BUSI 1307:
In the event of an emergency or announced campus closure due to a natural disaster or pandemic, it may be necessary for Panola College to move to altered operations. During this time, Panola College may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include, but are not limited to: online learning management system (CANVAS), online conferencing, email messaging, and/or an alternate schedule. It is the responsibility of the student to monitor Panola College's website (www.panola.edu) for instructions about continuing courses remotely, CANVAS for each class for course-specific communication, and Panola College email for important general information.
Regular and punctual attendance of classes and laboratories is required of all students. When a student has been ill or absent from class for approved extracurricular activities, he or she should be allowed, as far as possible, to make up for the missed work. If a student has not actively participated by the census date, they will be dropped by the instructor for non-attendance. This policy applies to courses that are in-person, online, hybrid, and hyflex.
Attendance in online courses is determined by submission of an assignment or participation in an activity. According to federal guidelines, simply logging into a distance learning course without participating in an academic assignment does not constitute attendance. Distance learning is defined as when a majority (more than 50%) of instruction occurs when the instructor and students are in separate physical locations. Students must engage in an academic activity prior to the course census date.
When an instructor feels that a student has been absent to such a degree as to invalidate the learning experience, the instructor may recommend to the Vice President of Instruction that the student be withdrawn from the course. Instructors may seek to withdraw students for non-attendance after they have accumulated the following number of absences:
Fall or spring semesters:
3 or more class meeting times per week - 5 absences
2 class meeting times per week - 3 absences
1 class meeting per week - 2 absences
The student is responsible for seeing that he or she has been officially withdrawn from a class. A student who stops attendance in a class without officially withdrawing from that class will be given a failing grade; consequently, the student must follow official withdrawal procedures in the Admissions/Records Office.
Please note: Health Science and Cosmetology courses may require more stringent attendance policies based on their accreditation agencies. Please see the addendum and/or program handbook for further information concerning attendance.
Panola College welcomes pregnant and parenting students as a part of the student body. This institution is committed to providing support and adaptations for a successful educational experience for pregnant and parenting students. Students experiencing a need for accommodations related to pregnancy or parenting will find a Pregnancy and Parenting Accommodations Request form in the Student Handbook or may request the form from the course instructor.
No use of Generative AI permitted.
This option assumes that all work submitted by students will be generated by the students themselves, whether they are working individually or in groups. Students should not have another person or entity do the writing of any portion of an assignment, which includes hiring a person or a company to write assignments and/or using artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT. Use of any AI-generated content in this course qualifies as academic dishonesty and violates Panola College’s standards of academic integrity.
The purpose of this course is for students to learn about 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.
After studying all materials and resources presented in the course, the student will be able to:
- Understand how financial decisions made today can affect their future financial stability.
- Possess the analytical tools they need to think intelligently about personal finance decisions.
- Use sound reasoning skills in evaluating personal finance alternatives.
- Be conversant on a variety of personal finance issues.
- Understand the language and vocabulary of personal finance.
A general description of lecture/discussion topics included in this course are listed in the Learning Outcomes section of this syllabus.
