Personal Finance
BU180: Webcourse using Desire2Learn (D2L)
Course Syllabus: Spring 2016
NOTICE: This Syllabus is designed primarily for “full-blown” online courses
that do not meet in a classroom. For hybrid (or web-assisted) courses that meet
in a classroom, the syllabus is subject to modifications by the instructor.
Instructor:
Meeting Times
Office Hours /
Availability
Professor Rob Hull, Clarence W. King Endowed Chair in
Finance
Office: HC311-I
Course Mail: The instructor will expect students to use the
“Communication” menu in Desire2Learn (D2L) and
choose "email" to send a message to this D2L address:
rob.hull@D2L.washburn.edu. Unless D2L is not working,
please do not email me through Washburn’s Outlook
email system but only communicate with me through D2L
using rob.hull@D2L.washburn.edu.
Login for Course: The easiest and best way to login into D2L
is to go to: https://D2L.washburn.edu and use your
Washburn login information.
For full-blown webcourses, there are no meeting times per se
but students are required to be available at scheduled dates
and time to take mid-term and final exams online (that are
set to avoid other scheduled classes). See “Dates and
Times of Exams” of the “Examinations” section of this
syllabus for more details. Exams can be taken at any
location as long as a student has a computer and a reliable
online access. The university provides adequate locations
on campus during the examination times.
The instructor is available for individual appointments either
in an office setting or phone set-up. You can make
appointments through D2L course mail inside the
“Communication” menu. For phone appointments,
Desire2Learn
Student
Orientation
Required
Materials:
Prerequisites
students can request my cell phone number or give me
your phone number and time to call.
Students can also use the “Communication” menu within
D2L to ask questions and I will try to respond as soon as
possible.
While most (if not all) students can probably learn how to
navigate an online course on their own, there is a short
online training course that can be taken. All online
students should automatically be informed about this
training. All the topics covered in the training will not be
applicable to this particular class. The most important
topics are Email, Navigating, Discussions, Quizzes and
Grades. From inside D2L you click on the select a course
list at the very top left-hand corner; from this drop-down
menu, you will see the Desire2Learn Student Orientation
and you click on it.
(1) Personal Finance by E. Thomas Garman and Raymond
E. Forgue, 2014, CENGAGE Learning, 12th edition.
(2) A calculator of a student’s choice or Excel are two
examples of tools that students can use to work problems.
Some students might want to buy a business calculator for
future use especially if they plan to be a business major.
Without a calculator or Excel, students will have to rely
largely on the textbook and its appendices and/or tables
for certain numerical values.
(3) When viewing an online course file inside the webcourse
there is a blue arrow in the upper right of the screen; by
clicking on this blue arrow you may be able to better view
the file. You can download files through the dropdown
menu to the right of the file name. For Excel files, you
have to click the “Download” button just to read it. While
a PowerPoint file can be read in PDF format, you have to
click the “Download” button to read it in PowerPoint
format. NOTE: If you have trouble finding a “Download”
button, scroll down until you find it.
There are no prerequisites.
Computer Needs Normal computer skills are required as well as access to the
Introduce
Yourself
Report Errors
News Tools
Warning
internet (such as supplied by your educational institution).
Minimum technology requirements for taking a webcourse
are supplied by the web technicians (Web Techs) for
students taking classes with online components. If you
are having problems or just want to know what works the
best, please contact webtech@washburn.edu or
support@washburn.edu. Sometimes a minor problem or
glitch needs to be handled by the webtech.
Please introduce yourself by clicking on the
“Communication” menu and then the “Discussion” link.
The introduction topic thread should be visible near the
top.
Students are asked to report errors in webcourse materials by
using the course mail (described above).
IMPORTANT: The “News” link within the “Course Home”
menu should be checked each time you log in to the online
course as important notifications are put there. Links to
assignments are also provided there.
This is an online class and technology break-downs can occur.
You are responsible for keeping up with suggested
deadlines as given in “News” link and Topic Outline. You
should plan accordingly.
Catalog Course Description
Personal and family financial planning. Topics include: consumer legislation,
consumer finance, family budgeting, estate planning, insurance, individual
income tax, home buying, mortgages, retirement pensions, and investments.
