Course Information:
Instructor Information:
Summer 2015
Dawson D229
06/11 – 08/13/2015
Thursday, 6-10 p.m.
Sterling Raskie
Office hours by appt
sraskie@ben.edu
217-718-5355
1.Read Chapters 1, 2 & 3. Please be prepared to discuss these chapters in class.
2.Obtain the use of a financial calculator (see syllabus for details).
3.Spend time becoming familiar with the financial functions of the calculator.
FINA 300 - Managerial Finance
I.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: An analysis of the functions of financial management in the decision-making
process of the firm.
II.
TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS: Brigham, Eugene F., and Houston, Joel F., Fundamentals of Financial
Management, 12th Ed., South-Western Cengage Learning, © 2009. ISBN: 978-0-324-59770-7
A financial calculator is required for this class. If a student does not currently own a financial
calculator they should purchase one before the first night of class and begin familiarizing themselves
with the various financial features. It is the student’s responsibility to learn their own calculator!!
Examples of appropriate calculators include Texas Instruments (TI 83, TI 83 Plus, or BA II Plus) or
Hewlett-Packard (HP 10B, 12C, or 17B). If you have any questions regarding this requirement, please
contact the instructor. The instructor will use the HP 10BII+.
Students will use D2L as an instructional tool for this course. Students must take necessary steps to have
access to this essential resource prior to the beginning of the course.
III.
MISSION STATEMENT: Benedictine University is dedicated to the education of undergraduate and
graduate students from diverse ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds. As an academic community
committed to liberal arts and professional education distinguished and guided by our Roman Catholic
tradition and Benedictine heritage, we prepare our students for a lifetime as active, informed and
responsible citizens and leaders in the world community.
IV. GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES :
A. Goal: To provide students with the basic tools for effective financial decision-making within a
firm and to develop an understanding of financial markets and security valuation.
B. Course Objectives: At the completion of the course, students should be able to do the following:
1: Understand the role of financial managers in a business organization and be able to analyze the
basic financial statements of a firm.
2: Demonstrate how financial markets operate and the relationship between risk and return.
3: Analyze security prices and make financial decisions based on their valuation.
4: Apply quantitative techniques to make long-term investment decisions.
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V.
TEACHING METHODS DELIVERY SYSTEM: Lecture, classroom discussions, outside reading, and
practical applications will be used to facilitate learning. Students should monitor various news outlets
(Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Fortune, Forbes, or The Economist) for financial information that
relates to the topics discussed in the course.
VI. COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
A. Attendance/Participation – Students are expected to attend every class and remain for the full
class session. Active participation in classroom discussions and exercises is also expected. Poor
attendance and/or unwillingness to participate in the class sessions will be reflected in the
participation component of your grade. Students should be adequately prepared for each class
session, including completion of all textbook reading assignments.
B. This course is highly accelerated, and students will need to take a great deal of responsibility for
their own learning outcomes. Attendance is required in each class meeting for the full period of
time. Any absence must be due to extraordinary circumstances and will require documentation
for it to be considered excused. Documentation must be provided immediately in order to
determine what, if any, accommodations are reasonable or possible. Class attendance will
directly impact your final grade, and each undocumented absence will be considered unexcused
and will result in a 20% reduction in the final grade for the course.
C. Due to the accelerated nature of the course, should you experience a medical condition which
prevents you from attending any class(es), appropriate medical documentation must be provided
immediately so it may be determined what, if any, accommodations are reasonable or possible.
At the instructor’s discretion, each unexcused absence will result in a loss of 20 A/P points.
D. Reading Assignments – These assignments are necessary to ensure students grasp the financial
topics discussed. Reading assignments in the textbook should be completed prior to the
scheduled class discussion. Students should be prepared to discuss the assigned reading.
E. Written Assignments – Students are expected to complete one individual project. This
assignment incorporates the information reviewed in class to a “real-world” application.
Additional information will be provided in class.
F. Makeup Work – No makeup exams will be given without prior permission. Late assignments
will result in a significant reduction in the assignment grade and will only be accepted until the
beginning of the class session following the original due date.
Benedictine University at Springfield Student Academic Honesty Policy
The search for truth and the dissemination of knowledge are the central missions of a university.
Benedictine University at Springfield pursues these missions in an environment guided by our Roman
Catholic tradition and our Benedictine heritage. Integrity and honesty are therefore expected of all
University students. Actions such as cheating, plagiarism, collusion, fabrication, forgery, falsification,
destruction, multiple submission, solicitation, and misrepresentation are violations of these expectations
and constitute unacceptable behavior in the University community.
Student’s Responsibility
Though there is no formal honor code at Benedictine University at Springfield, students are expected to
exhibit academic honesty at all times. Violations against academic honesty are always serious and may
result in sanctions that could have profound long-term effects. The final responsibility for understanding
the Academic Honesty Policy of the institution, as well as the specific policies for individual courses
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normally found in syllabi, rests with students. If any doubt exists about what constitutes academic
dishonesty, students have the responsibility to talk to the faculty member. Students should expect the
members of their class to be academically honest. If students believe one or more members of the class
have been deceitful to gain academic advantage in the class, students should feel comfortable to approach
the faculty member of the course without prejudice.
