GREEN MOUNTAIN COLLEGE
Course Syllabus
Whenever there is a question about what assignments are due, please remember this
syllabus is considered to be the ruling document.
COURSE INFORMATION
COURSE NUMBER: BUS 2001
COURSE TITLE: FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING
COURSE START DATE: August 29, 2005
COURSE END DATE: December 13, 2005
COURSE MEETING TIME: Tuesday and Friday at 12:30 –1:45 P.M.
LOCATION: Terrace 123
REQUIRED TEXT: College Accounting: Chapters 1-13 (Revised '04)
(Paperback) by John Ellis Price
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
William H. Prado, M.B.A.
Assistant Professor
Green Mountain College
Email: pradow@greenmtn.edu
Alternate email: wprado@email.uophx.edu
Phone: 287-8248
Office: Moses 142 (Moses 7 for now)
Office hours: Tue. & Fri.: 10:15-10:45 AM; 3:30-5:30 PM; Also by appt.
WORDS OF WELCOME
Welcome to BUS2001! This course provides students with an understanding of the
concepts, principles and functions of financial accounting, as well as an examination of
current and emerging issues in financial accounting. Topics include accounting and the
business environment; recording business transactions; the balance sheet; and the
income statement.
I will do everything that I can to ensure that this course will be a stimulating learning
experience for all of us. If you ever have questions or need coaching, please feel free to
let me know. Together, I trust that we will have an exciting, stimulating and rewarding
class adventure.
1
STUDENT OUTCOMES:
Students will…
…(1) be able to explain the place of accounting in the business environment.
…(2) be able to record business transactions.
…(3) understand the adjusting process.
…(4) be able to explain the accounting cycle
…(5) understand the accounting of merchandising operations.
…(6) be able to explain the accounting treatment of merchandise inventory.
…(7) understand the fundamental aspects of accounting information systems.
…(8) be able to explain internal control and cash from an accounting perspective.
…(9) understand the receivables in an accounting context.
…(10) be able to explain the accounting treatment of plant assets and intangibles.
…(11) be able to explain the accounting treatment of current liabilities and payroll.
…(12) be able to explain the accounting treatment of partnerships.
…(13) be able to explain the accounting treatment of paid-in capital and the balance
sheet of corporations.
…(14) be able to explain the accounting treatment of retained earnings, treasury stock,
and the income statement.
…(15) be able to explain the accounting treatment of long term liabilities.
CLASS PROCEDURES & POLICIES
Green Mountain College academic policies apply; a few of these are reprinted below.
CLASS ATTENDANCE:
Classes: Regular attendance is expected at all scheduled class sessions. Participation
too is very important. Together with classroom decorum issues (see below), these
determine the participation component of students’ course grade. If a student misses an
excessive number of classes, the instructor may reduce the student's grade or may drop
the student from the course and record a "Withdraw."
2
CLASSROOM DECORUM:
Green Mountain College instructors choose to teach classes in a cordial, collegial, and
respectful environment without unnecessary interruptions and distractions. No doubt,
the vast majority of students prefer to take classes in this same kind of environment.
Therefore, students to honor these guidelines for classroom behavior:
* Arrive on-time for class
* Take care of your washroom / refreshment needs before coming to class
* Turn off your cellular phones and pagers during class
* Once class begins, commit to staying for the entire class period
* Restrict your conversations to class-related topics
* Show respect for the thoughts, opinions and feelings of other students.
MAKE-UP EXAMS:
Being present for scheduled exams is one of your most important responsibilities as a
student. If you miss the original quiz, test or exam, you should NOT expect that a
make-up exam will be available automatically to you, except as follows:
Make-Ups: It is the policy of Green Mountain College to allow make-ups for
students who miss exams while actively representing the College (e.g., choir,
sports teams). Such students must individually discuss with the instructor their
impending absence and make alternative arrangements BEFORE they miss an
exam (blanket notices of team schedules from coaches are not sufficient in this
regard).
Otherwise, the availability of a make-up exam is at the sole discretion of the instructor.
Make immediate contact with the instructor to determine what your options may be.
Failure to contact the instructor before the next scheduled class period may result in a
grade of “zero” for the missed exam.