Ethical Behavior
Students can expect to be exposed to learning materials that relate to ethical
behavior as well as find an integration of this topic within the textbook. Since
testing is done online, students are trusted to do their own work. To insure this
many safety precautions and insurance checks are undertaken many of which are
not obvious or made known to students. The typical Washburn student is honest,
works hard and strives to learn so as not to waste their tuition money.
Seven Major Learning Objectives (or Outcomes) for
Assessment
1) Recognize the keys to achieving financial success, effective
employment search strategies, and financial budgeting (Chapters 1,
2 and 3).
2) Understand payment of federal income taxes and management of
checking and savings accounts (Chapters 4 and 5).
3) Build good credit and Understand credit cards and consumer loans
(Chapters 6 and 7).
4) Know the processes involved in making major purchases such as
vehicles and housing (Chapters 8 and 9).
5) Understand forms of insurance such as property, health care and life
(Chapters 10, 11 and 12).
6) Acquire the fundamentals of investment in stocks, bonds, mutual
funds and other vehicles (Chapters 13, 14 and 15).
7) Comprehend high risk investments and Learn retirement and estate
planning (Chapters 16 and 17).
NOTE: Information on both major and chapter learning objectives are found
by first clicking on the “Contents” menu and then scrolling down to the
“Learning Objectives” module. Another way of assessing content modules
(like the Learning Objectives module) is to hit the "Course Home" menu and
scroll down below the News announcements and hit the “>” to the far right
of where it says Contents Browser. There you will be able to get all content
modules that are found in the "Course Contents" menu. As described later,
there are two quizzes on the Learning Objectives – one quiz before the MidTerm Exam and one quiz before the Final Exam.
Topic Outline and recommended dates for finishing (return to top)
Ch. 1: Understanding Personal Finance
1/19
Ch. 3: Financial Statements, Tools, and
Budgets 1/27
Ch. 2: Career Planning 1/22
Ch. 4: Managing Income Taxes 2/3
Ch. 5: Managing Checking and Savings
Accounts 2/9
Ch. 7: Credit Cards and Consumer Loans
2/19
Ch. 9: Obtaining Affordable Housing 3/2
Mid-Term Exam: 3/9 at 8:30 p.m.
Ch. 10: Managing Property and Liability
Risk 3/22
Ch. 12: Life Insurance Planning 4/1
Ch. 14: Investing in Stocks and Bonds
4/13
Ch. 16: Real Estate and High-Risk
Investments 4/25
Ch. 17: Retirement and Estate Planning
5/4
Final Exam: 5/9 at 8:30 p.m.
Ch. 6: Building and Maintaining Good
Credit 2/15
Ch. 8: Vehicles and Other Major
Purchases 2/25
Practice Mid-Term Exam: 3/7
Spring Break: 3/14 to 3/18
Ch. 11: Managing Health Expenses 3/28
Ch. 13: Investment Fundamentals 4/7
Ch. 15: Raising Capital 4/19
Course Project Due: 4/29
Practice Final Exam: 5/6
Examinations (return to top) (return below)
● SCORING, CHAPTERS COVERED, & GRADES:
There are two exams.
(1) The mid-term exam covers Chapters 1-9. (2) The final exam emphasizes
Chapters 9-17. The final can be comprehensive in that a number of concepts
and formulas introduced in earlier chapters can be found throughout the
course.
More information on exams including review sheets with formulas can be found by
clicking on the “Exams” module inside the “Content” menu. Once inside this
module, you should familiarize yourselves with all exam-related links including
two links from which you take your mid-term and final exams. Exams can be
accessed (1) from clicking on the “Course Home” menu and the link in the
“News” announcement (this is the easiest way), (2) from the “Contents” menu
and “Exam” module, and (3) from the “Assessment” menu and “Quizzes” link.
You can expect a time limit of about 90 minutes for each exam but that can be
shortened for hybrid/web-assisted courses. For details on the types of exam
questions, please read the “Exam Information and Instruction” link inside the
“Exams” module.
Students should have access to general exam feedback including your score and
class average after taking each exam; however, wait a day or two before any
feedback becomes official.
