Instructor:  Sandra Roberson, CPA
Office phone:  (864) 294-2225
Office:  Hipp Hall 201F
Office hours:  MW 1:30 to 2:30 and by appointment
Email:  sandy.roberson@furman.edu
Web site:  http://eweb.furman.edu/~sroberson
Home phone:  (864) 246-5642

This syllabus and related point allocations for purposes of grading may change during the term.  Any changes will be announced in class and posted to Moodle.

Course Description and Goal: This course introduces the concepts of financial accounting, including the principles upon which the determination of a company's net income and financial position are based. Upon completion of this course you should have an understanding of the basic financial statements, the items included in these reports and the economic events and accounting behind them. You should also have an appreciation for the judgments involved in the related accounting decisions and the factors that may influence them.

Text:  Financial Accounting (15th Edition),  Williams, Haka, Bettner, Carcello,  Irwin McGraw-Hill, 2012.

Web site: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0077328701/student_view0/

Written Assignments: Each reading assignment will be accompanied by a written assignment to test your understanding of the material and to reinforce what you have learned. Financial accounting concepts are mastered by working through questions, problems and cases that allow you to practice their application; therefore, it is important that you complete all written assignments.    Those written assignments followed by a * on the assignment sheet will be reviewed in class in detail.   For the items not reviewed in class, you should compare your solution to the solutions manual which is available on Moodle.  If you do not understand the solution or have questions about it, you should raise questions in class or see me outside of class.   I may collect  any written assignment (excluding discussion questions) on an unannounced basis.  This includes assignments we are not going over in class.  When assignments are collected, you will received 1 point if you have made an honest attempt to complete all sections of  the assignment.  You will receive no points if you do not have the assignment completed or it is clear that you put little effort into its completion.  Points related to collected assignments will be included in your final grade determination. The solutions manual is a valuable tool for checking your work and providing solutions to extra problems that you may wish to work prior to an exam or quiz.  Do not, however, rely on the manual to help you get through the homework - if you do, it is likely that you will regret this decision at exam time.

Keys to Succeeding in this Course and Course Approach:  Prior to our discussion of each chapter in class, you should read the chapter and work through the demonstration problem.  A significant benefit of working through the demonstration problem prior to when the related material is discussed is that it  forces you to consider the material on your own and identify areas of confusion.  Additionally, rather than lecture on chapter material I may instead use in class exercises where you will be asked to apply the chapter concepts based on your reading.  During these exercises I will answer questions and clarify areas of confusion  so it is important that you are prepared to actively participate.  If you take advantage of this opportunity to address your questions in the classroom,  you will then be prepared  to complete the written assignments.  If, when assignments are reviewed in class or when you compare your solution to the solutions manual, you realize you have made significant errors, you should find a similar problem in the text and complete it to insure that you now understand the related concepts.  In accounting, which is learned by doing not by watching someone else do,  it is easy to lull yourself into thinking you understand something when you do not.  Practice working problems without looking back into the chapter and be sure that you not only know how to work each type of problem but that you also understand the "why" of what you are doing.  If prior to the exam, you cannot solve a problem covering each key concept included in the related chapters without looking at your notes,  the book, or the answer key for help, you will have trouble on the exam.

Chapter Quizzes:  There will be a quiz on each chapter, except those (5, 9 and 13) which immediately precede an exam.  Each quiz (except the quiz on Chapter 1) will be worth 5 points and will generally be given at the end of class during the class period following the completion of the related chapter (including homework).  I will drop your lowest grade on the quizzes.  I may occassionaly give a group quiz as well as an individual quiz.  If this occurs, the two scores will be averaged to determine your grade for that quiz.

Exams:  There will be three exams during the term as follows:

Exam Format:  Exams may include true false, multiple choice, problems and/or short answer questions.  Exams are designed to test your comprehension of the material and your ability to apply the concepts studied.  Accordingly, exam problems will not necessarily mirror the format found in  the written assignments and may challenge you to apply the skills learned in class in NEW ways (in other words, you cannot just memorize problem formats covered in class and expect to do well).

Professional Development: In order to encourage you to consider accounting beyond the textbook you will be asked to complete two professional development activities during the term.  For one activity you must locate information regarding careers in accounting on the internet and write a summary of what you learned. Your write-up should clearly indicate the source of your information.   For the other activity you may choose from the list below.  Each of the activities will be worth 1.6 points.  Written reports related to these activities should be prepared in good form.  Among other things, good form means the report should be typed and free of spelling and grammatical errors.   Each report (with the exception of haikus, poems and songs) should be double-spaced with one inch margins and be at least one page in length (not counting the space for name, class, title).  The activity related to accounting careers is due on January 27.  The other activity must be turned in by April 23.

Locate an article in the current business press related to accounting.  Prepare a brief summary of what you learned from the article.

Turn in an accounting cartoon with a brief explanation of what you think it "says" about the profession (cartoons that are handed out in class, posted on the professors door or in her office are not eligible).

Write an original song, haiku or other poem with an accounting theme.

Attend a presentation sponsored by the Business and Accounting Department and prepare a brief summary of what you learned (announcements will be made regarding qualifying presentations).

Other Assignments:  During the term I may assign additional graded work.  These assignments may include, but are not limited to, short papers, research or problems.

Grading:  Your final grade will be based on your total number of points earned as a percentage of the total points available.  The grading scale that will be used to determine your final grade is as follows:
 

Class Attendance and Participation: Attendance is a very important part of this course and you will be held accountable for material discussed in class that is not in the text. Additionally, please show respect for your professor and your classmates by arriving on time. If, at the end of the term, you have no unexcused absences and have been late no more than one time, you will receive 2 points of extra credit.  Class participation is also an important component of this course as it makes the class more interesting for everyone (including me) and it helps me to gauge how well the class understands the course material.  To that end, you can expect to be called on in class, and I encourage you to ask questions.

Cell phone policy:  Cell phones may not be used in class except as calculators during quizzes.  For exams, cell phones may not be used as calculators.  Students who are observed using their cell phones during class other than as a calculator,  will have 2 points deducted from their final point total for each incident.  Cell phone use includes texting, calling and answering ringing phones.  If you have an emergency situation that requires you to answer your phone or text during class, please inform me of this prior to class and leave the room when you are using your phone.

Students with disabilities who need academic accommodations should contact Ms. Gina Parris in the Office of Disability Services.  After meeting with her, contact me.   It is important that you do this early in the term.

Academic Integrity:  Your enrollment in this class signifies that you accept the rules of academic honesty provided in the Helmsman. Any violation is grounds for an "F" in this course.  Cheating on assignments, plagiarism, and other similar conduct will result in immediate dismissal from this course.