Center for Business 207E
218-477-4647 (MSUM) or 218-847-3879 (Detroit Lakes)
MWF 815am-1020am, MWF 1130am-1220pm, MW 120pm-2pm; other hours by appointment
mollberg@mnstate.edu
www.mnstate.edu/mollberg/
From a user’s perspective, an introduction to the content and concepts underlying the four basic financial statements prepared by management for use by investors and creditors. Includes financial statement analysis.
Financial Accounting, 2 nd edition, by Spiceland, Thomas, and Herrmann, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2011.
Students are also required to acquire access to the textbook publisher’s internet homework manager product called Connect.
This introductory accounting course has three major goals: (1) instill in students a basic understanding of accounting and its role in business operations, (2) develop communication skills, and (3) introduce students to problem solving.
Students have a responsibility to learn by accomplishing specific objectives. Specific objectives expected to be accomplished by the student may include:

Identify users of accounting information and discuss kinds of information an accounting information system can provide each user.

Prepare a set of financial statements.

Analyze a set of financial statements.

Solve a specific business problem using accounting information.
Moodle and McGraw-Hill/Irwin
’s Connect will be used extensively:
We will be using
MSUM’s Moodle learning management system and the textbook publisher’s internet homework manager called Connect in conjunction with this course. As discussed below, note that Connect Plus will also work with this course.
To access Moodle, go to http://teach.mnstate.edu/
, and then go through the steps on the “First Time User” tab. Once you are ready to launch
Moodle, click on “Go” on the Moodle main page, and follow the instructions provided. I would recommend that you start in Moodle each time you work in this course. Moodle will have links to an exam review, check figures, the student online learning center at http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0078110823/student_view0/index.html
, narrated PowerPoint slides (VideoLectures), PowerPoint slides with speaker notes, the textbook review question solutions, narrated solutions to selected end-of-chapter questions (VideoSolutions), practice quizzes, the Connect homework, the Connect quizzes, the Connect exams, the projects, the course gradebook, and much more.
To access Connect (which is where you will submit your online homework, quizzes, and exams), you will need the numbers off your preprinted Connect access card when you go to the course website http://connect.mcgraw-hill.com/class/mollbergacct230fall2011 . Do not throw away your access card as you may need it again at some point during the course should you experience technical difficulties.
McGraw-Hill/Irwin actually has two online products which will work with this course but only one of the two is required: Connect (which has no eBook) or Connect Plus (which has an eBook). It is my understanding that the textbooks sold by the MSUM bookstore are bundled with
Connect Plus (meaning students who buy their textbook from our bookstore will have both a physical textbook and an eBook, as well as access to Connect). Both Connect and Connect Plus are also available for purchase directly from McGraw-Hill/Irwin (you will see this option the first time you try to do homework or a quiz in Connect).
Homework, Quiz, Exam, and Project Schedule:
Chapter Online Homework Due By Online Quiz Due By Online Exam
Testing Window
1
2
M9/12
M9/12
M9/12
M9/12
Other
F8/26 Add/Free Drop 4pm
M9/5 No Classes
3
4
5
6
7
M9/12
M10/10
M10/10
M10/10
M11/7
8 M11/7
9 & App C M11/7
10
11
Su12/11
Su12/11
12 Su12/11
M9/12
M10/10
M10/10
M10/10
M11/7
M11/7
M11/7
Su12/11
Su12/11
Su12/11
W9/14-F9/16 Ch1-3
W10/12-F10/14 Ch4-6
M9/12 Proctor Agreement Due
T9/27Acctg & Auditg Student Conf
M10/10-T10/11 No Classes
W10/12 Advising Starts
M10/24 Project1 Due; Th10/27Career
Fair (430pm-7pm in CB)
W11/9-F11/11 Ch7-9
M10/24-F11/11 Spring Registration
W11/9 “W”
W11/23-F11/25 No Classes
M12/5 Project2 Due
M12/12-W12/14 Ch10-12 Th12/15 Commencement
F12/16 Grades Due
Except as noted herein, you are responsible for all the material in the textbook whether or not it is specifically covered by the Instructor. Your grade will be based on the following points available during the semester:
1. Proctored Online Examinations (4) 400 Percentage of total cumulative points
2. Online Quizzes (top 10 of 12) 100 A:94%-100%, A-:90%-93%, B+:87-89%,
3. Online Homework (top 10 of 12)
4. Projects (2)
100
100
B:84%-86%, B-:80%-83%, C+:77%-79%,
C:74%-76%, C-:70%-73%, D+:67%-69%,
700 D:60%-66%

Keep a personal record of scores for all examinations, quizzes, homework, and projects. Late examinations, quizzes, homework, and projects will be scored zero. Periodically, the Instructor will update the Moodle gradebook (note that your scores in Connect will not automatically show up in Moodle). If any error has been made, it is the student’s responsibility to present written proof of the correct point total as soon as possible after the posting. That means you should SAVE ALL of your work until the end of the semester. If your grade falls below what is acceptable to you, take immediate action. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST WEEK OF THE SEMESTER TO SEEK HELP.
