Spring 2022 Course Syllabus Course: BUSI-1307- Section: 1Z Personal Finance

Instructor Information
Instructor	Matthew Johnson
E-mail	johnsonmt@lamarpa.edu
Phone	(409) 984-6420
Office	Location: Student Center - Room: 411 Hours: Office Hours for Odd-Numbered Weeks are tentatively: Tues/Thurs (1000-1500); For Even-Numbered Weeks are tentatively: MWF (1230-1530), Tues/Thurs (1030-1130)
COVID 19 Information	The Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) Student Code of Conduct COVID 19 Policy requires students who have been exposed to COVID 19 or diagnosed with COVID 19 to report their condition on the COVID 19 Notification Form (available via a link on the Student Code of Conduct COVID19 webpage). This information will be provided to the Dean of Student Services. In addition, this policy requires all students to wear face coverings in compliance with the criteria included in the policy. For more information please refer to the COVID 19 link on the LSCPA website.
Course Information
Description	Personal and family accounts, budgets and budgetary control, bank accounts, charge accounts, borrowing, investing, insurance, standards of living, renting or home ownership, and wills and trust plans.
Prerequisites	TSI Complete in Reading ; TSI Complete in Mathematics
Learning Outcomes	1. Define Personal Finance. 2. Identify the key goals of sound Personal Finance actions. 3. Analyze health, life, home and automobile insurances. 4. Identify key goals in developing investment strategies relative to stocks and bonds. 5. Develop goals and strategies to maximize consumer credit and credit worthiness. 6. Identify key considerations and strategies. 7. Identify the impact of taxes on financial goals and strategies. 8. List personal current and future financial goals. 9. Delineate goals of retirement and estate planning. 10. Identify sources of financial information and consumer financing. 11. Delineate sources and strategies of education financing.
Core Objectives	Critical Thinking Skills: Students will engage in creative and/or innovative thinking, and/or inquiry, analysis, evaluation, synthesis of information, organizing concepts and constructing solutions. Communication skills: Students will demonstrate effective written, oral and visual communication. Social Responsibility: Students will demonstrate intercultural competency and civic knowledge by engaging effectively in local, regional, national and/or global communities. Personal Responsibility: Students will demonstrate the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Textbooks	Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer. Focus on Personal Finance: An Active Approach to Help You Achieve Financial Literacy, 6th edition, McGraw-Hill Education, 2019, by Kapoor | Dlabay | Hughes | Hart ISBN 978-1-260140-9-96, eBook options may also be available. McGraw-Hill Connect access NOT REQUIRED. Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer.
Lecture Topics Outline	WEEK 01: Course Introduction ; Chapter 01 - Personal Financial Planning in Action WEEK 02: Chapter 01, continued WEEK 03: Chapter 02 - Money Management Skills WEEK 04: Chapter 03 - Taxes in Your Financial Plan WEEK 05: Chapter 04 - Financial Services: Savings Plans and Payment Accounts WEEK 06: Chapter 05 - Consumer Credit: Advantages, Disadvantages, Sources and Costs WEEK 07: Chapter 06 - Consumer Purchasing: Strategies and Wise Buying of Motor Vehicles WEEK 08: Chapter 07- Selecting and Financing Housing WEEK 09: Chapter 08 – Home and Automobile Insurance WEEK 10: Chapter 09 – Health and Disability Income Insurance WEEK 11: Chapter 10 – Financial Planning with Life Insurance WEEK 12: Chapter 11 – Investing Basics & Evaluating Bonds WEEK 13: Chapters 12 – Investing in Stocks WEEK 14: Chapter 13 – Investing in Mutual Funds WEEK 15: Chapters 14 – Retirement and Estate Planning WEEK 16: Review for cumulative Final Exam
Major Assignments Schedule	WEEK 01: None WEEK 02: Chapter 01 Assignments WEEK 03: Chapter 02 Assignments WEEK 04: Chapter 03 Assignments WEEK 05: Chapter 04 Assignments ; Unit 01 Exam (Chapters 01-03) WEEK 06: Chapter 05 Assignments WEEK 07: Chapter 06 Assignments ; Unit 02 Exam (Chapters 04-05) WEEK 08: Chapter 07 Assignments WEEK 09: Chapter 08 Assignments ; Unit 03 Exam (Chapters 06-07) WEEK 10: Chapter 09 Assignments WEEK 11: Chapter 10 Assignments WEEK 12: Chapter 11 Assignments ; Unit 04 Exam (Chapters 08-10) WEEK 13: Chapter 12 Assignments WEEK 14: Chapter 13 Assignments WEEK 15: Chapter 14 Assignments WEEK 16: Final Exam (with emphasis on Chapters 11-14)
Final Exam Date	May 6, 2022 - 8:00 AM   Through  May 10, 2022 - 11:00 PM
Grading Scale	90-100 = A 80-89 = B 75-79 = C 70 -74 = D Below 70 = F
Determination of Final Grade	Weekly Chapter Assignments: 35 percent Unit Exams: 50 percent Final Exam: 15 percent
Course Policies
Instructor Policies	Announcements: I will typically post announcements weekly, usually on Sunday afternoons. These announcements indicate upcoming due dates and notes which will be important to your success in this course. You should carefully read these announcements every week. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Professional Communication: My preferred method of communication is through email at johnsonmt@lamarpa.edu. Students must use appropriate e-mail etiquette when corresponding with their instructor. This involves writing emails in a "letter" format as opposed to "text chat" format. Alternatively, you may contact me on my business mobile number (409)-234-8441. You will likely be directed to voicemail. Please leave a message with your Name, Your Course Number (ex: ECON 2301-2), and the main reason(s) you are calling me. I will assume you are a spam call if you do not leave me a message and I will not return your call without this information. Please DO NOT call my office phone listed above. I teach several classes off-campus and I cannot promise that I will listen to any voicemails on my office phone in a timely manner. