Grading                                                             

Students will receive a Standardised Numerical Grade (SNG) that reflects the extent to which student attainment matches the descriptors as per the Macquarie University Grading Policy.. This unit will use the following grades which will be aligned with the listed numerical range:

• HD - High Distinction (85-100)
• D  - Distinction (75-84)
• Cr - Credit (65-74)
• P - Pass (50-64)
• F - Fail (0-49)

Requirements to Pass 

In order to pass this unit a student must: 

• Pass the final examination or final assessment task
• Achieve a Standard Numerical Grade (SNG) of 50 or more in the unit
• Attend at least 80% of scheduled classes
• Attempt all assessment tasks in unit

For further details about grading, please refer to the Grading Policy. 

Submission of Assessment Tasks 

Assessments must be submitted following instructions provided in class. Assessment tasks which have not been submitted as required will not be marked. They will be considered a non-submission and zero marks will be awarded.

Turnitin

Turnitin compares electronically submitted papers to a database of academic publications, internet sources and other papers that have been submitted into the system to identify matching text. It then produces an Originality Report which identifies text taken from other sources and generates a similarity percentage to judge whether plagiarism has occurred (see Academic Honesty section below). 

Multiple submissions may be possible via Turnitin prior to the due date of an assessment and originality reports may be made available to students. In such cases they should be used to check work for plagiarism prior to a final submission.  

Where there is a requirement for assessment tasks to be submitted through Turnitin, it is the student's responsibility to ensure that work is submitted correctly prior to the due date. Hard copies will not be accepted unless indicated otherwise by a teaching staff member. Records in Turnitin will be taken as records of submission. For assistance submitting through Turnitin, you may approach your teacher, lodge a OneHelp Ticket, refer to the IT help page or seek assistance from Student Connect. 

Students should note that for a first time submission the Originality Report will be available immediately post submission but for any subsequent submissions it may take 24 hours or longer for the report to be generated. This may be after the due date so students should plan their submission carefully. 

Missed Assessments

The University recognises that students may experience unexpected events and circumstances that adversely affect their academic performance in assessment activities, for example illness. In order to support students who have experienced a serious and unavoidable disruption, the University will provide affected students with an additional opportunity to demonstrate that they have met the learning outcomes of a unit. An additional opportunity provided under such circumstances is referred to as special consideration. 

The Disruption to Studies Policy applies only to serious and unavoidable disruptions that arise after a study period has commenced. Students with a pre-existing disability/health condition or prolonged adverse circumstances may be eligible for ongoing assistance and support. Such support may be sought through Campus Wellbeing and Support Services.

Serious and Unavoidable Disruption The University classifies a disruption as serious and unavoidable if it:

• could not have reasonably been anticipated, avoided or guarded against by the student; and
• was beyond the student's control; and
• caused substantial disruption to the student’s capacity for effective study and/or completion of required work; and
• occurred during an event critical study period and was at least three (3) consecutive days duration, and / or
• prevented completion of a final examination.

To be eligible for Special Consideration, a student must notify the University of a serious and unavoidable disruption within five (5) working days of the commencement of the disruption (Disruption to Studies notification).   All Disruption to Studies notifications are to be made online via the University’s Ask MQ system. A Disruption to Studies notification must be supported by documentary evidence. 

In submitting a Disruption to Studies notification, a student is acknowledging that they may be required to undertake additional work.  The time and date, deadline or format of any required extra assessable work as a result of a disruption to studies notification is not negotiable and in submitting a disruption to studies notification, a student is agreeing to make themselves available to complete any extra work as required.

Please refer to the Disruption to Studies Policy for further details.

Extensions & Late Submissions

To apply for an extension of time for submission of an assessment item, students must submit a Disruptions to Studies notification via ask.mq.edu.au.

Late submissions without an approved extension are possible but will be penalised at 20% per day up to 4 days (weekend inclusive). If a student submits an assessment task 5 or more days after the due date without grounds for special consideration (See Disruptions to Studies Policy) a record or submission will be made but the student will receive zero marks for the assessment task. 

Final Examinations and Final Assessment Tasks

Final exams and final assessments will typically take place in Week 6 or Monday of Week 7. All students enrolled in a teaching session are expected to ensure they are available up until and including Monday of Week 7 to undertake examinations. Passing the final exam or final assessment task is a requirement to pass this unit. 

Details of teaching session dates can be found on the Important Dates calendar. Due dated for assessments will be available in the unit guide and final examination timetables will be released to students prior to Week 5. 

Planning for an exam is very important. All students should be familiar with the Exam Rules. In addition, students should refer to the below links for other important examination related information. 

