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Affiliates Program

The CIS Advisory Board
The CIS Advisory Board advises the CIS Department on its strategies for undertaking information systems research, for education and curricula revision, and for service in support of information systems practice in general and the Atlanta I/T community in particular. The most critical activity of the Board is providing “advice from practice” to the CIS Department on ways for best serving the I/T profession and the community.

The CIO Breakfast Meetings
This is an invitation-only quarterly breakfast meeting of chief information officers (CIOs) of firms in the greater Atlanta area. Only the senior-most I/S executive from each firm may attend (no substitutes or guests) and all discussions are "off the record."

The I/T Network
Recognizing the importance of establishing close working relationships among CIS faculty and practicing professionals at all levels of the organization, the I/T Network provides the mechanism for such relationships and interactions. This self-managed, Internet-based network will be built around the interests of the participants, allowing discussions, problem exploration, and even face-to-face meetings, as determined by the participants.

The CIS Colloquia
Funded by Affiliate fees, the CIS Colloquia brings leading I/S academics from around the world to present their latest research to faculty, students, and practitioners. It meets on campus on alternative Fridays throughout the academic year.

Student Field Projects
In field study projects, CIS students develop analyses, designs, and/or software prototypes that apply course principles to real-world problems as specified by the company. These field study project assignments are negotiated with the instructors of various undergraduate and graduate courses that require practical application of course concepts. The department has developed a standard confidentiality and trade-secrets agreement. Projects are either pro bono or with an agreement to cover the direct expenses of the students.

Student Internships
These internships are paid student service within companies. In these internships, the students work under the direction of both company and faculty supervisors to ensure that the student knowledge and understanding is expanded by the practical application of skills obtained in the classroom. Companies benefit from the interaction with students trained in the most recent concepts and technologies, and from observing students as possible future employees. The CIS Department gains by getting feedback from both the companies and the students in order to revise the curricula to better reflect the needs of current practice.

Student Recruiting
Each fall, the College holds a highly-successful Career Expo for graduate students who are actively seeking employment, many in the I/T field. The department will ensure that all Affiliate firms are offered the opportunity to participate in this annual event and will cover the fees involved. The department will also assist Affiliate companies in refining their recruiting approaches in order to “tell their story” in the most effective fashion.

Research Hosting
CIS Affiliate companies will be informed of proposed research projects and may wish to host these projects, especially when they address areas of concern to the company. By serving as a research site, the company provides researchers with empirical evidence to support scientific discoveries, and gains pre-publication access to basic and applied research that specifically addresses their particular company’s culture and setting. Confidentiality is typically restricted to disguising the corporate identity for the purposes of publication. Projects are negotiable as pro bono or under the terms of a research grant.

Collaborative Research Projects
These research projects address areas of considerable interest to both members of the CIS faculty and of Affiliate companies. These projects may be full or partially sponsored by the company or with direct grants to the university. They will typically involve the research staff and facilities in both the company and the CIS Department. Results of the research may be fully or partly publishable depending on negotiation. The project will typically operate under terms of a research grant, service fee, or memorandum of agreement.

Research Exchanges
Research exchanges involve both a faculty internship and an adjunct lectureship for research purposes. In a research exchange, a faculty member or doctoral student works as a researcher within the company, and a member of the company staff works as a researcher in the CIS Department. The terms are negotiable, but the company and the university will normally bear the costs of their respective members in the exchange.

CIS Working Paper Series
CIS Affiliates gain preview access to all CIS Working Papers. These papers are essentially white papers that report on late-breaking research that has not yet been published or circulated to the general public. Affiliates will thus be able to see these working papers as soon as they are completed which may be as much as a year before these findings are published in professional journals.

Executives-in-Residence
The executive-in-residence program involves designating an information systems executive for full-time residence and participation in the CIS Department. This is a form of post-graduate training and experience for this executive, and typically involves teaching a CIS course, attending colloquia and research meetings, and interacting with the CIS faculty on a regular basis. The term of appointment is for a semester or an academic year. Costs are typically shared between the university and the company.

Adjunct Lectureships
Adjunct lecturers are company I/S professionals who conduct research and teaching activities part-time in the CIS Department. These adjunct lecturers, through teaching, research, and interaction with the faculty further enhance the knowledge and skills they already possess. Adjunct-lecturer service typically requires 15 hours of work per week. Costs are shared between the university and the company.

Faculty Internships
These internships are paid faculty service within companies. Companies benefit from having faculty experts investigating tough practical problems and from the technology transfer and informal “refresher training” that comes from interacting with their staff. The university benefits when its faculty return to the world of practice and refresh their practical experience. The resultant experience provides lively material for classroom discussions, and opens new research questions from the practical issues that arise in the workplace. Typically, faculty summer service involves activities in which costs are negotiated between the company and the faculty member.

Executive Education and Professional Training
Affiliate firms are informed on a priority basis of available professional programs, workshops, and courses developed by the CIS Department. Also, programs can be designed and developed to meet the specific needs of the Affiliate companies. Discounts will be offered to Affiliates for all publically-offered CIS executive education courses.

Faculty Presentations
A selection of interactive faculty presentations can be made available for company meetings or workshops. These presentations may include “briefings” on current technologies and techniques, research findings, and/or work-in-progress. Fees for such presentations are negotiated on an individual basis with the faculty member involved.

Knowledge Exchanges
Recognizing the extensive I/T expertise that exists within the Affiliate companies, the knowledge exchanges are opportunities for these company experts to offer workshops in their area of specialization, open to their colleagues within their companies, to individuals from other Affiliate companies, and to the CIS faculty. All of the administrative responsibilities for organizing these exchanges are handled by the CIS Department.

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