Programs
Market Cents
Markets are volatile, complicated mechanisms, even to seasoned professionals. To underclass students without a strong finance background, they can be bewildering, confusing, even impossible to decipher.
Market Cents brings clarity to the markets. This segment of UFA meetings is a unique 15-minute discussion divided into two parts. The first is an educational component giving members a better understanding of fundamental concepts in finance. After a brief topic-based presentation, selected UFA members lead a discussion about current events and ongoing issues in the world of finance. UFA awards Prizes, such as mugs, t-shirts, Starbucks gift cards, and other items, to students that stimulate discussion or offer interesting market insight.
Occurring weekly before UFA’s general meetings, Market Cents is one of UFA’s most popular programs. The program encourages open communication in a pressure-free environment, further supplementing classroom discussions.
Peer Mentor Group (PMG)
College is a time of important decisions. The decisions incoming students make while at The University of Texas at Austin will certainly affect both their professional and personal futures.
The Peer Mentor Group guides incoming students in learning and decision making. Every Fall, UFA accepts a select group of incoming students interested in finance and assigns them to a group of upperclass finance students. These mentors assist the younger students’ college transition and advise them regarding career paths, business courses, and, in general, how to become a better finance major.
PMGs effectiveness a leadership and team-building program is unquestionable: historically, 80% of UFA’s officers were in the PMG. This builds a virtuous cycle of leadership, ensuring a strong officer corps in the future.
Socials
Sometimes it’s not what you know, but whom you know. In the UFA we excel at both.
Socials allow members a networking opportunity to establish valuable relationships. While UFA’s meetings and programs strive to increase financial knowledge for members, socials foster necessary relationship and networking skills vital to a successful finance career.
We recognize that having fun can be just as important as working hard. During the course of the year, we hold several social activities that encourage members to get to know each other better. These socials provide a relaxed environment for our members to interact on a more personal level. Many of our socials are in conjunction with other business organizations, which gives us a chance to offer bigger and better events. Activities have included broomball, mixers, IM sports, dinners, and laser tag.
Community Service
“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile” - Albert Einstein
UFA values community service and seeks to better integrate itself into the Austin community as a whole. UFA takes a comprehensive, value-added approach to community service. We believe any organization can donate funds to a worthy cause. However, UFA takes a more targeted approach that best utilizes members’ talents, the Association’s strengths, and the Association’s financial resources.
To this end, UFA is now in the process of forming a unique partnership with Eastside Community Connection to teach financial education classes to low-income families on the eastside of Austin. Check back frequently for update on our progress!