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Introductory Accounting I
(Financial
Accounting)
Fall 2014
CLASS TIME, LOCATION, INSTRUCTOR:
Section 02:
Section 03:
Overview
Management 2101 is an introduction to Financial Accounting and Reporting. Financial accounting
and reporting is concerned with providing financial information about economic entities to
stakeholders. In this course, we will examine financial reporting by both for profit and non-profit
organizations. Stakeholders are parties who have interests in or relationships with an entity, and
include shareholders, creditors, Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), to name a few. Each group of
stakeholders has different information needs and has different decisions to make, and each group
imposes different constraints and exerts different amounts of influence on the preparers of
accounting information. Preparers often have a great deal of latitude in preparing financial
information. Users of accounting information must be aware of the alternatives available to
preparers of financial statements so that they can use the statements intelligently for decisionmaking.
Management 2101 is not a difficult course, but may be a frustrating course for some because
accounting is an ambiguous subject and no attempt is made to hide the ambiguity. It just takes time
and effort. Assignments and Exams not only require that you have knowledge, but also that you
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apply higher level thinking skills such as problem identification, analysis, synthesis, judgment,
diagnosis, integration to that knowledge.
An understanding of financial reporting and the basic accounting concepts is essential in every area
of business. Most organizations planning, control, and performance evaluation are at least
partially based upon accounting information, and a good financial reporting system is essential for
the effective management of business operations.
Management 2101 is intended to provide an understanding of the accounting process choices that
exist so that you can be an informed and skilled user of accounting information. Accounting
information is crucial for many decisions. It is essential that business people have a solid
understanding of accounting, even if they are not accounting professionals. A weak understanding
of accounting may result in poor or uninformed decisions. This course is not designed to develop
accountants, although the course is a good start.
The Main Objectives of this course are:
Approach Taken:
A combination of lectures and problem demonstrations is used. Students are encouraged /
expected to participate and ask questions.
Before each class, you are expected to have read the material to be covered and to have completed
the assigned questions, exercises and problems. The course moves quickly and the workload is
heavy. Practice is very important to mastering the material. On average, you should plan to spend
(810) hours per week, outside of class time, working on this course.
An understanding of accounting is achieved in logical steps, success in later classes depends upon a
firm grasp of preceeding material. Catching up is very difficult in this course, so you have to
organize your schedule and manage your time to ensure that you will be regularly prepared for
class and avoid falling behind. Visit your instructor if you are finding it overly challenging. They
may be able to offer guidance to make the learning process easier.
Learning Materials:
Text book required: Financial Accounting, Fifth Cdn.Edition, by
Harrison, Horngren,Thomas,et al; published by Pearson Canada, 2013.
If you would prefer to purchase an electronic version of the Pearson eText, a Pearson Desktop
edition is available at http://ca.MyAccountingLab. This downloadable electronic version of the
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textbook enables highlighting and notes taking. The cost of the electronic version is much less than
that of a new hard copy textbook.
BbLearn/OWL
This course uses the DAL Bblearn /OWL system and built-in MyAccountingLab application to
supplement the text and class meetings. Bblearn /OWL is accessible by all registered students
through OWL. To register and use MyAccountingLab in the course, students may use the access
code provided with their textbook or purchase it separately from the bookstore or with a credit card
when accessing MyAccountingLab for the first time. Use of My Accounting Lab is optional in this
course.
Method Evaluation:
Participation/Quizzes........10%
Assignments...10%
Project 10%
Midterm exam.....30%
Final Exam....40%
Total100%
Please note that, in order to pass the Course, you must achieve a weighted average of at least
50% on the combination of the mid-term test and the final examination (i.e., you must earn at
least 35 of the 70 marks allocated to these two components), as well as achieving an overall
mark in the course of at least 50%.
Drop dates:
Last day to add/drop classesSept. 19th,2014
Last day to drop without a W- Oct. 3 rd, 2014
Last day to drop with a WNov. 3rd, 2014
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The Project can be done individually or as a team of two students, in same Section (if done as a
team, only make one submission , indicating names of both team members). If Assignments are
done in Teams.... the students must be in the same section/class.
Examinations:
Mid-term Exam will be held in class on TuesdayOct. 21. Students must write the Exam at this
time. Neither alternate times nor make-up Exams will be given for any reasons. If you miss the
Midterm Exam for a valid reason (see below), your Final Exam will be weighted accordingly at
70% (30% + 40%) .
Students with a valid reason (such as serious illness) for missing the Exam must notify the
Undergraduate Advising Office as soon as possible, and must submit appropriate supporting
documentation to the Undergraduate Advising Office within the required time frame as indicated in
the University handbook. Students should be aware of the Universitys Sick Note policy and
should check the Dal website (http://flu.dal.ca/facultystaff/Sick_Notes_Policy.php) regularly for
any updates. Please note that travel conflicts do not constitute a valid reason for missing a
term test or final exam.
The Final Exam will be scheduled by the Registrars Office, and it must be written at the
scheduled time. Students should therefore not make any travel or other plans until the final
examination schedule has been posted.
COURSE COMMUNICATIONS:
The normal mode of communication, outside of classes and office hours, will be via the
BbLearn/OWL site. You should check the BbLearn/OWL sitefor your class, and/or your Dal
webmail account regularly throughout the term for Announcements. Your class BbLearn/OWL site
will be used to post PowerPoint Slides, Solutions to Problems reviewed in Class and other similar
items and class specific Announcements.