Unlike the quizzes (which are available throughout the semester), the following
applies to either a mid-term exam or final exam.
- An exam is only available to take during the designated exam date and time;
and;
- Individual feedback (as found for quizzes) is unavailable for exams for
security reasons but exam feedback can be requested from the instructor by
using the course mail in the “Communication” menu and sending a
message to rob.hull@D2L.washburn.edu.
Each exam counts 30% of your grade; the twenty quizzes also count 30% of
your grade. The Course Project is 10% of your grade. Class participation
(described later) is used to determine your grade if you are on the borderline
between two grades. In summary form, the class scoring is:
Mid-Term Exam ……..……….
Final Exam …..………………..
Quizzes ……..………………….
Course Project …….………….
TOTAL …………..……………
30%
30%
30%
10%
100%
See the sections in this syllabus on “Online Quizzes and Exams” and “Course
Project and Class Participation” for more information. You should be able to find
out how you are doing in the course by clicking on the “Assessment” menu and
from the drop-down box clicking on “Grades.” (To get more detailed information
you can click on your name in the upper right-hand corner of the screen and
select “Progress” and then click on a topic such as “Quizzes.”) If you receive
80% on your first quiz and have not completed any other graded tasks, then your
performance (to date) should be reported as 80%. The class average should also
be reported. Suppose you later receive an 80 on the Mid-Term Exam and your
average for all quizzes taken up to the time is 86. Since the Mid-Term Exam
and quizzes are each worth the same (e.g., worth 30% of your grade), your
current overall grade would be computed as (86 + 80) / 2 = 83. Now suppose
later you get a 71 on the Final Exam (and maintain your quiz average of 86)
then your final average would be (86 + 80 + 71) /3 = 79. Now suppose you get
an 90 on your Course Project. Your final score would be 79(0.9) + 90(0.1) =
71.1 + 9.0 = 80.1. According to the tentative grading scale (see the Expected
Grading Scale below), this score will render you a “B” grade unless the grading
scale is curved downwards or upwards in order to generate a fair distribution of
grades based on the class performance compared to historical norms.
● DATES & TIMES FOR EXAMS: (return to top)
Each student is required to be available to take two online exams: Mid-Term Exam
is on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. on March 9 and the Final Exam is at 8:30 p.m.
on Monday, May 9. These times have been set later in the evening to minimize
conflicts with other classes and work schedules. NOTE: For hybrid/webassisted courses, these exams may be given in a classroom and those students
would be notified in advance.
- Unless special permission is granted, all students are required to take the
exam at the same time for security reasons.
- If there is a technology breakdown such that the whole class cannot resume
the exam in a reasonable amount of time, then the exam will automatically
be programmed for the next day at the same time unless announced
otherwise. Students with conflicts with the make-up time should
immediately contact the instructor and give their times of availability to take
the exam.
- If a technology problem occurs for an individual while taking an exam, you
should not panic. Stay calm and immediately inform me through course mail
and also notify webtech@washburn.edu. Be ready to resume the exam if the
problem can be quickly resolved.
Students are expected to make arrangements with employers, doctors, family, travel
agents, and so forth so that conflicts are avoided for scheduled exam times.
● SPECIAL EXAM TIME:
If you have an unavoidable conflict and want to request permission for special time
for a scheduled exam, you must notify me through course mail (in the
“Communication” menu) as soon as possible. The instructor will respond and
verify your special time. The instructor cannot be responsible for trying to
successfully make last day arrangements. All reasons for special requests must
be documented and students can be responsible for costs involved if an outside
proctor has to be hired to monitor the make-up exam.
For related information see the “Make-Up Policy” section below.
● TESTING METHODS:
Exams use the following testing methods to assess if a student has mastered the
course learning outcomes.
First, there is an objective part made up of true or false, multiple choice
questions, and on occasion matching questions.
Second, there is a mathematical part composed of problem solving. Due to the
nature of an online exam these problems are multiple choice questions.
Third, there is an analytic part that consists of analyzing important financial
management issues. Once again, due to the nature of online exam these take
the form of multiple choice questions.
