AFIN8099 – Current Issues in Banking and Finance

2021 – Session 1, Special circumstances

Notice

As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group activities on campus, and most will keep an online version available to those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.

To check the availability of face-to-face and online activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor Lurion De Mello lurion.demello@mq.edu.au
Credit points	Credit points 10
Prerequisites	Prerequisites (Admission to MFin and 40cp at 8000 level) or (admission to (MBkgFin or MCom) and 60cp at 8000 level)
Corequisites	Corequisites
Co-badged status	Co-badged status
Unit description	Unit description This unit provides students with the opportunity to integrate and advance their knowledge of banking and finance, with an international and future-focused emphasis. Contemporary topics in banking and finance will be covered, such as bank regulations, Fintech, hedge fund management, risk management, etc.; and students will examine the major challenges and impact brought about by these changes/topics. The unit's research and case-based topics approach will equip students to apply their analytical, critical and interpersonal skills to complex and contemporary real world problems, which in turn will help develop and finesse their communication skills and professional judgment. The unit will showcase several lectures presented by senior industry specialists, giving students the opportunity to connect with their topics in a meaningful way.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://students.mq.edu.au/important-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

ULO1: Critically analyse the latest banking regulations and tools necessary for managing bank liquidity.
ULO2: Demonstrate knowledge of the new era of Fintech and assess its impact on various financial and banking services.
ULO3: Apply and evaluate current tools and techniques used in the finance industry.
ULO4: Work as a team in applying financial modelling and spreadsheet techniques in the finance industry.

General Assessment Information

Assessment criteria for all assessment tasks will be provided on the unit iLearn site.

It is the responsibility of students to view their marks for each within-session-assessment on iLearn within 20 days of posting. If there are any discrepancies, students must contact the unit convenor immediately. Failure to do so will mean that queries received after the release of final results regarding assessment tasks (not including the final exam mark) will not be addressed.

Late submissions and extensions

Tasks 10% or less – No extensions will be granted. Students who have not submitted the task prior to the deadline will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task, except for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved.

Tasks above 10% - No extensions will be granted. There will be a deduction of 10% of the total available marks made from the total awarded mark for each 24 hour period or part thereof that the submission is late (for example, 25 hours late in submission – 20% penalty). This penalty does not apply for cases in which an application for special consideration is made and approved. No submission will be accepted after solutions have been posted.

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Hurdle	Due
Short Answer Questions	15%	No	Week 3, 4 & 5
Assignment	30%	No	Week 9
Final Examination	55%	No	During University Examination Period

Short Answer Questions

Assessment Type ¹: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task ²: 10 hours
Due: Week 3, 4 & 5
Weighting: 15%

Students are required to complete 3 sets of short answer and excel-based questions. Each set worth 5%.

On successful completion you will be able to:

Apply and evaluate current tools and techniques used in the finance industry.

Assignment

Assessment Type ¹: Project
Indicative Time on Task ²: 20 hours
Due: Week 9
Weighting: 30%

Students will work in groups to analyse real market data and produce a report of 1,000 - 1,500 words. 50% of this group work assessment will be allocated to individual performance.

On successful completion you will be able to:

Apply and evaluate current tools and techniques used in the finance industry.
Work as a team in applying financial modelling and spreadsheet techniques in the finance industry.

Final Examination

Assessment Type ¹: Examination
Indicative Time on Task ²: 30 hours
Due: During University Examination Period
Weighting: 55%

An online open book two hours and thirty minutes (2.5 hours) exam will be held during University Examination Period.

On successful completion you will be able to:

Critically analyse the latest banking regulations and tools necessary for managing bank liquidity.
Demonstrate knowledge of the new era of Fintech and assess its impact on various financial and banking services.
Apply and evaluate current tools and techniques used in the finance industry.

¹ If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
the Learning Skills Unit for academic skills support.

² Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

All Classes will be delivered via Zoom with recording links posted in your weekly schedule the following day. The Zoom link will be posted prior to the lecture time.

Please visit https://macquarie.zoom.us/

Technology Used and Required

The unit will use an online learning and teaching facility accessed through the following link https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/

Students should monitor iLearn content frequently to ensure timely access to announcements, unit material, and assessment information.

To complete the assignment, students will be required to use Refinitiv Eikon, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Word software.

Calculators will be allowed in the class tests and the final examination but a clear indication of the steps involved in every calculation must be shown. Non-programmable calculators with no text-retrieval capacity are allowed. Financial calculators are allowed. Calculators that have a full alphabet on the keyboard are not allowed. Graphics calculators are not allowed.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Appeals Policy
Academic Integrity Policy
Academic Progression Policy
Assessment Policy
Fitness to Practice Procedure
Grade Appeal Policy
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
Special Consideration Policy (Note: The Special Consideration Policy is effective from 4 December 2017 and replaces the Disruption to Studies Policy.)

Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.

Student Enquiry Service

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Equity Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.