Syllabus for BUE-101-OL

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Personal Finance for 2000 and Beyond provides the information you need to make sound financial choices. This course will help you determine the best course of action as you gather, protect, and use your financial assets. Eight key elements of personal finance are emphasized throughout this course: obtaining, planning, saving, borrowing, spending, managing risk, investing, and retirement and estate planning.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing Personal Finance for 2000 and Beyond, you should be able to:

• Explain how your financial decisions impact on your own life and the lives of your family or loved ones.



• Create a financial plan based on your own needs and the needs of others who will be affected by your plan.



• Set financial goals and implement an action plan that will meet these goals.



• Describe strategies for managing the stress that can result from conflicts over purchasing decisions and managing finances.



• Explain how to ensure the financial security of yourself and your family or loved ones.



• Identify strategies for managing investments.



• Describe the principles of retirement and estate planning.

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COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to complete the work of the course. The text and telecourse guide are available from the textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Textbook

• Personal Finance, 9th ed., by Jack R. Kapoor, Les R. Dlabay, and Robert J. Hughes (New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2009).

Telecourse Guide

• Telecourse Student Guide for Use with Dollar$ & Sense: Personal Finance for the 21st Century, 5th ed., by Rod Davis (Coast Learning Systems and McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2009).

Video Programs

• Dollar$ & Sense: Personal Finance for the 21st Century (26 half-hour video programs produced by Coast Community College District and KOCE-TV in cooperation with McGraw-Hill/Irwin).
  
  Note: The video programs are being offered via streaming video technology through this course site. Each video assignment will include the necessary links for accessing the video stream.

Publisher's Web Site
The textbook publisher provides free access to the textbook's Online Learning Center Web site (http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0073382329/student_view0/index.html). This site provides resources for additional learning and links to Web sites for the study of personal finance topics.

When you reach the site, click the down arrow in the "Choose one. . ." box in the navigational bar on the left of the screen, and click the chapter you are studying. For each chapter, you may find the following helpful:

• Quizzes: These are self-grading multiple-choice items. You learn whether you answered correctly when you click Submit Answers, and if you did not, you are given the correct answer. Please do not submit any of these self-checks to your mentor. You are to submit only your Written Assignments and your Online Class Discussions for grading.



• Web Sites: By clicking "Creating a Financial Plan" in the navigational bar on the left of each chapter's screen, you will come to the same financial planning information that appears in your text in an end-of-chapter feature called "Your Personal Financial Planner in Action" (e.g., page 28 in Chapter 1). This feature of the site is helpful because in some cases it provides more up-to-date URLs for the Web sites that are listed.

A link to this Web site is provided in each study assignment page (see the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site).

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COURSE STRUCTURE

Personal Finance for 2000 and Beyond is a three-credit online course that consists of assignments grouped by module.

Study assignments include reading one or more lessons in the telecourse guide and one or more chapters in the textbook and viewing any assigned video program(s). The course also requires that you participate in one (1) ungraded "Introductions" forum at the beginning of the semester, participate in four (4) graded online class discussions, complete six (6) written assignments, and take two (2) examinations: a proctored midterm examination and an unproctored, online final examination.

For details on the course's six assignment modules (reading assignments, viewing assignments, class discussions, and written assignments), go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. That will take you to a list of the individual modules that you can then click for the relevant assignments. (See the course Calendar for scheduling information.)

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In addition to an ungraded "Introductions" forum in module 1, Personal Finance for 2000 and Beyond requires you to participate in four graded class discussions, each focusing on a personal finance topic.

Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and subsequent comments on classmates' responses.

You will be evaluated both on the quality of your responses (i.e., your understanding of readings, concepts, and practices as demonstrated by well-articulated, critical thinking) and quantity of your participation (i.e., the number of times you participate meaningfully in the assigned forums). Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful. Discussions may require research from your course materials or other outside sources. You must give the sources of all information that you provide that is from such sources.

Meaningful participation in online discussions is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement.

Your initial responses and subsequent comments on classmates' responses are due on the days specified by the course Calendar.

For additional information on online discussions, see Online Discussions in the Online Student Handbook.

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For Personal Finance for 2000 and Beyond you are required to submit to your mentor six (6) written assignments. Each assignment has two parts, and each part covers from one to three chapters. The assignment questions are located in the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. Take the time to familiarize yourself with this area of the course Web site, and read through the written assignment questions before you begin each study assignment.

The questions on each chapter fall into two categories: Review Questions and Financial Planning Problems. Answer the Review Questions in brief, outline form, making sure all key points are clearly covered. No more than two paragraphs should be required for each question, and you can often answer a question in a single short paragraph. You are referred to the Personal Finance textbook for the Financial Planning Problems. Answer all problems assigned, making sure you cover all parts of each problem. When calculations are involved, you must show your work to receive full credit. Please leave space after your answers for your mentor to make corrections and comments.

The best way to proceed with the written assignments is to answer the questions and problems for each chapter just after you have read the chapter, completed the accompanying telecourse guide lesson(s), and viewed the video(s). This is especially true for assignments that contain a heavy workload of questions. If you do the questions as you read the chapters, you won't be overwhelmed when the written assignment is due.

You should, however, follow the schedule given in the course Calendar for transmittal of assignments to your mentor, grouping them as prescribed.

