The Student Managed Sustainability Fund (SMSF) is a new opportunity for students to manage actual money and make investment decisions that integrate environmental, social and governance considerations into their financial and overall assessment of stock recommendations.
The SMSF is open to ALL Hofstra students, including graduate and first-year students, who meet prerequisite criteria.
Course Descriptions
FIN 157: (3 credits)
The first of a two-semester course for the Student Managed Sustainability Fund. The SMSF course provides an overview of sustainable investing as an investment discipline that considers environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria to achieve the twin objectives of long-term competitive returns and positive societal impact. Students have a unique experiential learning opportunity to deploy actual funds and manage a portfolio of assets by conducting in-depth financial research and ESG analysis. In addition to writing formal reports, students are actively engaged in pitching investment ideas during class meetings and making presentations to external bodies such as the SMIF Supervisory Board, alumni and investment practitioners.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes: Permission of department chairperson, FIN 110, a minimum GPA of 3.5 overall. The course is open to all students at Hofstra University.
FIN 174 (SMSF): (1 credit)
An introduction to the Student Managed Sustainability Fund (SMSF), including an overview of the fund’s organization, operations, and mission, is provided. Students actively identify and screen for information related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria used in the fund’s investment process. As junior ESG analysts, students are introduced to features of the Bloomberg terminals that facilitate financial and ESG analysis.
Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes: Permission of department chairperson, a minimum overall 3.5 GPA. The course is open to all students at Hofstra University, including first-year students. Students can take the one credit per semester course up to three times.
Class meetings: Friday, 10 a.m.-12:20 p.m. | Martin B. Greenberg Trading Room, C.V. Starr 104.
Interested students are to contact Dept. of Finance Chair Dr. Edward Zychowicz at finejz@hofstra.edu or (516) 463-5698 for more details.