Irvine campus instructor puts the pressure on business students

Business instructor April Morris is getting her Cal State Fullerton students ready for the real world by throwing them to the sharks.

For her Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation class held on the school’s Irvine campus, Morris has recreated the feel of the television show “Shark Tank” in which contestants try to persuade a panel of judges to invest in their business idea.

In the classroom version, the teams consist of four to six students who give a 20-minute power point presentation before a panel of business leaders that is based on their five-page executive summary.

“The students have to pick and value a real public company using information available from the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company’s website, conference calls, business publications and their own intuition,” Morris said.

The panel of up to seven judges, from a variety of business backgrounds including law, aerospace, accounting and banking, are then given about 15 minutes to ask questions about the company in which the students chose to invest.

Steve Littauer, CFO of American Industrial Partners Aerospace, said he has sat on the panel since the class began two years ago because he enjoys interacting with students. As a judge and employer he said he wants to see students who stand out.

“I look for the ability of students to distill complex financial information into a story that persuades employers to invest in their company,” he said.

His aerospace company has employed three interns so far.

“It’s rewarding for us to give them industry perspective and eventually give them the opportunity to work in our industry in a full-time position,” Littauer said.

Morris said she invites members of the business community to sit in the audience to watch the students in action and consider them for future employment.

“One of the requirements that I have is that there are no notes allowed,” Morris said. “It freaks all of the students out initially but I work hard with them keeping their slides simple so that the presenter just has to look at the slide to get back on track in case they freeze up.”

Nathan Jurczyk, of Small Business Growth Alliance, said he thought judging was a “refreshing experience.”

“If instructors put the thought, strategic planning and real world focus on their classes like you do, it would drive exceptional students into the marketplace,” he said to Morris.

The student team known as Luxxotica, a luxury branded eyeglass company, agreed that it was a difficult and challenging project for which they spent more time than any other class.

“After this class, I’m confident I can get a job with Morgan Stanley,” student Amy Cai said with a laugh.