COM 476 - Corporate Communications and Investor Relations

Description:
Professional financial communications course, focusing on SEC disclosure requirements and accurate/complete communications with shareholders and investors. Intended to strengthen business-related verbal/writing/presentaton skills for careers in advertising, public relations, journalism, marketing/business administration.

Prerequisites:
Prerequisites: COM 208 and COM 270.

Credits: (4)

Learner Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Demonstrate the ability to read and present income statements, balance sheets, cash-flow statements, understand SEC reporting regulations and related requirements, Sarbanes Oxley, GAAP and pro forma accounting, buy-side and sell-side analysts, bulls-and-bears, longs-and-shorts, and market psychology.
Examine market ethics, including reconciling the seemingly contradictory requirements of fiduciary responsibility (e.g., doing well) for shareholders and corporate social responsibility (e.g., doing good) for employees, communities, the environment and the public as a whole.
Summarize qualitative and quantitative worlds of investor relations including communicating with buy-and-sell-side analysts, hedge funds, institutions, retail investors, major exchanges, credit rating agencies and portfolio managers.
Prepare crisis communications plans to safeguard reputations and protect brand equity in a 24/7/365 social-media world.
Appraise employee attraction and retention issues, including the use of Employee Stock Purchase Plans (ESPP) and stock options as incentives.

Learner Outcomes Approval Date:
1/19/17