The Accreditation Process for IS Programs in Business Schools

Accreditation is a seal of recognition sought by almost all institutions of higher education. Accreditation is offered at several levels, including university, college, school and program. American academicians are familiar with the Council for Higher Education Association and the Regional Accreditation\u27\u27 associations. Faculty in colleges and schools of business worldwide recognize AACSB International and European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), as accrediting bodies for business colleges and schools. Similarly, degree programs, for example, accounting, the engineering fields, and health care professions, have accreditation bodies. One such accreditation body, very familiar to engineers and computer scientists, but new to business\u27 academicians is ABET. ABET, through its Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC), now accredits programs in Information Systems. This paper looks at the philosophy of accrediting programs, specifically information systems programs, overviews the ABET accreditation criteria and process, considers the costs and benefits\u27\u27 of accrediting information systems programs, and develops a diagram detailing the internal steps of the ABET accreditation process in a familiar systems analysis and design approach. These steps are then grouped into before, during, and after the accreditation onsite team visit. Potential impediments related to these steps are identified with resolution strategies are presented. The paper concludes by arguing that whether or not a program pursues IS accreditation, much of what is presented here and required of ABET is applicable to any well-run IS program dedicated to continuously delivering a quality curriculum to its students

Effects of Warm-up Intensity on 5 km Performance & Blood Lactate Response

Running a 5 km race has grown increasingly popular and recreational runners are continuously seeking proper warm-up routines for optimal performance. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of varying warm-up protocols on performance variables during a simulated 5 km race. METHODS: Ten male recreational runners (VO2 max: 49.41 ± 6.2 ml/kg/min) participated in a total of three laboratory sessions. The first session consisted of baseline testing where height, weight, body composition, and VO2 max were evaluated. Following the baseline testing, each subject returned for two trials, with either a high intensity warm-up (HIWU) or moderate intensity warm-up (MIWU). The order of the warm-up protocols was randomized. The HIWU consisted of a 10 min jog at 50% of vVO2 max, followed by 5 min of 30 s intermittent sprints at the individual’s vVO2 max. The MIWU protocol consisted of a 15 min jog at 50% of vVO2 max. Following the warm-up, subjects began the 5 km on the treadmill. Blood lactate (La-) was taken at each km of the run. Heart rate (HR) was also recorded throughout each trial. RESULTS: The mean HR was significantly higher throughout the 5 km following the HIWU (p \u3c 0.05). There was no significant difference in [La-] or performance between trials (p \u3e 0.05). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the variation in intensity between the two warm-up procedures may not have been large enough to elicit a change in performance time. An increase in intensity should increase the metabolic demand which may better prepare runners for the race

Transfer Functions and Penetrations of Five Differential Mobility Analyzers for Sub-2 nm Particle Classification

The transfer functions and penetrations of five differential mobility analyzers (DMAs) for sub-2 nm particle classification were evaluated in this study. These DMAs include the TSI nanoDMA, the Caltech radial DMA (RDMA) and nanoRDMA, the Grimm nanoDMA, and the Karlsruhe-Vienna DMA. Measurements were done using tetra-alkyl ammonium ion standards with mobility diameters of 1.16, 1.47, and 1.70 nm. These monomobile ions were generated by electrospray followed by high resolution mobility classification. Measurements were focused at an aerosol-to-sheath flow ratio of 0.1. A data inversion routine was developed to obtain the true transfer function for each test DMA, and these measured transfer functions were compared with theory. DMA penetration efficiencies were also measured. An approximate model for diffusional deposition, based on the modified Gormley and Kennedy equation using an effective length, is given for each test DMA. These results quantitatively characterize the performance of the test DMAs in classifying sub-2 nm particles and can be readily used for DMA data inversion

