A Framework for the Model Students IS Orginization
Jeffrey S. Harper, James R. Buffington, Joseph T. Harder
Student IS organizations can be a valuable asset in achieving the goals of a university's IS program. In this paper, we identify structural components and activities employed by effective student Information Systems (IS) organizations. From these, we propose a framework for the model student IS organization. Additionally, the study includes a content analysis of a large sample of student IS organization web sites from across the U.S. and lists the frequency of these organizations' use of the structural components and activities employed by successful student IS organizations. The results of the study indicate that, while most IS student organizations employ some of the structural components and activities, few organizations employ the majority ofthese characteristics. The implications of this finding are discnssed and suggestions forimprovement aremade.
Jeffrey S. Harper is the MIS program coordinator and Gongaware Associate Professor of MIS in the School of Business at Indiana State University (ISU) where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Information Systems and eCommerce. Dr. Harper earned his Ph.D. in manage-ment information systems from Auburn University. His research andconsulting interestsinclude aligning information technology with strategic intent, the management of technology and technology transfer, case studies in information systems, and pedagogical issues in MIS. He has written over 30 articles for trade and academic publications such as the Case Research Journal, the Journal for Information Technology Management, the Journal of Technology Transfer, the Journal of SMET (Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology) Education: Innovations and Research, the Journal of Computer Information Systems, and the Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies. Dr. Harper has served on international and domestic VIP panels for professional organizations including the Decision Sciences Institute, the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences, and the International Academy for Case Studies. He has also served as an IT consultant for such organizations as NASA, the U.S. Justice Department, the Department of the Navy, Monroe Guaranty Insurance Corporation, and BellSouth Corporation.
James R. Buffington is an associate professor of information systems at Indiana State University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1985. Dr. Buffington's current research interests include information systems pedagogical issues and computer simulations. He has served on executive board of the International Academy for Information Management since 1994. Dr. Buffington is the executive director of Alpha Iota Mu, the honor society for students of information systems. He teaches courses in knowledge management as well as information resource management.
Joseph T. Harder is assistant professor of MIS at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. Dr. Harder came to Indiana State in 1998 after holding positions at Southern Illinois University and Western Illinois University. He holds mastersand PhD degrees in business administration from Southern Illinois University and a BA in psychology from Purdue University. Dr. Harder's research interests include business value of information technology, information technology and process re-engineering, and MIS pedagogy. His teaching interests are systems analysis, database management, and business telecommunications. In addition to his academic career, Dr. Harder has held many management positions inindustry, and is certified in production and inventory management. He has authored. commercial business software in the areas of financial services and health care management.
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