WRITTEN WORK:
All assignments must reflect the professional use of Standard American English
grammar, spelling and punctuation. All assignments must meet professional standards
for format, word processing, grammar, spelling, punctuation and presentation. The
Green Mountain College Library Web site has valuable reference resources that can
help you. Also, see the learning center information below. Students must maintain a
backup copy of all work in progress, and retain a paper or digital backup copy of all
work submitted.
GRADING:
Academic performance standards are not negotiable. The grading allocation is
determined by the instructor and it is not negotiable or adaptable for each student. You
should not expect to get extra credit assignments if you have difficulty handling the
stress of exams, if you “do not test well”, are a poor writer, etc. For these and similar
issues, I encourage you to use the available College support systems:
3
• Writing Support: In addition to the help that may be expected from the academic
instructors of writing-intensive courses, the Learning Center has a professional
writing instructor on its staff. Workshops designed to increase awareness in writing
organization, style, and creativity are offered during the course of a year. Students
may schedule individual appointments to discuss specific issues related to short-
term or long-term writing problems related to any course work delivered at the
College.
• Math Support: The Learning Center provides the highest quality of support for its
students through a staff mathematics instructor. Specifically working with students
enrolled in the basic math and introductory math courses, the Learning Center
affords a unique opportunity for students to improve their math skills. Students
needing individual assistance, will be able to schedule appointments as needed.
• Peer Tutoring Program: The Peer Tutoring program of Green Mountain College is
one of the most highly respected programs. Selecting its participants from the finest
students on campus, our peer tutors deliver an array of support to assist students in
reaching their academic goals. Whether a student is in need of support throughout a
course or just periodic support, peer tutors can be accessed at any time. Please
refer to the college web site for access information.
Students start each semester with a grade of “0%”, not “100%”. How much you build on
this starting grade depends on your performance as measured by exams, homework
assignments and other course requirements. Letter grades are earned according to the
achievement criteria stated in the Green Mountain College academic policies.
Grade Quality Points
A 4.0
A- 3.7
B+ 3.3
B 3.0
B- 2.7
C+ 2.3
C 2.0
C- 1.7
D+ 1.3
D 1.0
D- 0.7
F 0.0
Federal privacy regulations prohibit faculty from publicly posting grades by student
name or by full Social Security number.
4
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Green Mountain College expects all members of its community to conduct themselves
with honor and integrity. All members of the community are encouraged to assist the
College by reporting suspected violations of academic integrity to appropriate
administrators, faculty, or staff. Behavior that is detrimental to the College's role as an
educational institution is not acceptable and requires attention by all citizens of its
community. To minimize academic dishonesty, both students and instructors should
take all necessary measures to prevent its occurrence.
Students have an obligation to themselves and to their fellow students to uphold the
integrity of their institution and of higher learning itself by: (1) Refusing to participate,
either directly or indirectly, in acts of dishonesty, and (2) discouraging such acts by
others. One who collaborates with another in an act of dishonesty shares the guilt of the
offense. Cheating, in all of its manifestations, is a deplorable and dishonest activity, a
betrayal of personal values and contrary to the basic goals of learning and individual
development to which students, teachers, and the College are committed. Students
must be fully aware of what constitutes academic dishonesty; claims of ignorance, of
unintentional error, or of academic or personal pressures cannot be used to justify or
rationalize dishonest acts.
Sanctions: Each instructor has the authority and responsibility of determining the
assessment of penalties for academic dishonesty within the context of their course. If a
breach of conduct is particularly serious it may warrant action beyond the context of the
course in which case an instructor may refer the case to the Student Judicial Board.
The following is a list of the types of behaviors that are defined as examples of
academic dishonesty and are therefore unacceptable. Attempts to commit such acts
also fall under the term academic dishonesty and are also subject to penalty. No set of
guidelines can, of course, define all possible types or degrees of academic dishonesty;
thus, the following descriptions should be understood as examples of infractions rather
than an exhaustive list.
