FIN 4424
PROBLEMS IN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Dr. Pamela Coats
Office: 501 RBA
Office Hours: Mon & Wed evenings (6:30 PM - 8:30 PM) and by appointment
Office Phone: 644-8203 (with voice mail for messages)
E-Mail Address: pcoats@garnet.acns.fsu.edu -or- pcoats@cob.fsu.edu


OBJECTIVE:

This case course will help you relate the underlying principles of finance to the decision making perspective of a financial manager.


PHILOSOPHY OF CASE PARTICIPATION:

"Personally I'm always ready to learn, .....although I do not always like being taught."

-Winston Churchill

TEXTS:

1. Eugene F. Brigham and Louis C. Gapenski, Cases in Managerial Finance (Directed Versions ), The Dryden Press (1994). REQUIRED.
   
2. Eugene F. Brigham and Louis C. Gapenski, Financial Management: Theory and Practice, The Dryden Press (1994), seventh edition. REQUIRED.
   
3. The Wall Street Journal and Business Week are supplemental and helpful.
   
   

POINTS OF INTEREST:

1. This is primarily a case course. We will hold class in a seminar fashion - and your participation is very important. I assume you have completed FIN 3403 and FIN 3244. And I expect you to do the assigned reading and homework prior to each class.
   
   
2. Computer spreadsheets, such as LOTUS and EXCEL, will be extremely helpful in answering some of the case questions. Also, a financial calculator is essential.
   
   
3. Testing consists of two open-book, open-notes exams to be written in class: a two-part midterm and a final exam. The format will be very similar to your daily homework (problems and short essay answers). Bluebooks are required - you'll probably need at least
   
   
4. There are no make-up exams, and no Incompletes are given.
   
   
5. Attendance is required for all case presentations.
   
   
6. Daily homework is due at the beginning of class or before class. Late assignments are not accepted for credit. Since homework is collected at the beginning of class, you may want to make a xerox copy to refer to in class. Approximately half of the homework assignments will be graded. Of these, the lowest grade will be dropped. This allows you to omit one (and only one) assignment at your discretion without affecting your final course grade. I encourage you to save your 'drop' so it is available in case of illness, car trouble, time crunch, interview, or other unexpected event.
   
   
7. I encourage you to make a habit of reading the Wall Street Journal at least several times a week. It seems like a small thing, but it will greatly enhance your enjoyment of your finance classes. Honest.
   
   

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION:

Daily Homework, Attendance & Discussion		30 %
Midterm Exam		35 %
Final Exam		35 %
		100 %

COURSE GRADING:

100 - 90		A, A-
89 - 80		B+, B, B-
79 - 70		C+, C, C-
69 - 60		D+, D, D-
Under 60		F

A NOTE FROM THE PROFESSOR:

"I hope that this class will be valuable to you - both in strengthening your financial understanding and improving your analytical skills.

It is important to me that you get the most you can from this course.

I expect your best, and I promise you mine."

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