Course Syllabus
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Materials
Technical Notes and Cases that can be downloaded as a Coursepack Megginson FIN 5432 Venture Capital & Private Equity from Harvard Business Publishing Education website (https://hbsp.harvard.edu).
For more details, please refer to the Course Resources page.
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Percentage |
| Pre-class Questions | Once per week - Thursday at noon | 5% |
| Module Summaries | Once per week - Thursday at noon | 10% |
| Live Sessions | Once per week - Thursday at 7:00 pm | 10% |
| Cases | Five total - Thursday at 7:00 pm | 50% |
| Final Exam | One total (comprehensive) - Sunday, August 16 at 11:59 pm | 25% |
| Total | 100% |
Scale
A = 90-100%; B = 80-89%; C = 70-79%; D = 60-69%; F = < 60%
Course Components
Pre-recorded Lectures
The lectures for this course have been recorded as narrated PowerPoint presentations and posted online. Each week’s lecture is segmented into 7-10 digestible chunks, mostly running 10-20 minutes each, but a few in-depth presentations last 30-35 minutes. You should view all of a week’s lectures before the live class in which the specific topic will be discussed synchronously.
Pre-class Questions
While you read the required notes and cases or watch the pre-recorded lectures, you may find you have questions about the material that you would like me to clarify or elaborate on. Post your questions on the Pre-class Question Board ahead of the Live Session and I’ll choose a few to discuss.
Module Summaries
The required readings and the pre-recorded lectures describe the institutional detail and valuation practices employed by private equity practitioners. Some articles are mostly descriptive, while others are quite technical. Rather than having a quiz on each article, you will instead write and post a short (3-5 paragraph) summary of each article, describing the key points presented therein and discussing what you learned. Your module summary will conclude with a brief statement about how the assigned text(s) relate to the concepts and themes presented in the pre-recorded lectures.
Live Sessions
Each week, our class will meet in real time. During our time together, I’ll answer your questions and provide a live lecture. If your schedule prevents you from joining us, you can watch the recording of the session later. Students who cannot attend live will earn participation points by reviewing the recording and doing a make-up activity.
Make-up activity: Watch the recording of the Live Session. Write five quiz questions that could be used to test the material discussed during the Live Session. Your questions should cover material from the full session (beginning, middle and end). Submit your questions before the next Live Session. (These questions may be used as a study guide to help the class prepare for the Final Exam).
Cases
Each student is required to do a short case write-up of the first case (AM-Pharma: Creating Value (A,B,C)). Instructions for this assignment will be distributed as a separate document. On the remaining case studies, students will work in teams of about five members on a five-page case write-up. I will assign you to a team but will solicit input ahead of time regarding anyone you wish to work with—or wish not to work with.
You will also have an opportunity to “grade” the participation of your team members at the course’s end, which will (modestly) impact the case grades assigned. There is no realistic way to fully address the “free rider” problem inherent in group work, but this at least gives you the opportunity to describe which teammates did, and did not, contribute proportionately to the group output.
For more information, please refer to the Case Assignments page in the "Start Here Module."
Final Exam
There is one comprehensive final exam. I strongly urge you to revisit your weekly Module Summaries to help you prepare for the exam. More details about the exam will be provided later in the course.
Course Policies
Communication
- If you have general questions about the class (assignments, class logistics, due dates, etc.), post a question in the HELP BOARD in the “Start Here” module. You can post questions about the course here throughout the semester.
- If you have a question about the learning material, post your questions in the Pre-Class Question Board.
- If you have a personal question (grades, feedback, requests for special accommodation, etc.) please send me an email (wmegginson@ou.edu). During the work week (Monday-Friday), you can expect a response from me within 24 hours. During weekends (Saturday-Sunday), you can expect a response from me within 48 hours
Late Policy
As a general rule, I do not accept late work. You may work ahead but please avoid falling behind.
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA
ACADEMIC POLICIES AND STUDENT SUPPORT
Course Catalog
Search the OU Course Catalogue.
Student Handbook
Please familiarize yourself with the OU Student Handbook.
Online Library
Access digital materials and other resources at OU Libraries.
Academic Misconduct
In addition to the course conduct policies outlined by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook.
It is the responsibility of each student to be familiar with the definitions, policies, and procedures concerning academic misconduct. The Student Code is available from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, and is contained in the Student's Guide to Academic Integrity.
This site also defines misconduct, provides examples of prohibited conduct, and explains the sanctions available for those found guilty of misconduct.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
Reasonable Accommodation for Disabilities
The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations in this course should contact their professor as early in the semester as possible.
Students with disabilities must be registered with the Disability Resource Center prior to receiving accommodations in this course.
If you have a disability and you would like to make a request for reasonable accommodation, please see the Graduate Student Handbook or get in touch with the Disability Resource Center.
Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues
Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss your options. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability. Learn more about the rights of pregnant and parenting students by consulting the FAQ sheets provided by the Institutional Equity Office.
Title IX Resources
For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, or intimate partner violence, the University offers a variety of resources, including advocates on-call 24/7, counseling services, mutual no contact orders, scheduling adjustments, and disciplinary sanctions against the perpetrator. Please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office 405-325-2215 (8-5, M-F) or OU Advocates 405-615-0013 (24/7) to learn more or to report an incident.
Religious Holidays
It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays without penalty. It is the responsibility of the student to make alternate arrangements with the instructor at least one week prior to the actual date of the religious holiday.
Copyright Policy
It is illegal to download, upload, reproduce, or distribute any copyrighted material, in any form and in any fashion, without permission from the copyright holder or his/her authorized agent. The University of Oklahoma expects all members of its community to comply fully with federal copyright laws. If such laws appear to have been violated by any user, the university reserves the right (1) to terminate that user’s access to some or all of the university’s computer systems and information resources and (2) to take additional disciplinary actions as deemed necessary or appropriate. Repeat offenders will be sanctioned and their privileges terminated.
Registration and Withdrawal
If you choose to withdraw from this course, you must complete the appropriate University form and turn the form in before the deadline. If you stop attending the course and doing the coursework without doing the required paperwork, your grade will be calculated with missed homework and examination grades entered as zero. This could result in receiving a grade of F in the course. Deadlines are shown in the Academic Calendar, which is available from the Office of the Registrar.
Student Grievances
In addition to any policies outlined related to submitting an informal or formal grievance by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook for more information about the process of submitting a formal grievance.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|