Course Syllabus

Spring 2017 Foothill College (section # 41051)

Instructor Information

Jose J. Nava, CPA, MBA navajose@foothill.edu Online Class, no office, no phone (reach me via canvas, using INBOX or DISCUSSIONS) Online Office Hours

REQUIRED MEETINGS: None

CANVAS Online Platform ACCESS: http://www.foothill.edu/fga/canvas_login.php

Course Description

Introduction to financial analysis and management. Valuation of businesses and business decisions. Risk analyses and comparison of investment choices. Valuation of assets. Capital budgeting and financial decisions. Capital structure, working capital and asset management, derivatives, international financial management.

Prerequisite: NONE

Advisories: Eligibility for MATH 105 and ENGL 110 or ESLL 26; INTRODUCTORY STATISTICS, ECONOMICS and ACCOUNTING classes.

Transfer Credit: CSU.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Gain analytical skills to evaluate business opportunities and decisions for capital investments with various financial metrics.
• Develop analytical skills to evaluate financial statements using a variety of analytical tools.
• Analyze investment vehicles to value securities (bonds, stocks and other assets).

Course Outline / Topics

Note: The order of topics are not necessarily in the same sequence as in the textbook. Refer to CLASS CALENDAR (below) for actual coverage sequence and deadlines. Class Calendar always controls all assignments and due dates.

But briefly, the initial planned sequence will be:

• Phase 1 >> Ch 1-5 >> Midterm 1
• Phase 2 >> Ch 6-10 >> Midterm 2
• Phase 3 >> Ch 11-13 + Other/Case/Project? >> Final Exam (includes content from prior phases)

Phase 1	Phase 2	Phase 3
Ch 1: Corp Fin., The Fin Mgr Ch 2: Intro to Fin. Analysis Ch 3: TVM: Intro. Ch 4: TVM: Cash Flow Streams Ch 5: Interest Rates Midterm Exam  1 (ch 1-5)	Ch 6: Bonds Ch 7: Stock Valuations Ch 8*: Investment Decision Rules Ch 9: Fund. of Capital Budgeting Ch 10: Stock Valuation: A 2nd Look Midterm Exam  2 (ch 6-10)	Ch 11*: Risk and Return Ch 12*: Systemic Risk and Equity Risk Premium Ch 13*: Cost of Capital plus Case or Project, TBA Final Exam^     ^Comprehensive, but emphasizing latter chapters 11-13.

Coverage of chapters in this class is not necessarily sequential, refer to class calendar for timing.

* partial coverage

Note: Given our 12-week term, there is not enough time to cover all the chapters/topics in the book. I still want to expose you to the core concepts and calculations in certain chapters. In some cases, the topics require foundation in stats, econ, actg, and math that some in the class do not have. In such cases, we will cover certain chapters only lightly. For full coverage of all chapters/topics in the book, I recommend to take the corporate finance class at 4-yr colleges/universities.

Coursework for 2016-2017 Academic Year

*(course titles abbreviated)

Gateway Courses	Functional Courses	Capstone Courses
Busi 11: Info. Systems Busi 18: Bus.Law I Busi 19: Bus.Law II Busi 22: Principles of Business Busi 53: Int'lBus. Busi 53A: Bus.Communications and Technologies Busi 59: Marketing	Busi 57: Advertising Busi 62: Salesmanship Busi 59A: WebMktg Busi 59B: E-Business Busi 60: Corp. Finance Busi 61: Investments Busi 70: Bus. Ethics Busi 87: Human Resources Management Busi 91L:BusiApplications (e.g. MS Office)	Busi 90A: Management Busi 95: Entrepreneurship - BusinessPlanning Busi 96: Entrepreneurship - Starting Small Business and Management

*Refer to schedule for specific offerings each quarter

For further information, refer to business program site: http://www.foothill.edu/business/

Course Type, Canvas, and MFL

This class is conducted fully online and requires the use of both Canvas and MyFINANCELab (MFL)

Class Website (Canvas)

The college uses Canvas as its online course management system.  At this website, students will find the course materials organized and available for their download and use.  Items such as the lecture PowerPoint slides, project handouts, announcements, and grades can be located on the site.  Students can access the class website at(http://www.foothill.edu/fga/canvas_login.php) and should check it regularly for any class announcements and documents.  Refer to the FGA (Foothill Global Access) site to learn more about Canvas.

For help with Canvas, refer to Foothill College's Help Desk for Canvas. Instructors are not a good source for help with respect to Canvas.

