The E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration has inaugurated an innovative approach to financial education with its new Investments Laboratory, which opened Sept. 23.

Located on the ground floor of the Wall Building, the state-of-the-art lab is equipped with a 15-foot ticker display with scrolling financial information; two large screen televisions that offer access to CNN, CNBC and other financial news channels; 22 student terminals with dual monitors; and world-class investment management software. The databases in the lab include Morningstar’s Investment Research Center, Thomson Reuters’ Datastream, and Value Line’s Investment Survey, among others.

The establishment of the investment lab and the creation of a student-managed investment fund has been a goal of the Wall College for many years, according to Ralph Byington, dean of the Wall College of Business. “This new facility offers students and other stakeholders the opportunity to learn about financial markets in an engaging and hands-on environment,” said Byington.

According to Marvin Keene, the Marshall D. Butler Distinguished Professor of Finance at CCU, the new lab will create a host of benefits, including an enhanced curricular program in finance; exposure to databases used by financial professionals that will significantly enhance the skill sets and marketability of CCU students; increased motivation for learning through the use of real-time, real-world data; and real-time participation in simulated and actual financial markets.

“Not only will the lab help enhance the finance degree and curriculum that is offered to us,” said Tom Kelly, a junior accounting and finance major from Yorktown Heights, N.Y., “ it will also be a great place for my fellow classmates and me to compare research and collaborate on projects. We will learn the fundamentals of how the world of finance truly works, so that once we leave CCU we will be better able to succeed in the job market.”