Please DO NOT use the BbLearn/OWL site email to reach me (these accounts not regularly
checked). I Use Dal email account indicated on the first page.
OTHER:
Certificates of illness:
Medical notes must be submitted to the Undergraduate Advising Office, 2nd floor, room 2086 of
the Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building. Please note that it is a university regulation (16.8 of
the Undergraduate Calendar) that medical notes will not normally be accepted after a lapse of
more than one week from the examination or assignment completion date.
Students requiring accommodations:
Students may request accommodation as a result of barriers related to disability, religious
obligation, or any characteristic under the human rights legislation.
Students who require academic accommodation for either classroom participation or the writing of
tests and exams should make their request to the Advising and Access Services Center (AASC)
prior to or at the outset of the regular academic year. Please visit www.dal.ca/access for more
information and to obtain the Request for Accommodation form.
A note taker may be required as part of a students accommodation. There is an honorarium of
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$75/course/term (with some exceptions). If you are interested, please contact AASC at 494-2836
for more information or send an email to notetaking@dal.ca
Please note that your classroom may contain specialized accessible furniture and equipment. It is
important that these items remain in the classroom, untouched, so that students who require their
usage will be able to fully participate in the class.
Academic Integrity
In general:
The commitment of the Faculty of Management is to graduate future leaders of business,
government and civil society who manage with integrity and get things done. This is non-negotiable
in our community and it starts with your first class at Dalhousie University. So when you submit
any work for evaluation in this course or any other, please ensure that you are familiar with your
obligations under the Faculty of Managements Academic Integrity Policies and that you
understand where to go for help and advice in living up to our standards. You should be familiar
with the Faculty of Management Professor and Student Contract on Academic Integrity, and it is
your responsibility to ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.
Dalhousie offers many ways to learn about academic writing and presentations so that all members
of the University community may acknowledge the intellectual property of others. Knowing how to
find, evaluate, select, synthesize and cite information for use in assignments is called being
information literate. Information literacy is taught by Dalhousie University Librarians in classes
and through Dalhousie Libraries online Citing & Writing tutorials.
Do not plagiarize any materials for this course. For further guidance on what constitutes
plagiarism, how to avoid it, and proper methods for attributing sources, please consult the
University Secretariats Academic Integrity page.
Please note that Dalhousie now subscribes to SafeAssign.com, a computer based service that
checks for originality in submitted papers. Any paper submitted by a student at Dalhousie
University may be checked for originality to confirm that the student has not plagiarized from other
sources. Plagiarism is considered a very serious academic offence that may lead to loss of credit,
suspension or expulsion from the University, or even the revocation of a degree. It is essential that
there be correct attribution of authorities from which facts and opinions have been derived. At
Dalhousie, there are University Regulations which deal with plagiarism and, prior to submitting
any paper in a course; students should read the Policy on Intellectual Dishonesty contained in the
Calendar.
Furthermore, the Universitys Senate has affirmed the right of any instructor to require that student
assignments be submitted in both written and computer readable format, e.g.: a text file or as an
email attachment, and to submit any paper to a check such as that performed by the SafeAssign
anti-plagiarism software. As a student in this class, you are to keep an electronic copy of any
paper you submit, and the course instructor may require you to submit that electronic copy on
demand. Use of third-party originality checking software does not preclude instructor use of
alternate means to identify lapses in originality and attribution. The result of such assessment may
be used as evidence in any disciplinary action taken by the Senate.
Finally:
If you suspect cheating by colleagues or lapses in standards by a professor, you may use the
confidential email: managementintegrity@dal.ca which is read only by the Assistant Academic
Integrity Officer.
Faculty of Management clarification on plagiarism versus collaboration:
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There are many forms of plagiarism, for instance, copying on exams and assignments. There is a
clear line between group work on assignments when explicitly authorised by the professor and
copying solutions from others. It is permissible to work on assignments with your friends but only
when the professor gives you permission in the specific context of the assignment. University rules
clearly stipulate that all assignments should be undertaken individually unless specifically
authorised.
Specific examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to, the following:
Copying a computer file from another student, and using it as a template for your own
solution
Copying text written by another student
Submitting the work of someone else, including that of a tutor as your own
An example of acceptable collaboration includes the following:
When authorised by the professor, discussing the issues and underlying factors of a case
with fellow students, and then each of the students writing up their submissions individually,
from start to finish.
COURSE SCHEDULE:
A tentative schedule is presented below; however, this may change somewhat as we progress
through the term. It is your responsibility to be aware of the Assignments to be done, the deadlines
for their submission, etc., and to ensure that these requirements are fulfilled. If you are unable to
attend a class, it is your responsibility to keep informed of what you have missed, and to take
appropriate action to avoid falling behind.
Week
starting
Topic to be covered
Text
chapter
Sept 1
Sept 8
Sept 15
Sept 22
Sept 29
Oct 6
Oct 13
Oct 20
1& 2
3
3
4
5
6
6
7
Ch 1-6
Nov 10
Nov 17
Nov24
Dec 01
9
10
12
12
13
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LAST CLASS
Final Exam will be scheduled during exam period (comprehensive coverage - Chapters 1 - 14)
Students should therefore not make any travel or other plans until the Final examination
schedule has been posted.
Please check our OWL website frequently for any important updates.
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