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Use of Instructional Materials: Instructional materials, such as Powerpoint Presentations, Instructional Videos, etc. are provided in Blackboard for each chapter. These will be useful in understanding and reinforcing concepts as they are presented in class. Content folders are scheduled to unlock/grant access throughout the semester to ensure synchronous learning. I am attempting to convert all of my courses into a "Flipped" learning environment. This means that the powerpoint presentations (i.e. lecture) will be recorded and posted for you to watch and take notes on your own time. Class time will be reserved (hopefully) for the application of theories and a holistic enrichment experience by working through sample problems. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Due Dates: All assignments will have their due dates posted in the announcements at the beginning of the week. All assignments will have a 3-7 day range between the day of access and the due date. I allow for a "Grace Period" of 3 days for all assignments with the exception of the Final Exam which will NOT have a grace period. For example, an assignment due on Sunday, 20 January 2022 at 2300 (11PM) will be given a grace period until Wednesday, 23 January 2022 at 1700 (5PM). Any assignment submitted during the assignment's Grace Period will be counted as Late with a penalty of -30 percent taken from the "raw score". Assignments will be permanently locked after the end of the grace period. I will not, except under the most dire circumstances (i.e. hospitalization), re-open any assignments after the end of the grace period. You will need to provide any and all proof requested by myself should you request to submit any assignment outside the grace period. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter Reading Quizzes and Chapter Homework: Chapter Reading Quizzes are typically 10-question Multiple-Choice assignments designed to ensure that you are reading the text at an appropriate and responsible pace. You will be given 5 minutes for to complete your each of your Chapter Reading Quizzes. You will be given two opportunities to submit each Chapter Reading Quiz to me. The final grade for each Chapter Reading Quiz will either be the average of the two "raw scores" or the "raw score" from a single submission. Chapter Homework assignments are typically 20-25 question Multiple-Choice assessments designed to ensure that you have read, watched, or listened to the necessary content aligned with each chapter. You will be given 20-30 minutes to complete each of your Chapter Homework assessments. You will be given two opportunities to submit each Chapter Homework assessment to me. The final grade for each Chapter Homework assessment will either be the average of the two "raw scores" or the "raw score" from a single submission. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Exams: Exams will be provided within a Blackboard examination window. The exams will be timed and are typically limited to 75 minutes with 50 questions. Make-up exams will not be given. Missed exams will receive a score of zero. Your exam will be graded immediately by Blackboard. Feedback on specific exam questions will be given 24 hours after the exam has permanently closed. You must work alone while taking the exam. Cheating on exams is not acceptable and will be subject to violations of the Academic Dishonesty Policy. Academic Dishonesty will result in a zero on any assignment; a second incidence of academic dishonesty will be handled at the discretion of the Department Chair There will be a comprehensive Final Exam. All students must take the Final Exam. Failure to take the Final Exam will result in a failure of the course. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Extra Credit: There will be no additional opportunities for extra credit. Do not ask.
Attendance Policy	Poor attendance is a leading reason for employment termination in all areas of employment. Attendance is taken daily for face-to-face classes.
Academic Honesty	Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSC-PA policies (Section IX, subsection A, in the Faculty Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.
Facility Policies	No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited.
Important Information
ADA Considerations	The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the the Office for Disability Services Coordinator, Room 231, in the Madison Monroe Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.
MyLSCPA	Be sure to check your campus E-mail and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal (My.LamarPA.edu). When you've logged in, click the email icon in the upper right-hand corner to check email, or click on the "My Courses" tab to get to your Course Homepage. Click the link to your course and review the information presented. It is important that you check your email and Course Homepage regularly. You can also access your grades, transcripts, and determine who your academic advisor is by using MyLSCPA.
Other	Miscellaneous: Reliable Internet access is required for all online courses and many traditional courses. Computer failure and lack of internet access are not acceptable excuses for missed assignments, projects, quizzes, or exams. A lack of preparation on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part. Do not postpone completion of assignments until the last minute. You are expected to attend class as a professional student. This means you are to demonstrate proper hygiene, dress appropriately, and conduct yourself in a professional manner. Disrespect or insubordination will not be tolerated and will result in dismissal from class. I will not discuss your academic progress over the phone. I will not answer emails past 6:30pm (1830) each day and I will not answer emails over the weekend (Friday at 1700 until Sunday at 1500). It is my policy to NOT give an "Incomplete" as a final course grade. It is the responsibility of the student to properly withdraw from the course. The withdraw process will not be initiated by the instructor. I reserve the right, as the instructor to change, alter, omit, or add to the tentative course outline and calendar. This course continues to be a "work in progress". Assignments, due dates, etc. can change.
HB 2504	This syllabus is part of LSC-PA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.
Department	Business and Industrial Technology Chair: Sheila Guillot E-mail: guillsr@lamarpa.edu Phone: (409) 984-6381 If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair.