Faculty Syllabus

PREREQUISITES:
Before enrolling in ACNT 2343, you must have completed ACCT 2301 and ACCT 2302 (or their course equivalents) with a C or better grade. Students who have not completed the prerequisite courses or who cannot document completion will be withdrawn from the class.

Basic computer skills utilizing internet, word processing, spreadsheet (Excel), and presentation (Power Point) software are recommended for all accounting courses. Generally, all assignments are to be prepared on the computer and presented in a format that would be acceptable in a professional, business environment.  Access to computers is available at the college. 

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS/MATERIALS:

Accounting Theory: Conceptual Issues in a Political and Economic Environment, 9th Edition.
Harry L. Wolk, James L. Dodd, John J. Rozyyci. 

This course is part of the “First Day Access” program. Most students purchased the required course materials (eBook) with their registration fee. Unless you opted-out at registration you do not need to purchase an eBook. 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is a survey of current financial accounting theory. The purpose of the course is to develop accounting thought that can be applied to the practical understanding of the financial reporting process, the accounting profession, and the controversial role of accounting in today's dynamic business environment.

Major course topics include the nature of accounting theory; the historical development of accounting, the FASB's Conceptual Framework project; and the influence of standard setting agencies on the economic consequences of financial reporting. Specific topics like concepts of income and valuation, earnings management, and the role of the auditing professional give an indication of the state of the accounting profession and the impact of issues facing the future of accounting in America.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY: 

The objectives of this course will be met by incorporating a variety of online instructional methods.  These include a combination of reading assignments, chapter quizzes, written papers, group work, and research activities.  Instruction in this course occurs online.

PROGRAM-LEVEL STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: 

Upon successful completion of the Accounting program, students will be able to:

• Complete degree requirements
• Obtain or improve job skills
• Satisfy educational requirements for CPA exam

COMMON COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES:

The objective of this course is to promote understanding of contemporary accounting issues related to financial reporting, with an emphasis on recent accounting trends and controversial topics.  A number of core competencies will be addressed in ACNT 2343. Upon completion of this course, students should:

• Understand the history of accounting standard-setting in the United States, and apply this history when explaining the current standard-setting environment.
• Examine the role of the Conceptual Framework in the standard-setting process.
• Discuss Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in relation to a variety of controversial accounting issues.
• Understand and demonstrate how financial reporting choices affect economic decisions of investors, creditors, and others.
• Use principles of revenue recognition to analyze, measure, and interpret accounting events.
• Demonstrate how and why companies try to "manage" earnings, and the consequences of such earnings manipulation practices.
• Explain the impact of recent legislation, accounting and auditing standards on the future of the accounting profession.
• Consider the role of audit-related issues on the quality of financial reporting.
• Develop excellent oral and written communications skills.
• Successfully perform accounting research on a variety of topics.

TEXAS STATE BOARD:

Austin Community College has received the designation of Qualifying Educational Credit for CPA Examination by the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy (Board). To sit for the CPA exam, a candidate must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree with 150 credit hours, including 36 hours of accounting, an approved 3 credit hour accounting ethics course, and 24 credit hours of business courses. This course qualifies as one of the 30 required upper-level accounting courses. However for this course to be counted, the student MUST have completed a bachelor's degree PRIOR to taking this course. If this course is completed before a bachelor's degree is awarded, the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy will not accept it. Please review the information on our web site. It is the responsibility of the student to understand and comply with the requirements of the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy.

It is very important that you enroll in the Professional Accountant - Advanced Technical Certificate and that you see an advisor at the start of your program. Please be aware of enforcement of prerequisites. If you do not have the necessary prerequisites for this course, I will withdraw you from the course.

