Business Statistics (BMGT 230 and BMGT 230B)

SYLLABUS
FALL 2011

Instructor: Dr. Radu Lazar

Office: 4348 Van Munching Hall
Office hours: MW 3:30p.m.-4:30p.m.,Tu 9:30a.m.-11:30a.m., and also by appointment
Phone: 301-405-9977 (please email me instead of leaving voicemail)
Email: rlazar@rhsmith.umd.edu
Course ID: lazar40384
TAs:
Catherine Thompson
Reyner Fouch (reynerfouch@gmail.com)
(cat921230@comcast.net)
Aalap Trivedi (atrived1@umd.edu)
Leanna Gong (leannagong@yahoo.com)
Sherry Feng (sherry.feng@verizon.net)
Arasp Biparva (arasp.biparva@gmail.com)
Michael Lu (mlu@umd.edu)
Qiao Yin (qiaoqiaoyin123@yahoo.com)
Nazar Tsitsyala (Ntsitsya@umd.edu)
Brian Weinblatt (brianwei@umd.edu)
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 hours.
Lecture: Where and When
Sections 0101 - 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 1524
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 http://pearsonmylab.com. The course ID is lazar40384.
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.statcrunch.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
24%
Midterm Exam 2
24%
Final Exam
32%
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+0.24*80+0.24*90+0.32*80=82.4%

If your course average is greater than or equal to 90% then your grade will not be lower than an A-.
If your course average is greater than or equal to 80% then your grade will not be lower than a B-.
If your course average is greater than or equal to 70% then your grade will not be lower than a C-.
If your course average is greater than or equal to 60% then your grade will not be lower than a D-.
Exams may be curved depending on the class performance.
The Smith School recommends a class-average of approximately 2.80 as a target grade point average
for 200-level BMGT core courses, and range between 2.7 and 2.9.
Examinations
There will be two midterm exams (75 minutes each) and a two-hour final exam. The final exam will be
(partially) cumulative with the emphasis on the material not yet tested.
Exam
Midterm 1
Midterm 2
Final

Location
TBA on Blackboard
TBA on Blackboard
TBA on Blackboard

Time
6:00p.m. - 7:15p.m.
6:00p.m. - 7:15p.m.
7:00p.m. 9:00p.m.

Date
Wednesday, October 12
Wednesday, November 16
Thursday, December 15

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 legitimate 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 midterm 1, midterm 2, and final will be given on Wednesday, December 14.
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.
Accommodations 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 Tuesday. No late homework
submission will be accepted. You have to do the homework assignments 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. If you have technical problems with the homework
you should call tech support at 18006776337 or email/chat at www.247pearsoned.com
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. (Note: I will not post
the answers for the practice exercises online, you will have to come to class to get them.) 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)

August 31
September 5
September 7
September 12

Syllabus, MyStatlab, Chapter 1 - Statistics and Variation

University closed (Labor Day)
Chapter 2 - Data, Chapter 3 Surveys and Sampling
Chapter 4 - Displaying and Describing Categorical Data (without section
5.10*)
September 14 Chapter 5 - - Displaying and Describing Quantitative Data
September 19 Chapter 6 - Correlation and Linear Regression
September 21 Chapter 6 - Continued
September 26 Chapter 7 - Randomness and Probability (without section 7.9*)
September 28 Chapter 7 - Continued
October 3
Chapter 8 - Random Variables and Probability Models
October 5
Chapter 8 - Continued
October 10
Review
October 12
Midterm 1 (6:00p.m. 7:15p.m., rooms: TBA)
October 17
Chapter 9 - Sampling Distributions and Confidence Intervals for Proportions
October 19
Chapter 10 - Testing Hypotheses about Proportions
October 24
Chapter 10 - Continued (without section 10.10*)
October 26
Chapter 11 - Confidence Intervals and Hypothesis Tests for Means
October 31
Chapter 11 - Continued
November 2
Chapter 12 - Comparing Two Groups
November 7
Chapter 12 Continued (without section 12.6*)
November 9
Chapter 13 - Inference for Counts (if time permits)
November 14 Review
November 16 Midterm 2 (6:00p.m. 7:15p.m., rooms: TBA)
November 21 Chapter 13 - Continued
November 23 Chapter 14 - Inference for Regression
November 28 Chapter 14 - Continued
November 30 Chapter 14 - Continued
December 5
Chapter 15 Multiple Regression including ANOVA
December 7
Chapter 15 -Continued
December 12 Chapter 15 - Continued
December 14 Reading Day
December 15

Final Exam (7:00p.m. 9:00p.m., rooms: TBA)

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.