Announcements & Assignments: Fall 2008
August 22, 2008
Read your syllabus carefully and raise any questions you might have on the second day of class. This course is rather fast paced and requires that students maintain discipline, self reliance, and a committed work ethic. Students who fail to keep up with assignments frequently play catch-up and soon find themselves experiencing difficulty. While your instructor is available to assist you in learning, a good deal of what is learned is at the initiative and discretion of the student. The instructor is here to assist you in learning and you should not expect that I will instruct you on every detail of the assigned material. I frequently distinguish between reading assignments and the study of assigned material. It is not enough to read and memorize the text, a student must study with the objective being learning. How does one know when they have learned? When you are capable of providing an oral and written presentation of concepts, numerical values and theories in a clear an coherent fashion. Regardless of how much time is spent reading, if you can not compute, explain and interpret then you have not learned.
Effective September 2, 2008 I will begin taking attendance. Review your syllabus for my attendance and tardiness policies. If you are not present when the class roll is read, even if you arrive in class one minute late, you are treated as being absent. Absences in excess of two will serve to reduce your course average. Quizzes will not be given before September 9. 2008. Check this page in the early morning, in the afternoon and in the evening for assignments and announcements.
Your first assignment is to respond to questions 1.1 through 1.15 in the "Critical Thinking and Concepts Review" review section of your text, beginning on page 18. Answer the questions using MS Word and save your answers to disk and hard copy. Keep your hard copy in your note books. Unless I announce differently, your homework is due on the class following the class on which I complete my lectures.
Your syllabus is available on Angel or you may download it by using the following link, Syllabus.
August 23, 2008 at Approximately 11:10 AM
The answers to Chapter 1 questions are now on Angel. I have also provided your Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 assignments and solutions. I will review the content of my Angel documents on the first day of class. Feel free to bring your laptops to class. After the first week, on Tuesdays, we will meet in the computer lab, BRN 201L.
September 1, 2008 at Approximately 10:30 A.M.
You are to bring my Chapter 4 "Summary and Assignments" notes to class tomorrow. Alternatively, you can follow my lecture by accessing the Chapter 4 documents in Angel. This is easily accomplished in the computer lab where we will be meeting tomorrow.
September 6, 2008 at Approximately 9:50 AM
Be prepared for a Chapter 4 quiz on Tuesday, September 9. The quiz will be an Excel based quiz requiring you to solve problems algebraically and by way of Excel functions. Be prepared for a multiple choice quiz on Thursday, September 11, 2008. This quiz will cover the material in Chapter 1 of your text.
September 10, 2008 at Approximately 10:15 AM
Your Chapter 4 quiz questions and my solutions are in the Chapter 4 Supplements on Angel. We will continue with Chapter 5 tomorrow.
September 13, 2008 at Approximately 1:45 PM
I have changed the documents in Angel for Chapter 5. Study the Chapter 5 Future Value Module on Angel and raise any questions you might have on Tuesday. I will review the contents of this document on Tuesday but do not have the time to take you through every step. The assignment provided in the document is due on Thursday. In this regard you will need to provide me with hard copy Excel spreadsheet solutions that are presented is an organized and easily read format.
I am attempting to set up a help session with a graduate student for Monday from 6:30-9:30 P.M. Check this page frequently for additional information.
September 14, 2008 at 5:50 AM
A graduate assistant is available to assist you with your assignments. In this regard the first session will be dedicated to the material covered in my Future Value Module, available as a Chapter 5 supplement on Angel. Your first lab session is scheduled for Monday in Hyland 106 from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M.. The sessions will begin this coming Monday, September 15.
Students who desire assistance are
required to notify Mr. Sumit Agrawal prior to
agrawals2@scranton.edu
Your email notification is to include your full name
and a statement that you will attend a session on a specific date.
Sessions are
scheduled to begin promptly at 6:30 P.M.. Mr. Agrawal has been instructed to leave the lab if students fail to arrive by
6:35 PM.
If you arrive late the material you missed will not be reviewed just for
you. Students who sign-up for assistance and who then fail to
attend the session in a timely manner will be deprived future access to these and other future special sessions.
Students are to sign in at each lab session.
September 17, 2008 at 3:10 PM
Bring your laptops to class tomorrow and access my Chapter 5 Present Value Module on Angel. I recommend studying this module before class.
September 20, 2008 at 4:30 PM
As I stated in class the more you delay keeping up with the assigned material the more difficult it will be for you to catch up. You can expect to be quizzed on a module after I have completed lecturing on the topic. My Interest Rate Module is up on Angel. Study the module and raise any questions that you have in class. Your author provides an interest rate example on page 142 of the text. I have placed on Angel an elaboration of his explanation. The Questions and Problems in Chapter 5 begin on page 152 of your text. You are assigned the following interest rate problems: 12, 13., 14, 15,19, 22 and 29. Try to solve each problem and then study the solutions that I have placed on Angel. Two modules remain, the Payments Module and the Periods Module. Both modules will be put on Angel shortly. Available on Angel is my Chapter 4 and 5 Summary. Please be aware that the Time Value test date is approaching. I will tell you what is required as we approach the test date. As for now, be prepared for quizzes on completed modules.
The homework problem due on Tuesday is as follows. You purchase an asset that pays you $3,200 a month for two years. The APR for this investment is quoted at 6%. Solve this problem using the appropriate Excel function. Also, construct a detailed spreadsheet solution. Lastly, solve the problem using the appropriate equation provided in your text. Now, interpret all values for period 20 by using each value in a complete sentence. Interpret the appropriate sums by using the values in a complete sentence. Bring hard copies to class on Tuesday. All explanations are to be provided in MS Word.
September 24, 2008 at Approximately 12:20 PM
I will not be conducting class tomorrow. My cold has become worse and I am reacting to prescribed medications. One module remains to be placed on angel. The loan module should be up by tomorrow. Study all remaining modules on Angel and be prepared for a Time Value Test on Tuesday, October 7, 2008. I will announce the details of the test before the test date. Check this page several time a day before Tuesday.
October 3, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Your time value test on Chapters 4 and 5 and my supplements to Chapters 4 and 5 on Angel will be administered on October 7, 2008 in the computer lab. The test will be a multiple choice test and perhaps a few short concept questions. You will be given time value problems and will use Excel to solve the problems, after which you will record your answer on a scantron card. Bring pencils to the test. No calculators. The test will be a 60 minute test. I suggest that you get to class about 5 minutes early.
The loan module is now available on angel as a Chapter 5 Supplement.
October 8, 2008 at 3:15 PM
There is no class tomorrow. I have place on Angel my Chapter 6 notes. Read over the notes and be prepared to raise questions during the next class. I have also provide answers to selected problems in the back of your text. You should study my solutions and be prepared to raise questions when we next meet.
October 29, 2008 at 6:25 PM
You have a Yield To First Call problem available on angel that is due in class tomorrow. Bring your work to class; make sure your work bears your name. I would not advise being absent from class tomorrow. If you have kept pace with the course you can solve this problem in less than 15 minutes.