learning has greatly altered teaching and studying at UBC, including changes to health and safety considerations. Keep in mind that some UBC courses might cover topics that are censored or considered illegal by non-Canadian governments. This may include, but is not limited to, human rights, representative government, defamation, obscenity, gender or sexuality, and historical or current geopolitical controversies. If you are a student living abroad, you will be subject to the laws of your local jurisdiction, and your local authorities might limit your access to course material or take punitive action against you. UBC is strongly committed to academic freedom, but has no control over foreign authorities (please visit http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=3,33,86,0 for an articulation of the values of the University conveyed in the Senate Statement on Academic Freedom). Thus, we recognize that students will have legitimate reason to exercise caution in studying certain subjects. If you have concerns regarding your personal situation, consider postponing taking a course with manifest risks, until you are back on campus or reach out to your academic advisor to find substitute courses. For further information and support, please visit: http://academic.ubc.ca/supportresources/freedom-expression

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Syllabus Mask Requirement Following BC Health Guidance, effective August 25, 2021, masks are required in all indoor classes regardless of vaccination status. For the purposes of this order, the term “masks” refers to medical and non-medical masks that cover our noses and mouths. You will need to wear a mask for the duration of our class meetings, for your own protection, and the safety and comfort of everyone else in the class. You may be asked to remove your mask briefly for an ID check for an exam, but otherwise, your mask should cover your nose and mouth. Please do not eat in class. If you need to drink water/coffee/tea/etc., please keep your mask on between sips. Please see https://covid19.ubc.ca/health-guidance-and-vaccines/ for additional guidance regarding masks, vaccinations, and testing on campus. Seating in Class To reduce the risk of Covid transmission, please sit in a consistent area of the classroom each day. This will minimize your contacts and will still allow for the pedagogical methods planned for this class to help your learning. COPYRIGHT All materials of this course (course handouts, lecture slides, assessments, course readings, etc.) are the intellectual property of the instructor or licensed to be used in this course by the copyright owner. Redistribution of these materials by any means without permission of the copyright holder(s) constitutes a breach of copyright and may lead to academic discipline and could be subject to legal action. Audio or video recording of classes are not permitted without the prior approval of the Instructor. Any lecture recordings are for the sole use of the instructor and students enrolled in the class. In no case may the lecture recording or part of the recording be used by students for any other purpose, either personal or commercial. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT UBC’s Point Grey Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəysəm (Musqueam) people, who for millennia have passed on their culture, history, and traditions from one generation to the next on this site.

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Syllabus COURSE SCHEDULE SCHEDULE: COMM 290 lectures meet twice per week on M/W. Each lecture is listed as Module-Topic, so 1-3 is Module 1 Topic 3. Labs meet once per week on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Date 2020 Lec. Topics Details Homework Sept 6–10 — Labou...