Business Statistics (BMGT 230 and BMGT 230B)

SYLLABUS
Fall 2010

Instructor: Dr. Radu Lazar
Office: 4348 Van Munching Hall
Office hours: MW 3:30p.m.-4:30p.m., T 9a.m.-11a.m., and by appointment
Phone: 301-405-9977 (please email me instead of leaving voicemail)
Email: rlazar@rhsmith.umd.edu
GA: Lili Wu (lili.wu@rhsmith.umd.edu)
TAs:
Matthew Castrovince (Castro27@umd.edu) Reyner Fouch (reynerfouch@gmail.com)
Aalap Trivedi (atrived1@umd.edu) Leanna Gong (leannagong@yahoo.com)
Natalia Vinnychuk(nvinnychuk@gmail.com) Jillian Chavis (jchavis7@gmail.com),
Michael Lu (mlu@umd.edu) Qiao Yin (qiaoqiaoyin123@yahoo.com)
Nazar Tsitsyala (Ntsitsya@umd.edu) Maggie Klefstad ( maggieklefstad@yahoo.com)
TA office: 4468 Van Munching Hall
TA office hours: TBA
If you need help with the class you can see me or any of the TAs during the above office ours, and if you
have questions pertaining to MyStatLab or Blackboard, please contact the administrative TA

Lecture: Where and When
Sections 0107 - 0107: M, W 9:30 a.m 10:45 a.m., Van Munching Hall 1524
Sections 0201 0207: M, W 11:00 a.m. 12:15 p.m., Van Munching Hall 1524
Section 0301 0307: M,W 2:00 p.m. 3:15 p.m., Van Munching Hall 1212
You should attend the section in which you are enrolled.

Course description and objectives
This is an introductory course in statistics whose main goal is to promote understanding of statistical
reasoning and using numerical information to make judgments and decisions. You will learn to make
sense of graphical and numerical presentations of data, to judge the reliability of results from studies,
surveys and experiments, and to realize that in an uncertain world randomness and variation are to be
expected. The methods and concepts studied will be presented in the context of the real-world
problems in business and other real-world scenarios that the methods can help students understand.
Even though a bit of elementary probability will be introduced the math will be kept at a level such that
calculus is not required, so even the math-phobes may find the topics enthralling.
Required textbook
Business statistics: a first course with CD and MYLAB by Norean R. Sharpe, Richard D. De Veaux and Paul
F. Vellman, Pearson ISBN 978-0-3-2150609-2
You can buy a cheaper loose-leaf version of the textbook (recommended) Business stat W/MML/MSL
SAK(LOOSE-LEAF), ISBN 978-0-3-2169319-8, Sharpe, De Veaux & Velleman
I do not recommend buying a used textbook because you will still need to buy an access code which will
end up being more expensive.
The textbook should come with a code for MyStatLab, an online course management system, which
includes a plethora of course materials for this class, and also an electronic textbook. (if the online
textbook is good enough for you then you can just buy the MyStatLab which is cheaper than the
hardcopy or the loose-leaf version of the textbook). In this case, you should look for MyStatLab Online
Course for Business Statistics: A First Course (access code required) Sharpe, De Veaux &
Velleman2011, Pearson, On-line Supplement, ISBN-10: 0321506081, ISBN 13:9780321506085
MyStatLab is required for this class because it will be the place where you complete the online
homework assignments. You can register at www.coursecompass.com. The course ID is lazar45943.
Course website
The website for this course is hosted on Blackboard and can be found at https://bb.rhsmith.umd.edu . A
university LDAP ID and password are required to access Blackboard courses; additional information can
be obtained at https://ldap.umd.edu/cgi-bin/chpwd. Students are required to maintain their current
email address in Testudo as Blackboard uses this address to send course-related email messages. Since
email addresses are imported from Testudo into Blackboard, I cannot update email addresses from
within Blackboard; for more information visit the site http://rhsmith.umd.edu.

Software
We will be using StatCrunch which comes with the textbook. It is an online user-friendly piece of
software that can be accessed at http://www.stat.crunch.com. You will have to use the same user name
and password as those for MyStatLab.

Calculator
A basic 5-function calculator is necessary for this course. Programmable calculators (i.e. TI models) will
also be allowed but you are responsible for knowing how to use them.

Grading
Your grade will be determined by a weighted average of homework, discussion activities and exams as
follows:
Discussion session activities 10%
Homework 10%
Midterm Exam 1 23%
Midterm Exam 2 23%
Cumulative Final Exam 34%
Suppose that a student obtained the following scores:
Discussion session score (70)
Homework score (90),
Midterm1 score (80),
Midterm 2 score (90)
Final score (80)
The students course average will be computed as follows:
Course average=0.1*70+0.1*90+0.23*80+0.23*90+0.34*80=82.3 %

If your course average is greater than or equal to 89.5% then your grade will not be lower than an A-.
If your course average is greater than or equal to 79.5% then your grade will not be lower than an B-.
If your course average is greater than or equal to 69.5% then your grade will not be lower than an C-.
If your course average is greater than or equal to 59.5% then your grade will not be lower than an D-.

