TCM 490 Course Objectives and Requirements

1. TCM 490 Course Objectives and Requirements Professor: Eric J. Addeo, Ph.D. E-mail: eaddeo@nj.devry.edu

2. Perspective • The Senior Project is a capstone course designed to combine the management and information technology concepts learned in the TCOM bachelors degree Program of study.

3. Main Objects of TCM 490 • Key Objectives: • The Senior Project is a capstone course for the Telecommunications Management Degree. It provides a frame work for a "real world" project that combines the management, technology, and business concepts and perspectives developed throughout the TCM bachelors degree program of study. • The Senior Project provides the final assessment point for the telecom program as a four-year college degree.

4. Expectations • The Senior Project course has the same expectation in committed studies and time as any other college level course • Each student is responsible for tracking and justifying his/her efforts • The Senior Project is a minimal contact course in which project teams work under their own initiative to locate, design, track and report on a project

5. Expectations • All class members are expected to meet during weeks 1,2 and 3. • Thereafter, the class will meet on weeks 5, 7,8,9 and 11, 13, 14 and 15 • Individual team meetings, outside of class) may be scheduled with the Project Coordinator (Prof. Addeo) as needed.

6. Expectations • Progress reports(Written by the PM) are due every week from Week 2 to Week 8. • Biweekly progress reports are due thereafter. • Please keep in mind that the PM should be reporting on the progress of the group in general. • Weekly progress reports should include contributions from each group member, identifying the specific contribution of each individual for that week.

7. Time Investment • Please Note: • A course that has four hours of class and two hours of lab will total approximately eighty-four hours of attendance during the term. • Independent study assumptions are 40 hours per credit hour. This comes to approximately three-hundred-thirty-six hours of contribution for the term. • A five-person team has each person contributing their entire time to the project effort. Based on the above figure, what is the total time in the project for a fourteen-week life cycle? It would be 1,260 hours!

8. Course Deliverable Check-Off • There are two objectives on which TCM490 is based: • completing a project for a client • completing materials for the course. • Thus, the deliverables produced by the team during the Senior Project will fall under one of two categories and sometimes both. • Project Deliverable • Course Deliverable/Materials

9. Project Deliverables • Project deliverables are items that the course deems necessary for the team and client to exchange and agree upon in order to make the project happen. There are three documents that comprise the project deliverables according to the course. • Client Request: a client-signed document produced by the client that requests a project and describes the problem or project request. • Project Description: a client-signed document that defines the deliverables to the client, and details the steps the team will take to produce the deliverables. • Client Acceptance Form: a client-signed form produced by the team on DeVry letterhead that indicates the team completed the Project Description to the satisfaction of the client.

10. Course Milestones • Start-Up Phase (Completed by Week 2) Receive Start-up Package • Seniors must be associated with a team • Email to Coordinator announcing team formation. Provide: list of team members and designation of PM, listing E-mail contact information of each team member.) • Hold your first meeting and initialize a plan • Draft individual resumes. Print and deliver to the project coordinator • Teams produce a single status report. Email the status report to both the coordinator and mentor (if applicable). The subject line will contain either the group name, PM name or student name and title ("STATUS REPORT“)

11. Course Milestones (Week 4) • Obtain a Client Request • Select a Mentor (This a DeVry Professor that is willing to provide basic or specific project advice for the team as well as support.) • Prepare aProject Justification memo • Draft of Project Description

12. Course Milestones (Week 4) • Draft of Project using management software • Obtain and complete a Student Licenses for each team member to be turned in with Concept Phase Package to Coordinator. (This form is in your start-up kit) • Assembly and route Concept Phase Package

13. Course Milestones (Week 5) • Development Phase: • Complete Project Description • Develop a draft of the Business/Technology Analysis • Assemble Development Phase Package • Assemble Project Description for Client • Schedule meeting with Client • Obtain client sign-off on project scope and deliverables

14. Course Milestones (Week 8) • Implementation Phase • Status Reports for Project Implementation (E-mail the status report to project coordinator and mentor) • Attend required mid-term class session during (Week 8 • Verbal Team Reports (PP Presentation with participation of all group members) on progress and next steps • Hard-copy of presentation delivered to project coordinator prior to verbal presentations • Update or complete Business/Technology Analysis • Request Project/Student Appraisal from Client

15. Course Milestones (Week 12) • Close Out Phase • Complete and print Client Acceptance Form (preferably, on client/sponsor’s letterhead • Notify the Coordinator of the project completion (Client signs the Acceptance Form after the team reviews project objectives, project scope and all completed deliverables) • Project Portfolio • Completed Business/Technology Analysis is submitted to project coordinator • Should include all Project and Course forms. All of these forms are sent to the PM at the beginning of the course. (Client appraisal should be completed on company letterhead)

16. Course Milestones (Week 12) • Project Team Presentation • Oral review from each team member • Team Peer Evaluations: team-peer-evaluation -Delivered privately(in sealed envelope)to project coordinator

17. Course Milestones (Week 12) • Guidelines • All project teams should be prepared to present their projects (PP presentation) on week 12. Schedule presentation order and lengths will be determined beforehand • Hard-copy of presentation delivered to project coordinator prior to verbal presentations • Suggestions • Rehearse presentation • Invite necessary people to presentation ( Including: Client, Mentor, Deans (yabdella@nj.devry.edu and cgardner@nj.devry.edu, Representative(s) from Career Services_

18. TCM490 Senior Project Content Criteria The senior project should meet the following objectives: Objective 1:Develop two to three potential network solutions matched to the needs of the business Objective 2:Choose a technical solution that meets or exceeds the business objectives of the client Objective 3: Communicate effectively in written and oral forms

19. TCM490 Senior Project Content Criteria Objective 4: Demonstrate project management skills Objective 5: Apply research and problem-solving skills

20. Final Grades • Individual contributions (50%) • Mid-term Review with Coordinator (20%) • Inputs on Progress Reports (10%) • Final Project Presentations (20%) • Recommendation: Keep a log (with documentation) of all activities and specific contributions

21. Final Grades • Team/Project Initiatives (50%) • Contributions to Alternative Technical Solutions (10%) • Contributions to Business Analysis (10%) • Contributions to Project Management initiatives(5%) • Interactions with the client (10%) • Participation in Week 8 and Week 12 project reviews of other groups in the TCM 490 class (10%) • Peer Review (5%)