Publisher Website (MyLab or MFL)

The course textbook includes many online resources –such as practice quizzes, flashcards, and videos, which can be accessed through the publisher’s website  MyFinanceLab (MFL) << this is not the link to use to REGISTER into our MFL section; use the MyLab and Mastering, as described in this handout (MFL REGISTRATION HANDOUT) or in the related video in Module 0.  In addition to the study resources available, various graded assignments will be accessible only through MFL which is why it is recommended that students register as soon as possible (see registration handout link below).

NOTE: The book comes bundled with an 16-digit ACCESS CODE for MFL, if you purchased it at our bookstore (option 1 below). Alternatively, you can get it from the publisher directly (options 2a or 2b, see below).

NOTE 2: You will NOT need a Course ID, since our Canvas course is already LINKED or PAIRED with the correct section of MFL.

To start the registration process for MFL, follow the MFL REGISTRATION HANDOUT (above), which will direct you to the MyLab and Mastering link on the left-hand side navigation panel.

Do NOT use the "Direct to MFL..." link or try to register directly by going to myLab, outside of our canvas class.

View my ad-hoc video from the orientation module 0 to guide you, if you need it (Registering for our section of MyLab (youtube: ~7 min)).

Textbook 

Title:       Fundamentals of Corporate Finance  Authors:   Berk, DeMarzo, Harford, 3e with MFL* << NEW in Sp ‘15 Publisher:  Pearson   |   ISBN: 9780133576863 Available:  At Foothill College Bookstore ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Purchase Options: 1. Buy the Loose-Leaf printed book from our Foothill College Bookstore + bundled MFL access code. (~ $220) 2. Buy directly from publisher’s website: a. Buy the e-book directly from publisher’s website + bundled MFL access code (~ $110) [Note this option does not include printed book] b. Buy only the MFL access code (~ $63) WITHOUT e-book. [Note this option does not include printed book nor ebook] NOTE 1: Upgrade option for 2a or 2b above: Loose-Leaf printed book purchased through MFL (~ $55), free shipping. NOTE 2: whichever option you choose, you need both the textbook (in printed or ebook format) and access to MFL

The Registration Process (MFL REGISTRATION HANDOUT , same for ALL options) will include the following screen shown below, at which point, you will be able to enter your access code from option 1 above or pay for one of the other 2 options from publisher directly.

Course Communication

Announcements

Announcements will be posted in CANVAS on a regular basis. They will appear on your CANVAS dashboard when you log in and/or will be sent to you directly through your preferred method of notification from CANVAS. Please make certain to check them regularly, as they will contain any important information about upcoming projects, changes to the class/syllabus, or class concerns. Part of your class attendance grade is based on logins (3 logins per week minimum). See grading section below for detail.

Email

In this course we will use the INBOX feature on the help corner (located in the upper right hand navigation links)to send email for private messages. You can either check your messages in the CANVAS system or set your notifications to your preferred method of contact. Please check your messages regularly. When submitting messages, please do the following:

• Put a subject in the first line of your email subject box that describes the email content with your name, week and message subject. For example: ****YOUR NAME WEEK2 ASSIGNMENT****.
• Send email only to the INBOX and not my personal email account.
• Do not send messages asking general information about the class, please post those in the Q& A Forum.
• Do not submit your assignments by message.
• Make certain to check your messages frequently, daily is recommended.

Questions

In online courses it is normal to have many questions about things that relate to the course, such as clarification about assignments, course materials, or assessments. Please post these in the Q&A Forum which you can access by clicking the MODULES button in the course navigation links. This forum is in the ORIENTATION and CHECK-IN MODULE. This is an open forum, and you are encouraged to give answers and help each other. If those discussions are not appropriate for your question, please use the INBOX in Canvas (do not use email).

Discussion Forums

Discussion Forums are a way for you to engage with each other about the course content. Each lesson module will have a question that links to a forum. You can also access each forum by clicking on the MODULES button in the course navigation links and working on your weekly module. In order to get full credit for each discussion, you will need to post a substantive question or response to the question to your classmates’ questions/comments.

Virtual Office Hours

Use Conversations from your INBOX to ask me questions regarding the class or private questions about your work, grade, etc. You can also use the VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS thread in DISCUSSIONS to ask public questions that relate to the class.

Turnaround/Feedback

During the week (M-F), I will scan Conversations and Discussion Postings within the currently active module at least once a day. If you have a concern and send me a message, you can expect a response within a day. Note that I am usually much more responsible to Messages in Conversations (inbox) than the standard requirement of 1-2 days. If within 24-48 hours, I do not respond to your question in the discussions, prompt me by sending me a message via Inbox letting me know that I may have missed your posting.

