Bfin 322 – Syllabus – Summer 2015 – Page 1
Montana Tech of The University of Montana BFIN 322 – Business Finance Summer Semester 2015 Instructor: Tim Kober, CFM, CMA, CPA, EdD Office: ELC 319 (406) 496-4457 Office hours by appointment Email: [email protected]
Required Text: Principles of Managerial Finance, 7e, Gitman & Zutter, ISBN: 9780133546408
Course Overview: This course introduce is designed to introduce the student to the role of corporate finance within a business organization. Students will be introduced to various financial concepts and theories and be required to apply them throughout the course. This course assumes the student is already familiar with basic financial accounting and economics and will attempt to explain how various financial decisions create value for the business firm. Course Objectives: This course has a number of objectives, the following are considered to be the
most important: 1. As with all college courses, the student should improve her/his written and oral communication skills. 2. An understanding of the unique fundamental concepts of corporate finance and the ability to practically
apply the concepts. 3. An understanding of how these concepts create value for the business firm. 4. An understanding of how corporate finance is related to financial accounting and economics. 5. Improve on a critical thinking skill set that can be used to assess business decisions.
Desired Outcomes: At the end of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Discuss the main types of corporate financial decisions (working capital, capital budgeting, capital structure, and financial planning)
2. Gain proficiency in applying the principles of time value of money to complex situations. 3. Understand how to value a bond or stock using time value of money techniques. 4. Understand how to apply valuation methodologies to assess, accept, or reject capital investments based
on their expected effect on firm value. 5. Understand how firms raise capital and the costs to raise funds from various sources. 6. Understand and analyze the factors that affect the firm’s optimal choice of debt and equity in its capital
structure. 7. Be able to construct, and analyze, a firm’s cash flows. 8. Learn the historical relationship between risk and return for various asset classes and gain an
understanding fo risk in a portfolio context. 9. Be able to integrate the above outcomes.
Student and Classroom Requirements:
1. All in-class students are expected to participate in classroom discussion (attendance is expected, but is not the equivalent of participation, of course you must be present to participate).
2. All on-line students are expected to understand the material presented in the recorded lectures. 3. Students must turn the ringers on their phones to silent. Students using their phones for purposes other
than course related may be asked to leave the class. 4. Bring a non-programmable calculator to class. Under no circumstances will you be allowed to use the
calculator on your phone. 5. The student is responsible for all announcements made in class. If the student misses a class, it is his/her
responsibility to find out what he/she missed, and this should be done before the next class meeting E-Mail Procedures: You are welcome to e-mail questions, concerns, or other course related items at any time. I will do my best to respond within 24 hours. Please identify your message as a BFIN 322 document in the subject header. All announcements or other e mail messages initiated by the instructor will be sent to the students’ Montana Tech e mail accounts.
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Moodle Site: All course activity will take place at the BFIN322Meta site. All students will post homework and projects at the site and exams will be administered at the site. File submissions: You are required to upload a number of files throughout the semester at the Moodle site. Your file name must include your name and a brief description of the contents of the file (for example: a file name such as: “Tim Kober week one homework” would satisfy this requirement). General Procedures: Learning in a college environment is an exercise in self-responsibility. I will help in the process, but realize that what you get out of this or any course is up to you. To succeed in this course you will need to:
1. Prepare for each class by doing the assignment before you come to class. 2. Participate in class discussion and ask questions. 3. Determine in advance when you will study for this class and do not study on an “as needed
“basis. 4. According to the Montana Tech Undergraduate Bulletin “one semester credit hour is to represent one
hour of class time plus two hours of out of class study.” This is a three-credit course requiring nine hours of effort each week for the average student. Only three of these hours are spent in the classroom. The University and I expect each student to spend a minimum of six hours each week outside of class reading, completing homework, and preparing for in-class discussion. It is important to recognize that average effort will yield an average grade.
Grading: The final grade you earn will be based on the following: 1. Four Exams during the semester 60% Three projects 20% Weekly homework 10% Individual discussion with instructor 10% Total 100%
2. The instructor will follow the following schedule: A 93%+ A- 90-92% B+ 86-89% B 83-85% B- 80-82% C+ 76-79%
C 73-75% C- 70-72% D+ 66-69% D 63-65% D- 60-62% F <59%
Final Course Grade: All things considered, it is the belief of the instructor that exams are the best measure of whether or not you understand the material. As a result, the instructor will look at your percentage score for all items (exams, quizzes, homework, participation, and project) as well as a percentage for just your exams. A letter grade will be assigned to each and your final grade can be no more than one full letter grade above your exam percentage. For example if your percentage for all grading items is 84 percent (a letter grade of “B”) and your exam only percentage is 68 percent (a letter grade of “D+”) you will be awarded a final grade of “C+” or one full letter grade above your percentage for all grading items. Exams: Exams will be administered at the Moodle site and subject to time constraints. The exams will consist of multiple choice, problem type, and essay questions. The homework for this class is considered to be good preparation for the exams. Make up exams will be given for students participating in school-sanctioned
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activities. An exam missed for any other reason will not be allowed to be made up. All students (in class and on-line) will be required to visit with the instructor after each exam to discuss the exam. Homework: The homework for the semester is listed on the short syllabus/assignment sheet. The problems to be submitted each week at the Moodle site are due by Friday (at midnight) and will be graded. If you do not understand the homework then it is your responsibility to visit me during my office hours. Projects: The projects for the semester are listed on the short syllabus/assignment sheet. The problems to be submitted each week at the Moodle site are due by Friday (at midnight) and will be graded. If you do not understand the homework then it is your responsibility to visit me during my office hours. All student (in class and on-line) will be required to visit with the instructor after each project to discuss the project. Absences for school related functions: According to the Montana Tech student handbook, students expecting to incur excused absences are to consult with their instructors early in the term to be sure that they understand the absence policies for each of their courses. Excused absences include official Montana Tech events or activities, or personal matters deemed appropriate by the instructor. The following are considered official Montana Tech excused absences.
