Gary Higgins (Elective)

Credit Risk Management introduces students to credit risk management in the lending function. Comprehensive credit risk management requires that banks identify and measure risks in the portfolio, develop appropriate policies, procedures, systems and controls to manage and monitor risk and assure that they are working. Portfolio credit risk management is a tool to improve the predictability of portfolio credit quality during economic cycles. A bank study project provides students with an opportunity to assess their institution’s tolerance for risk, to develop a risk profile and assess their institution’s control environment supporting their credit management process.

Mike Highfield (Required)

An overview of financial markets and institutions. Topics include the role of intermediaries, the nature and functions of money, a review of the time value of money; the level and structure of interest rates; interest rate risk versus price risk; money market and capital market assets; diversification; and the role of derivative assets in risk management. This course is designed to provide foundational finance knowledge for the remaining coursework at the Graduate School of Banking at LSU.

Brandon Cline (Required)

Monetary Economics is designed to assist the banker in analyzing and explaining economic conditions and forces.  Topics pertain to the entire banking and economic system, but relate directly to risk management, A/L composition, and other decisions made within the bank.  The course addresses the effects of policy decisions on financial markets; it takes participants “inside” the Federal Reserve as they learn how monetary decisions are made and implemented.  The course provides a practical framework for determining how fiscal and monetary policies affect global, national, and local economies.  Other topics include: economic measures and indicators, regulation, interest rate risk, and the trade-offs associated with economic decision making.

John Oxford, CFMP (Required)

Strategic Bank Marketing  – In a conservative and commoditized industry that provides the market place with little choice due to product parity and regulatory restrictions, how do you make your bank stand out?

From marketing strategy and targeting to brand management, technology and budgeting, participants will develop an understanding of modern bank marketing and take home fresh ideas and tactics on how to make their bank stand out in a sea of sameness.

Upon completion of this course, the participant should have a basic understanding of modern bank marketing, branding, promotions, budgeting, public relations and applicable tactics.  This course will take a deep and exciting dive into the four “Cs” of modern marketing:  Content, Connection, Conversion and Campaigns.

Jason Henrichs      (Elective)

Innovation. Digital Transformation. Cultural Change. Everyone nods their heads when these phrases are bandied about, but what do they really mean and more importantly how are they implemented.

Leading Through Innovation is an integrated course, combining theory and actionable steps, for students of innovation in all stages of their innovation journey. The course begins with an introduction to strategy and why the 5 year strategic plan is dead. We swiftly move to alternating modules of innovation best practices and hands on development your own innovation practice. Whether you manage a team, a department or are team of one, these exercises will change how you approach your job, up your productivity and magnify your impact.

Stephen R. Robichaux      (Required)

Much effort has been placed on trying to understand what motivates people and how they learn positive and negative behaviors.  This course will not only address the “what” and “how” of behavior but will also look at the important question of “why” people behave as they do.

The course will explore how applying the principles of motivation can increase performance in an organizational setting.  We will attempt to recognize the uses and limitations of major motivational techniques such as:  monetary incentives, goal setting, performance appraisal, participation, positive reinforcement, and job enrichment.  The focus of this course is learning how to increase performance in the organizational setting.

Paul S. Allen      (Required)

Managing Bank Performance focuses on two facets of measuring and managing bank performance, and all models, strategies, and discussions prepare students for the Bank Management Simulation course which is completed in the third year of the school. The first portion of Managing Bank Performance identifies the various drivers of bank performance which includes measurement of the drivers and discussions as to how the drivers can be used in concert with each other to achieve the desired goals of profitability. Additional discussions demonstrate how and why these drivers differ between banks of different sizes in the banking industry.

The objective of the second portion of the course is to identify the various risks faced by banks and to develop strategies for managing these risks for the purpose of achieving greater returns. The primary risk subjects to be discussed include interest rate, liquidity, credit, and operational risks. The course includes extensive discussion of Asset/Liability Management modeling inputs and outputs, including the development of assumptions, and the ALM models are presented from the viewpoints of bank management and bank regulatory oversight. Financial derivatives as used in managing bank risk are also presented.

James C. Thomas, Jr.     (Elective)

Negotiate to Win for Bankers – Your effectiveness at most of the things you do – whether its bargaining with customers over rates or structure, supporting credits through the approval process, dealing with staff performance problems, sorting out compliance issues with regulators, or simply managing everyday differences with colleagues, clients, friends, and significant others – will to a large degree be determined by how well you negotiate.

Mix in some of our industry’s big trends – commoditization and oversupply (translation:  increasingly brutal competition), customers who feel more powerful, less loyal, and more inclined to negotiate with bankers than ever before, and a major emphasis on improved earnings – and the conclusion is inescapable:  it’s time to improve your negotiating skills.

This course will teach you the very latest negotiating best practices.  Just as importantly, you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of how and why they work, along with the discipline, focus, and confidence to put them to immediate, profitable use.

Mark Faircloth      (Elective)

Recruiting and Retaining the Right Employees—In a series of real-life cases, this course presents specific steps and skills which help managers to be effective in attracting and keeping talented employees.  Bankers will learn how to better understand and apply successful interviewing questions, goal setting steps, team dynamics, group communication and individual coaching to a series of actual bank situations.  Special attention is given to talent sourcing, under-performing employees/departments, individual motivation and career path development.

Chad Tagtow      (Required)

Risk Management and Cybersecurity is designed to equip bankers with the tools to recognize and manage risk in a rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape. Banking is all about managing risk. Today’s banker needs to understand the unique risks and threats in today’s cyber-world due to rapid advances in technologies that are critically leveraged in every area of the bank. Topics include managing risk, risk assessment process, risk appetite, cyber-insurance, vendor management, law and regulations, emerging threats, business continuity planning, and incident response. Specific attention is given to breaches, ransomware, phishing, advanced persistent threats, corporate account takeover, and cloud security.

Mark J. Krawczyk     (Elective)

Treasury Management – Understanding what treasury management is – and how to be intelligent about and provide appropriate treasury management products/services to your customers can have a direct impact to the “bottom line.” Your customer’s treasury management operations deal with regulatory and oversight issues, treasury management products/services and short-term borrowing and investment practices and instruments. Understanding what treasury management is and your customer’s service and product needs in this area can play a key role in determining how competitive (translated: “profitable”) your bank can be in the treasury management marketplace. The focus of this course is to see YOUR role as a banker (as well as YOUR bank’s treasury management services/products) from the CUSTOMER’S perspective.

J. Michael Allen      (Elective)

Troubled Asset Resolution – In the past few years, bankers have experienced and are experiencing a period of unprecedented economic challenge.  Asset quality and loan performance metrics have improved for most.  But, as competition once again begins to get “frothy,” these improvements will be tested.   Capital preservation and liquidity are more precious to bankers today than ever before in our modern time.  Virtually all markets are affected.  These challenges are of a depth and breadth few have seen—let alone have experience at handling.  While asset quality trends are improving for the industry, many banks continue to battle troubled borrowers and are desirous of avoiding a “repeat of the past.”  Problem loans are a new reality for some.  How will your portfolio respond to continued pressure?  Are your internal management practices and board activities where they need to be?  How has this environment affected your relationship with your regulatory agencies?  This course is designed to provide some assistance, guidance and provoke thought as to how you handle loan performance challenges in your shop and be positioned to effectively manage the next generation of problem loans that might possibly already reside on your balance sheet.