• Each week runs from Monday through Friday, with a FRIDAY at NOON cut-off time for posting questions in Private Messages or in Discussion Forums.
• Instructor and classmates will respond to your questions within 24-48 hours. I respond well within 24 hours to all PM’s and to Discussion forums postings within the required 24-48 hours. DO NOT rely on weekend help, even if most deadlines are set for Saturday at 11:45pm.

Netiquette

When posting on the discussion boards and chat rooms it is important to understand how to interact with one another online, netiquette. You can read more about the rules of netiquette at http://www.albion.com/netiquette/index.html.

Course Assignments

Important Dates

The due dates for your assignments can be found in the SYLLABUS-CLASS CALENDAR in the global navigation links on the left-side navigation panel. Please review these. In addition, I will post reminders prior to the due dates in the Announcements. 

Note: If you click on the assignment from the calendar, you will not be able to access it. You must access your course assignments through the MODULES.

Weekly Assignments - Deadlines

Each week where the course is conducted online you will need to complete the following:

• Read the weekly module/textbook/other reading material, as assigned. This will be available every Monday at 8 AM PST until the following Sunday at 11:59 PM PST.
• Complete the lesson assignments in each course lesson by Thu/Fri and Sunday at 11:59 PM PST (refer to class calendar for more specific deadlines).
• Reading Check (~10 question quiz) in MAL
• Homework Assignment (e.g. brief exercises, exercises, problems, cases) in MAL
• Other tasks, as assigned.
• Post in the weekly Discussion Forum by Thursday at 11:59 PM PST or respond to other students’ posts in the Discussion Forum by the following Sunday at 11:59 PM PST.

Special Projects/Assessments

If this course requires a team project. I will post the instructions in Modules, labeling it Team Project Module by the middle of the quarter. Number of members per team will be shown in project instructions which will be announced later in the term.

Assignment Detailed Descriptions

Quizzes (Q's) in MFL

The purpose of these assignments is to gauge your reading comprehension for the chapter reading assignments. RC's will be approximately 10-20 questions in length (will vary).  You may take each Q 3 times, and your highest score will be recorded.  Unlimited time in MAL.

Homework (Selected Assigned HW Items from back of each chapter) in MFL

The purpose of these assignments is to check that a minimum amount PROBLEM-SOLVING has been attempted - preferably using a spreadsheet. HW's will be approximately 10-15 exercises/problems from the book.  You may take each HW 3 times, and your highest score will be recorded.  Unlimited time in MAL.

Exams

There will 2 Midterms (in MFL) and one (1) Final Exam (in MFL)  The purpose of the exams is to verify that you have learned the concepts and calculations (including accounting process) covered during the course; final exam will be cumulative (covering all chapters in the book). The exam will consist of both theory questions and problems. You may take the Final Exam once.  The time limit for the final exam is 120-150 minutes.  

Project / Case Study (instructions released later in term, if assigned for this class)

There may be 1 Project or Case Study. It's primary purpose is to offer you the opportunity to apply concepts from the course and to collaborate with others in the planning, implementation, and presentation of a deliverable similar to those in the finance profession. The main objective is on fostering good project management, interpersonal, and communication skills.

Attendance and Participation 

Attendance and Class Participation are distinct graded components. 

Attendance: I will make note of your logins per week. The standard is for 3 logins, one must be on Monday to make sure you review and acknowledge the agenda for the week. The other 2 logins can be any time during the week. Although only 3 logins are expected, I highly encourage daily logins throughout the week. 

Participation: Participation is essential to your success in this class. In distance education courses you are required to participate just as if you were in a face-to-face course. This means that in order to get full credit for participation, you will have to complete your discussion assignments, lesson activities and assignments on a timely basis. Consistent failure to participate in class for a total of 1 week's worth of assignments will result in your being dropped from the course.

Various assignments are scheduled for students during the course of the semester in order to reinforce new topics and concepts.  These assignments will be mostly individual work.  However, the class participation grade, in our online class, is based solely on a single posting per week per chapter. Given that we have 12 weeks and that I discount both the first and last weeks, there are 10 required postings throughout the semester (one per week). This is my way of getting each student to at the very least enter the discussion forums once a week - hoping that much more than 1 posting is made, nonetheless. 

Grading Components

Direct Link to Googe-doc: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15byO5Gos5gDsbEYuYfcJ2wzmftM3iJ8VwtC7WlYqBL8/edit?usp=sharing

 

 

Note: use your low score drops strategically for issues related to technology glitches, illness, incidents, etc.