Examples of the above questions and problems are found for each chapter (located
in the “Content” menu) and can be experienced before the exam by doing the
sample chapter questions/problems for each chapter and by taking the online
chapter quizzes and practice exams. By using the “News” link within the “Course
Home” menu, you can typically be reminded of (and linked to) important
materials like quizzes.
Even though work cannot be shown on online exams for problems, students should
still practice the following procedure when working a problem:
First, write down the formula,
Second, insert the proper values for variables in formulas, and
Third, work the problem using the “tools” of your choice (a “tool” can be used
of a textbook table or appendix, a calculator with needed functions, or a
spreadsheet application like Excel. A spreadsheet is recommended for the
more complicated problems but students are free to also use any appendix or
tables found in the textbook.
NOTE. You can find Excel examples and a complete list of formulas in the
“Items of Interest” module (inside the “Content” menu).
Ample examples on how to work problems are given in the online solutions found
for each chapter’s materials within the “Content” menu, which organizes the
chapter materials for the first half of the course (materials covered on mid-term
exam) and the second half of the course (materials covered on final exam).
● EXAM INSTRUCTIONS:
Posted inside the webcourse are exam instructions.
Hit the "Content" menu and then the “Exams” module and you will find the
following.
First, there are three links with exam information, exam instructions, and a
preparatory “What You See …” link before you take your first quiz.
Second, for each of the two exams, there are practice exams. There is also review
links ("Mid-Term Exam Review” and “Final Exam Review”) with review
questions and key formulas.
- The review questions can help jumpstart you in studying for each exam;
however, a thorough review must be done throughout the course by
completing all assigned quizzes and chapter study questions where
solutions are provided.
- The formulas supplied by clicking on the "Mid-Term Exam Review” and
“Final Exam Review” will be like those needed for your exams. Study
these formulas and make sure you know how to use them. You do not have
to memorize these formulas because you are allowed to have formulas
when you take your exams.
There is a “Chapter Formulas” link inside the “Items of Interest” module that gives
students formulas that should be ordered according to chapters.
- This “Chapter Formulas” link leads to a file in a PDF format because html
files cannot always process formulas given by software like MathType that
are used to generate equations that are more readable.
- Another link inside “Items of Interest” is the “Excel Examples to Help Work
Some Common Problems” link. This link can be very valuable for students
who want to work more complicated problems quickly and accurately
using a spreadsheet.
Online Quizzes and Exams (return)
Besides the Mid-Term and Final Exam, there are 20 online quizzes: a Syllabus quiz
(taken first), 17 chapter quizzes, and two learning objectives quizzes. Learning
Objectives Quiz “1” is taken before the Mid-Term Exam and covers Chs. 1-9
and Learning Objectives Quiz “2” is taken before the Final Exam and focuses on
Chs. 10-17. Scores are tabulated automatically and all scores are averaged inside
the webcourse. The easiest way to take a quiz is to click on the link provided in
the “News” announcement within the “Course Home” menu. The next easiest
way is to click on the “Assessment” menu and “Quizzes” link. From the latter
link, you can scroll down to find the quiz you want to take. NOTE: You can also
try hitting the quiz link accessed by clicking on the “Content” menu and then
navigating to the desired chapter for which you want to take the quiz. Once you
take a quiz, you can review it as often as you like. IMPORTANT: Except for
Learning Objectives Quiz 2, the highest score of the two quiz attempts is taken.
For “Learning Objectives Quiz 2,” your two attempts are averaged. This latter
quiz is different from all other quizzes (that have 10 questions and 15 minutes)
because the Learning Objectives Quiz 2 has 14 questions/problems and you
have 30 minutes to take it because these questions/problems tend to be more
complicated. This quiz also asks questions over all 17 chapters. PLEASE
NOTE: There are no absolute due date on quizzes but of course if you haven’t
finished a quiz by the end of course you will get a zero grade that will be
automatically recorded. Reminders are posted as to when students should finish
quizzes so do not get behind (go to the Course Home tab for such reminders
and other announcements). Also, the Topic Outline given above have tentative
dates that are recommended for when chapter materials including quizzes
should be finished.
