The University of Findlay - Sample Courses and Syllabi

The University of Findlay

College of Business
The Mission of the University is to equip our students for meaningful lives and productive careers.

Course Number/Title: FNCE 100, Personal Finance

Credit Hours: 3

Class Time/Place: None

Prerequisites:

Instructor:

Office Hours:

Course Description: Personal Finance is designed to provide students with competencies in the following content areas:

Financial Decision Making
Working and Earning
Budgeting, Banking, Saving, and Philanthropy
Effective Use of Credit
Wealth Creation and Investing
Risk Management

Relationship to the Course Objectives:

Apply reliable information and systematic decision making to personal financial decisions.
Use a career plan to develop personal income potential.
Organize personal finances and use a budget to manage cash flow.
Maintain creditworthiness, borrow at favorable terms, and manage debt.
Use appropriate and cost-effective risk management strategies.
Implement a diversified investment strategy that is compatible with personal goals.

General Education Learning Outcomes Addressed:

Goal 1. Students will take courses which expose them to a range of basic religious beliefs and diverse ethical perspectives and which encourage them to develop their own perspectives on global issues.

Goal 2. Students will become familiar with historical, scientific, literary, and/or philosophical content of a range of disciplines. x

Goal 3. Students will acquire and practice skills for reading, writing, speaking, listening, abstract inquiry, critical thinking, logical reasoning, and using computers and related technology. x

Goal 4. Students will develop an appreciation for and means of analyzing are, literature, music, communication, science, and/or theatre. x

Goal 5. Throughout their general education experience, students will analyze and reflect upon the challenges facing our global society as well as the importance of being a life-long learner and responsible citizen.

Required Textbooks:	Personal Finance, Kapoor, Dlabay, Hughes, McGraw-Hill Irwin, 9th Edition, ISBN978-0-07-338232-6; use various websites: Jump Start National Personal Finance Standards; National Endowment For Financial Education; etc.
Knowledge Base:	In addition to the textbook, students will be exposed to Internet websites, videos, and guest speakers.

Instructional Strategies

Case analysis Library and Internet Research x

Debate Practice/drill

Discovery/Independent Research x Problem solving x

Discussion/Questioning/Interviewing x Reading assignments x

Experiential Learning x Role playing/simulation games

Field Experience Service Learning

Group Presentation Video/Audio Review and Critique

Laboratory Experiences Other: Course Portfolio Project x

Lecture x Guest Speakers x

Methods of Assessment

Abstracts Participation x

Attendance x Peer Evaluation

Capstone Project Portfolio

Case Study Portfolio Lab Performance

Exams x Presentations x

Group Projects Professional Evaluation

Homework Assignments x Quizzes x

Internet Research x Research Project

Journal Other

Lab Performance Course project:
Managing your college debt after graduation. OR Developing your strategy to financial freedom.

Oral/Written review of literature

Grading: Assignments, tests, etc. TBA Homework and in-class assignments may be used as either learning tools or evaluative tools. Students are expected to read the text while lectures and classroom activities will supplement the text material.


Grading Scale:

Grade

Points

Grading

A 4.00
93-100

A- 3.67
90-92

B+ 3.33 87-89

B 3.00 83-86

B- 2.67 80-82

C+ 2.33 77-79

C 2.00 73-76

C- 1.67 70-72

D+ 1.33 67-69

D 1.00 63-66

D- 0.67 60-62

F 0.00 Below 60

Honor Code: I will not knowingly engage in any dishonorable behavior, cheat, steal, and lie or commit any act of plagiarism during my academic work, course, or endeavor. If I observe an act which I believe violates the University’s Honor Code, I may, in my discretion, report it to the appropriate personnel.

Academic dishonesty is a basis for disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to activities such as cheating and plagiarism (presenting as one’s own the intellectual or creative accomplishments of another without giving credit to the source or sources). The faculty member in whose course or under whose tutelage an act of academic dishonesty occurs has the option of failing the student for the academic hours in question or may refer the case to other academic personnel for further action. Each student must prepare and present her or his own original work in this class. The University of Findlay may impose penalties for academic dishonesty up to and including expulsion from the University.

Course Policies and Practices:     Unit test dates will be announced.
DUE DATES: All assignments are expected to be submitted on the due date and at the beginning of the class period.

Final Exam Date:

Special Services:   If you are a student with a disability, it is your responsibility to register with the Office of Disability Service and notify your instructor one week prior to any needed service so that reasonable accommodations can be made for you.



Course and Instructor evaluation: Course and instructor evaluation will be conducted as Evaluation outlined in the University of Findlay Faculty Manual.

Additional Information: The professor reserves the right to change and adjust the syllabus and course as deemed necessary in his/her sole discretion.

Course Project: Managing Your College Debt After Graduation AND Developing & Implementing Your Strategy to Financial Freedom

Total Points = 100

Students will develop a type-written report (containing subheadings of the six financial learning areas) and will address the following areas:




Requirements:

Identifying the total amount of debt at the time of graduation
Developing a plan on paying off the debt
Identify your personal life goals and explain your strategy to accomplish those goals
Developing and explaining your strategy to debt management and building/creating wealth throughout your lifetime.
Outline your steps to your own personal financial freedom
Document your philosophy of living style, purchasing behaviors, retirement funding, career development, etc.
Provide examples of budgets (spending plans), balance sheets, retirement goals with forcasted financial goals at various points in time, etc.
Discuss your approach to “living a balanced life”

Page Length/style/margins/grammar:

Project length should be 10-15 pages (double spaced) with attachments of examples of spending plans, financial goals, retirement goals, etc.
APA style required and properly cite your references within the text and provide a list of references
Use one inch margins and insert page numbers
Proper grammar is required and no spelling errors permitted

Oral Presentation:

A ten minute oral presentation will be given by each student. Power     Points will be used to support the presentation.