Consider the following, not necessarily in this order: (1) Are you working more hours and studying less? Can you correct that situation? (2)
Form a study group. (3) Work extra problems and see the Instructor for solutions. (4) Attend Supplemental Instruction sessions (days and times yet to be determined-contact Brad Ostendorf ostendorbr@mnstate.edu
for more info) and (5) finally, the most important, see the
Instructor on a regular basis.
If you are repeating this course, note that only the higher grade will be used to compute your grade point average (GPA). Repeating a course more than once will result in the removal of only one previous grade from the student’s GPA computation. To assure that the GPA is correct, the student must submit a “Repeated Course” form to the Records Office. All course attempts will remain on the student’s permanent academic record.
Examinations: Four (4) proctored examinations with time limits must be taken online in Connect during the testing windows indicated on the
Homework, Quiz, Exam and Project Schedule. The examinations might include multiple choice, true/false, matching, or essay questions. All online examinations are DUE BY 1155pm ON THE LAST DAY IN THE TESTING WINDOW for each examination as per the Homework,
Quiz, Exam, and Project Schedule. If a student will miss an examination for a valid reason (death in family or sickness which requires student hospitalization —documentation will be required for either event) and notifies the Instructor before the examination, the student may be given the opportunity to take the examination at another time. The fourth examination will be considered your final examination and will emphasize Chapters 10-12.
You will need to secure a Proctor (ie, an unbiased, unrelated individual with no personal association or affiliation to you) to make sure you use no notes, textbooks, or other aids during the examinations. There is a link in Moodle to a Proctor Agreement which your Proctor must complete and email back to Instructor by Monday 9/12/11 so that Instructor can send further instructions to Proctor. Proctor will need to see your student photograph and ID each time you take an examination. Note Instructor must send Proctor password before you can access the first exam so timely submission of Proctor Agreement is critical. For your convenience, Instructor is willing to serve as Proctor for those students who want to take exams during these hours (W9/14/11 815am-1020am or 120pm-330pm for Ch1-3 exam, W10/12/11 815am-
1020am or 120pm-330pm for Ch4-6 exam, W11/9/11 815am-1020am or 120pm-330pm for Ch7-9 exam, and W12/14/11 815am-noon for
Ch10-12 exam); if you want Instructor to be your proctor, please ask Instructor to be your Proctor by Monday 9/12/11. See Moodle for more information on finding a Proctor.
Online Quizzes: A total of twelve (12) online quizzes with time limits will be given during the Semester, of which you can throw out the two
(2) lowest scores. You will be using Connect to take the online quizzes. All online quizzes are DUE BY 1155pm ON THE ONLINE QUIZ
DUE DATE for each Chapter as per the Homework, Quiz, Exam, and Project Schedule. The online quizzes will generally consist of worksheet, problem-solving type questions (for example, some might require that you fill-in-the-blank, others might involve you choosing the best answer from the alternatives given). You are expected to do the online quizzes on your own without the help of others.
