Course Outline –Spring Semester, 2011
TTH 8:00-9:30; 9:30-11:00 – UTC 1.104 (Unique #03190, #03195)
TTH 12:30-2:00 – GSB 3.106 (Unique #03200)
Office Hours: TTH 11:00 – 12:15; 2:00-3:00 Professor: Jim Nolen & by appointment Office: GSB 4.126G Phone: 471-5798, Fax 471-5073
TAs – Devang Gardi (8:00); Vivek Ponnada (9:30) Peter Song (12 :30) e-mail: james.nolen@mccombs.utexas.edu
Office Hours – By Appointment Course Material Posted on Blackboard
Required Course Material
The Finance 394.4 Small Business Finance course packet can be purchased at Speedway Printing in Dobie Mall at 21st and Guadalupe. Due to royalties for the cases, the course packet is expensive and the copy …show more content…
The case method is student-centered rather than instructor-centered. In the classroom, the students will drive a rigorous discussion of each case by identifying the problems and issues faced by the managers and formulating alternatives for solution backed by case facts and assumptions. In addition to preparing for cases, there are substantial reading assignments, especially in the early part of the course.
GRADING
The class will set its own standards through friendly competition. The student with the highest weighted average ranking will receive the highest grade and then the remaining students are ranked from this top position. A forced curve is used in this class with approximately:
A 15%
A- 20%
B+ 20%
B 35%
B- or below 10% (includes B-, C+, and …show more content…
Did you perform both qualitative and quantitative analysis?
g. Was a plan of action presented along with implementation steps, timing and costs?
h. How did you respond to your peer’s questions about your solution?
i. A good question can be worth as much as a good answer. Feel free to experiment with unorthodox solutions, which will be rewarded if you can defend them with logic and evidence.
REVIEW OF READINGS and CLOSINGS
At the beginning of the class I may ask someone (cold call) to summarize one of the notes assigned for that class. At the end of most cases I will ask someone (cold call) for the lessons learned in the case. You should be able to concisely summarize the key learning objectives derived from the readings, the case and/or the class discussion.
USE OF EXCEL TEMPLATES
Try to develop a valuation excel template that allows you to enter data regarding an asset/cost approach, comparable market value approach, and discounted cash flow approaches. I have posted a few examples on Blackboard under “Resources”. You can use this template for the mid-term and the final to assist you with your analysis of the case.