If you want to view and study over the quiz instructions before you take your first
quiz, then go to the “Content” menu, then the “Exams” link, and then the
“What You See when You Click on to Take an Assessment (Quizzes &
Exams)” link.
- The Syllabus Quiz can be found in Ch.1’s material and should be taken before
Ch. 1’s quiz.
- You are required to finish the Syllabus Quiz, the first nine chapter quizzes and
the Learning Objectives Quiz 1 before the Mid-Term Exam and the next
eight chapter quizzes and the Learning Objectives Quiz 2 before the Final
Exam. You should also take the practice mid-term exam before the real MidTerm Exam and the practice final exam before the real Final Exam.
- As explained in the “Exam Information and Instructions” link (found inside
the “Content” menu and then the “Exams” module), quiz questions are
mostly or entirely multiple choice and true/false questions and all you have
to do is click on the correct answer. For matching questions that can occur
for some quizzes and exams, you have to click by each term or concept to
match it with the appropriate description or definition.
- To get the feedback on a quiz question you missed, you may to hit the
“expand question feedback” link. For some questions there is no feedback as
none is needed.
Unlike quizzes, exams are only available to take during the designated exam date
and time. There is also no immediate feedback on exams; however, feedback can
be requested on an individual basis as noted above in the “Examinations” section.
General feedback on how the class performed is typically given within a couple
days after the exam.
Please report errors (like an error in a quiz question) using the “Communication”
menu and the “Email” link by emailing the instructor at
rob.hull@D2L.washburn.edu.
Scores and feedback on correct answers can be viewed immediately after taking a
quiz.
- Some types of feedback on quizzes are at time limited due to constraints of
technology. For example, exponents might be designated by “10^6” instead
of “106”. Symbols are also at times modified, for example, the standard
deviation symbol for sigma is expressed as “s”. Multiplication signs are not
typically used but implied, e.g., “2 × 10” or “2 times 10” is written simply as
“2(10)”.
- Somewhat better feedback can typically by found for the sample chapter
problems (inside the “Content” menu) where superscripts and more
appropriate symbols can be used. PDF and Word document that supply
formulas do not have these limitations and can use “MathType”.
The 17 online chapter quizzes, the Syllabus Quiz, and Learning Objectives Quiz 1
are short with only ten questions per quiz and a time limit of 15 minutes per quiz.
No answers can be accepted after the time limit runs out because your quiz will
be automatically saved at that point. Sometimes you will finish in five minutes
and other times it is possible that you may not quite finish; it all depends on the
degree of difficulty of the questions for a particular quiz. Do not attempt a chapter
quiz until you have properly studied a chapter because it can affect your quiz
grade. As described previously, Learning Objectives Quiz 2 has 14 questions and
you have 30 minutes to take it.
NOTE: Quiz questions differ in their degree of difficulty so you may score better
on an earlier quiz because you randomly received easier questions. It is
possible each of your two attempts will randomly generate more difficult
questions than a classmate. However, for all of the total quizzes, things should
even out.
You can review a quiz as often as you like. If you have trouble viewing a quiz
you have taken then contact webtech@washburn.edu.
If a student does not take a quiz at least once, a zero score is eventually recorded
and that is one less quiz attempt that you can review when studying for an exam.
Try to sign off and save your quiz or exam before your allotted time is up.
- If you are given no warnings when your time is up, you are responsible for
knowing how much time you have left before you are automatically kicked
off. Thus, you should save each answer individually in case you get kicked
off. You may also be kicked off due to internet or technical problems and
thus you should save answers individually in case you have to resume a
quiz; if kicked off due to internet problems you should be able to resume
your quiz by logging in with no lost time. Typically, you have a one minute
extension if you have not saved your answer and submitted your quiz or
exam at the end of the designated time limit.
- The best way to ensure you can finish on time is to be prepared before you
take the quizzes; this includes having all mathematical formulas ready
beforehand.
If something beyond your control (like a technical breakdown) prevents you from
finishing on time and resuming your quiz, report all the details to the Web Techs
at webtech@washburn.edu. Also, notify me through course mail at
rob.hull@D2L.washburn.edu about the problem and I will program another
attempt if a better solution is not available. Please keep in mind that I typically
cannot fix technical problems (such as related to D2L not functioning) so it often
does little good to tell me without telling the Web Techs.