• Talk to your lecturer
• Revision tips
• What to bring with you
• What not to bring with you
• Where to get help
• Tips for Success

It is not uncommon for students to have two examinations in one day.

Conduct During Assessments and Examinations 

Students must adhere to the Student Code of Conduct and Academic Honesty Policy at all times. 

Students will be provided with instructions relating to conduct during in-class assessment tasks. For all examinations, students will be required to:

• provide photographic proof of identity for the duration of the examination. This must be visible at all times during the examination. 
• leave mobile phones, electronic devices, bags, computers, notes, books and similar items outside a final examination venue or in a designated space
• ensure any water brought into the examination room is in a clear and unmarked bottle
• obey all instructions provided by an Examination Supervisor
• refrain from communicating in any way with another student once they have entered the examination venue.

Students are NOT permitted:

• into an examination venue once one hour from the time of commencement (excluding any reading time) has elapsed
• to leave an examination venue before one hour from the time of commencement (excluding any reading time) has elapsed
• to be readmitted to an examination venue unless they were under approved supervision during the full period of their absence
• to obtain or attempt to obtain assistance in undertaking or completing the examination script
• to receive or attempt to receive assistance in undertaking or completing the examination script.

Students should also ensure they follow all requirements of the Final Examination Policy.

Supplementary Examinations

Supplementary final examinations are held during the scheduled Supplementary Final exam Period. This may fall in Week 7 or within the first week of the subsequent teaching term. Results for supplementary exams may not be available for up to two weeks following the supplementary examination. Students in their final term of study who undertake supplementary final exams should note that formal completion of their Diploma Program will not be possible until supplementary results are released and this may impact on their ability to enrol in subsequent units or programs of study on time.

Retention of Originals

It is the responsibility of the student to retain a copy of any work submitted and produce another copy of all work submitted if requested.  Copies should be retained until the end of the grade appeal period each term.

In the event that a student is asked to produce another copy of work submitted and is unable to do so, they may be awarded zero (0) for that particular assessment task.

The University may request and retain the originals of any documentation or evidence submitted to support notifications of disruptions to studies. Requests for original documentation will be sent to the applicant’s student email address within six (6) months of notification by the student. Students must retain all original documentation for the duration of this six (6) month period and must supply original documents to the University within ten (10) working days of such a request being made.

Contacting Teaching Staff and Obtaining Help and Feedback

Students may contact teaching staff at any time during the term by using the contact details provided in this guide.

For all university related correspondence, students are required to use their official Macquarie University student email account which may be accessed via the Macquarie University Student Portal. Inquiries from personal email accounts will not be attended to.

Students may seek additional feedback at any time during the term and general feedback about their performance in a unit up to 6 months following results release.

DELIVERY & RESOURCES

Scheduled Class Time & Timetables

Weekly face to face  contact for this unit will be 6 hours consisting of 2 x 3 hour lessons (36 hours per term). 

Students will be able to enrol in their classes and view their personal timetable via eStudent and may also view general timetable information via Macquarie University's Timetable page. 

If any scheduled class falls on a public holiday a make-up lesson may be scheduled. Where appropriate, the instructor may instead organise an online make-up lesson which would require students to access online learning materials and/or complete activities outside of class rather than attending a make-up lesson. Scheduled make-up days will be announced in class and attendance will be taken taken for both for face to face and online make-up lessons.

Attendance Requirements - All students

All students are required to attend at least 80% of scheduled class time to pass this unit.  

Attendance will be monitored in each lesson & students will be able to see their attendance records for a unit via iLearn.  

Where a student is present for a part of a lesson (for example arrives late, leaves early, leaves the class frequently or for lengthy periods, engages in inappropriate or unrelated activities or does not participate actively in the majority of the lesson) the teacher reserves the right to mark a student absent for that part of the lesson.

Because of the intensive nature of this program, students should be aware that their attendance in this unit may fall below 80% relatively quickly. 

In cases of unavoidable non-attendance due to illness or circumstances beyond control, students should lodge a Disruption to Studies Notification via ask.mq.edu.au within 5 working days and supply relevant supporting documentation, even if they have not missed a formal assessment task. This will ensure that that appropriate records of unavoidable absences can be made. 

