FSEM 1010 (10) Money, Investments & Financial Markets Fall, 2013

T & Th 12:50-2:20 Robbins Science Center Room 5

Instructor:
E-mail:
Phone:
Office:
Hours:

David Christopherson, Ph.D.

dchristopherson01@hamline.edu
(612) 578-4732 = mobile

Campus Colleague:
E-mail:
Phone:

Matt Beehr
mbeehr01@hamline.edu
(651) 523-2919

Anderson Center 1st Floor Fireplace

One hour before each class & by appointment

New Student Mentor: Tom Krohn

E-mail:
tkrohn01@hamline.edu

Welcome to Hamline!
The three members of your First-Year Seminar instructional team are dedicated to helping you embark on your lifelong quest to become the worlds leading expert on something about which you are passionate. Each of you has
the ability to become such an expert, realizing a deep sense of self-actualization (self-at-one-ment), in addition to
being well compensated.
Money, Investments, and Financial Markets will serve as the primary subjectmatter threads used in this seminar to weave together your introduction to, and understanding of, the tapestry of
interrelationships you will discover among the numerous fields of inquiry available to you: Accounting,
Anthropology, Art, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Communications, Economics, Finance, Geography,
History, Languages, Marketing, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Physical Education,
Political Science, Religion, Sociology . . . and many more.
Learning Goals and Outcomes of the FYSEM Program:

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Goals:
Provide an introduction to the liberal arts
Prepare students for academic success through development of these skills: reading, critical analysis, discussion, writing, research,
oral communication, and study
Provide an introduction to Hamlines academic and student services resources.
Enhance a sense of community among students and faculty within and outside of the classroom and within the University at large.
Assists in students personal development including consideration of the following: students self-concept; students values, beliefs,
and attitudes; and students vocation.
Outcomes After successfully completing this seminar, students will be able to:
Approach issues with awareness of multiple viewpoints and methods represented by the liberal arts disciplines.
Articulate how Hamlines curriculum embodies the liberal arts tradition.
Analyze an issue from multiple perspectives; situate an idea in relation to other ideas; and make judgments about how evidence and
sources support their thesis/main points.
Discuss an issue from multiple perspectives; ask relevant and substantive questions; make and defend claims.
Write a thesis-driven essay on a topic, develop supporting ideas with explanation, and appropriately incorporate evidence.
Locate scholarly sources in academic databases; judge the integrity/authoritativeness of internet sources; choose the most
appropriate sources for different assignments; learn the difference between primary and secondary sources; compile a bibliography;
ask/frame a research question.
Apply principles of time management so that they can:
a. develop and adhere to a study schedule that follows a 2:1 ratio of outside-of-class: inside-of-class study time;
b. take effective reading and lecture notes;
c. know how to avail themselves of study resources;
d. identify and employ a range of strategies for learning, understanding, and applying knowledge; and
e. apply principles of time management to develop a feasible daily/weekly/monthly schedule.
Identify and use appropriate student services resources.
Use Bush Library resources to conduct independent academic research.
Identify and describe Hamlines co-curricular and extra-curricular resources and activities.
Identify and describe student organizations of potential interest to themselves and their FSEM colleagues.
Articulate plans/goals for participation as an active citizen of the Hamline community.
Define expectations for college.
Link vocation, values, and self-concept with curricular goals.
Articulate how values and self-concept influence one another.

16) Describe how values, beliefs, and attitudes affect ones choice of vocation

Specifically Emphasized in this Seminar:

Knowledge Acquisition:
o Understand multiple perspectives on the roles of money, investments & financial markets.
o Evaluate how wealth can be understood and created.
o Appreciate various definitions of value.
o Master the basic concept of the time value of money.
o Learn how central banking and monetary policy affect financial institutions & the economy.
o Understand these six markets: money, bond, stock, mortgage, foreign exchange & commodity.
o Know the roles of: banks, mutual funds, insurance companies, pension funds, investment banks,
brokers, dealers, and venture capital firms.

Skill development:
o Written communication
o Oral communication
o Excel spreadsheet use/computations.
o Time management & study skills

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Teamwork
Research & reflection
Critical analysis
Conceptual reasoning

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Study Materials

Money Mischief Episodes in Monetary History, Milton Friedman, Harcourt Brace & Company, 1994.
(From $2.79 to $11.48 at http://www.amazon.com/Money-Mischief-Espisodes-MonetaryHistory/dp/015661930X.)

Wall Street Journal hard copy for 15 weeks starting after Labor Day; you may pick up daily at Bush
Library. (From $1/week if you place your order directly at www.wsj.com/studentoffer .)

Microsoft Excel (required in computer labs); BAII Plus calculator (optional).

www.investopedia.com (your online dictionary)

Blackboard check daily for news videos, links, case studies, team assignments, practice problems, etc.
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o Grades
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You should not feel that you are competing with other students in this seminar. Of a total 200
possible course points, all students should expect to earn the grades associated with their point
achievements listed below. However, a supporting curve of percentages of students may be used to
assure that grade distributions in a given semester should generally range no lower than 15-20% in
the A range, 30-40% in the B range, and 40-45% in the C range. Normally no more than 5-10% of
students receive a D or an F (and hopefully NONE in your seminar).