Grading Scale  Letter Grade Percentage (weighted points)  A  A- 93-100 % 90-92.99  B+   B  B- 80-89.99 % 83-86.99 80-82.99  C+  C 77-79.99 % 70-76.99  D+  D  D- 67-69.99% 63-66.99 60-62.99  F 59.99% and below

It is the student’s responsibility to monitor their grade through returned assignments, quizzes, exams, etc. Periodically, the instructor will update your gradebooks (1-2 week lag) on the class website (Canvas). No extra credit assignments are scheduled. However, if extra credit opportunities become available, they will be announced. The maximum amount of extra credit students can earn is 5 weighted points (out of 100). Note: use your low score drops strategically for issues related to technology glitches, illness, incidents, etc. **Grading and syllabus are subject to change, any changes will be announced**

Grades

You can view your grades using the GRADES button in the course navigation links. Please check your grades regularly to make certain that I have received all your assignments. If you have a question about a grade, email me through the CANVAS INBOX. Please do not post your personal concerns in a discussion forum.

Other Course Policies

Please take note of the following course guidelines:

1. Grades are not curved.

2. Late assignments are not accepted. Make-up work is not permitted. use these drops strategically (i.e. getting sick, technical issues with computer/internet, travel, work, etc.)
3. Assignments are not accepted via email. They should be submitted in the manner instructed.
4. Students are responsible for retaining all returned work until the end of the term.
5. If a period is missed, it is the student’s responsibility to independently catch up on the material covered, maybe by contacting a classmate and/or reviewing announcements, discussion postings.
6. To ensure that grading in this course is fair, I will adhere to the guidelines in this syllabus and related documents (such as project handouts). Your academic responsibility is to be aware of and adhering to those.
7. Grade disputes must be submitted to the instructor via e-mail within five days of the date the graded item is available for your inspection (except for final grades, which will only allow for 1 day review). Such documentation will trigger a review of the entire graded item, which may result in a higher or lower grade.
8. If you have a documented disability, please contact the DRC Center as soon as possible to discuss the necessary testing or other accommodations needed for the course. No accommodations will be arranged outside of the DRC process.
9. Everyone in this class is expected to behave ethically and professionally. That behavior includes, but is not limited to:

a. Completing work in the manner assigned (individually or in a group).

b. Ensuring the work you submit reflects your own original thinking and effort.

c. Respecting classmates and the classroom environment.

d. Adhering to the standards of ethical behavior and academic integrity set out in the Mission College catalog and related documents.

Failure to behave ethically and professionally may result in any or all of the following:  no credit for specific assignments, being dropped from the class, referral to the Vice President of Student Services for further disciplinary action. 

Drop / Withdrawal 

In order to avoid getting an F for the course, it is your responsibility to officially withdraw from the class prior to the deadline.

If you do not actively participate in class, that is, if you consistently do not complete assignments, assessments (reading checks, homework), respond to forums or turn in other work for the total of 1 week's worth of assignments, you will be dropped from the class for non-participation.

Note that you can DROP (without a "W") or WITHDRAW (with "W") by certain deadlines. Check the college website for specific dates. If you do not withdraw properly/officially from the class via your portal or in person, you will receive whatever grade you earned (usually not a good grade). It is fully your responsibility to drop/withdraw from the class. After the withdrawal deadline passes, instructors do not have the ability to drop you from the class.  

Additional Resources: Tutoring and Other Resources

Tutoring Services

The school offers free accounting tutoring to all enrolled students.  Please visit the school’s. STEM Center in the 4200 Building. Refer to the Stem Success Center Webpage for more information.

Open Hours:

Mondays	12-4pm
Tuesdays	12-4pm
Wednesdays	12-4pm
Thursdays	12-4pm
Fridays-Sunday	none

Teaching and Learning Center (computer lab)

If you do not have access to a computer off campus, the college offers free access to computers Teaching and Learning Center (located behind the library), Bldg 3600.

Computer Requirements

You will need to have an up-to-date browser, operating system and some additional software on your computer to take this class. Check this Distance Education page for hardware & software requirements. Some of the documents in this course will be available to you in PDF form. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader software on your computer, you can download it by going to http://get.adobe.com/reader/. We will also be using google-docs and google-spreadsheets, selectively. You may want to get familiar google-docs (if not already) and even get a google-drive (free) to create, store, and share documents.

Transfer /Career Center

Taking classes is just the first step in your academic lives, to learn about the next step –transferring to a university or job placement, please visit the school’s Transfer Center in the at the Students Services Building, Third Floor, Room 8329.

