Approved by University Studies Sub-Committee.  A2C2 action pending.

Department or Program: Finance (Economics and Finance Department)

Course Number: 201

Semester Hours: 3

Frequency of Offering: Every Semester

Course Title: Introduction to Finance

Catalog Description: An introduction to the financial system in the U.S. including the role of the banking system in controlling the supply of money and interest rate determination, a primer on investments and an introductory discussion of international finance. Not open to those having 15 or more credits in business. Grade Only.

This is an existing course previously approved by A2C2: Yes

This is a new course proposal: No

Department Contact Person: Gabriel Manrique, manrique@winona.edu

University Studies Approval is requested in: Contemporary Citizenship

Attachment: The attached syllabus explains what is typically covered in this course. It also points out in which parts of the course five of the six outcomes for contemporary citizenship courses (a-e) are addressed. The syllabus is included in this application for purposes of illustration. Each faculty member is still responsible for his/her own course syllabus.

As required by the approval process, the following address five of the six outcomes listed for Contemporary Citizenship courses and documents course content and learning activities relevant to the course outcomes:

Contemporary Citizenship

The purpose of the Contemporary Citizenship requirement in University Studies is to provide students with the ability to participate as effective citizens in a democratic, multicultural, and global society. Courses in this area will focus on developing the skills and knowledge base to enhance students' ability to make effective decisions, pursue personal well being, work collaboratively with others, and/or participate effectively in professional or civic responsibilities. Courses that fulfill the Contemporary Citizenship requirement must meet at least five of the following outcomes:

 These courses must include requirements and learning activities that promote students' abilities to:

1. Use critical thinking to analyze contemporary issues.

   The 'Introduction to Finance' course emphasizes that citizens are faced with complex choices if they are to be productive members of a modern, dynamic and market-oriented society. As such they must be able to understand and analyze the foundations, the rationale, and the impacts of numerous contemporary issues including Federal Reserve decisions, the factors affecting investing and the accumulation of wealth, the constantly changing role of the insurance industries, and the globalization of the banking and financial systems.

2. Demonstrate effective oral and/or written communication of ideas, informed opinions, and/or values.

   Included in the typical course requirement, aside from being able to demonstrate comprehension of course material in essay exam questions, are student in-class discussions of contemporary issues particularly as they pertain to investing. Professionals are invited to lecture to the courses and students are strongly expected to interact actively with such professionals.

3. Identify, find, and use tools of information science related to contemporary issues.

   By their nature, the areas of investing, finance, and banking are dependent on the flow of current information. Current information - often defined as being up to date to the minute - is an important mover of financial markets. Such information includes government policy, socio-economic-political developments, and company data. Students in this course learn very early that they must be able to use the tools of information science to search financial databases, sift through information about markets, corporations, and countries, and distill relevant and important bits of information. The 'Stock Market Assignment' is a significant activity in this course and through this assignment, students are made to understand the need to access information in order to make informed financial decisions.

4. Demonstrate the ability to work effectively independently and/or in collaborative problem-solving groups.

   Students in the introduction to finance course are required to work independently. The stock market assignment is an exercise in personal responsibility because it requires a student to effectively manage a significant number of assets - albeit only for a grade. The exams are also designed to test individual effort and learning. However, students are also required to work collaboratively. In-class problem sets that the instructor occasionally assigns can be discussed and solved through collaboration with one's peers.

5. Identify principles and applications of personal, civic, and/or economic responsibility;
   understand personal responsibility for lifestyle choices.

Each of the major topics covered in this course (as specified in the attached syllabus) is geared towards identifying personal responsibility for one's well being as well as the place of the individual in the larger system. The creation and accumulation of wealth through investing, the workings of the real estate market, the fundamental concepts of the time value of money as well as risk and return, and the importance of credit and insurance are all part of the personal, civic and economic responsibilities of every citizen. Students are also taught the elements of responsibility and prudence in the creation of wealth. For this reason, the course includes significant discussions of risk and insurance as a way of reducing and spreading risk in a way that benefits not just individuals but society as a whole.

Introduction to Finance

Attendance: Each student is responsible for all material or instructions presented in the classroom. Due to the fact that most lectures and PowerPoint presentations are not supplemented with a text, it is very important to be present at lectures.

Grading: Grades are based on the number of total points the student earns on the four unit exams and the stock purchase assignment. Students’ final grades for the course are based on the following percentages: "A" if 90% or more; "B" if 89%-80%; "C" if 79%-70%; "D" if 69%-60%; and "E" if less than 60%.

Exams: Four "unit" exams will be given. These exams will cover material noted in the Daily Class Schedule below. Each "unit" exam is worth 100 points. No student will be permitted to make up a "unit" exam unless the instructor is notified prior to the exam or within 24 hours after the exam is administered.

Stock Purchase Assignment: (100 possible points) Each member of the class will have $100,000 worth of hypothetical cash to invest during the term. Students must follow "Rules for Mock Investing" which may be retrieved from the home page for this course. Students ranked in the top 25% of the class for total return will receive 100 points. Students in the second 25% will receive 90 points. Students in the third quartile of return will receive 80 points, and students in the bottom quartile of return will receive 70 points. [Addresses Contemporary Citizenship learning outcomes: a, b, c, d]

Required Texts: Introduction to Finance by Lawrence Gitman and Jeff Madura.

One Up on Wall Street, One Up on Wall Street: How to Use What You Already Know to Make Money in the Market

by Peter Lynch, John Rothchild (Contributor)

Penguin USA (Paper); ISBN: 0140127925

PowerPoint PowerPoint presentations are available for download at the course

Presentations: website:

University Studies: Contemporary Citizenship

This course is designed to satisfy the three-semester hour requirement for a contemporary citizenship course in the university studies program. As such, it seeks to provide students taking this course the opportunity to achieve the following outcomes:

1. use critical thinking to analyze contemporary issues;
2. demonstrate effective oral and/or written communication of ideas, informed opinions, and/or values;
3. identify, find, and use tools of information science related to contemporary issues;
4. demonstrate the ability to work effectively independently and/or in collaborative problem-solving groups;
5. identify principles and applications of personal, civic, and/or economic responsibility;
   understand personal responsibility for lifestyle choices; and/or

These outcomes are identified using the letters above in parenthesis below.

Instructor:

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