REMINDER: You are responsible for taking the quizzes by the suggested date
given in the “News” link within the “Course Home” menu. I suggest even trying
to keep ahead of schedule because technology breakdowns can occur so you need
to plan ahead to avoid that risk.
Course Project and Class Participation (return)
The Course Project will consist of a student taking a topic (like buying a car or
investing in mutual funds) and doing some first-hand research and then writing
about a three page paper on the topic. You will be graded as much on your ability
to succinctly express your findings as opposed to length. If you have first-hand
experience on a topic you wish to write-on (such as a car purchase or purchase
of stock) then that will add a further dimension to your project. The Course
Project module gives suggestion for projects. If you have other ideas for a project
besides those suggested in the file within the “Course Project” module called
“Ideas for your Course Project,” then just make sure it relates to personal finance.
Whatever project you choose, your research on that project can not only include
reading materials but also can ideally involve talking to a professional related to
your topic. A professional would be someone like a banker or financial expert or
insurance professional. You are to read the suggestions over before you choose
your project. There is a discussion thread on this topic in the “Course Module”
if you want to communicate with classmates about your topic. To help prepare
for an exam you might plan your Course Project to coincide with when it is
covered in the course. For example, if you do a project on buying a car, that topic
is found in Chapter 8 and this chapter is covered in the Mid-Term Exam.
University Policy requires that your Course Project be turned before the last
week of class but it is recommended you do it as early as possible and submit it
using the dropbox provided within the “Course Project” module.
The Class Participation can vary depending on whether the course is taught as a
full-blown online course or a hybrid/web-assisted course. For example, for a
hybrid course, class attendance can be more readily recognized. Otherwise, a
student’s participation consists of (i) the number of “good posts” and “good
replies” accompanying a discussion thread and (ii) the completion of other
optional assignments (given inside the webcourse) and report on guest speakers.
Students can initiate their own discussion within the “Lounge Area” for
Discussion Threads” link but the topic has to be related to the course materials.
- Do not worry if other students do not reply to your posts as you are only
responsible for making your own posts.
- Students must complete all of their posts and replies by the last official
class day (but are encouraged to not wait until the last week to start
making posts).
Examples of Class Participation include:
- One way of participating is by clicking on the “Learning Objectives”
module and making a post on the “Discussion” thread found there.
- Another way of participating is by research related to reading an article
related to course materials such as Kiplinger’s Personal Finance or
looking at a personal finance website such as www.Monster.com or
www.zillow.com/ to find an article related to a key concept such as job
search and house buying. The student follows up on this by using the
“Lounge Area for Discussion Threads” link to post a comment about
their research.
- Doing a case study given in the textbook (and starting a thread to discuss
aspects of this case study) is another example of Class Participation.
- At times, links to online articles (sometimes with accompanying videos)
might be found inside course tools. You can make posts within the
“Lounge Area” on these articles and videos as well as on speakers (you
have heard talk on a personal finance topic).
- You can start a thread by hitting the “Communication menu”, then
“Discussion link,” then scroll down to the “Lounge Area” and then hit
“Start a New Thread.” You can also respond to an existing thread in a
similar manner.
- If students read an article related to class materials and do not make a post
then there is no way for the instructor to award Class Participation credit.
- Read other students’ posts and respond with your own reply. The
webcourse gives you credit whenever you read an article even if you
don’t reply and make your own post. However, making a post in much
better than just reading someone else’s post.
Expected Grading Scale (return)
"A": 90 to 100 percent; "B": 80 to 89 percent; "C": 70 to 79 percent; "D": 60 to
69 percent; "F": below 60 percent.
Any change in the expected grading scale will not be determined until all exams are
graded and total points tallied for all students. This course will be designed and
taught in a manner such that only the most deserving students will receive an
“A”. Those who work hard and following instructions should be able to receive
a “B” grade. Student who perform at a minimum but satisfactory level will get a
“C” grade. Students who enroll in the course but do not do all of the work should
expect a grade below a “C”.