DISTANCE EDUCATION:

If you are new to the online learning environment, learning is competed through blackboard.  All instruction and assignments can be accessed through blackboard.  The course instructor communicates with students through blackboard announcements, email, and course discussion boards.  Unlike a traditional face-to-face learning environment, students do not physically attend class.  However, online learning environments are similar to the traditional face-to-face environments in that students will be required to read, complete assignments, ask questions, interact with peers, engage in group activities, and follow the course schedule.  Students who are new to distance education should review the ACC Distance Education General Information available at https://online.austincc.edu/faq/

This is a demanding, upper level college course, requiring significant study time outside of class.  Students should plan on spending as much time preparing for each session of the online class as they would spend preparing for a face-to face class.

Please note that online students will use the Blackboard learning management system for assignment instructions, submitting assignments, and collaboration.

CLASS POLICIES:

Scholastic Dishonesty:  Acts prohibited by the college for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, research or self-expression. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations, and homework. Electronic devices may not be used for exams unless specifically authorized by the instructor.  Penalties for scholastic dishonesty will depend upon the nature of the violation and may range from lowering a grade on one assignment to an F in the course and/or expulsion from this institution.

See Student Handbook: www.austincc.edu/handbook

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is taken very seriously in this class. Plagiarism is considered to be copying of another’s work including another students, internet, or research source. Any phrase, sentence, paragraph, etc. that is take from another’s work must be cited appropriately. All students are required to review the plagiarism module that can be found in the course for further instructions. All assignments submitted in this course are run through a comprehensive plagiarism checker. The first instance of plagiarism will result in a required student/faculty meeting and a grade of zero on that assignment. The second instance of plagiarism will result in a referral to the college dean of student services and a grade of F in the course.

Communication: My preferred method of communication is email. Please email me from your ACC email account, and I will reply at my earliest convenience. If I do not reply within 24 hours, you are welcome to follow up.

Withdrawal: It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his or her name is removed from the roll should he or she decide to withdraw from the class. The instructor does, however, reserve the right to drop a student should he or she feel it is necessary. If a student decides to withdraw, he or she should also verify that the withdrawal is submitted before the Final Withdrawal Date. The student is also strongly encouraged to keep any paperwork in case a problem arises.

Incomplete: An incomplete (grade of "I") will only be given for extenuating circumstances. What constitutes “extenuating circumstances” is left to the instructor’s discretion. If a grade of I is given, the remaining course work must be completed by a date set by the student and professor. This date may not be later than two weeks prior to the end of the following semester. A grade of I also requires completion and submission of the Incomplete Grade Form, to be signed by the faculty member (and student if possible) and submitted to the department chair.

Students may request an Incomplete from their faculty member if they believe circumstances warrant. The faculty member will determine whether the Incomplete is appropriate to award or not. The following processes must be followed when awarding a student an I grade. 

1. Prior to the end of the semester in which the “I” is to be awarded, the student must meet with the instructor to determine the assignments and exams that must be completed prior to the deadline date. This meeting can occur virtually or in person. The instructor should complete the Report of Incomplete Grade form.
2. The faculty member will complete the form, including all requirements to complete the course and the due date, sign (by typing in name) and then email it to the student. The student will then complete his/her section, sign (by typing in name), and return the completed form to the faculty member to complete the agreement. A copy of the fully completed form can then be emailed by the faculty member to the student and the department chair for each grade of Incomplete that the faculty member submits at the end of the semester.   
3. The student must complete all remaining work by the date specified on the form above. This date is determined by the instructor in collaboration with the student, but it may not be later than the final withdrawal deadline in the subsequent long semester.  
4. Students will retain access to the course Blackboard page through the subsequent semester in order to submit work and complete the course. Students will be able to log on to Blackboard and have access to the course section materials, assignments, and grades from the course and semester in which the Incomplete was awarded.  
5. When the student completes the required work by the Incomplete deadline, the instructor will submit an electronic Grade Change Form to change the student’s performance grade from an “I” to the earned grade of A, B, C, D, or F. 

If an Incomplete is not resolved by the deadline, the grade automatically converts to an “F.” Approval to carry an Incomplete for longer than the following semester or session deadline is not frequently granted.