Written assignments must be prepared electronically with a word processor, preferably with whatever equation editor comes with your word processing software. However, if your word processor is not compatible with your mentor's word processor, you will need to save your assignment as a rich-text file (.rtf) before submitting it. Check with your mentor first to determine file compatibility. Important: Use the equation editor to insert equations into your word-processed document, not to create the document itself.

Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the

>>View/Complete Assignment

link provided at the bottom of the respective assignment page. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and attach your assignment file. Click to turn in the assignment.

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You are required to take two examinations: a proctored midterm examination and an unproctored, online final examination. Consult the course Calendar for the scheduling of these exams.

Each exam will consist of a combination of true/false, multiple choice, problem-solving, and brief essay questions. Both exams are closed-book, but financial calculators are permitted. If tables are needed to solve particular problems, they will be furnished.

Midterm Examination
The midterm exam is a closed-book, proctored exam that is three hours long. It will cover subject matter assigned through Module 3, unit 3 of the course.

You may take the midterm examination only during the designated exam week, at an approved location, and with an approved proctor. In this regard, you need to schedule your midterm exam and submit your "Proctor Request Form" with the necessary documentation no later than the end of the first week of the semester (see Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site).

If you are on a course extension and have not yet taken the midterm exam, you must let your examination proctor know when you plan to take the exam and contact the Office of Test Administration (609-984-1181) two weeks in advance to request that your exam be sent to the proctor.

For more information on scheduling a proctored examination, see the section Examinations and Proctors in the Online Student Handbook.

Final Examination
The final exam is a closed-book, unproctored, online exam. It is three hours long and covers material assigned in Modules 4-6. Note, however, that the optional reading and viewing you do at the end of the course will not be tested in the final examination.

The final exam is taken online in Blackboard. An exam link will be activated and made available to you in the Tests & Quizzes area of the course Web site (see Test & Quizzes > Final Examination) at the start of the final exam week. You may take the final exam at any time during that week, but no later than midnight Saturday (eastern time). If you are on a course extension, you will need to arrange with your mentor a time to reschedule the final exam.

Sample Examination
You will find a sample online examination in the Tests & Quizzes area of this course site. Use this sample exam to familiarize yourself with the online testing setting and format before you take your online exam. Keep in mind the following potential differences between the sample exam and your online exam:

• The content of your exam will match the content of your course; the sample exam has some generic questions on art history, world history, and environmental science.
• Your exam is likely to include only one type or at most several types of questions (such as multiple choice or essays). The sample exam includes all the types that you might encounter in an online assessment at Thomas Edison State College.
• You will be able to enter and take your final exam just once—once you have entered the exam you must complete it. The sample exam may be taken as often as you like.
• There will be a penalty for exceeding the time limit in your actual exams (see the "Statement about Cheating" below), whereas there is no corresponding penalty with this sample exam.

Statement about Cheating
The final examination in this course is an unproctored exam. That means you will not be supervised while taking the test. You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:

• Looking up any answer or part of an answer in an unauthorized textbook or on the Internet, or using any other source to find the answer.
• Copying and pasting or in any way copying responses or parts of responses from any other source into your online test. This includes but is not limited to copying and pasting from other documents or spreadsheets, whether written by yourself or anyone else.
• Plagiarizing answers.
• Asking anyone else to assist you by whatever means available while you take the exam.
• Copying any part of the exam to share with other students.
• Telling your mentor that you need another attempt at the exam because your connection to the Internet was interrupted when that is not true.

If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

Please also note that the exam is time-limited. That means you only have the allotted time in which to complete the exam. If you exceed the time limit on the exam, you will be penalized by having two points deducted for every minute that you exceed the time limit. This may also result in your failing the course.

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Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, and the course examinations are based on the following numerical grades:

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, projects, papers, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

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First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.



2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams and arrange for proctors, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.



3. Arrange to take your midterm examination by following the instructions in the Online Student Handbook. Then complete the "Proctor Request Form" and submit it to the Office of Test Administration (OTA). You must make arrangements to take your midterm examination and send in your "Proctor Request Form" to OTA before the end of the first week of the current semester. (See Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site.)



4. Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.



5. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips
Consider the following study tips for success:

1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking your examinations. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.



2. The best way to proceed with the written assignments is to answer the questions and problems for each chapter just after you have read the chapter, completed the accompanying telecourse guide lesson(s), and viewed the video(s). This is especially true for assignments that contain a heavy workload of questions. If you do the questions as you read the chapters, you won't be overwhelmed when the written assignment is due. You should, however, follow the schedule given in the course Calendar for transmittal of assignments to your mentor, grouping them as prescribed.



3. Read the Preface in the Telecourse Student Guide for a brief overview of how the guide is designed.
   
   
4. In general, follow the telecourse guide carefully when studying each lesson. However, skip the Assignments section in each lesson of the guide because, as stated in Study Tip #1 above, your assignments are given to you in the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.
   
   You should, however, read the Overview and Learning Objectives in the guide. Then do the assigned reading from the textbook. To get the most from your viewing, read the Viewing Notes in the guide next, before watching the video program. Then watch the appropriate program, taking notes related to the questions found at the end of the viewing notes. (Suggestions for answers to these questions can be found in the back of the telecourse guide.)
   
   
5. You will find it helpful to complete the Review Activities and the Self-Test at the end of each lesson in the telecourse guide. The Self-Tests are extremely important for your success on the course examinations, as they may contain some of the same types of questions. Answers to Review Activities and Self-Tests are found at the back of the telecourse guide.
   
   
6. Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.

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