On the Campus
This month, instead of A Letter from the Executive Director and from the Editor, we have decided to provide you with an update from the MTA Educational Foundation. This new column is one we are looking to run frequently in upcoming issues of Technically Speaking.
The MTA Educational Foundation at Howard University
Fred Meissner, Charlie Kirkpatrick, and I, Phil Roth, all lectured at Howard University this spring. Prof. William Barbee, in the business school at Howard University, has been conducting a course in technical analysis for a number of years. The MTAEF has been assisting him with guest speakers. I have been giving a lecture in sentiment and supply/ demand indicators for four years. I spoke this year on April 22, using a Powerpoint presentation that the MTAEF developed. I have made presentations at many colleges and universities, including, among others Tulane, Cornell, Georgia Tech, Baruch, and the University of Texas, and have been conducting my own course in the Graduate School of Business at Fordham University in New York for six years. I am always impressed by the caliber of students at Howard, and their interest in the markets and technical analysis. Prof. Barbee helps generate the interest by asking questions about the indicators and the sources of the data.
Fred Meissner:
A couple of week’s ago, I had the pleasure of teaching at Howard University. I have been teaching a class at this school for several years, and really enjoy Dr. Barbee and the students. The class is scheduled for the end of the day and I almost always run over time because the interest level of the students is so high.
I usually teach the Intermarket analysis module of the course, but as always we had a fairly wide ranging discussion – Dr. Barbee’s students are almost always well prepared and are interested both in the material as well as the markets themselves. Because they are well versed in the fundamentals they keep me on my toes!
It is tremendously rewarding to teach a class in Technical Analysis. When I started in the business back in 1983 there were no such classes, and unless one was lucky enough to find the right books, or find a mentor, knowledge was almost impossible to come by. One of the reasons that I became involved in the MTA way back when was to help others learn and to spread the word. Readers may recall that my first big job with the association was as Regions Chair. It still excites me to see chapters I helped to form going strong, and now providing teachers for the MTA course.
All CMT’s, and older, experienced members, should consider volunteering as a teacher. It is a great way to give back to the community, and to spread the knowledge that has been so rewarding to all of us.
Charlie Kirkpatrick:
Professor William C. ‘Kip’ Barbee has taught technical analysis for many years as a full credit course in the Howard University School of Business. Kip is known for several research papers on relative earnings, value, and price strength and has been published frequently in academic journals. Howard University is the premier African-American university and is located in Washington DC.
As part of the MTA Educational Foundation effort to help universities in teaching technical analysis, I had the privilege of lecturing to Professor Barbee’s class this spring on the subject of price patterns. Approximately 30 students attended the class, the full number enrolled. The students were asking numerous questions and showed extreme interest in how to use patterns to profit. Indeed, the enthusiasm was so high, I didn’t get to finish the talk but ran out of time. Professor Barbee was thrilled, as was I, to see such excitement over technical analysis.