Calumet College of St. Joseph
SYLLABUS FOR PERSONAL
FINANCE
Term: Spring, 2001-2002
(012) (January 5 – April 19)
Course Number: ACC 496A
Instructor: George F. Grzesiowski
Office
Phone: (219) 473-4283
E-mail: ggrzesiowski@ccjs.edu
Home
Phone: (219) 362-1696
E-mail: grzz@csinet.net
Office Hours:
|
Day |
Times |
|
Monday |
1:00 PM – 7:00 PM |
|
Tuesday |
11:00
AM – 3:00 PM |
|
Wednesday |
By
appointment |
|
Thursday |
12:00
PM – 3:00 PM |
|
Friday |
10:30
AM – 6:30 PM |
Course
Time: Mondays & Thursdays 10:30 AM
– 12:00 PM
Course
Description:
This course examines the process of setting and
achieving financial goals. Emphasis is
placed on personal financial planning, managing investments, and protecting
yourself with insurance, retirement, estate planning, and planned borrowing.
Textbooks: Personal Finance, eight edition, Rosefsky, Wiley, 2002
Since
your learning is my primary concern, it is imperative that anything preventing
you from learning be discussed. Please
feel free to make an appointment with me or call me so that I can help you keep
on track.
Learning
Outcomes/ Competencies:
Students in this course will:
·
Know why some individuals (or companies, or
nations) achieve greater financial success than others.
·
How to accurately determine what a given job is
worth: putting a dollar sign on the
basic wage, the fringe benefits, and the longer term potential.
·
How to clarify your goals: setting them, putting the necessary
priorities on them, and developing a workable plan to meet your goals.
·
How to recognize built-in bad shopping habits and
replace them with good money saving habits.
·
Be able to spot and avoid deals that sound too good
to be true; know who to inform if you
discover a fraudulent scheme, know
where to get help if you are the victim of a swindle.
·
How to make the best choice when buying a car.
·
How to know your legal rights as a home buyer and
understand the documents in a housing transaction.
·
Protect yourself and your property if neighbors or
landlords violate housing rules and regulations.
·
Know what factor you should evaluate in deciding
whether to rent or buy.
·
Set the proper price and terms for the sale of your
home.
·
Evaluate how much borrowing you can afford to do.
·
Evaluate the different types of investments.
·
Shape your own investment program, using various
devices.
·
Understand the language of the stock market.
·
Distinguish between the various types of real
estate investments.
·
Determine how much insurance protection you
actually need.
·
Create a retirement plan.
·
Understand a properly prepared estate plan.
·
Gain a basic understanding of how income tax laws
work.
·
Understand the role of capital, risk taking and
entrepreneurship.
Assessment:
Exams 50% of grade
Class participation 10% of grade
Assignments 40% of grade
Grading
Scale:
A: 92-100 A-: 90-91 B+: 88-89 B: 82-87 B-:
80-81 C+: 78-79
C: 72-77
C-: 70-71 D+: 68-69
D: 62-67 D-: 60-61
F: 59 & below
Class
Policy for Assignments:
Students are expected to have read the chapter prior to the lecture. Each chapter will be explained and discussed.
Class
Policy on Attendance:
Attendance in class is an important priority. Your class participation grade will be affected by attendance. If you are not here, you are not participating.
Student Responsibilities:
It
is expected that all students will be present on test days. If unavoidable circumstances prevent
attendance, the test can be made up at the instructor’s discretion. It is the student’s responsibility to
contact the instructor to make arrangements to make up the exam. Unexcused absences on test days will result
in a 10% penalty.
All students no matter what their educational background, life/work experiences, have something to offer that will enrich our class. As instructors, we not only encourage participation, but also rely on it. As students, you should demand it, not only of yourselves, but also of your classmates. Our class is only as good as we make it.
Classroom Behavior
The student is expected to treat the instructor and his/her fellow students with respect and courtesy at all times. This means giving full attention. No private conversations, no catching up on homework assignments, no naps. Such items can and will affect your participation grade.
Class
Policy on Electronic Devices: (Optional)(Cell phones, Beeper, Pagers…etc.)
Turn off or put on silent ring.
Center
for Academic Excellence:
Tutoring
assistance is free to all students of Calumet College of St. Joseph. Call the
Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), to make an appointment at 473-4287. The
Center has experienced and well-trained tutors in most subject areas to help
students who are struggling in a course or who are doing well and would like to
do better. Regular weekly tutoring sessions are likely to improve your grade.
Statement
of Plagiarism:
If an instructor or other Calumet College of St.
Joseph personnel find that a student has plagiarized or been involved in
another form of academic dishonesty, the instructor or other personnel may
elect to bring the matter up for judicial review. The maximum penalty for any
form of academic dishonesty is dismissal from the College. The procedures for
judicial review are listed under the section of CCSJ handbook that addresses
student grievances. (Academic Planner 2001/2002 p.27)
Citation
Guidelines:
Calumet College
of St. Joseph adheres to citation guidelines as prescribed by the particular
discipline (i.e., MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style or Turabian.). All of these guidelines are available in the
Calumet College of St. Joseph library or bookstore. These texts outline how to cite references from a variety of
sources, including electronic media.
Withdrawal
from Classes Policy:
After the last
day for class changes has passed (see College calendar), students may withdraw
from a course in which they are registered with permission from the faculty
member conducting the course. A written request detailing the reason(s) for the
withdrawal must be filed with the Registrar. Written request for withdrawal
must be received by the Registrar by the last day of classes prior to the final
examination dates specified in the catalogue. Written requests may be mailed to
the Registrar or faxed to the College fax number 219-473-4259. Students are to
make note of the refund schedule when withdrawing from courses. The request is
forwarded to the faculty member, who makes the final determination to accept or
deny the request. If the request is honored, the student will receive
notification of official withdrawal; if denied, the notification will indicate
why the withdrawal is disallowed.
An official
withdrawal is recorded as a "W" grade on the student's transcript.
Dropping a course without written permission automatically incurs an
"F" grade for the course (see Refund Schedule).
Course
Outline:
Week Class Dates: Topics/Assignments:
1
1/7-10 Introduction
Chapter
1
2
1/14-17 Chapter 2
Chapter
3
3
1/21-24 Chapter 4
Chapter
5
4
1/28-31 Exam 1, chapters 1-5
5
2/4-7 Chapter 6
Chapter
7
6
2/11-14 Chapter 8
Chapter
9
7
2/18-21 Chapter 10
Exam 2 chapters 6-10
8
2/25-28 Chapter 11
Chapter
12
9
3/4-7 Chapter 13
Chapter
14
10
3/11-14 Chapter 15
Chapter
16
11
3/18-21 Exam 3, chapters 11 - 16
Chapter
17
12
3/25 Chapter
18
3/28 Easter
Break
13
4/1-4 Chapter 19
Chapter
20
14
4/8-11 Chapter 21
15
4/18 Exam
4, chapters 17-21