NAIA sanctioned sporting events Academic team competitions Travel for professional meetings related to major Class field trips Others as approved by the Chancellor
Documented Disabilities: Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact a Montana Tech Disability Services Coordinator (DSC) at either 496-4429 (North Campus) or 496-3730 (South Campus). Any student who may need an accommodation due to a disability, please make an appointment to see me during my office hours. A letter from a Montana Tech Disability Coordinator authorizing your accommodations is needed. The instructor may change the assigned material or grade weighing at any time he feels a change is necessary, for any reason.
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DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
Contract with Students The Department of Business and Information Technology (BIT) has developed the following requirements for all of the courses offered within the Department: Student and Classroom Requirements
1. All students are expected to participate in classroom discussion (attendance is expected, but is not the equivalent of participation, of course you must be present to participate). Instructors reserve the right to incorporate participation into the overall grade for any course. Please refer to the syllabus for a specific course.
2. All electronic devices (including but not limited to cell phones and iPods) must be turned off and put away during class unless use is approved by the instructor.
3. Bring a non-programmable calculator to class. Under no circumstances will you be allowed to use the calculator on your phone.
4. The student is responsible for all announcements made in class. If the student misses a class, it is his/her responsibility to find out what he/she missed, and this should be done before the next class meeting
5. The student must notify the instructor as soon as possible about any potential conflict with a scheduled class activity including exams. It is student’s responsibility to understand the exam policy of the individual instructor as they will vary.
Absences for school related functions According to the Montana Tech student handbook, students expecting to incur excused absences are to consult with their instructors early in the term to be sure that they understand the absence policies for each of their courses. Excused absences include official Montana Tech events or activities, or personal matters deemed appropriate by the instructor. The following are considered official Montana Tech excused absences.
NAIA sanctioned sporting events Academic team competitions Travel for professional meetings related to major Class field trips Others as approved by the Chancellor
Documented Disabilities Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact a Montana Tech Disability Services Coordinator (DSC) at either 496-4429 (North Campus) or 496-3730 (South Campus). Any student who may need an accommodation due to a disability, please make an appointment with your instructor during appropriate office hours. A letter from a Montana Tech Disability Coordinator authorizing your accommodations is needed. ACADEMIC DISHONESTY (From the Student Handbook) The following will be considered acts of academic dishonesty or cheating: 1. Plagiarism.
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A student will be considered guilty of academic dishonesty, if: a student submits a term paper, essay, speech, laboratory report, or other assignment, in which all or part of the words or ideas are copied from the published or unpublished work of another individual without giving the original author proper credit for the words or ideas. 2. Copying from the paper of another student while taking an examination. A student will be considered guilty of academic dishonesty if he or she deliberately looks at and copies from another individual’s examination paper during an examination. 3. Using unlawful aids to pass an examination. A student will be considered guilty of academic dishonesty if he or she brings to class and uses crib notes, books, electronic devices not approved by the instructor or any other material to assist him or her in passing the examination unless the instructor of the class has specifically given permission to use such materials. 4. Aiding another student. A student will be considered guilty of academic dishonesty if he or she willfully assists another student in any act of academic dishonesty. Such a person is equally guilty as the person plagiarizing or copying. 5. Unauthorized Signatures The use of a person’s signature without permission is a serious matter and the consequences can be severe. Possible consequences include:
• Being dropped from the course by the instructor, department chair, dean of the college, or the University.
• Loss of tuition paid for the course. • University disciplinary action such as probation, suspension, expulsion, and correction of all course grades. • Loss of priority for the course or courses during registration. The above applies to all documents used by Montana Tech that may require a signature.
In addition to the items listed in the student handbook, the Department of BIT considers any submitted work that was previously completed for a prior class to be an act of academic dishonesty. The Department of Business and Information Technology has agreed to the following actions to be taken when academic dishonesty is discovered: 1. Instructors are responsible for taking reasonable precautions to prevent and discourage all forms of academic dishonesty in their classes. All cases of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs where it will remain in your file. 2. If it is determined that a student has committed an act of academic dishonesty, he or she will receive a grade of zero for the work in question (and it may not be dropped nor made up in the determination of the final course grade). 3. A second act of academic dishonesty by any individual student in the same course will result in the instructor dropping the student from the course with an “F” grade.
