Students invest cash for Western Michigan University | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Close circuited for SIMM:

Students invest cash for Western Michigan University | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press: "

The 15 students in Len Harrison's Finance 4980 class in January were handed $500,000 of the roughly $200-million Western Michigan University Foundation endowment to invest.

It's the first time WMU has entrusted students with endowment funds.

Over three semesters, they will make real decisions in investing real money in hopes of preparing them for real careers. Harrison of LVM Capital in Portage said they are tentative: 'They'll come in and say, 'This is what the analysts' reports say,' and I have to remind them, 'No, you're the analysts now.' '"

And at Michigan State:

"Since 2003, Michigan State University students have invested about $3 million in endowment money that supports research. The student-run domestic-equities fund outperforms similar funds in the foundation's portfolio, said Jim Wiggins, associate professor of finance at MSU"