Bloomberg Terminals to be Key Feature of the 140 Building
Pictured above are the Bloomberg terminals at Rose Hill. (TESSAVAN BERGEN/ OBSERVER ARCHIVE)
October 27, 2015
In fall 2016, Fordham Lincoln Center is expected to grow with the addition of the newly renovated former law school building, currently known as 140 West 62nd St., or “140,” in the Fordham community, according to the Office of Student Leadership and Community Development (OSLCD). One of the specific new additions will be a bank of 42 Bloomberg terminals. According to Brian Byrne, vice president of Fordham University, this was a specific request of the Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center (GSBLC).
A Bloomberg terminal is a special computer that shows real time financial information. “They have a special type of keyboard and they will usually have two monitors that allows easy access to a huge repository of financial data,” Douglas Blackburn, assistant professor of finance and business economics in the Gabelli School of Business, explained.
The financial data is presented in multiple different ways. “You can see graphs, time series and prices throughout time, compare stocks with one another, look at different types of financial data in different ways,” said Blackburn. “The data is in real time, which means whatever is happening in the market right now, that is what they are going to be seeing coming through the Bloomberg terminal.” Seeing data in real time is important for those that want to go into the stock market considering they will be able to understand what goes on on the floor.
This is extremely important information to be able to access for people who want to go into finance. “Bloomberg terminals are really the industry standard for how an analyst at any company is going to see what’s really currently happening in the market.”Blackburn said. Students need to be able to use Bloomberg terminals to succeed in the financial industry today. “Bloomberg has a good foothold in that market so if you want to be in the financial industry, understanding how to access data, and how to analyze data using the Bloomberg terminal is a real essential skill.”
According to Blackburn, any student that wants to use the terminals should have access to them. Currently there are Bloomberg terminals in the 45 Columbus Ave. building, used mainly for classes in the Masters of
Science and Quantitative Finance. In that room, “only a set of students have their ID cards able to open up the door” Blackburn explained. “I’m not sure what is going to happen in the other building and what security they are going to have. I certainly hope that any student that wants to learn more about finance has the ability to walk in.” The room will most likely have some classes taught in it, but all students will be able to take advantage of the space.
Bloomberg terminals are pricey when industry professions buy them, however most universities get a discount. “It is really in Bloomberg’s best interest to get their terminals on campuses so that the students are trained so that when they go out to industry they tell their bosses we really need a Bloomberg terminal,” said Blackburn. To ensure this, Bloomberg, “has done a lot to help universities get classrooms just like this one on campuses so that they can continue to corner the market.” The room will be similar to the ground floor of Hughes Hall at the Rose Hill campus. “In that particular room, there’s potentially going to be ticker symbols going around the ceiling, you’ll be able to be able to see perhaps tv screens with news,” Blackburn said. This will be appealing for prospective students to see when they are taking tours of the Lincoln Center campus.
