IS 505 Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Theories and Strategies
Summary
This course will give you a broad understanding of how a company should prepare for all types of disruptions (floods, tornadoes, chemical spills, equipment malfunctions, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, etc.) so it will survive the disruption. You will be given a basic methodology for how to analyze and prioritize risks, arrive at criticality ratings, evaluate financial and non-financial losses, and determine a strategy for survival. Using case studies, you will be provided real world situations where you will learn how to apply one of the best practice methodologies in use today and yet adheres to the principles taught by the Disaster Recovery Institute International.
This course is based upon a combination of lecture/discussion/group and individual case analysis. You will work with data from a selection of over 30 clients for whom the instructor performed a variety of Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) projects. With this real world data, you will work through BC/DR problems using industry documented theories and from additional information provided by the instructor's knowledge gained by over twelve years of experience in the BC/DR industry.
Texts
Instead of a textbook, all required reading will be contained in COL. This information not only contains background material, but also provides supplemental information that will consist of the evaluation methodology developed and used by the instructor in over 30 BC/DR projects. There will be over 100 PowerPoint presentations, methodology documents, and preprinted articles in COL.
Grading
Grading is based upon the manner in which a student fulfills the objectives of the course. Each student will be evaluated on his/her performance (no grading curve will be used). 93-100 pts=A; 90-92 pts=A-; 87-89 pts=B+; 83-86 pts=B; 80-82 pts=B-; 77-79 pts=C+; 73-76 pts=C; 70-72 pts=C-; 67-69 pts=D+; 60-66 pts=D; and 0-59 pts=F. The weight of each assignment for contributing to the final average is as follows for inclass and OL students: 4 Homework Assignments = 40% of final grade; Discusson Forum Participation = 10% of final grade; and Final Take-Home Case Study Exam = 40% of final grade. For the final 10% of the grade, this is different for inclass and OL students. 10% of inclass students' grades are dependent upon class attendance and participation while 10% of OL students' grades are dependent upon a 3-page written homework assignment.
Prerequisites
HOMEWORK:
All written assignments are due to the instructor via DePaul's COL System https://col.cdm.depaul.edu by the designated time/date indicated in COL, unless permission is received by the instructor prior to the due dates. Late assignments will automatically be graded 10% lower than those that are submitted on time. If late, this will be taken into consideration in your final grade under the area of Homework. Homework will consist of: reading the material in COL; additional handouts that may be distributed regarding methodology samples; current Business Continuity articles; and written homework as documented in COL.
FINAL EXAM FOR ALL STUDENTS:
The Final Exam will be a take-home case study. The overriding evaluation of the case study is each student's ability to apply the concepts and methodology discussed in class and provide justification for all recommended strategies and solutions. All inclass and OL students must submit the Final Exam to the instructor via DePaul's COL System https://col.cdm.depaul.edu by the designated time/date indicated in COL, unless permission is received by the instructor prior to the due date. If your Final Exam is late, it will automatically be graded 10% lower than those Final Exams that are submitted on time. If late, this will be taken into consideration in your Final Exam Grade.
Introduction to the Course--Introduction of Instructor and Students. Review of Syllabus, Class Goals--Those of the Class and Student Expectations. What is Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity? Why Study this Topic? Is this a Profession? Are There Jobs in This Field? Review of Business Continuity Glossary. What is a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and what is its importance in Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery?
Business Impact Analysis Methodology: Part 1, Financial Impacts and Non-Financial Impacts; and Part 2, Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs). Determining Recovery Time Objectives for Departments.
Part 3, Use of Business Impact Analysis Data to Develop and Justify Disaster Recovery Technology Strategies for Hardware and Software.
Complete Part 3, How to Select Technology Recovery Strategies for Hardware and Software in Small/Large Data Centers. The Differences Between Internal and External Strategies, and How to Justify Strategies to Management.
Gathering Technology Information and Consolidating/Analyzing BIA Information. Business Recovery (Work Area Recovery). Business Interruption Insurance (Definition, Assets Covered, etc.) and the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 (TRIA).
Designing Corporate Awareness and Education; Designing and Documenting a Recovery Organization. Documenting Technology and User Area (Work Area) Recovery Plans. How to Evaluate Recovery Plans.
Documenting Technology and User Area (Work Area Recovery) Tests; Types of Tests; Managing Tests; Auditing Tests, etc. Current Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Trends.
FINAL EXAM IS DISTRIBUTED TO ALL STUDENTS. Review of Business Continuity, Putting it All Together. "Jeopardy" review of all class material covered to date.
Pandemic Video Presentation. Planning for Pandemics and Other Biological Agents. Risk Analysis and the Difference Between it and a BIA. Miscellaneous Information Not Covered in Previous Weeks.
Emergency Management Issues--Planning for: Radiological Threats; Chemical Spills; Floods; Tornadoes; Earthquakes; etc.
This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.
Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course
content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The
evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely
separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation.
Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.
This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/ If you
have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.
All students are expected to abide by the University's Academic Integrity Policy which prohibits cheating and other misconduct in student coursework. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy. Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.
All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx.
Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that
you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296