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o> 180 = A
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175-179
= A
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170-174 = B +
160-169 = B
155-159 = B

150-154 = C +
140-149 = C
135-139 = C

130-134 = D +
120-129 = D
< 120 = F

The breakdown of the 200 total course points is:

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Seminar Discussions
Short Case-Analysis Papers
Research Paper
Individual News Reports
Team Oral Presentation
Excel Homework Problems
Final Project
Total

30
20
40
30
40
20
20
200

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Seminar Discussions (15%)

Close to 100% attendance is critically important to your success in this seminar, and throughout
your higher education and professional careers. If you must miss a seminar, please e-mail your
professor as soon as you know you cannot make one. Beyond attendance, assessment of your
participation depends on the quantity and insightfulness of: (a) your oral contributions during our
seminars, and (b) on weekly Blackboard discussion boards.

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Short Case-Analysis Papers (10%)

For two of our five mini-cases about personal finance, investments, and wealth creation, you will
be asked to make recommendations based on your research into specific questions. Each paper
will be less than two-pages long; both all cases and the detailed instructions for these two papers
will be posted on Blackboard.

Research Paper (20%)

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Detailed instructions for your individual research paper (that should not exceed five pages +
appendices) will be posted to Blackboard. You will be able to choose a topic relating to
investments that interests you most; and you will synthesize your understanding of your chosen
topic with reference to at least two other disciplines within the liberal arts.

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Individual News Reports (15%)

You will make two individual 5-minute oral presentations during the semester. They will be based
on your analysis of the examples and details of financial news stories in the Wall Street Journal. In
the first report you will discuss one story, closing with your understanding of both sides of an
issue; and in the second report you will synthesize your understanding of an overarching concept
that ties two different news stories together.

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Team Oral Presentation (20%)

After Thanksgiving each of you will be part of a three-student team that will make a 25-minute oral
presentation on one of six different financial markets: money, stock, bond, mortgage, foreignexchange, and commodity. Details for this assignment will be posted to Blackboard. Since all
three members of your team will receive the same score, you success on this assignment will
depend in no small part on how effectively you identify and utilize the different skills of your team
members.

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Excel Homework Problems (10%)

During this semester you will complete 20 time-value-of-money problems outside of class. Partial
credit will be given for how you set up the problem.

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Final Project (10%)

To understand how most effectively you can answer multiple-choice questions that youll
encounter in several of your other classes at Hamline, you will be writing and answering your own
20 multiple-choice questions! You should keep a weekly journal of ideas for drafting your own
questions; and you will submit your questions on Blackboard before the end of the second week in
December. During our final-project time together for this seminar (December 16), well pose
questions submitted by all of you to the entire class . . . for fun and valuable treats.

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Support available:

On Blackboard for this course, after you will find information and links to help you understand the
technology support, writing-center help available, and academic accommodations for those with
disabilities. You are encouraged to speak up early if you begin to experience any sense of
frustration. We want everyone to succeed in this course and to realize the joy that comes from
beginning to master new subjects and skills

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FSEM 1010 (10) - Money, Investments, and Financial Markets - Fall, 2013 - Course
Outline
(Dates Tentative Since this is a News-Driven Seminar)

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Academic

First Class 4:00 - East

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Other
3:00 Meet New Student Mentor Tom Krohn

Hall 8
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LEAP into St. Paul - 8:15 AM - Old Main lawn

Matriculation - 1:00 PM

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Seminar - WEALTH

Know the Honor Code & Plagiarism/forms due

Seminar - Money
Mischief

Last day to add classes for this semester

Seminar - News &

CRIED

Meet your faculty advisor

Case 1 - Emily Piper

Update your FY "Throwdown" Events

Seminar - VALUES

Last day to drop classes without a "W"

Seminar - News &

Writing Errors

Know your Writing Center

Seminar - Map Works

Survey

Complete Map Works Survey I

Seminar - News &

Money Mischief

Work on your Personal Essay

Case 2 - Yasamine &

Bill Rogers

CAS Guide

Seminar - Financial
Market Teams

Personal Essay Due

4:15 Commitment to Community

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Seminar - Monetary
Policy - (1:50)

Hamline Plan meeting in BML 10 @ 12:50

Seminar - News & the

Fed

Complete Personal Essay

Seminar Dr. Snyder is

our guest

Picking a major written assignment

overviewed

Seminar - Excel & TVM

Problems

5:30-7:30 - Anderson - Major Displays

Meet in Drew Science

Center 303

Know how to use your library resources

Seminar - News &

Financial Markets

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Paper & Team

Presentation Overview

Have you met with Matt Beehr yet?

Seminar - Financial
Markets

Pick a major written assignment due

Case 3 - Bob & Linda

Lane

Seminar - News & Stock

Investing

Seminar - News & Bond

Investing

Pursuing Excellence in Anderson 10:00-12:45

Seminar - Election Day

Dr. Snyder

Map Works Survey II

Seminar - News &

Investments

Meet your faculty advisor & get your PIN

Seminar - News &

Money Mischief

Seminar - News &

Market Teams

Seminar - News & TVM

Problems

Case 4 - John Stevens

Seminar - News &

Research

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Last day to withdraw from courses

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Seminar - Investments

THANKSGIVING OFF

Seminar - Team
Presentation Prep

Seminar - Term PAPER

DUE

Case 5 - Ben & Nadia

Sievers
Seminar - 3 Team
Presentations

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7:00 AM - Registration opens for Spring Term

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Seminar - 3 Team
Presentations

Final Projects Due on

Blackboard

Final Project Review

2:45-4:45

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