Faculty Financial Education Innovators Repository

The Faculty Financial Education Innovators Repository is a collection of assignments, activities, discussions, projects, assessments, and other teaching resources that integrate financial literacy concepts into courses across disciplines. Faculty can browse resources by micro-credential, discipline, or assignment type and contribute their own materials.

The repository is intended for Kennesaw State University faculty and staff who are interested in incorporating financial literacy concepts into coursework and student learning experiences.

The Financial Education Innovators Initiative supports faculty who integrate financial literacy micro-credentials into their courses through meaningful assignments, discussions, projects, reflections, or other learning activities.

Detailed information about the Merlin Wealth Management Financial Education Micro-Credentials, including learning outcomes and enrollment information, is available on the Academic Innovation website.

Contact the Office of Academic Innovation at oai@kennesaw.edu with questions about the repository, financial literacy micro-credentials, or the Financial Education Innovators Initiative.

No. Faculty may develop a new assignment or adapt an existing assignment, discussion, project, reflection, or learning activity to meaningfully incorporate one or more financial literacy micro-credentials.

The amount of time is at the instructor’s discretion and may vary based on course goals. Some faculty may use a brief discussion or reflection activity, while others may incorporate a larger project or multi-week assignment.

Faculty from all disciplines are encouraged to participate. Financial literacy can connect to career readiness, decision-making, social behavior, public policy, communication, culture, ethics, media, and professional development. Examples include:

• Sociology: Explore financial barriers affecting individuals experiencing domestic violence, including economic dependence, housing insecurity, and access to resources.
• Geography: Analyze global supply chains behind fast fashion, including labor practices, consumer behavior, sustainability, and regional economic impacts.
• Religious Studies: Examine tithing, charitable giving, stewardship, and financial decision-making within religious traditions and communities.
• Communication: Evaluate financial advertising, marketing strategies, or social-media influences on spending habits.
• Psychology: Investigate financial stress, decision-making, and behavioral factors influencing saving and spending.
• Political Science and Public Policy: Analyze taxes, student-loan policies, retirement systems, or other policies affecting personal financial well-being.

The goal is not to teach finance for its own sake, but to connect relevant financial literacy concepts to the topics, issues, and learning outcomes already present within the discipline.

Visit the Submit an Assignment page and complete the submission form. You will be asked to provide information about the resource, identify the relevant micro-credential or micro-credentials, and upload supporting materials.

Any KSU faculty member may submit assignments, activities, assessments, or instructional resources that meaningfully integrate one or more financial literacy micro-credentials into course content.

Browse by Assignment Type to find reflective writing, discussions, research activities, creative projects, collaborative assignments, simulations, and other teaching approaches.

Yes. Faculty are welcome to submit new or existing assignments that meaningfully integrate one or more financial literacy micro-credentials into course content.

Yes. Many assignments naturally support multiple micro-credentials and may be tagged accordingly.

Yes. Interdisciplinary assignments are encouraged and may be assigned to multiple disciplines when appropriate.

Yes. The repository is intended to support the sharing and adaptation of ideas across disciplines. Faculty are encouraged to modify resources as needed to fit their course objectives and student populations.

Yes. Students must complete all requirements associated with the micro-credential through the designated platform with a grade of 80% or higher to earn the micro-credential.

Yes. Faculty may offer micro-credentials as extra credit. However, for participants in the Financial Education Innovators Initiative, the proposed innovation must include a meaningful assignment, discussion, reflection, project, or other learning activity connected to course content. Offering micro-credentials for extra credit alone does not meet the initiative requirements.

No. A student may complete multiple assignments associated with the same financial literacy micro-credential and may retake the micro-credential to improve a score. However, the micro-credential itself can be awarded only once.

No. Repository assignments are designed to complement financial literacy micro-credentials. Students must still complete the micro-credential requirements through the appropriate platform and process.

Not all students are expected to earn the micro-credential. Some may choose not to complete it, while others may not initially achieve a passing score. Students may retake the micro-credential to improve their score. Faculty should report the students who successfully completed it when submitting completion documentation.

A D2L gradebook export may be submitted as verification of completion:

1. Open the course in D2L.
2. Navigate to Grades.
3. Select Enter Grades.
4. Locate the assignment or grade item associated with the financial literacy micro-credential.
5. Select Export.
6. Choose the assignment or grade item to export.
7. Include first name, last name, email address if available, and grade or completion status.
8. Select Export to CSV.
9. Download the file and review it for accuracy.
10. Email the file to oai@kennesaw.edu as verification of student completion.

For each student, include:

• First name
• Last name
• KSU email address
• Financial Literacy Micro-Credential or Micro-Credentials completed and the grade earned

If students complete the micro-credentials through OwlTrain rather than D2L, email oai@kennesaw.edu confirming that all participating students completed the required credentials.

Faculty must verify student completion by either:

• Submitting a D2L gradebook export that includes student names, KSU email addresses, and completed micro-credentials; or
• Emailing oai@kennesaw.edu to confirm that students completed the required micro-credentials through OwlTrain.

The stipend payment process can begin once completion documentation is received.

The stipend payment process begins after the required student completion documentation has been submitted and verified. It then appears on the faculty member’s next paycheck.