For further information on attendance, please refer to the Attendance and Study Load Policy. 

iLearn

iLearn is Macquarie's online learning management system and a principal resource which will be used throughout the term. Students should access iLearn at least 3 times per week as it will contain important information including: 

• Announcements - Teaching staff will communicate to the class using iLearn announcements. 
• A link to the unit guide for the unit and staff contact details
• Lecture notes and recordings where available
• Learning and teaching activities and resources
• Assessment information
• Tutorial questions and solutions
• Assessment submission tools such as Turnitin
• Other relevant material

For any technical or support issues using iLearn, please contact the IT helpdesk (Ph. 02 9850 4357) or lodge a ticket using OneHelp. 

Required and Recommended Texts and Materials

Prescribed Textbook

The prescribed textbook for this course is:

"Fundamentals of Corporate Finance, Australasian 2nd Edition" by Parrino, Kidwell, Au Yong, Dempsey, Morkel-Kingsbury, Ekanayake, Kofoed, Murray

ISBN : 978-0-7303-0542-2

http://www.wileydirect.com.au/buy/fundamentals-of-corporate-finance-2nd-edition/ 

You will refer to this textbook for understanding the theoretical concepts. In lessons, you will apply these concepts to real-life problems and see how theory may differ from actual practice.

Learning and Teaching Activities

Each week, students will attend two three-hour lessons. Typically, the structure is as follows:

Each topic will be covered over a two hour period, with a revision class that covers the topic at a later stage. The revision classes consolidate material on a module that combines related topics. Student presentations are also delivered in the revision class. Two class tests are held in Weeks 3 and 5 in the first lesson. 

This course will be taught using a flipped classroom approach. This approach encourages student-centric learning through hands-on activities, rather than the traditional lecturing style. You should not be expecting to sit in class and be listening to the staff deliver material.

Prior to attending each lesson where a new topic is taught, you are to have read the relevant chapter beforehand. During lesson times, you will be working in a small group to complete some tasks that are related to the topic. Such tasks may include conducting research online, performing calculations and engaging in discussions on contemporary matters. After class, you are expected to spend some time revising the material and linking the activities with the theory you have read in the textbook. You will also complete some assigned exercises and prepare for your presentation if you are scheduled to deliver it in the next revision lesson. Furthermore, you are encouraged to reflect on the material and activities to consolidate your understanding.

Prior to attending each revision lesson, you are expected to have prepared by completing some assigned exercises. If you have been scheduled to deliver a presentation, you and your group members need to prepare accordingly. During this lesson, you will be given time to mark your assigned exercises and to take opportunity to ask questions. For those who are not presenting, you are encouraged to participate in discussions.

The quality of your learning is dependent on your participation and engagement. While the teaching staff will seek to encourage and facilitate your learning, you are reminded that you are the ultimate beneficiary of the classroom experience.

Technology Used and Required

• Access to internet (Available on Campus using Macquarie OneNet)
• Access to iLearn 
• Access to Macquarie University Library catalogue
• Access to Microsoft Office Word and Excel (available in Labs)

BYOD (Bring Your Own Devices)

This course will make use of MS Excel and the internet as a predominant education tool. You are strongly advised to bring your notebook or tablet PCs to class so you can participate in the learning activities. Your mobile phone may not be sufficient in this case as you will be required to work with spreadsheets. Your classroom will have a WiFi connection to allow you to access the internet. If you do not have access to a laptop or tablet please speak to your teacher in Week 1. 

Please note that you are not allowed to use a computer or a mobile phone for tests and examinations. You should be able to perform the calculations using an approved calculator as well as being able to specify the correct functions on an Excel spreadsheet.

Calculators

Calculators will also be used commonly in class, but they are second in importance to your portable device since calculations will be mainly done using MS Excel. However, due to security reasons, we will not allow portable devices for tests and the final examination. To this end, we allow calculators for class tests and the final examination. You will be required to give a clear indication of the steps involved in every calculation must be shown. Non-programmable calculators that can calculate power functions, logarithmic functions and memory storage with no text-retrieval capacity are allowed. Calculators that have a full alphabet on the keyboard are not allowed. Graphics calculators are not allowed. 

Unit Web Page

Course material is available on learning management system (iLearn). The web page for this unit can be found at http://ilearn.mq.edu.au. 

Facebook

Learning is not restricted to contact hours, but rather outside of contact hours. To this end, there will be a Facebook Group page available where you can post questions and answer each others' questions throughout the term. You can join the "MUIC 2016 Term 4 WACT101" group page by clicking to join the page. If you are using a name different to that on the roll, please message Brian Chu with your student ID so you can be granted access.

Uses of this group page is subject to online etiquette. You are to demonstrate professionalism and courtesy in your posts. Any behaviour that is threatening, offensive and inappropriate will result in you being removed from the group and possibly being subject to disciplinary action for serious or persistent breaches.