Exams may be curved depending on the class performance.
Examinations
There will be two midterm exams (75 minutes each) and a two-hour final exam. The final exam will be
cumulative with the emphasis on the material not yet tested.
Exam Location Time Date
Midterm 1 TBA on Blackboard 7:00p.m-8:15p.m. Wedneday, October 6
Midterm 2 TBA on Blackboard 7:00p.m.-8:15p.m Wednesday, November 10
Final TBA on Blackboard 7:00p.m.-9p.m. Monday, December 13

The exams will not be given during the regular lecture time and will be common to all sections of BMGT
230. Students who have legitimate conflicts with the scheduled exam times will be permitted to take
the exams during the regular class time as the class will not be held on the exam days. You must let me
know in advance about such conflicts and my prior approval is required. The midterm exams will not be
given on any other day.
Missed examinations
If you miss an exam for a legitimite reason such as documented illness, religious observance,
participation in a university activity at the request of a university official then you will be approved for
taking a make-up exam. You must let me know in advance of your absence or, if this is not possible, as
soon as possible afterwards. No make-up exam will be given without prior approval. All make-up exams
for either midterm 1 or midterm 2 will be given on Saturday, December 11.
Examination guidelines
You will be allowed one 8.5x11 reference sheet with formulae and notes but no examples on both sides
for each midterm and two such sheets for the final. Remember to bring your own calculator for all tests
(sharing is not permitted). You will not be allowed to use cell phones, smart phones, ipods and iphones
during any of the exams. Your UMPC ID will be required for all exams. You will not be allowed to take
the exam if you are more than 15 minutes late. You will not be allowed to leave the exam room without
submitting your completed exam after the exam has begun. All exams will consist of multiple choice
questions, and you will be required to record your answers on Scantron sheets (provided during the
exam) using No. 2 pencils which you must bring.

Accomodations for Students with special needs
Any student with special needs should bring to my attention as soon as possible, but no later than the
second week of class.

Homework
There will be weekly homework assignments (except for the first week). They will be available on
MyStatLab from 9 a.m. on Monday and due at 8:30 a.m. on the following Monday. No late homework
submission will be accepted. You have to do the homework assigments on your own, working together
in groups is not permitted. The lowest two homework scores will be dropped in order to accommodate
for homework that you are unable to complete due to technical glitches, illness, religious observance,
late registration or any reason beyond your control.

Discussion section activities
The discussion sections will comprise of two parts. In the first part of the discussion section the TAs will
review the material taught in class and do some examples. In the second part, class will be divided into
small teams. Each team will work on an assignment consisting of one or more problems and submit the
answers to the TA at the end of the discussion section. The TA will grade each teams assignment based
on the following system: you will receive 3 points for a correct answer, two points for an almost correct
answer, and one point for an attempt. Nobody will receive any credit if she/he is not in the classroom at
the time the assignment is handed out. The lowest two scores will be dropped in order to
accommodate for the activities that you are unable to complete due to technical glitches, illness,
religious observance, late registration or any reason beyond your control.

Course support
Please take advantage of my office hours and the TAs office hours. Do not fall behind since it would be
difficult to do well in this class otherwise. (Statistical topics build on each other). You should read the
textbook (do not skip the solved examples in each chapter), my notes, explore the resources on
MyStatlab, do the homework assignments, attend class and the discussion sessions. Each class before
an exam will be devoted to reviewing the material required for the exam. I will also try to be available as
much as possible.

Academic integrity
The University of Marylands Code of Academic Integrity is designed to ensure that the principles of
academic honesty and integrity are upheld. All university students are expected to abide by the code.
All acts of academic dishonesty will be handled according to the Code. Additional information can be
found at http://www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/code.html .
On each exam you will be asked to write out and sign the following pledge: `` I pledge on my honor that I
have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this exam

Since BMGT230 is a very large class please be respectful of everyone else in the classroom. Please switch
off your cell phones while class is in session.




Tentative schedule (subject to change except for the test dates)






























Note: Not all sections of the listed chapters will be covered. It is your responsibility to keep track of the
material that will be taught. Any change to the schedule, including the sections covered will be
announced in class and on Blackboard.
August 30 Syllabus, MyStatlab, Chapter 1 - Statistics and Variation
September 1 Chapter 2 - Data, Chapter 3 Surveys and Sampling
September 6 University closed (Labor Day)
September 8 Chapter 4 - Displaying and Describing Categorical Data
September 13 Chapter 5 - - Displaying and Describing Quantitative Data
September 15 Chapter 6 - Correlation and Linear Regression
September 20 Chapter 6 - Continued
September 22 Chapter 7 - Randomness and Probability
September 27 Chapter 7 - Continued
September 29 Chapter 8 - Random Variables and Probability Models
October 4 Review
October 6 Midterm 1 (7:00p.m. 8:15p.m., rooms: TBA)
October 11 Chapter 8 - Continued
October 13 Chapter 9 - Sampling Distributions and Confidence Intervals for Proportions
October 18 Chapter 10 - Testing Hypotheses about Proportions
October 20 Chapter 10 - Continued
October 25 Chapter 11 - Confidence Intervals and Hypothesis Tests for Means
October 27 Chapter 11 - Continued
November 1 Chapter 12 - Comparing Two Groups
November 3 Chapter 12 - Continued
November 8 Review
November 10 Midterm 2 (7:00p.m. 8:15p.m., rooms: TBA)
November 15 Chapter 13 - Inference for Counts
November 17 Chapter 13 - Continued
November 22 Chapter 14 - Inference for Regression
November 24 Chapter 14 - Continued
November 29 Chapter 14 - Continued
December 1 Chapter 15 Multiple Regression including ANOVA
December 6 Chapter 15 -Continued
December 8 Chapter 15 - Continued
December 11 Reading Day
December 13 Final Exam (7:00p.m. 9:00p.m., rooms: TBA)