Brad will be running the BANKdynamics 1/2 day seminar for undergraduates (roughly 20 students) at Creighton University (Course id: FIN 361 – Financial Institutions Management).
The BANKdynamics half-day seminar is a highly interactive session which provides participants with the hands-on experience of managing a bank’s balance sheet. The students are divided into teams (typically 2 or 3 people per team). Each team starts by reviewing the case bank’s financial performance and its expected balance sheet run-off. Next they establish management priorities for each of the performance goals including: Margin, Return on Equity, Asset Quality, Regulatory Capital, Growth, and Liquidity. The simulation runs over four rounds (quarters). During each round the teams will interact to determine rates and market share for loans and deposits. Teams also have the ability to manage capital market investments and wholesale funding.
--------- Update: Student Feedback (shared with permission) ---------
- "I thought the BANKdynamics simulation was fascinating. It was the perfect way to apply -what we had learned all semester. I think one recommendation I would give would be to shorten the first part of the presentation. Most people seemed to have a better time learning while actually doing the simulation. Also, I think adding time before the start of each quarter would be beneficial so people could actually plan/analyze what kind of steps they need to take in order to be more profitable. Overall, I thought the simulation was fantastic and certainly a highlight of my semester (regardless of how my bank actually fared}."
. - "This was the best class. I have to say that it got my heart pumping and I left stressed, but it gave a glimpse into how banking actually works. It highlighted the importance of diversifying a portfolio, and the ramifications of taking on too much risk. I also have a better understanding of the effects interest rates have on a portfolio after getting to see the gains and losses.”
. - "The simulation was very active and fun. I thought that BANKdynamics was an amazing asset to me as a student because it took the concepts of the class and directly displayed how the techniques were used. Overall, a very good simulation.”
. - "To be completely honest, I was skeptical coming into the simulation. However, when I left the room, I felt I learned a tremendous amount that would be difficult to learn in a lecture-style classroom. I liked the efficiency and fluidity of the software. The only thing that was tough was that I didn't catch on to the process until about Q3; by then it was almost too late…however I thought the timing was fine because it created stress and excited impulses. Overall, I really enjoyed the simulation. [This] is a great product!"
. - "I really liked the whole experience. It was good how Mr. Olson broke up the presentation and simulation and in-between would ask us questions. I think overall it was a very good experience and the only ‘way to make it more interactive’ would be allowing every individual to have his/her own bank!”
. - "I thought the whole simulation was fun. The competitive setting was nice. Everyone got to see how they were doing after each quarter. That way they know what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong. Mr. Olson also did a good job of going around the room helping everyone out. For example, my group was borrowing too much at one point, causing our ratios to go really low. Mr. Olson explained that to us and it helped. It would be better if we had more time. I think we all felt pressure toward the end.”
. - "I thought the banking simulation was fun way to measure what we had learned so far in this class. You really had to think about what your bank needed for that quarter. I thought we could have used more class time. It felt like we were rushed and we could have made better decisions. I thought everything went well and it is something that should be used for this class in the future.”
. - "One of the biggest reasons why BANKdynamics was a success, in my opinion, is that it actively engages every student and really gets everybody involved. I would have liked to have learned a little more about how to use the software at the beginning, rather than learning it on the fly. It could have been a little more comprehensive and specific. Overall, I definitely benefitted from the experience.”
. - "I really liked how Mr. Olson broke things down for us at the beginning and led up to the actual simulation in stages. I thought it was great having the interaction between everyone. Each team had different objectives, making it fun to make deals. Honestly, the whole thing was great. Future classes should use this program at Creighton.”
. - "For me, the banking simulation was one of my favorite parts of the semester. Some things that worked well were the introductory part before the actual simulation started. That provided us with the necessary information to begin the simulation. Also, the way we were able to move about freely and having the "time left" on the monitor. I think the simulation would work better with a practice round to get an understanding of how things work before starting the actual simulation.”
. - "I thought the banking simulation was great. The fact that we got to do 4 quarters worked well. I would say it was perfect with time. I would definitely recommend using it again at Creighton.”
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