MFET 4770 Strategic Management of Resources

Books: 

You will need to purchase the Strategic Management of Resources Participant Guide from APICS, stock number 09130. The cost for APICS members is $55.00. The participant guide comes with a copy of the Sample Test.  

If you do not already have the two following items, you will also need a Ninth Edition Dictionary, stock number 01102 and the most recent CPIM Exam Content Manual, stock number 09001. The cost for APICS members is $10.00 for each item. These items may be obtained by contacting the national office at 1-800-444-2742.  or visit their website at www.apics.org.

Please have your membership number or the company's membership number available. If you do not have a membership number, you will purchase materials at the non-member rate.  Please have a credit card available when you place your order. Materials are generally shipped within 24 hours of order placement and arrive 5-7 workdays later.  2-day shipping is available for an additional fee.

There are several other reference materials and reprints that are useful for this course but are not necessary for this class or to pass the APICS international exam.  The use of additional materials is dependent upon your own work experience and background. A listing of additional reference materials is provided in the Exam Content Manual. (NOTE: Operations Strategy by Peter W. Stonebraker and G. Keong Leong is one of the primary references.  It is not listed in the 2000 Educational Materials Catalog but can be ordered using catalog number 03155.)

Credit Issues: 2 Semester Hours

You can take this course

• credit/no credit (which is essentially pass/fail)
• for a grade, or
• as an audit. No credit is received.

The University provides these options. However, as the instructor, I will provide all students with a letter grade. You need to declare which method you choose before the 3rd week of the month in which you start the course.

Reminder: You may want to check your company reimbursement policy, as many companies require students to take the course for a grade.

International Certification Exam:

Passing this course is no guarantee that you will also pass the international exam. However, we are using the material provided by APICS and proven teaching methods in bringing this course to you. Our pass rate in distance learning is comparable to the pass rate of students in our traditional classes. Actually, it is a little higher, but that may be due to the self-discipline that is often present in a successful distance learning student.

If you take the APICS international exam before you complete the class and you choose not to complete the class, you may elect to receive a B for passing the international exam or an A, if you pass the international exam with distinction.

Previous Courses: 

"For maximum comprehension of course content, you should be familiar with the information and concepts presented in the other CPIM modules before taking this course."  Page 1-3 Participant Guide

Course Objectives:

This class is quite different from the other four in the CPIM series. This class deals with strategy and looks at processes that are beyond the scope of the manufacturing and material operations known to many of the students.  The class is particularly suited to managers and is  meaningful to executive leaders and information and systems personnel.  These are often not the people enrolled in our classes.

However, as is the case in many good education classes, this class provides an ideal opportunity for those students who want to integrate their current experience and knowledge into the company activities for which they are responsible.

The course is also designed to

• help you pass the APICS international exam the first time you take it;
• provide you with knowledge and information generally not available in other forums;
• give you ideas to improve your company;
• increase your credibility with others in the organization.

Education is most meaningful when you internalize the principles that you learn and subsequently change your ways of dealing with daily work issues (behavior).

The student is expected to complete the course within 3 calendar months.  Students who have been successful in other distance learning situations pace themselves through the class.  The temptation to delay starting the class is great, and students have failed because they do not have enough time to recover the course at the end of their allotted time.

WebPortfolio:

WebPortfolio is designed as a private and secure communication method between the student and the instructor.  Assignments are submitted directly to the student's portfolio.  Any editing the instructor does also appears in the student's portfolio.  Both the student and the instructor may leave messages to each other in the WebPortfolio.

Academic Honesty:

The student handbook policy for Weber State University may be found on-line at the main menu.  For this class you may work with others in doing the homework and the term paper.  I would encourage you to include your co-workers in activities that are suitable for the term paper.  However, each student is expected to take the tests and final exam on his/her own. I do not expect you to use your workbook or any other information. ChiTester is a secured testing environment.  You cannot print out any of the testing information.  However, none of the tests are proctored, and you are expected to meet this requirement based on your personal integrity.

Grading Policy: Grades will be taken from

Grades are based on the University policy of

Note: Because of the difficult nature of this class, the instructor reserves the right to offer extra credit on outstanding homework or the term paper, or to provide additional work when requested by the student. This additional work will allow you to increase your grade one step (i.e. from a B to a B+), when reviewed and accepted by the instructor. This work must be completed by the time you take the final exam.

Grade Notification:

Grades will be automatically sent to each student at the end of each semester.  If a grade is needed sooner than the end of the semester, please contact Kathy Rivera at krivera@weber.edu, and she will provide a certified grade report which can be used for company reimbursement. Please make sure that you order your materials.  When your book arrives, begin with Assignments.