BUA 110-I50
INTRO TO WALL STREET
SPRING 2014 /
Instructor: Suzanne E. Kiess, CPA, MBA Phone: (517) 796-8401, ext. 8608
E-Mail: Office: North Campus Office 112
BUA 110 Course Description: Designed to help existing or potential investors keep abreast of investment opportunities in today’s changing financial world. Students are taught the mechanics of investing, how to analyze risk and return, and strategies to making sound investment decisions related to the stock market. The organization and function of the stock market, brokerage firms, and financial information on the Internet are examined. Prerequisite: ENG 085
BUA 110 Course Objectives:
- Acquire and develop financial literacy in the area of investing (ADO 7)
- Understand basic investment terminology and common investment vehicles (ADO 7)
- Explore various authors and sources for investment research (ADO 7)
- Create a plan and being making basic, preliminary investment decisions (ADO 7)
JCC Associate Degree Outcomes (ADO’s): The Board of Trustees of Jackson Community College has determined that all JCC graduates should develop or enhance certain essential skills while enrolled in the college. ADO #7 (Critical Thinking Skills) will be addressed in this course.
Other Required Materials: reliable computer and Internet access, Microsoft Word or compatible program, and a file storage system (such as a flash drive) for your work.
Office Hours: by appointment, please call or e-mail, I am happy to meet with you by phone or in person. I am at JC North Campus this semester Monday through Thursday.
Tell me about BUA 110… In BUA 110, you will learn about Wall Street and investing basics. We will start with your goals, risk tolerance and basic terminology. Then, we will look popular investment vehicles such as mutual funds. We will go on to examine other types of investments such as 401-K plans, IRA’s, stocks and bonds. You will finish with a personal investment plan. You need Internet access, Microsoft Word and an inquisitive mind.
What can I do to work toward a 4.0 in ACC 115…review the course syllabus and course schedule closely at the start of the course, complete all of the research, stay active, prepare and submit all five weekly paperson time.
Time Expectations: Online courses take time, especially a short and condensed course such as online BUA 110. Consider that BUA 110 is a one credit hour course. This represents 15 classroom seat hours and 15-30 hours outside of class for homework and assignments. The total hours for BUA 110 would then be between 30-45 hours. In this 5 week format, you can expect to spend between 6-9 hours per week for our BUA 110 assignments.
Center for Student Success: Students requiring special assistance (including those affected by the Americans with Disabilities Act) should call 517-787-0800 and ask for The Center for Student Success. This is the first step in acquiring the appropriate accommodations to facilitate your learning.
Methods to achieve objectives: Internet research, reading, discovery and preparation of college level academic papers.
Academic Honesty: Be careful not to plagiarize. Plagiarism is defined in The American Heritage Dictionary as “…using another’s ideas as one’s own…” All assignments related to this class are to be your own work. The JCC Catalog defines academic honesty as “ …the ethical behavior that includes (students’) producing their own work and not representing others’ work as their own…” The consequences of academic dishonesty include failure for the assignment and/or failure in the course overall.
Assignments: Units 1, 2, 3 and4 requireresearch, reading and preparation offour 2-page papers. Unit 5 requires one larger 4-page final paper. All assignments are due no later than midnight each Sunday. You must submit your papers in Microsoft or as a file that can be read in Microsoft Word. Jackson College only supports Microsoft products for faculty use. In case of emergency, you could submit your papers as pdf files, which I can easily open to review for grading.
Late Work policy: For the full 20 possible points, submit your papers on time by midnight Sunday nights. Papers submitted within the next 24 hours will be reduced 50% for a maximum of 10 points. Any later submissions will not receive points.
Requirements for each paper: Use a regular font and size, such as Ariel or Calibri 12 double spaced. Include a heading within each file such as: Suzie Q Student, Unit 1 Paper, BUA 110. Label the sections of your writing 1, 2, 3, etc. Edit your writing carefully before you submit. Get help with your writing at the JCC Center for Student Success if you need help. See page 4 of this syllabus for specific directions on watching “The Ascent of Money”. See page 5 of this syllabus for an example of how to set up your BUA 110 papers.
Extra Credit: If needed or desired, there is a short Extra Credit assignment for BUA 110 for 10 possible points. See JetNet for “BUA 110 – Extra Credit” for directions and web-link.