Note that a particular quiz (or homework) in Connect might be worth (for example) 90 points according to Connect. However, when Instructor transfers that particular score over to Moodle, he will convert to a 10-point scale (since all quizzes and homework are worth 10 points each per the syllabus).
You can review your answers from a previously submitted online quiz for which the due date has passed by clicking on the particular quiz in the Connect gradebook.
Note that many of the questions in Connect (whether in exams, quizzes or homework) are algorithmic (meaning your current version of the question has the same words as another version, but the numbers have changed).
Online Homework: You will be using Connect to submit your twelve (12) online homework sets, of which you can throw out the lowest two
(2). All homework is DUE BY 1155pm ON THE ONLINE HOMEWORK DUE DATE for each Chapter as per the Homework, Quiz, Exam, and Project Schedule. You are expected to do the homework in a study group or on your own. Each student must submit his/her own homework to get credit. Late homework will be scored zero. You can attempt the homework multiple times to improve your score (but again, remember that the numbers may change if the second time around if it was set up as an algorithmic problem), check your answers as you go, and print out the homework in advance.
You can review your answers from a previously submitted online homework by clicking on the particular homework in the Connect gradebook. This feature is available before the due date has passed, in the event you want to see what you did wrong, then retry for a better grade.
Projects: There will be two (2) excel/word projects during the semester (a financial statement analysis project, and an accounting cycle project). See Moodle for additional information. Projects must be uploaded to Moodle DUE BY 1155pm ON THE PROJECT DUE DATE as per the Homework, Quiz, Exam, and Project Schedule.
1. Accounting Information and Decision Making (cover Appendix Ch1)
2. The Accounting Information System
3. The Financial Reporting Process
4. Cash and Internal Controls
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5. Receivables and Sales (skip Appendix Ch5 Percentage-of-Credit-Sales Method)
6. Inventory and Cost of Goods Sold (cover Appendices A&B for Ch6)
7. Long-Term Assets (cover Appendix Ch7)
8. Current Liabilities
9. Long-Term Liabilities & Time Value of Money (and end-of-book Appendix C)
10.
Stockholders’ Equity
11. Statement of Cash Flows (Skip Appendix Ch11)
12. Financial Statement Analysis (Skip end-of-book Appendices A, B, D, and E, unless told otherwise by Instructor)
School of Business Mission: We provide a quality undergraduate business learning experience designed to prepare students for successful and responsible careers. Faculty intellectual contributions are focused on learning and pedagogical research, discipline-based scholarship and contributions to practice. Through involvement in professional activities, the faculty also serves students, the University, and the community.
School of Business Student Learning Goals: Students who graduate from Minnesota State University Moorhead with a major from the
School of Business should be able to:
-Exhibit basic knowledge of business principles and processes
-Write in a clear and professional manner
- Prepare and deliver an effective business presentation
-Identify and analyze ethical issues in a professional context
-Demonstrate basic understanding of business from a global perspective
Time Requirements: Each student should expect to spend a minimum of 8-9 hours per week in completing this course. This includes reading the text, viewing the narrated PowerPoint slides, viewing the narrated solutions to end-of-chapter questions, and completing homework, quizzes, exams, and projects; anything less and you will be depriving yourself from obtaining your best grade.
General: The course syllabus is subject to change. In particular, use the due dates in Moodle and/or Connect if different than the dates in this syllabus. In the event of a change, an announcement will be made in Moodle, or through an email. It is the responsibility of the student to keep current and develop a clear understanding of all course policies, and to determine that student has the computer technology and equipment necessary to meet the requirements of this course. If you find errors or inconsistencies in the syllabus, Moodle or Connect, please let the Instructor know as soon as possible so that they can be addressed.