Violations of the Academic Honesty Policy will be reported to the Office of the Dean of Academic
Affairs. Along with a verbal warning, the following are consequences a student may face for academic
dishonesty:
 a failing grade or “zero” for the assignment;
 dismissal from and a failing grade for the course; or
 dismissal from the Institution.
G. Classroom Etiquette - Cell phones must be turned off during class and may not be used during
exams. Please show respect to your fellow students and the instructor by arriving on time and
being prepared for class.
VII. MEANS OF EVALUATION
A. Grading Scale:
450 to 500 pts = A
400 to 449 pts = B
350 to 399 pts = C
300 to 349 pts = D
<300 pts = F
B. Means of Evaluation:
3 Exams (50, 50, and 50 points)
Final Exam
Time Value of Money Project
Participation
TOTAL
150 points
100 points
100 points
150 points
500 points
There will be 4 exams during this class. Exam 1 will cover chapters 1 & 2, Exam 2 will cover
chapters 3, 4 & 5, and Exam 3 will cover chapters 6, 7, & 8. Each student must complete the exams
alone. Evidence of collaborative work will result in a zero on the exam for all students involved.
Exam 4 (the final exam) will be in-class and comprehensive with an emphasis on chapters 9, 10, and
11. Exam format will be discussed in class.
Grade Appeal Process
If a student believes that an error has been made in reporting a grade, an appeal must be made in
writing to the instructor and must be initiated 60 calendar days after the end of the term for which the
grade in question was reported. The appeal should contain specific information about why it is
believed the grade reported is inaccurate. See the Student Handbook for details.
Add/Drop Dates
Please refer to the current Academic Calendar for add/drop dates.
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Incomplete Request
To qualify for an “I” grade, a minimum of 75% of the course work must be completed with a passing
grade, and a student must submit a completed Request for an Incomplete form to the Registrar’s
Office. The form must be completed by both student and instructor, but it is the student’s
responsibility (not the instructor’s) to initiate this process and obtain the necessary signatures.
Student Withdrawal Procedure
It is the student’s responsibility to officially withdraw from a course by completing the appropriate
form, with appropriate signatures, and returning the completed form to the Advising Office. Please
refer to the Student Handbook for important financial information related to withdrawals.
VIII.
COURSE OUTLINE: This schedule is tentative. Changes from the listed schedule will be announced
during class. Students who miss class are responsible for any announced changes.
Week
1
06/11
2
06/18
3
06/25
4
07/02
5
07/09
6
07/16
7
07/23
8
07/30
9
08/06
10
08/13
Chapters
1, 2, & 3
Exam 1
3&4
4&5
5&6
Exam 2
6&7
7&8
8&9
Exam 3
9 & 10
11
Exam 4
Topics
Finance careers, role of finance in a firm, agency relationships, intrinsic value
capital allocation, types of financial markets and institutions, stock markets,
balance sheet, and income statement
Statement of retained earnings, statement of cash flows, sources and uses of cash,
NOPAT, Calculation of cash flow (NCF, OCF, FCF), and Federal income taxes
Financial statement analysis, ratio analysis, ROE, DuPont Equation, Problems from
Chapters 3 & 4. Time value of money introduction.
PV, FV, annuities, semiannual compounding, periodic and effective rates, and loan
amortizations. IP, DRP, LP, and MRP
Term structure of interest rates, yield curves, problems. Bond characteristics &
terms, calls, valuation, YTM, CY, and CGY.
Interest rate & reinvestment risk, and problems from Ch 7. Risk & return, standalone and portfolio risk, probability distributions, standard deviation, CV, portfolio
return & risk, correlation, CAPM, beta, SML, MRP
Risk aversion, and problems from Ch 8. Common stock attributes, stock price,
dividend growth model.
Market equilibrium and Ch 9 problems. Capital components & cost of each,
WACC. Payback, Discounted payback, NPR, IRR, capital budgeting problems.
INDIVIDUAL PROJECT DUE via D2L on Aug. 1 at 10 p.m.
Review of Chapters 9, 10, and 11.
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IX. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES (ADA)
Benedictine University at Springfield provides individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations
to participate in educational programs, activities, and services. Students with disabilities requiring
accommodations to participate in campus-sponsored programs, activities, and services, or to meet course
requirements, should contact the Resource Center as early as possible: springaccess@ben.edu or
(217) 717-9253.
X. ASSESSMENT
Goals, objectives, and learning outcomes that will be assessed in the class are stated in this syllabus in
Sections IV and VI. Instructor will background knowledge probes, one-minute papers, reflective essays
and/or other Classroom Assessment Techniques as deemed necessary in order to provide continuous
improvement of instructions. .
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