HQV Grades for JC: To comply with college policy and federal regulations, you will be assigned HQV grades at approximately one week, two weeks, and eight weeks. Our HQV dates are no date, no date, 9/12/2014. The grades assigned are letters with the following meanings:
- V = VERIFY This means that I verify that you are participating in the class, submitting work and your work so far has been acceptable.
- H = HELP This means that you are participating, but your work shows that you may need some help in order to complete the class successfully. If you receive an H grade, you will be contacted by the Center for Student Success and offered tutoring services.
- Q = QUIT This means that you have effectively quit participating in the course. If you receive a Q grade, you will automatically be withdrawn from the course.
- Note: Although your instructor may withdraw you for non-participation before midterm with a Q grade; only you, the student, can initiate a withdrawal after midterm. Incomplete grades will be given only in accordance with JCC policy.
GRADING POLICY:
Requirements: / Grading Scale:
4.0 / A / 93-100%
Unit 1 Paperdue Sunday 6/1/2014 / 20 / 3.5 / AB / 88-92%
Unit 2 Paperdue Sunday 6/8/2014 / 20 / 3.0 / B / 83-87%
Unit 3 Paperdue Sunday 6/15/2014 / 20 / 2.5 / BC / 78-82%
Unit 4 Paperdue Sunday 6/22/2014 / 20 / 2.0 / C / 73-77%
Unit 5 Final Paperdue Sunday 6/29/2014 / 20 / 1.5 / CD / 68-72%
1.0 / D / 63-67%
0.5 / DF / 58-62%
Total Points Available / 100 / 0.0 / F / 0-57%
Writing Examples:
Examine these two examples of BUA 110 writing. One is unacceptable and does not represent the required level of college writing for this course. The other is acceptable writing and meets all requirements for this course:
Unacceptable writing:
(actual example of student writing from a previous semester)
"Starting of will be something that I did not mentioned in the sight. I have to put aside childish ways and habbits."
Acceptable writing:
"One of my goals is to gain control of my financial situation and begin establishing new habits that lead to responsible spending and thoughtful investing."
Grading Policy for BUA 110 Papers:
Proper Heading (1 point)
Your Name
Name of the assignment
Name of the course
Weekly Update on Stock Statistics (1 point)
See page 5 of this syllabus for an example of how to head your BUA 110 papers and how to include the required stock statistic update information each week.
Proper format, grammar and spelling (3 points)
Are there spelling errors?
Are there grammar errors?
Is the presentation and appearance of the paper acceptable?
Content (15 points)
Were all sections completed?
Are the responses accurate and reasonable?
Is there evidence of research and original thought?
E-Mail/Computer Caution: Always include your first and last name, and please put “BUA 110” in the subject line. Always save your work and have a back-up copy. Please ask questions and get help early with any concerns you may have including computer problems. Call, e-mail, stop by…I am here to help.
Note: This syllabus is not a contract but a plan for the course. Each course is unique. We may do more or less work than is outlined above. Total points in the course may be altered to reflect the dynamics of our class.
Specific directions on how to find each episode of the required PBS special
“The Ascent of Money”:
1 – go to
2 – find the viewing box
3 – scroll down and find the moving table of contents just below the viewing box
4 – click on the episode title of your choice
Example of how to set up your BUA 110 papers:
Unit 1 Paper
BUA 110-I50
Part 1: Current stock index numbers from
(Each week look up the stock numbers at Bloomberg and keep filling in and completing this comparative table. Each week, add in more amounts, save and submit in JetNet.)
Stock
Exchange: / Week 1
6/1/2014 / Week 2
6/8/2014 / Week 3
6/15/2014 / Week 4
6/22/2014 / Week 5
6/29/2014
DJIA / 16,605.50
S&P 500 / 1900.55
NASDAQ
(Americas) / 4185.55
Part 2: History of Wall Street
Write up your response here.
Part 3: NYSE
Write up your response here.
Part 4: OTC
Write up your response here.
Part 5: DJIA / S & P 500 / NASDAQ
Write up your response here.
Part 6: Stocks
Write up your response here.
Part 7: Bonds
Write up your response here.
Part 8: PE ratio
Write up your response here.
Part 9: "The Ascent of Money" PBS special (“Introduction” episode)
Write up your response here.
Page 1