The Anderson University Center for Finance and Economics is launching a $30,000 student-managed investment fund, providing further opportunities for students studying finance and business.
Students in the Anderson University College of Business will be given the unique opportunity to analyze this $30,000 investment fund in real-time across 11 different equity sectors. Students will be required to monitor and report on the fund to director and faculty advisor Dr. Kent Saunders, alongside the CFE Investment Fund Committee.
Dr. Saunders said that this fund is a fantastic opportunity for students to have hands-on experience alongside their academic education in the field of business and finance.
“The use of real money gives students the additional responsibility to act as stewards on behalf of their clients,” Dr. Saunders said.
This allows students to engage in real-life shareholder advocacy and engage in socially responsible impact investing, Dr. Saunders said. Through this opportunity, students will apply what they are learning in the classroom.
Dr. Gordon Smith, director of the Anderson University Center for Finance and Economics, agrees that the management of this fund gives students an experience that transcends textbook learning.
“Managing a real-money investment fund should give our students an advantage when looking for a job or applying to a graduate school,” Dr. Smith said.
The potential for community involvement is another perk of this new development within the Anderson University College of Business because it connects community members with the process.
Jamie Seagrist, associate at NovaQuest Capital Management, is one of them. He is participating as a member of the Investment Fund Committee. As a committee member, he will assist in overseeing the implementation of the new fund and receive reports from participating students. He sees this fund as a landmark event for the College of Business and notes that the benefits go beyond training students to be better businesspeople.
“The fund will provide an exceptional opportunity to gain real-life experience managing money,” she said. “This will be an extraordinary chance to bring God glory by utilizing a biblical lens in the financial decision-making process.”