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Unit outline_

OLET1203: Business Entrepreneurship: Bootstrap Finance

Intensive July, 2024 [Block mode] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

In the third upgrade to the 0 credit point Business Entrepreneurship unit, students learn about bootstrap finance. Colloquially, the term 'bootstrap finance' describes the feat of pulling yourself up by your shoelaces, by obtaining rudimentary funding from friends and family for a new business venture, and creating the conditions that might allow the venture team to later obtain business angel or venture funding. In this upgrade, students acquire theoretical knowledge of the valuation of a new business idea and venture, learn how to analyse a case, and formulate a perspective on the structure of the financial sources and models available. This intensive unit employs experiential learning and provides students with a business case, and hands-on tasks to develop the necessary skills and insights into early venture funding.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Credit points 2
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

OLEO1200

Available to study abroad and exchange students

No

Teaching staff

Coordinator Paul Finn, p.finn@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s) Christine Luo, shumin.luo@sydney.edu.au
The census date for this unit availability is 28 June 2024
Type Description Weight Due Length
Participation hurdle task Participation and Professionalism
Participation and professionalism
10% Ongoing Ongoing
Outcomes assessed: LO4 LO3 LO2 LO1
Small test Early assessment task
#earlyfeedbacktask
10% Week 02
Due date: 24 Jun 2024 at 23:59

Closing date: 24 Jun 2024
10 MCQs on Canvas
Outcomes assessed: LO1
Assignment Bootstrap Finance Assignment
Critical reflection of two learning experiences from OLET1203
80% Week 03
Due date: 02 Jul 2024 at 23:59

Closing date: 09 Jul 2024
1500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO4 LO1 LO2 LO3
hurdle task = hurdle task ?

Early feedback task

This unit includes an early feedback task, designed to give you feedback prior to the census date for this unit. Details are provided in the Canvas site and your result will be recorded in your Marks page. It is important that you actively engage with this task so that the University can support you to be successful in this unit.

Assessment summary

  • Participation (including basic attendance) is listed as a HURDLE TASK which means you must complete the assessment in order to pass the unit.
  • 10 multiple choice questions -- 1% per question -- based on the required readings (available on Canvas).
  • Critical reflection of two learning experiences from OLET1203.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school. 

Distinction

75 - 84

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Credit

65 - 74

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.

Pass

50 - 64

Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school. 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

This unit follows the University policy for late submissions. Please refer to the policy online.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 02 Contextualising entrepreneurial finance; financial validation; financing and growth; reverse income statement Block teaching (8 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4

Attendance and class requirements

Participation is listed as a HURDLE TASK which means you must complete the assessment in order to pass the unit. Students who fail to complete this assessment, even when their aggregate mark for the entire unit of study is above 50%, will be given a Fail grade for this unit.

As a result, a student's academic transcript will show a Fail grade and the actual mark achieved if the final mark of the unit is between 0-49 and a Fail grade, and a capped moderated mark of 49 for all other final marks.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 2 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 40-50 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the OLET1203 Canvas site.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Explore the dynamics of early-stage venture funding
  • LO2. Explain how entrepreneurs 'validate' their financials
  • LO3. Develop reverse income statements
  • LO4. Effectively pitch business ideas to various audiences

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Updates to learning outcomes, assessments and associated due dates.

Further information can be found on Canvas.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.