FIN 301: Financial Management Syllabus: Fall 2016 Instructor: Corbin Fox Office number: SMC 533 Email address: [email protected] Course Time: 3:40 p.m. – 4:55 p.m. Monday/Wednesday Course Location: HBB 302 Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 1 p.m. – 3 p.m; other times by appointment Course Purpose This course is an introduction to the basic principles of finance and the application of these principles to decisions facing the financial manager. Major topics include the time value of money, asset valuation, risk and return, and the weighted average cost of capital. Prerequisites are BA201 and Accounting 200. Course Organization Many students find Finance 301 to be a difficult and challenging course. In the packet you will find “Tips for Succeeding in Finance 301.” You are encouraged to prepare for class by reading the chapter in the textbook before class and working homework problems after class. You will be expected to memorize information, use critical thinking, understand accounting concepts, use algebra to solve equations and have college-level reading comprehension skills. Do not expect the problems worked in class to be exactly like the problems on the exams. This course will be structured in a lecture format with class participation highly encouraged. I will start off each class by spending a few minutes answering any questions about prior material. Then we will start that day’s lecture material and during lecture I will frequently call on students to answer questions or give and opinion on a matter. I encourage students to ask questions as they arise and will be happy to entertain other questions during office hours. I will end each class asking for questions about material unclear from that day’s lecture and ask you to submit these questions to me via email. I will use these to modify my future lectures to ensure a high level of understanding. Responsibilities Student In order to be successful in this course you must attend class, ask questions, and read the chapters in the book. Considering this course is structured in a way that encourages classroom discussion and questions, you will need to participate in class in order to gain the best understanding of the material. In regards to the book, all of the material in the book will be considered in creating exams and homework assignments. That being said, you will need to read and understand the chapterswe cover to be successful. If you find yourself having trouble keeping up with the material, please come see me during my office hours or visit the lab sessions on Fridays (see below). Instructor As the instructor, I will be prepared for each class by reviewing material for that day’s lecture and come with good engaging questions to ask the students. In addition, I will have real world examples to relate the topics to in order to give reason for learning the material. In addition, I will be providing additional readings and material in order to help the students better understand the material. Also, I will make myself available during office hours and by appointment in order to answer questions about class material. Resources Textbook/WileyPLUS ISBN #9781119190950, Principles of Finance for The University of Tennessee Knoxville. This is a custom package which includes a soft copy of the book along with electronic access to Wiley Plus. A new textbook is required for the class. You can purchase Wiley Plus online which comes with a digital version of the textbook. You must have Wiley Plus in order to access the on-line graded homework assignments. The textbook, available for purchase in the UT bookstore or on line, comes with the access code to Wiley Plus. Instructions for registering for WileyPLUS are on Blackboard. Go to Tools and then WileyPLUS is one way to initiate the WileyPLUS registration process. The first time you click on a WileyPLUS link, you will be prompted to insert a registration code, buy WileyPLUS online, or use a 14-day grace period for WileyPLUS access. Finance Lab There will be a Finance Lab run by TA’s on Fridays from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in HBB 402. These TA’s aren’t assigned to our class but have taken this class and understand the material. These labs are where you can receive extra help on material from class and study for exams. I highly encourage you to utilize this resource if you are having difficulties. Financial Calculator A financial calculator is essential for this course. All problems will be worked in class using the Texas Instruments BAII Plus calculator. The approved financial calculators are limited to HP-12c, TI BAII, TIBAII Plus, and TI BAII Professional. Class instructions will be given for the TI BAII. Bring your calculator to every class and exam. PDA’s and graphing calculators are strictly prohibited during exams and you may NOT share a calculator with other students during an exam. Other resourcesI will post readings and other materials on Blackboard in order to show how our classwork relates to the real world, and to better your understanding. I may also post other reference material and books that can provide you with alternative teaching approaches to what we will be doing in class. Assignments Homework: These assignments are to be completed individually and no collaboration is allowed. The homework assignments (after each chapter presented in class) are graded assignments and are available on WileyPLUS. These are generally due before class and will show up in your gradebook in Blackboard as points (not percentages). The due dates for these assignments are ofound on WileyPLUS, and once the due date has passed, you will not be able to submit the assignment. BE SURE TO CHECK FOR DUE DATES ON WileyPLUS; DO NOT ASSUME ANYTHING. You will be graded on your 12 best post lecture assignments (there are 14) and any extra points you earn on the other two assignments you submit will be considered extra credit. Therefore, under no circumstances, will a due date be extended, including for technical difficulties, nor will you be given a “second chance” to complete an assignment. (Note: Your grade on Blackboard may show up as a zero until the gradebook is refreshed which will be performed as soon after the due date as possible.) Excel Project: An Excel project is due