Tech Support and Distance Education help 

If you need technical assistance at any time, you can contact the college's Foothill Global Access Program, refer to their webpage at: http://www.foothill.edu/fga/. 

Student Services

There are many services on campus to help you achieve success in your courses. Check out this Current Students Webpage for more information.

Class Calendar

While I will try diligently to follow this schedule, I reserve the right to amend this schedule at any time during the course based on the needs, interests and progress of the class, and students are responsible for changes announced in CANVAS. 

Direct Link to Googe-doc: 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1y6IAYFo4C7szYT2US_OFiJWhtbQVAU3VD3XjBovqr_k/edit?usp=sharing

Important Notes 

*Team Work (if applicable):

Primarily for the Project, however, you can team up with classmates for Reading Check’s and HW’s. No Team work on Exams or as otherwise announced.

______________________________________________________________________________

Note on Class Calendar: The class calendar controls the timing, submission location, and other logistics for the graded components. The class calendar also lists the assigned hw items. The class calendar overrides any due dates shown in any other part of the class.

______________________________________________________________________________

Note on Point-System: The point system above works well most of the time, in capturing the true performance of students.  Sometimes, however, it does not.  In such cases, I reserve the right to adjust your scores, based on my judgment, to reflect what we believe is an appropriate final grade – one that represents to 4-yr schools and potential employers your true learning from this class.

______________________________________________________________________________

NOTE on “bump-ups” to final grade: NO “bump-ups” to the next grade level will be made without evidence that supports such an action on my part – no matter how close you are to the next grade level. Support for “bump-up” purposes is appropriate performance on final exam and exceptional class participation (substantive, non-trivial postings in chapter discussion forums) beyond any minimum required. “Exceptional” participation would probably fall in the range of 3 postings or more per chapter per week or approximately a minimum total postings of 36 (or more, depending on substance of your postings - my judgment).

 

Declaration Statement, Responsibilities, and Philosophy

By staying in the class, you agree to the terms of this class and the related requirements. If after the class has started, changes to the class syllabus occur, they will be announced for your comments and feedback, before they become effective. 

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS A STUDENT

Enrolling in this online course is a COMMITMENT.  It is your obligation to manage your commitments responsibly.  Please make sure that you can fully meet the responsibilities of this course before you commit to enrolling in the course.  If you are unable to fully meet these requirements, please consider not enrolling in this course this term. Sometimes, we are too busy already and may overcommit.  

By enrolling in this class, you agree:

1. To uphold the standards of academic integrity as maintained by Foothill College
2. To read, fully understand, and abide by the Class Syllabus.
3. To reserve an average of 15 hours per week to spend on reading, studying and homework assignments.
4. To login to the Course Shell frequently each week (preferably daily) to read all  class announcements, class postings, and private messages, so that you can stay up-to-date with class information
5. To complete assignments and quizzes on-time per due dates in the Class Calendar
6. To review your course points in the course Grade Book regularly throughout the term and contact me immediately if you identify an error or have questions regarding your grade
7. To use PRIVATE MESSAGING in CANVAS (inbox) to communicate with your instructor.  Do NOT use email.
8. That it is YOUR responsibility to drop this class if it becomes necessary to do so
9. To respond to communications from the instructor (me) and your fellow students in a timely manner.  Please make every effort to respond to communications within 24 hours or less
10. To stay active and engaged in class and to HAVE FUN while doing so

NOTE: Stay active in class: By State Law, students who are “inactive” in an online class are subject to being dropped from the class by the end of the 8th week (about 4th week of summer session) of the quarter (REFER to college website for specific dates and deadlines). Inactivity is defined as not attend (log into CANVAS) or not submission of assignments for 7 consecutive days.

CLASS PHILOSOPHY

This class is a community.  We all have the same objective:  TO LEARN - in addition, mine is to certify that the grade YOU EARN represents your true learning, as accurately as possible. Employers, transfer institutions, and the community expects us to measure your learning honestly.

To do so, in this class we will engage in multiple approaches to learning (and sharing knowledge) including cooperative learning (interacting with each other to maximize learning opportunities), active learning (active engagement in discrete learning activities like reading, problem-solving and discussion), and experiential learning (“learning by doing”).  

This class also places great emphasis on teamwork and active communication in class; as you enter (or return to) the business world, you will realize that being able to productively work in teams and clearly communicate with others are “worth their weight in gold.”  

Finally, I want to encourage you to have fun and enjoy this class experience -- it is going to be a lot of work but also a  lot of fun!!!