Corporate Finance
FINC-3511

Financial functions in the modern corporation with emphasis on its managerial aspects.

Please send me an email ([email protected]) to schedule an appointment. You should use your myWestGA email account when sending your request.

I will check emails regularly Mondays-Fridays. Please allow 24 to 48 hours for a response.

Face-to-face Tuesdays and Thursdays in Richards Hall Room 203

A class schedule is included within the syllabus and on CourseDen.  It is the student's responsibility to stay up to date with each class.

Please consult the course schedule for details about what will be covered each week for our course.

• Lecture and Problem Solving: Topics in financial management are discussed in lectures presented by the instructor.  Students are expected to complete analytical problems in conjunction with lecture and solution presentations.
• Internet Materials: Various materials are available on the CourseDen course site.
• Outside Assignments: Students are required to complete assigned problems and projects.  CourseDen housed quizzes and exams must be completed.

• Financial calculator with net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR) such as the Hewlett Packard 10B, Texas Instruments BA II+, or the Texas Instruments TI-83 or 84. Phone calculators apps are acceptable.
• Access to internet connected computer and library reference resources for term project.

A complete list of expected learning goals (LG) for the Richards College of Business can be found here.

Learning Goal 1

Communicate effectively

Learning Goal 2

Apply basic quantitative skills to business problems

Learning Goal 3

Use information technology to solve business problems

Learning Goals 4 and 6

Develop ability to read financial statements and use financial information, apply time value of money concepts and formulas, appropriately apply capital budgeting techniques, value securities, and make informed financial decisions

Learning Goal 5

Understand how ethical decision-making and globalization affect financial decisions

Grading Weights

Introduction Quiz, 2%

Quizzes 1-11 (10 highest), 18%

Project 1, 5%

Project 2, 5%

Exam 1, 15%

Exam 2, 15%

Exam 3, 15%

Final Exam, 25%

Grading scale

90 and above, Letter Grade A

80 up to 90, Letter Grade B

70 up to 80, Letter Grade C

60 up to 70, Letter Grade D

Below 60, Letter Grade F

Assignment policies

• Requests for quiz, exam, and assignment score adjustments must be made in writing (email is fine) within ONE WEEK of grade assignment.
• Quizzes are available for completion beginning the first day of the semester and as such, you will have plenty of time to complete these quizzes well in advance of their stated deadlines.  No makeup quizzes will be given unless offered to the entire class. If you miss a quiz you will receive a grade of zero on that quiz. 
• If you miss an exam, you will receive a zero unless your reason for missing the exam is deemed valid by the instructor. You must contact your instructor (via email) regarding your excuse for missing an exam within one week of the closing time of the exam or you will receive a zero on the exam.  A make-up exam will only be scheduled after Dr. Bono has received appropriate documentation.  
• The financial projects are available for completion beginning the first day of the semester and as such, you will have plenty of time to complete these assignments well in advance of their stated deadlines.  You are responsible for making sure that you complete the financial projects prior to the stated deadlines.  There are no make ups for the financial projects.  If you miss an assignment, you will receive a grade of zero. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have submitted the file you wish to have graded.  Submissions after the deadline will not be accepted.  Any issues, technical or otherwise, concerning the financial planning exercises must be addressed no later than the day before the deadline for completion so that Dr. Bono has sufficient time to help you with this issue prior to the submission deadline.  You should keep in mind the communication policy for this course. Once the deadline has passed, any unattempted assignment will result in a grade of zero. You will not receive an extension and the assignment will not be reopened.  Emailed or late assignments will not be accepted.  Only assignments submitted to the appropriate CourseDen folder will be graded.  
• You are responsible for knowledge of administrative announcements (test information, schedule changes, etc.) that are posted in CourseDen or sent to your official UWG email address.

One introduction quiz will be available in CourseDen.  The introduction quiz may be taken an unlimited number of times until its due date.  However, you must score 100 on the quiz before proceeding with the course.  The quiz only covers material from the syllabus and course introduction materials.  You will be dropped from the class if you do not score 100 on the Self-Test Introduction Quiz by its deadline.