QUIZZES:

There is one orientation quiz (10 multiple choice questions) and 16 chapter quizzes (20 multiple choice questions). Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped. These are individual quizzes to be completed on the due date assigned in Blackboard. Late quizzes are not accepted and there is no make-up for quizzes. Please ensure that all quizzes are submitted by due date.

CLASS DISCUSSION BOARD:

A discussion board forum will be opened for each of our three units, as well as one for intructions. Each unit will require graded student posts. Student post requirements for each unit will be posted on blackboard in the Class Discussion Board folder. All required student posts must be submitted through blackboard by due date. Late posts are not accepted and there is no make-up for class discussion board posts. 

CHAPTER ASSIGNMENTS:

Chapter assignments will consist of graded assignments related to textbook topic coverage. The assignments will correlate with the week’s class topics. Assignment instructions will be posted on blackboard in the Chapter Assignments folder. All assignments must be submitted through blackboard by due date. Late assignments are not accepted and there is no make-up for assignments. 

TOPICAL PAPERS:

A topical paper is a written analysis and presentation of a topic of interest for this course. Its purpose is to further investigate specific accounting theory issues of interest to this course. I will provide a special instruction (via blackboard) describing the details of the topical paper assignments. These are group papers to be completed on the due date assigned in Blackboard. Late topical papers are not accepted and there is no make-up for topical papers. Please ensure that all topical papers are submitted by due date. Detailed instructions for submitting topical papers is provided on blackboard.

WHITE PAPER:

The major project in this class is a research activity that results in a proposed accounting standard to address the issue of earnings management. An accounting white paper is a research paper and a statement of position that communicates the expectations of a specified interest group. The interest groups to be formed in ACCT 2343 will be similar to actual interest groups/advocacy groups that provide input into the accounting standard-setting process.

This is a group paper to be completed on the due date assigned in Blackboard. Late white papers are not accepted and there is no make-up for white papers. Please ensure that all white papers are submitted by due date. Detailed instructions for submitting the white paper is provided on blackboard. More information will be communicated about the White Paper through blackboard.  

GROUP PARTICIPATION:

Group activities play an important role in the conduct of online education. That role is to elevate your performance to a level that exceeds what can be achieved by single individuals in the reasonable course of study. At the beginning of the semester, students will be assigned to groups. All topical papers and the white paper will be completed within the assigned group.

A NOTE REGARDING WRITING ASSIGNMENTS:

The focus of this course is to develop, analyze, and interpret accounting thought. I am interested in your well-developed thoughts about accounting issues - thoughts that are supported by quality research. Writing should demonstrate the desired clarity and succinctness essential for effective business communication. All papers submitted are expected to be of upper-level academic quality. As an active learner, you are to seek out the information you need to appropriately address the theoretical issues presented by each theory case or paper.

A NOTE REGARDING GROUP WORK:

My policy regarding group membership is that each student is responsible for all aspects of the assignment – research, reading, writing, proofing, etc. Accordingly, all group members should receive the same grade. Any student that does not carry his/her weight may be removed from the group. 

When removed from a group, students then have the option of completing assignments on their own for a reduced grade. The same due dates, and project requirements apply. Solo papers are held to the exact same standards as group papers.  There is a 20% penalty for failure to participate in group work. The highest possible grade on these solo paper assignments is 80%.

To assure that your participation is recognized appropriately, be sure to contribute early and often to the Group Discussion Board that is set aside for that specific purpose. You may enhance your own contributions to these discussions by keeping abreast of current events and becoming familiar with assigned readings.

OTHER NOTES:

• Unless otherwise indicated, each assignment is due in the Blackboard Course Management System before Sunday night at 11:59 pm.
• All assignments are to be type-written using the requirements specified in the assignment handout.
• This is a demanding, upper level college course, requiring significant study time outside of class. Students should plan on spending as much time preparing for each session of the online class as they would preparing for a face-to face class.
• All things are subject to change, as is this syllabus.