Texts...
Recommended Required
 

Course... Competencies  Description  Requirements

Instruction & Grading...
Method of
Assignments  Grading Instruction
Tests
 

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course offers an overview of personal and family financial planning with an emphasis on financial recordkeeping, planning your spending, tax planning, consumer credit, making buying decisions, purchasing insurance, selecting investments, and retirement and estate planning.

COURSE AND UNIT COMPETENCIES:  The general competency acquired in this course is an increased ability to make informed choices.  Specific competencies are related to spending, saving, borrowing, and investing so as to establish a foundation for long-term financial security. By the end of this semester you should be able to create a comprehensive, personalized financial plan that includes:

1. your personal financial goals;

2. personal financial statements, i.e., budget, balance sheet, cash flow statement, etc., reflecting your current and projected position;

3. the steps you'll follow to manage debt and maximize savings;

4. insurance for your property, health, and life, and

5. an investment philosophy for the future.

Required Text:  Kapoor, Dlabay, Hughes, FOCUS ON PERSONAL FINANCE, 2e (McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2008), ISBN  978-0-07-353063-5.

Recommended:  A calculator, preferably a business/financial one (with I, N, PV, FV, PMT functions) as opposed to a scientific calculator would be extremely beneficial; however, all math functions can be accomplished with a standard calculator.  I also recommend The Merriam-Webster Pocket Dictionary, Webster's Student Dictionary, The American Heritage Dictionary, or some other comparable paperback or nonprogrammable electronic dictionary.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: To maximize your enjoyment (and grade) in this class, engage in meaningful participation in online discussions, complete assigned homework, attend at least four (4) chatroom sessions over the course of the semester (there are no face-to-face meetings), and take all examinations on the assigned dates.

METHOD OF INSTRUCTION: Class discussion via synchronous (chat room) and asynchronous methods (discussion board), and individual and/or group problem solving will be used to clarify points in the text and to discuss items not covered in the text. This is not a self-paced course; we will all be on the same chapter at the same time.  There are no face-to-face meetings unless  you request one at my office.

METHOD OF EVALUATION: Your grade will be derived from homework assignments, test scores, and chat room participation. 

Tests:  In addition to a comprehensive final exam, four multiple-choice tests will be scheduled throughout the course.  You will have at least 75 minutes to complete a test.  Access will be granted for three days, i.e., the test window will open at 12:05 a.m. on a Sunday and remain open 'til 11:55 p.m. the following Tuesday. There will be no makeup for a missed test unless other arrangements are made with me in advance.  Should you have a problem with accessing a test or being shut out of a test, contact me immediately.

 Assignments: 

End of chapter problems, activities, cases, and/or discussion board postings:  You will be expected to answer, in writing, select problems, case or chapter questions, and/or complete activity forms (Worksheets).   Some chapters also require a discussion board posting.  Each chapter assignment is worth a maximum of 10 points; there's an additional point if a chapter also has a discussion posting.  The semester total for  Assignments for this component vary slightly from semester to semester, but should be anticipated to be approximately 200 points.  See the Calendar (under the Communication Tools heading) or the Assignments icon for specific assignments and their respective due dates.

All submitted work:

ATTENDANCE POLICY:  As an online class, we do not have any face-to-face meetings scheduled. However, you cannot "disappear" from the course and expect to make progress.  Therefore, if you are "absent" (i.e., no activity) for more than one week, I reserve the right to drop you from the class.  Further, once a week (on average) throughout the semester I will hold "office hours" in our course Chatroom.  The schedule varies depending on the class, but based on prior experience, sessions will be scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday night, or 9:00 a.m. on a Saturday.  I will stay and answer questions as long as you are there and need my help; I will not, however, sit around and wait if no one's there 10 minutes after the scheduled start time.  Those chat sessions are our opportunity to meet, form a learning community, discuss any problems you are having with course material, and share knowledge.  While you are not expected to attend every session, you must attend at least four (4) chat sessions over the course of the entire semester.  Participation is 10% of your grade, and failure to attend at least 4 sessions can adversely impact your grade by as much as one full letter grade.  Each attendance after you've met the requisite four meeting times adds one point of extra credit to your homework grade.

IParticipation: “Knowing and learning are communal acts.  They require many eyes and ears, many observations and experiences.  They require a continual cycle of discussion, disagreement, and consensus over what has been seen and what it all means.” (Parker Palmer, 1987)  The educational process is a collaborative activity that requires active involvement on the part of each student, and you are highly encouraged to ask questions and present discussion topics.  By the instructor's definition, mere presence on our electronic roster does not constitute participation; posting meaningful comments on the discussion board, occasionally popping in to the chat room, knowing what’s happening in the news and the financial world in general and how that relates to a given day’s topics, sharing that knowledge with the class, etc., do constitute participation.

ACADEMIC HONESTY: Academic dishonesty is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct.  You are expected, at all times, to fully and faithfully comply with the meaning and intent of Merced College’s academic honesty policy (as set forth in the college catalog and semester schedule).  While I highly encourage and support the use of study groups and/or collaboration throughout this course, any and all work submitted must be the independent effort of the submitting individual.   No credit will be given for homework that fails to meet this standard.  If you are unsure as to whether or not your intended act is dishonest, please ask me; I'd be happy to clarify this issue for you.

SYLLABUS SUBJECT TO CHANGE: Please note that the syllabus is subject to change at my discretion.  You will be notified if and when changes occur.

The purpose of a syllabus is to inform you about course requirements, college policies, and my expectations for the course.  You are expected to be aware of the syllabus’ contents and should consult it frequently as the answers to most questions regarding the course, its requirements, due dates, or my policies will be found here.  If you cannot find the answer to your question(s) in the syllabus, do not hesitate to ask me. As the semester progresses you and I may collaboratively decide to make changes to the syllabus, or I may unilaterally elect to make changes, but the ultimate decision to make any changes rests with me; you will be notified if and when changes occur.

Paula G. Freston, Instructor

6/12/08