Four exams will be available in CourseDen. All exams are taken online. Exam 1 covers material from the beginning of the course until the Exam 1 date. Exam 2 covers material starting after Exam 1 until the Exam 2 date. Exam 3 covers the material starting after Exam 2 until the Exam 3 date. The Final Exam is comprehensive covering all material in the course, but it is weighted more toward the last half of the course. There are corresponding sample exams in CourseDen for each exam. Sample exams are provided as study aides. Sample exams can increase your exam scores, but cannot lower your scores. If your highest sample exam score is lower than your actual exam score, you keep your actual exam score. If your highest sample exam score is greater than your actual exam score, your adjusted exam score will be calculated as: Adjusted Exam score = (0.25*sample exam score) + (0.75*actual exam score). Time limits are set at twice the time you are expected to need to complete the exams.

Eleven quizzes will be available in CourseDen. The lowest of the eleven quiz scores is dropped. Each of the quizzes may be taken up to four times. The highest score for each quiz is retained for grading purposes. The quizzes change each time they are opened. Time limits are set at twice the time you are expected to need to complete the quizzes. The quizzes cover the basic material from each section. They do not cover all the material. The exams will cover all class material.

Two projects will be available in CourseDen. Students are required to complete a basic financial analysis of an individual corporation and a consumer financial decision project. These assignments must be submitted by the deadline to the appropriate assignment folder in CourseDen.

Work submitted for credit in other courses will not be accepted for credit in this course. There is no extra credit in this course beyond that explicitly stated in the course syllabus or announced in class by the instructor. I reserve the right to “curve” grades.

Dr. Bono reserves the right to make changes to the syllabus and/or assignments due to new developments regarding the ever changing nature of COVID protocols.

Basic Information

• All quizzes and exams open when the class starts. Quizzes, exams, and assignments close at 11:59pm on the due dates listed below.
• The schedule may require modification as the semester progresses. Any changes will be noted in CourseDen. 

Important Due Dates

• January 18: Introduction Quiz; You will be dropped from the class if you do not complete the introduction quiz by its deadline.
• February 1: Quizzes 1 & 2
• February 3:  Exam 1
• February 17: Project 1
• March 1: Quizzes 3, 4, & 5
• March 3: Exam 2
• March 3: Last day to withdraw with a grade of W.
• March 17: Project 2
• April 12: Quizzes 6, 7, 8 & 9
• April 14: Exam 3
• April 28: Quizzes 10 & 11
• May 5: Final Exam

The suggested weekly schedule for completing the course can be found below.

Having read the Honor Code for the University of West Georgia, I understand and accept my responsibility to uphold the values described therein and to conduct myself in a manner that will reflect the values of UWG and the Richards College of Business so as to respect the rights of all UWG community members. As a UWG student, I will represent myself truthfully and complete all academic assignments honestly and within the parameters set by my instructor.

I understand and accept that if I am found guilty of violations (through processes due me as a UWG student and outlined in the UWG Student Handbook), penalties will be imposed.

I also recognize that my responsibility includes a willingness to confront members of the UWG community if I feel there has been a violation of the Honor Code.  

Ultimately, I will conduct myself in a manner that promotes UWG as the best place to work, learn, and succeed for my generation, and those to come!

Vision
To become a globally recognized college of business preparing forward-thinking, responsible leaders.

Mission
We are in the business of transforming lives through education, engagement, and experiences.

Strategic Goals and Values

Student Success
Admit quality students and provide them with an education that is rich in experiences and engagement opportunities to prepare them to be effective and ethical professionals.

Academic Success
Recruit, retain and develop faculty and staff by providing sufficient resources to support dynamic and up-to-date bachelor and master-level curricula, to conduct research and other professional activities, and to support engagement with all stakeholders.

Operational Success
Recruit, retain and develop administrative management and staff personnel to manage, develop and support infrastructure and those activities that build internal and external partnerships while working in an ever-changing environment.

Ethical Values
The Richards College of Business community (administrators, faculty, staff, students, and business partners) share a commitment to the principles of honesty and integrity in interactions and undertakings, accountability for personal behavior, and respect for the rights, differences, and dignity of others. In addition, we strive to continuously improve our abilities to recognize unethical behavior and to make ethical and moral decisions.

Accessibility Services: Students with a documented disability may work with UWG Accessibility Services to receive essential services specific to their disability. All entitlements to accommodations are based on documentation and USG Board of Regents standards. If a student needs course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability or chronic illness, or if he/she needs to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, the student should notify his/her instructor in writing and provide a copy of his/her Student Accommodations Report (SAR), which is available only from Accessibility Services. Faculty cannot offer accommodations without timely receipt of the SAR; further, no retroactive accommodations will be given. For more information, please contact Accessibility Services.

