We're going to be helping with Finance Networking Night on April 23rd (Thursday) from 4:30 until 7 PM. Career Services (led by Chuck Crocker) has graciously committed to helping FMA get things rolling. Right now we're asking some financial services and energy alums to come on campus and spend some time talking about their careers.
Please plan to get involved if you can. More information as we find out who's coming.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
FMA at UHCL
I hope the semester is treating everyone well.
I wanted to let people know that the UHCL student chapter of the Financial Management Association (FMA) will be having welcome sessions next week, M-TH at 5:30 in Bayou 2504. We need to organize, get some officers and volunteers, and get ready for a busy semester. Also, folks need to find out about FMA National Honor Society.
So far, we've planned a resume/career session with Chuck Crocker, and at least one other program event. In addition, Career Services will be hosting an Employer Night in April for folks interested in working in finance & accounting within energy and financial services. It should be fun!
I wanted to let people know that the UHCL student chapter of the Financial Management Association (FMA) will be having welcome sessions next week, M-TH at 5:30 in Bayou 2504. We need to organize, get some officers and volunteers, and get ready for a busy semester. Also, folks need to find out about FMA National Honor Society.
So far, we've planned a resume/career session with Chuck Crocker, and at least one other program event. In addition, Career Services will be hosting an Employer Night in April for folks interested in working in finance & accounting within energy and financial services. It should be fun!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Welcome to a New Year in WebCT
Happy New Year everyone! I hope the holidays were fun and relaxing.
Drs. Waller, Williams, Murasko, and I just got back from San Francisco where we interviewed candidates for our vacant Econ professor position. It was an interesting three days, but we didn't get out of the hotel meeting rooms much. So, yes, I've been to San Fran, but no, I didn't do anything there but work and sleep.
Drs. Waller, Williams, Murasko, and I just got back from San Francisco where we interviewed candidates for our vacant Econ professor position. It was an interesting three days, but we didn't get out of the hotel meeting rooms much. So, yes, I've been to San Fran, but no, I didn't do anything there but work and sleep.
Dr. Williams and I got stuck in San Diego because of some mechanical trouble SouthWest was having. It was a hoot.
To start the new year off right, I'm reminding folks that the AOL interfaces for all of my classes are now dust (along with everything else stored at AOL FTP or Hometown). RIP. As my 2-year-old would say - "done".
So... we're relying on WebCT for everything now. I'm in the process of updating stuff and it will be available to students on 1/17 (UCT's date).
Welcome to a new semester, and good luck to everybody!
To start the new year off right, I'm reminding folks that the AOL interfaces for all of my classes are now dust (along with everything else stored at AOL FTP or Hometown). RIP. As my 2-year-old would say - "done".
So... we're relying on WebCT for everything now. I'm in the process of updating stuff and it will be available to students on 1/17 (UCT's date).
Welcome to a new semester, and good luck to everybody!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Merry Christmas everyone, or whatever
Whatever holiday you celebrate, I want to wish everyone the best time during the break from school. Take time to be with family, because that's what really counts. Of course, don't forget that the family has gotta eat!
Good luck to everyone, and I'm looking forward to hearing from you in the new semester.
Good luck to everyone, and I'm looking forward to hearing from you in the new semester.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
'Accounting major? Don't take finance classes,' says the accounting faculty
In the last week or so undergrads have been asking some of us about something their accounting faculty advisors have told them recently (it's not new).
To wit:
"If you're an accounting major, taking finance classes or being a double major 1) is a waste of time, or 2) dilutes your transcript, making you look 'weaker' to employers, or 3) is a distraction."
Pick one of the reasons. With limited exception, they're crap (of course). But some of us on faculty have heard it before. It's a really good example of folks not having an "abundance" mentality -- if students take FINANCE classes, that somehow takes away from the ACCOUNTING program at UHCL. What a bunch of garbage.
What's worse, it doesn't do the students any good in the long run to think that, or to hear disparaging remarks about UHCL in any context. These kind of remarks violate students' trust of us as counselors and career advisors.
To the accounting faculty with this attitude: open your eyes. Spouting this kind of stuff undermines your credibility with the students. It hurts all of us, but you especially. If nothing else, 6 months after they start a job they're going to look back and think about how stupid some of that rhetoric was.
What's the limited exception, when is the recommended FOCUS a good idea? If you KNOW you're going into public accounting (say, you've already worked in it and it's what you live for) then focus like a laser on getting your CPA. Don't daudle. Get it done ASAP. Forget everything else in the meantime.
Otherwise, it may make sense to keep your options open. Take a few classes here or there in things that interest you. MAYBE even get a double major just in case the accounting thing doesn't really work for you down the road.
I have ALWAYS told my finance students to get as much accounting as possible during their undergrad years. Always. If some of them end up as accounting majors (and plenty have) then so be it. I won't LIE TO THEM to get a few more finance majors here or there. You have to understand accounting to do finance, no question. You have to make sure you're not just passing the classes, but that you really KNOW it.
At the same time, if you plan on getting an accounting degree, you don't have to plan on getting a CPA (another myth). Not everyone does. But if you end up working in public accounting where everyone else has a CPA, and you don't have one, you're going to feel like the Ugly Duckling. I've talked to folks in the REAL WORLD about this one lately, and it's annoying if you're in the middle of that situation.