ÜBER DIE BEI DER REINEN BIEGUNG DER GERADEN UND DER EBENEN GEKRÜMMTEN STÄBE SICH ZEIGENDEN ÄHNLICHKEITEN

Objective The aim of this repeated cross-sectional study was to compare patients from a psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU) over 30years regarding their diagnostic and therapeutic characteristics. Method Three samples including 100 consecutive inpatients each from the Viennese PICU were submitted to a chart review: sample no. 1 from the years 1985/86, no. 2 from 1995/96 and no. 3 from 2007/08. Results Changes in referral modes were associated with a decrease of patients with substance induced disorders and an increase of patients with affective disorders over time. The rate of admissions after accidents and suicides was stable. The use of cranial MRI increased, while intravenous psychopharmacotherapy and parenteral nutrition decreased. Involuntary admission occurred in 43% and in 37% of patients physical restraints were necessary. We saw a shift from tricyclic antidepressants to SSRIs and SNRIs from sample 1 to 3. Likewise, we observed the emergence of atypical antipsychotics and a reduction of use of typical neuroleptics mainly from sample 2 to 3. The percentage of patients receiving benzodiazepines increased over time, while the mean dosage of benzodiazepines decreased. 7% of patients received electroconvulsive therapy. Conclusions The changes over time in our samples reflect the medical progress made during the last decades. Future studies should focus on evaluation of efficacy of psychiatric intensive care using standardized measurements.(VLID)490129

Completing the Loop: IS Program Improvement through Outcomes Assessment

Why are assessment results often not used to effect IS program improvement? Although both AACSB and ABET place great emphasis on the establishment of a systematic process for the collection and evaluation of academic program assessment data, moving assessment from a data collection activity to a mechanism for program improvement has proven to be a challenge for many programs. The ultimate goal of program assessment is improvement of the academic program. Achieving this goal requires demonstrating how an assessment process affects the quality of the academic program. This workshop will explore the barriers to effective use of assessment results for program improvement and will discuss strategies for addressing these barriers. In addition, different methods and tools that are currently being used to effectively “close the loop” will be presented. Examples specific to the information systems curriculum will be used. Participants will be encouraged to discuss and share the “best assessment practices” developed at their institutions. Practical examples will be presented that help faculty establish effective mechanisms and processes for program improvement at their institutions

Information Systems Accreditation: A New Criteria Structure and New Flexibility

The Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) has proposed changes in the structure of the criteria used to accredit information systems programs. The new structure combines so-called “general criteria,” criteria that apply to any computing program, and additional program criteria that apply to IS, IT, or CS programs. This new format allows an emergingcomputing- discipline (e.g., bioinformatics) program to apply for accreditation under the general criteria while the discipline matures to where model curricula develop. This new format begins to move criteria documents to outcome based statements. This session will discuss the new criteria structure, including the proposed general and program criteria, and the timetable for implementation of the new structure. Time will be devoted to Q&A regarding any aspect of IS program accreditation. The session will also discuss accrediting IS programs, overview the IS accreditation criteria and processes, discuss the pros and cons of accrediting IS programs, and review the internal and external steps of the process, identifying bottlenecks and problems and suggesting solutions

Probabilistic surrogate modeling of offshore wind-turbine loads with chained Gaussian processes

Heteroscedastic Gaussian process regression, based on the concept of chained Gaussian processes, is used to build surrogates to predict site-specific loads on an offshore wind turbine. Stochasticity in the inflow turbulence and irregular waves results in load responses that are best represented as random variables rather than deterministic values. Moreover, the effect of these stochastic sources on the loads depends strongly on the mean environmental conditions -- for instance, at low mean wind speeds, inflow turbulence produces much less variability in loads than at high wind speeds. Statistically, this is known as heteroscedasticity. Deterministic and most stochastic surrogates do not account for the heteroscedastic noise, giving an incomplete and potentially misleading picture of the structural response. In this paper, we draw on the recent advancements in statistical inference to train a heteroscedastic surrogate model on a noisy database to predict the conditional pdf of the response. The model is informed via 10-minute load statistics of the IEA-10MW-RWT subject to both aero- and hydrodynamic loads, simulated with OpenFAST. Its performance is assessed against the standard Gaussian process regression. The predicted mean is similar in both models, but the heteroscedastic surrogate approximates the large-scale variance of the responses significantly better.Comment: 10 pages. To be published in the IOP Journal of Physics: Conference Series. To be presented at TORQUE 202

The state of Denmark: what voters can tell us about the future of the Danish ideal

Denmark is often held up as an ideal society with a well-functioning welfare state, low levels of corruption, and high levels of social and political stability. But behind this perception, the country is facing up to a number of important challenges. Drawing on a new book, Rune Stubager, Kasper M. Hansen, Michael S. Lewis-Beck and Richard Nadeau explain how voters have responded to key macrosocial challenges since the 1970s and assess where this leaves the future of the Danish ideal