Center for Academic Success: The Center for Academic Success provides services, programs, and opportunities to help all undergraduate students succeed academically. For more information, contact them: 678-839-6280 or [email protected]

University Writing Center: The University Writing Center assists students with all areas of the writing process. For more information, contact them: 678-839-6513 or [email protected]

UWG takes students’ privacy concerns seriously: technology-enhanced and partially and fully online courses use sites and entities beyond UWG and students have the right to know the privacy policies of these entities. For more information on privacy and accessibility for the most commonly used sites, as well as technology requirements visit the UWG Online site.

Students enrolled in online courses can find answers to many of their questions in the Online/Off-Campus Student Guide.

If a student is experiencing distress and needs help, please see the resources available at the UWG Cares site. Online counseling is also available for online students.

At the University of West Georgia, we believe that academic and personal integrity are based upon honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Students at West Georgia assume responsibility for upholding the honor code. West Georgia students pledge to refrain from engaging in acts that do not maintain academic and personal integrity. These include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, aid of academic dishonesty, lying, bribery or threats, and stealing. 

The University of West Georgia maintains and monitors a confidential Academic Dishonesty Tracking System. This database collects and reports patterns of repeated student violations across all the Colleges, the Ingram Library, and the School of Nursing. Each incidence of academic dishonesty is subject to review and consideration by the instructor, and is subject to a range of academic penalties including, but not limited to, failing the assignment and/or failing the course. Student conduct sanctions range from verbal warning to suspension or expulsion depending on the magnitude of the offense and/or number of offenses. The incident becomes part of the student’s conduct record at UWG.

Additionally, the student is responsible for safeguarding his/her computer account. The student’s account and network connection are for his/her individual use. A computer account is to be used only by the person to whom it has been issued. The student is responsible for all actions originating through his/her account or network connection. Students must not impersonate others or misrepresent or conceal their identities in electronic messages and actions. For more information on the University of West Georgia Honor Code, please visit the Office of Community Standards site.

University of West Georgia students are provided a MyUWG e-mail account. The University considers this account to be an official means of communication between the University and the student. The purpose of the official use of the student e-mail account is to provide an effective means of communicating important university related information to UWG students in a timely manner. It is the student’s responsibility to check his or her email.

The University of West Georgia grants one semester hour of credit for work equivalent to a minimum of one hour (50 minutes) of in-class or other direct faculty instruction AND two hours of student work outside of class per week for approximately fifteen weeks. For each course, the course syllabus will document the amount of in-class (or other direct faculty instruction) and out-of-class work required to earn the credit hour(s) assigned to the course. Out-of-class work will include all forms of credit-bearing activity, including but not limited to assignments, readings, observations, and musical practice. Where available, the university grants academic credit for students who verify via competency-based testing, that they have accomplished the learning outcomes associated with a course that would normally meet the requirements outlined above (e.g. AP credit, CLEP, and departmental exams).

UWG follows University System of Georgia (USG) guidance: http://www.usg.edu/hb280/additional_information#

You may also visit our website for help with USG Guidance: https://www.westga.edu/police/campus-carry.php

If you or another student find that you are experiencing a mental health issue, free confidential services are available on campus in the Counseling Center. Students who have experienced sexual or domestic violence may receive confidential medical and advocacy services with the Patient Advocates in Health Services. To report a concern anonymously, please go to UWGcares.

If you are a student having difficulty with English language skills, and / or U.S. culture is not your home culture, specialized resources are available to help you succeed. Please visit the E.L.L. resource page for more information.

The University System of Georgia recognizes COVID-19 vaccines offer safe, effective protection and urges all students, faculty, staff, and visitors to get vaccinated either on campus or with a local provider. Additionally, everyone is encouraged to wear a mask or face covering while inside campus facilities. The system continues to work closely with the Georgia Department of Public Health to prioritize the health and safety of our campus communities

For the most recent information on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) visit:

• UWG's Guidance on Face Coverings
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention FAQ
• Georgia Department of Public Health

• Information regarding course grades will not be given over the telephone. Grades will be posted in CourseDen.
• Student Rights and Responsibilities: Common language for course syllabi review here.  Documents at this link contain important information pertaining to your rights and responsibilities in this class.  Because these statements are updated as federal, state, university, and accreditation standards change, you should review this information each semester.
• Learning Domains
  • Cognitive: Knowledge, Comprehension, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation
  • Affective: Receiving, Responding, Valuing, Organization, and Characterization

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