Homework / Exam Preparation
Unless stated otherwise, there is no online assigned homework that is required to be
turned in (as solutions to sample chapter questions/problems are supplied online
and student can go over the sample chapter questions/problems on their own);
however, students are free to send me materials to look over (or for hybrid/webassisted courses bring these materials along with questions to class).
- Sample chapter questions and problems can be found by clicking on the
“Content” menu and then the desired chapter materials link.
- All solutions to sample chapter questions and problems are posted and (as
noted previously) students can check their answers with the posted solutions.
Click on the “Content” menu and then the desired “Solutions to Sample
Chapter Questions and/or Problems” link.
- Students who find errors on solutions to sample chapter questions and
problems can report these and help their class participation grade.
Before taking exams, students are expected to do the following:
- Prior to the Mid-Term Exam, students are to have read Chapters 1−9 and
studied the questions/ problems/solutions/formulas for these chapters that
are found by clicking on the “Content” menu and then the “First Half of
Course…” module and its links. Students are also to have completed the
Syllabus Quiz (found in Ch. 1 materials) and Online Quizzes for Chs. 1−9
by clicking on the quiz links within the chapter materials links. There is the
“Learning Objectives Quiz 1” that is found within a News item (or from the
Assessment menu and Quizzes link).
- Prior to the Final Exam, students are to have read Chapters 10−17 and studied
the questions/ problems/solutions/formulas for these chapters that are found
by clicking on the “Content” menu and then the “Second Half of Course…”
module and its links. Students are also to have completed Online Quizzes for
Chs. 10−17 and by clicking on the quiz links within the chapter materials
links. There is also the “Learning Objectives Quiz 1” to take that is found
within a News item (or from the Assessment menu and Quizzes link).
- Prior to exams, students should review the formula sheets found in the
“Content” menu by clicking on the "Exam" module and then the “Mid-Term
Exam Review” link and the “Final Exam Review” link.
- Prior to exams, it is also recommended that students thoroughly study the
seven major learning objectives found in the “Content” menu by clicking on
the “Learning Objectives” module and its links.
- Because exams are much longer than quizzes students should take the practice
exams to get an idea of what taking a longer exam will be like.
Attendance / Availability Policy
Attendance (or “availability”) is required to take both online exams. For
hybrid/web-assisted courses, attendance in a class room is required.
Availability times required to take online exams were given previously in the
“Examinations” section. Once again, exceptions are for hybrid/web-assisted
courses as classroom time can be allowed for exams and quizzes.
Make-up Policy (return)
Make-up exams can be arranged for special cases of unavoidable conflicts that
students must document. As noted above, students are responsible for working
with employers (or other parties) so they can take their exams at the scheduled
times.
Except for extreme emergency cases, the arrangement should be made at least one
week prior to the scheduled exam time by contacting me through course mail
using the “Communication” menu and the “Email” link.
Disclaimer
You should not wait until the last day to finish online materials as technical
difficulties can occur for classes with online components. So finish your work as
early as possible.
The syllabus and all of its contents (including exam times and details) are subject
to changes whenever circumstances warrant such changes. Thus, if you choose
to print out the syllabus keep in mind it can change. It is a wise practice to
periodically read the syllabus as it is hard to absorb all details with one reading.
Students are rewarded with this effort through getting a high grade on the
Syllabus quiz.
Prerequisites
Official Washburn University Policy:
“It is the responsibility of the student to meet all prerequisite requirements for
courses in which the student is enrolled. A student failing to meet prerequisite
requirements is subject to administrative withdrawal from the course at any time.”
Master Syllabus Files Supplied by University to
Supplement Syllabus
For the University additions to course syllabus, see the “Master Syllabus File”
located in the “WELCOME TO BU180 (ONLINE PERSONAL FINANCE)” link,
which is inside the “Content” menu. Topics covered include:
Mission of the University, Definition of a Credit Hour, Academic Misconduct
Policy, Disability Services, Office of Advising, Withdrawal Policy,
Attendance/Administrative Withdrawal, Official E-Mail Address, and Success
Week.