The following acts constitute prohibited conduct:
• Plagiarism: Presenting as one's own work the work of another person (e.g., the
words, ideas, information, data, evidence, organizing principles or style of
presentation of someone else). Plagiarism includes paraphrasing or summarizing
without acknowledgment, submission of another's work as one's own, the purchase
of prepared research or completed papers or projects, and the unacknowledged use
of research sources gathered by someone else. Failure to indicate accurately the
extent and precise nature of one's reliance on other sources is also a form of
plagiarism. The student is responsible for understanding the consequences for
violating College regulations.
Examples of plagiarism include: failure to acknowledge the source(s) of even a
few phrases, sentences or paragraphs; failure to acknowledge the source(s)
(quoted, paraphrased or summarized) of major sections or passages in the paper
or project; failure to acknowledge the source(s) of a major idea or the source(s)
5
for an ordering principle central to the paper's or project's structure. In the
preparation of research papers, reports, essays, compositions and speeches,
students will generally utilize information gained from others. It is absolutely
necessary to acknowledge these resources.
• Cheating on Examinations: Giving or receiving unauthorized help before, during, or
after an examination.
Examples of unauthorized help include collaboration of any sort during an
examination (unless specifically approved by the instructor); collaboration before
an examination (when such collaboration is specifically forbidden by the
instructor); the use of notes, books, or other aids during an examination (unless
permitted by the instructor); arranging for another person to take an examination
in one's place; looking upon someone else's examination during the examination
period; intentionally allowing another student to look upon one's exam; the
unauthorized discussing of test items during the examination period; and the
passing of any examination information to students who have not yet taken the
examination. No conversation should occur while an examination is in progress
unless specifically authorized by the instructor.
• Multiple Submission: Submitting substantial portions of the same work for credit
more than once, without the prior explicit consent of the instructor(s) to whom the
material is being (or has in the past been) submitted.
• Forgery: Imitating another person's signature on academic or other official
documents (e.g., the signing of an adviser's name to a registration form).
• Sabotage: Destroying, damaging, or stealing another's work or working materials
(including lab experiments, computer programs, term papers, or projects).
• Unauthorized Collaboration: Collaborating on projects, papers, or other academic
exercise if regarded as inappropriate by the instructor(s). Although the usual faculty
assumption is that work submitted for credit is entirely one's own, standards on
appropriate and inappropriate collaboration vary widely among individual faculty and
different disciplines. Students who want to confer or collaborate with one another on
work receiving academic credit should make certain of the instructor's expectations
and standards.
• Falsification: Misrepresenting material or fabricating information in an academic
exercise or assignment (e.g., the false or misleading citation of courses, the
falsification of experimental or computer data, etc.).
• Bribery: Offering or giving any article of value or service to an instructor or College
staff member in an attempt to receive a grade or other benefits not legitimately
earned or not available to other students in the class.
6
• Theft, Damage or Misuse of Library or Computer Resources: Removing uncharged
library materials from the library, defacing or damaging materials, intentionally
displacing or hoarding materials within the library for one's unauthorized private use,
or other abuse of reserve-book privileges; using the College or another person's
computer accounts, codes, passwords, or facilities without authorization; damaging
computer equipment; or interfering with the College's computer operating system.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class
are encouraged to contact the Calhoun Learning Center (X8287 or X8232) as soon as
possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely
fashion.
POINT VALUES FOR COURSE COMPONENTS
Component Percent
Individual (70%)
Participation 15
Individual & Team Assignments 25
Mid-term Exam 30
Final Exam 30
TOTAL 100
Otal 100
SCHEDULE OF TOPICS & EXAMS*
Class Text Chapter Exam
Aug 30, Sep 2 1
Sep 6, 9 2
Sep 13, 16 3
Sep 20, 23 4
Sep 27, 30 5
Oct 4 review
Oct 7 Mid-Term
Oct 11 Fall Break
Oct 14, 18 6
Oct 21, 25 7
Oct 28, Nov 1 8
Nov 4, 8 9
Nov 11, 15 10
Nov 18, 22 11
Nov 25 Thanksgiving break No Class
Nov 29, Dec 2 12, 13
Dec 6, Dec 9 13, review
7
Dec 12-15 Consult final exam Final Exam
schedule for specific date
and time
*Individual & team deliverables will be assigned throughout the course.
8