Students in all sections of this course will learn the following content:
- Personal financial planning process
- Definition and examples of financial assets, tangible assets, liquid assets, investments, personal property and real property
- Ten Principles of Personal Finance
- Relationship between the inflation level and purchasing power
- Purpose of a balance sheet, income & expense statement, and budget
- Definition and examples of accounting equation components
- Calculation and interpretation of solvency, liquidity, savings, and debt service ratios
- Preparation of a budget
- Solving personal financial questions using future value of a single sum, present value of a single sum, future value of an annuity, and present value of an annuity tables
- Difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion
- Difference between marginal tax rate and average tax rate
- Understanding the basics of completing a form 1040 tax return and supporting schedules
- Difference between a tax credit and tax deduction
- Deferring taxes with retirement plans and college savings plans
- Cash management products offered by financial institutions
- Definitions of compound interest, simple interest, nominal rate of interest, and effective rate of interest
- Car purchase considerations
- Housing alternatives including the decision to rent or buy
- Benefits and costs of home ownership
- The home-buying process
- Mortgage financing options
- Benefits and problems associated with using consumer credit
- Understanding what is in a Credit Report and Credit Score
- Different forms of open account credit
- Applying for, obtaining, and managing open forms of credit
- Major types of consumer loans
- Choosing the best loans by comparing finance charges, maturity, collateral, and other loan terms
- Benefits of an installment loan
- Determining the costs of installment loans
- The concept of risk and the basics of insurance underwriting
- Primary reasons for life insurance and identifying those who need coverage
- Calculating how much life insurance you need
- The advantages and disadvantages of various types of life insurance policies
- Choosing the best life insurance policy
- Key features of life insurance policies
- Major types of health insurance and major private and public health insurance providers
- Basic types of medical expenses covered by the and policy provisions of health insurance plans
- Features of long-term care insurance
- Features of disability income insurance
- Importance and basic principles of property insurance, including types of exposure, indemnity, and co-insurance
- Types of coverage provided by homeowner’s insurance
- Types of coverage in a personal automobile policy and choosing the most cost-effective policy
- Other types of property and liability insurance
- Choosing a property and liability insurance agent and settling claims
- The role that investing plays in the personal financial planning process and several different investment objectives
- Comparison of primary and secondary markets and broker vs. dealer markets
- How to develop and manage a portfolio of securities
- Various types of risk to which investors are exposed
- Merits of investing in common stock and the different types of stock
- Various measures of stock performance
- Basic issue characteristics of bonds
- Different types of bonds, an understanding of how bond prices behave, and how to compute different measures of yield
- Basic features and operating characteristics of a mutual fund
- Difference between open- and closed-end funds and various types of fund loads and charges
- Understanding of variables that should be considered when selecting mutual funds for investment purposes
- Difference in retirement plans
- Estimating future retirement fund needs
- Importance of preparing a will and other documents to protect you and your estate
- How trusts are used in estate planning
For the traditional face to face classroom course, teaching approaches are expected to vary with individual instructors who should employ those techniques which work best for them and their students. Although lecture and reading assignments are the primary delivery systems, other instructional techniques may include classroom discussion, audio-visual presentations, speakers, critical thinking exercises, and group activities.
Students are also able to complete the course online. Our online course delivery system is Canvas. An online course in BUSI 1307 at Panola College is designed for students who are capable of the self-discipline necessary in a non-structured situation to complete a three-hour course in one semester. Course content in the online version of BUSI 1307 is the same as those used in the face to face version of the class.
The grading scale for this course is as follows:
- Quizzes – 55%
- Proctored Exams – 25%
- Research Paper – 20%
Major Assignments/Assessments
Assignments
The following items will be assigned and assessed during the semester and used to calculate the student’s final grade.
Quizzes
- Details on each quiz can be found on Canvas.
Proctored Exams:
- Tests will be given over the material covered in Canvas. There will be very thorough reviews found in Canvas. Tests will be administered online in Canvas using Proctorio which provides a video/audio recording of your testing experience for the instructor. You will take the exams at home using the webcam on your computer; if you do not have a webcam, you may take the exams at one of the Panola College testing centers in Carthage, Center, or Marshall. If you are unable to take a test when it is scheduled, you must reschedule the test with the instructor PRIOR to the testing date.
- There is no textbook to purchase for this class. Reading and other materials can be found in your Canvas course.
- Notes, articles, and videos posted in Canvas.
None
- Courses conducted via video conferencing may be recorded and shared for instructional purposes by the instructor.
- For current texts and materials, use the following link to access bookstore listings: https://www.panolacollegestore.com.
- For testing services, use the following link: https://www.panola.edu/student-services/studentsupport/academic-testing-center.
- If any student in this class has special classroom or testing needs because of a physical learning or emotional condition, please contact the ADA Student Coordinator in Support Services located in the Charles C. Matthews Student Center or go to https://www.panola.edu/studentservices/student-support/disability-support-services for more information.
- Withdrawing from a course is the student’s responsibility. Students who do not attend class and who do not withdraw will receive the grade earned for the course.
- Student Handbook: https://www.panola.edu/ (located on at the bottom under student)