Finally, for those for whom the "limited exception" applies, think about this: if you're going for your CPA, and you KNOW that's where you're headed, please make sure that UHCL is giving you what you need. Take the time to find out what challenges lie ahead and make sure that the courses you're taking are rigorous enough to prepare you for the CPA exam. If they aren't, take the time to find out why and figure out how to fix things for yourself before you take the exam.
One other alarming thing to report:
One of my accounting students the other day said they had been told by faculty in accounting that it was usually a good idea to plan on taking one of the CPA review courses off-campus (they said a name at the time). Some of my other students echoed this in class this week. WHAT! Isn't that what an accounting degree is for? In 20 years of doing this stuff, I've never heard anything so absurd.
As always, if you're concerned about this kind of stuff, come talk to us. That's what we're here for.
Tim
To wit:
"If you're an accounting major, taking finance classes or being a double major 1) is a waste of time, or 2) dilutes your transcript, making you look 'weaker' to employers, or 3) is a distraction."
Pick one of the reasons. With limited exception, they're crap (of course). But some of us on faculty have heard it before. It's a really good example of folks not having an "abundance" mentality -- if students take FINANCE classes, that somehow takes away from the ACCOUNTING program at UHCL. What a bunch of garbage.
What's worse, it doesn't do the students any good in the long run to think that, or to hear disparaging remarks about UHCL in any context. These kind of remarks violate students' trust of us as counselors and career advisors.
To the accounting faculty with this attitude: open your eyes. Spouting this kind of stuff undermines your credibility with the students. It hurts all of us, but you especially. If nothing else, 6 months after they start a job they're going to look back and think about how stupid some of that rhetoric was.
What's the limited exception, when is the recommended FOCUS a good idea? If you KNOW you're going into public accounting (say, you've already worked in it and it's what you live for) then focus like a laser on getting your CPA. Don't daudle. Get it done ASAP. Forget everything else in the meantime.
Otherwise, it may make sense to keep your options open. Take a few classes here or there in things that interest you. MAYBE even get a double major just in case the accounting thing doesn't really work for you down the road.
I have ALWAYS told my finance students to get as much accounting as possible during their undergrad years. Always. If some of them end up as accounting majors (and plenty have) then so be it. I won't LIE TO THEM to get a few more finance majors here or there. You have to understand accounting to do finance, no question. You have to make sure you're not just passing the classes, but that you really KNOW it.
At the same time, if you plan on getting an accounting degree, you don't have to plan on getting a CPA (another myth). Not everyone does. But if you end up working in public accounting where everyone else has a CPA, and you don't have one, you're going to feel like the Ugly Duckling. I've talked to folks in the REAL WORLD about this one lately, and it's annoying if you're in the middle of that situation.
Finally, for those for whom the "limited exception" applies, think about this: if you're going for your CPA, and you KNOW that's where you're headed, please make sure that UHCL is giving you what you need. Take the time to find out what challenges lie ahead and make sure that the courses you're taking are rigorous enough to prepare you for the CPA exam. If they aren't, take the time to find out why and figure out how to fix things for yourself before you take the exam.
One other alarming thing to report:
One of my accounting students the other day said they had been told by faculty in accounting that it was usually a good idea to plan on taking one of the CPA review courses off-campus (they said a name at the time). Some of my other students echoed this in class this week. WHAT! Isn't that what an accounting degree is for? In 20 years of doing this stuff, I've never heard anything so absurd.
As always, if you're concerned about this kind of stuff, come talk to us. That's what we're here for.
Tim
Monday, November 17, 2008
Mark Cuban is under investigation (update). And the info bounce exists! Or it did in '04.
"Under investigation" is a technical term, a piece of jargon, that we use in the finance biz to designate that someone is facing potential jailtime.
Normally I wouldn't recommend TheSmokingGun.com b/c of its controversial nature, but this is just precious, as my little white-haired granny would say.
Holy smoke. Look at pages 6 and 7 of the complaint. It says that he made $750,000 on the deal! Sounds pretty clear to me, and a jury will may think so too.
I wonder if this has anything to do with his outspoken opposition to the current bailout environment. [We should get our tinfoil hats ready, and wish him lots of luck.] Of course, this all may be some kind of misunderstanding.
His anti-bailout website.
OK, so how is this relevant? Note that the stock (pages 6 and 7) lost 9.3% at the announcement of the PIPE. So, the "private equity" portion of the PIPE mitigated some of the asymmetric information effect, but it still took at hit. Wow, this finance stuff really means something.
In this case, it may mean some time in the Big House. Ouch. Can't go to jail without demonstrable "ill gotten gains." Man, what a bummer.
On closer inspection, though, it looks as though the Feds are just asking for a fine and not jail time. I'm not used to reading insider trading indictments, but that's what it looks like (page 2, at the top). Maybe that isn't where they ask for slammer time.
His anti-bailout website.
OK, so how is this relevant? Note that the stock (pages 6 and 7) lost 9.3% at the announcement of the PIPE. So, the "private equity" portion of the PIPE mitigated some of the asymmetric information effect, but it still took at hit. Wow, this finance stuff really means something.
In this case, it may mean some time in the Big House. Ouch. Can't go to jail without demonstrable "ill gotten gains." Man, what a bummer.
On closer inspection, though, it looks as though the Feds are just asking for a fine and not jail time. I'm not used to reading insider trading indictments, but that's what it looks like (page 2, at the top). Maybe that isn't where they ask for slammer time.
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