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<\/a>Left to right: Zach Beck, Justin Rowden, Adam Stephens, David Arquilla<\/p><\/div>\n
The presentation was quite a pleasant one\u2014the students\u2019 investment has grown from $500,000 to about $650,000 in the past five years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe students said they\u2019re receiving a better experience at Wright State than any of their friends and colleagues going to any other school,\u201d said Mark Polatajko, vice president for business and fiscal affairs and university treasurer. \u201cThis is how the administration and faculty are collaborating in providing success opportunities for our students.\u201d<\/p>\n
The student-led Raider Asset Management Group was established in 2007 when the Wright State University Board of Trustees allocated the Raj Soin College of Business\u2019 Finance and Financial Services Department $500,000 for students to invest in the stock market as a teaching tool.<\/p>\n
The students select stocks, do macroeconomic analyses and make other financial decisions to gain real-world experience. They also learn how to work successfully as a committee, drawing on the unique strengths of each committee member to synthesize a coherent investment strategy. The class is called the \u201cReal Money\u201d class, but it really is the \u201cReal Life\u201d class.<\/p>\n
In an effort to heighten the experience even more, Polatajko recently invited the students to make a presentation along with one of the university\u2019s outside fund managers at a Jan. 28 meeting of the university\u2019s investment committee.<\/p>\n
Student Zachary Beck said he appreciated the opportunity to present the students\u2019 strategies and methods in building and preserving the portfolio.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the real world as a portfolio manager, you are held responsible for your actions, outcomes and performance,\u201d Beck said. \u201cIt was great to have that same level of accountability in the classroom setting.\u201d<\/p>\n
The students learned that communicating with and reporting to the client is an important part of the investment management process. They discussed performance of their investments and gave a financial forecast, using a PowerPoint presentation, then answered questions from the group.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey had an opportunity to do a professional presentation as they would to any other client, any other boardroom,\u201d said Polatajko. \u201cThey performed in outstanding fashion.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Wright State student investors were given a real-world experience when they appeared before a university investment committee to discuss the performance of the investment portfolio they manage. Continue reading