MANAGEMENT FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
FALL, 2006: NSCI 610 - ENGI 610 - MANAGEMENT FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
T-Th 5:00 0 6:30 PM - Dell Butcher Hall, Room 180
In today's business economy a significant number of technical students are pursuing careers in technology entrepreneurial firms. The Weiss School of Natural Science and the George R. Brown School of Engineering offer an extensive curriculum in engineering and science and students graduating from these programs are extremely well grounded in their technical field of specialization. Unfortunately, these students have no access to managerial concepts associated with new venture creation despite their strong interests in this area.
- To help prepare engineering and science students for careers in entrepreneurial organizations Weiss School of Natural Science and the George R. Brown School of Engineering are pleased to offer the following entrepreneurial management curriculum focusing on providing an introduction to entrepreneurship for technical students at Rice University. The program consists of two courses held sequentially within an academic year. The courses are team taught in modular format by management faculty, entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurial service providers.
Coordinators
| Dr. Harry Wilkinson (Resume) | Professor Andrew R. Barron |
| Department of Chemistry | |
| Butcher Hall | |
| hewilkinson@peoplepc.com | arb@rice.edu |
| (713) 348-5610 |
Office Hours: Individual module instructors will assign office hours
Cross-reference numbers are NSCI 610 and ENGI 610
Course Description
This course is for graduate students and undergraduates who want to understand the basics of management in new and/or small technology based businesses. The concepts covered will provide an overview of management particularly relevant to students who are interested in careers in technology or entrepreneurial ventures. It is intended that students who take this course will be eligible for MGMT 625 taught by Dennis Murphree of Murphree Venture Partners. The purpose of MGMT 625 is the selection of a student team from the 8 to 10 teams normally in the class to participate in the Rice University Business Plan Competition held in the spring of each year.
NSCI 610/ENGI 610 is team taught to provide insight into how technology oriented firms manage people, projects, accounting, marketing, strategy, intellectual property, organizations and entrepreneurship. A variety of methods will be used to explain the concepts and practices of management including; readings, case discussions, exercises, guest speakers, and a leadership movie. Student active participation is essential for most sessions and will carry the most weight in determining grades.
The major topics include:
Leadership; Influencing People in Organizations and Teams. Ten single sessions plus one double session, a Saturday class. (Dr. Harry Wilkinson, hewilkinson@peoplepc.com ) This module is intended to give students the tools needed to begin the long term process of acquiring and maintaining the interpersonal skills required for leadership in technology oriented organizations.
Project Management. Three sessions. (Ms. Merrie Phinney - Administaff) This module is intended to give students an overview of some of the various tools used to manage high technology projects.
Understanding Accounting. Four sessions. (Dr. Harry Wilkinson, hewilkinson@peoplepc.com ) This module is intended to give students an appreciation of both the simplicity and complexity of accounting concepts and the importance of the assumptions behind the numbers.
Marketing in High Technology Organizations. Two sessions. (Guest speaker and/or Dr. Harry Wilkinson, hewilkinson@peoplepc.com ) This module is intended to give students a broad picture of the steps necessary to successfully bring a new product from the initial technology concept in the laboratory to the first sale in the market place.
Strategy or Direction in High Technology Organizations. Three sessions. (Professor Andrew Barron, Dr.Don Ciappenelli and a Guest speakers to be announced) This module is intended to give students a general understanding of the benefits and limitations of setting strategy or directions in the highly volatile and often unpredictable high technology environment.
Intellectual Property. Two sessions. (Professor Andrew Barron, arb@rice.edu ) This module is intended to give students an understanding of the importance and methodology used to protect intellectual property.
Effective High Technology Organizations. Two sessions. (Ms. Adriennne Bond) This module is intended to give students an overview of the various types of organizations they may encounter in high technology enterprises from the traditional functional structures through the various matrix types approaches to the fully projectized structures.
Entrepreneurship. Two sessions. (Professor Al Napier, alnapier@rice.edu ) This module is intended to give students an overview of entrepreneurial organizations and to be a bridge to the spring course MGMT 625.
Course Coordinators
Professor Andrew Barron & Dr. Harry Wilkinson
Grading Criteria
The grade for the course will be a function of performance in the individual modules. Each module will be weighted based on the number of sessions as a percent of the total number of sessions. There are twenty-eight single sessions and one double session (Saturday class) for a total of thirty; therefore:
Leadership, 12/30 = 40% Project Management, 3/30 = 10% Accounting, 4/30 = 13% Marketing, 2/30 = 6 ¾% Strategy, 3/30 = 6 ¾% Intellectual Property, 2/30 = 10% Organization, 2/30 = 6 ¾% Entrepreneurship, 2/30 = 6 ¾% Total = 100% Course Policies
Classroom attendance is required. Students who miss class sessions will have points deducted from their final participation grades. (You cannot participate if you are not there.) Students who will miss class for "legitimate" reasons can avoid having points deducted from their final participation grade by informing the module instructor and the course coordinator(s) of the reason for the absence before class or in the case of unavoidable absence (e.g. auto accident) as soon after class as practicable.
Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments or accommodations is requested to speak with the course coordinator(s) during the first two weeks of class. All discussions will remain confidential. Students with disabilities should also contact Disabled Student Services in the Ley Student Center. Additionally, you will need to register with the Disability Support Services Office in the Ley Student Center.
Course Schedule and Handouts
Introduction to Leadership Module - NSCI 610 / ENGI 610 - August 29, 2006 (PDF) Personal Information Sheet - August 29, 2006
Module 1: Organizational Behavior & Leadership - Professor Harry Wilkinson - August 29 - September 30, 2006
Module 2: Project Management - Ms. Merrie Phinney - Administaff - October 3 - October 10, 2006
Module 3: Introduction to Accounting Concepts and Limitations - Professor Harry Wilkinson - October 12 - October 26, 2006
Module 4: Marketing in High Technology Organizations - Ms. Susan Wilkinson, Marketing Director Mednet Inc. - October 31 - November 2, 2006
Module 5: Strategy or Direction in High Technology Organizations - Professor Andrew Barron, Dr. Lewis Norman, Halliburton Energy Services - November 7 - November 14, 2006
Module 6: Intellectual Property - Professor Andrew Barron - November 16 - November 21, 2006
Module 7: Effective High Technology Organizations - November 28 - November 30, 2006
Module 8: Entrepreneurship - Professor Al Napier - December 5 - December 7, 2006
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