SUSTAINABLE Finance and Accounting Course for Non-Business Majors: ESRM 321
Hybrid online, NW, I&S, no prerequisites, SUMMER QUARTER term b (mid July - mid August)
ESRM 321 is an introduction to finance and accounting course plus it has a unique hands on corporate sustainability performance research component. Essentially, I mentor students in using and analyzing data in corporate sustainability report. I am a former Alaska park ranger and stockbroker, so have a unique blend of education and experience for teaching a course like this.
ESRM 321 is a course that:
Gives NW and I&S and 5 credits
Is a hybrid online course, meaning there are some scheduled live online and in person events (mandatory in person exams and online quizzes at 6 pm). Visit the course website at https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1205530.
Overview. In ESRM 321 we explore two of the four primary business dimensions, finance and accounting. Finance refers to the flows and uses of money among individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations, and governments and associated processes, institutions, and markets. Accounting involves recording, classifying, summarizing, and interpreting business transactions to provide management and stakeholders with information about a company’s performance, liquidity, growth, value, etc. Sustainability refers to meeting the needs of people today without compromising Earth’s capacity to provide for future generations. Integrating corporate profitability, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility is triple bottom line sustainability.
Learning Objectives. ESRM 321 offers students the opportunity to: 1) learn finance and accounting business concepts and strategies, and 2) gain hands on experience assessing corporate sustainability performance. The business learning objectives, below in italics, are achieved through watching to recorded lectures online and reading the required textbook. The sustainability learning objectives, below in bold, are realized via live, online conferences where the professor mentors students in assessing current, real world performance using corporate sustainability report information.
– Explain finance, accounting, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability concepts
– Summarize what money is, counterfeiting deterrence, and financial institutions
– Explain the functions of the U.S. Federal Reserve System and its monetary policy tools
– Describe stock markets, investing strategies, and socially responsible investing
– Analyze financial statements (e.g., balance sheets, income statements)
– Define corporate financial management
– Describe Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework for sustainability reporting
– Assess GRI economic and environment indicators to measure actual sustainability performance
– Analyze real world sustainability performance using data in corporate sustainability reports
– Summarize and interpret sustainability performance data