Communications:
If I need to contact the class, I will use Moodle or email. Check the “General News and Announcements Forum” in
Moodle and your email regularly to determine whether I have sent you a message. Please use email whenever possible when trying to contact me. I have provided you with a Detroit Lakes MN telephone number (218-847-3879, my DL office number) which you can call anytime, but understand that I may not always be available (especially, if I am at MSUM). If you call, I would recommend you leave messages at both my MSUM telephone and my Detroit Lakes MN telephone since I am only scheduled to be on campus on Mondays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays each week. I will take calls (if available) and return phone messages or emails as soon as possible. Long distance phone calls may not be returned until after 7pm.
Students are expected to attend all class meetings unless they are ill or officially excused as the result of participation in a university function. However, faculty members may or may not take roll in their classes, and they may or may not lower the marks of students for the sole reason of unexcused absences. If a faculty member has a practice of penalizing for nonattendance, he/she must (a) announce the policy regarding the penalty for nonattendance in writing during the first week of class, (b) not penal ize the student for nonattendance unless the student is absent without official excuse for more class periods during the term than the number of periods the class meets each week (or more than two class periods during a summer session), (c) maintain accurate attendance records, and (d) submit in writing to the Vice President for Academic Affairs the explicit class attendance policy statement. As a point of clarification, if a student has an unexcused absence for a class session during which an examination or other graded exercise is scheduled and the student has more unexcused absences than the number of times the class meets each week, this policy permits the faculty member to reduce the s tudent’s grade for the sole reason of the unexcused absences and for failure to complete the graded assignment.
In cases of individual absence due to jury duty or other legal obligations, the student must notify his/her faculty instructors prior to the absence. Each faculty member will determine the work to be made up and any effect on the course grade. For military absences, see the
MSU Moorhead Bulletin index under military withdrawal, or refer questions to the Records office.
In the case of individual absence due to health or other emergency, the student must notify his/her faculty instructor as soon as feasible.
Each faculty member will determine the appropriateness of the absence, all work to be made up, and any effect on the course grade.
When an official university activity conflicts with scheduled classes, students participating in the official activity will be regarded as excused.
Within the limits of feasibility, an excused absence assures a student the right to make up the missed class requirement(s). The nature, time, and place of the make-up work are at the discretion of the instructor. Official university events are those that are approved by the appropriate dean, athletic director, or vice president. At least two weeks prior to the activity, lists of participating students should be distributed to those affected faculty members by the faculty member or organization advisor who will be overseeing the university activity. In the case of conflict about the appropriateness of an absence or the feasibility of the student making up missed work, the faculty members involved should confer directly; the student should not be expected to mediate the conflict. In cases where the faculty members involved cannot agree to a solution, the dean(s) of the respective colleges can be called upon to mediate.
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Students wishing to appeal academic decisions or policies further may do so by appealing in writing to the Academic Appeals Committee
(Owens 206).
The University expects all students to represent themselves in an honest fashion. In academic work, students are expected to present original ideas and give credit to the ideas of others. The value of a college degree depends on the integrity of the work completed by the student.
When an Instructor has convincing evidence of cheating or plagiarism, a failing grade may be assigned for the course in which the student cheated. Instructors may also choose to report the offense, the evidence, and their action to the Dean of their college or the Provost and
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. If the Instructor (or any other person) feels the seriousness of the offense warrants additional action, the incident may be reported to the Office of Student Conduct and Resolution. The Office of Student Conduct and Resolution will follow procedures set out in the Student Conduct Code. After its review of the case and a fair, unbiased hearing, the Office of Student
Conduct and Resolution may take disciplinary action if the student is found responsible (see Student Conduct Code for details).
A student who has a course grade reduced by an Instructor because of cheating or plagiarism, and who disputes the I nstructor’s finding, may appeal the grade, but only using the Grade Appeal Policy, which states that the student must prove the grade was arbitrary, prejudicial, or in error.
Students with disabilities who believe they may need an accommodation in this class are encouraged to contact Greg Toutges, Director of Disability Services at 477-4318 (Voice) or 1-800-627-3529 (MRS/TTY) , Flora Frick 154 as soon as possible to ensure that accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
I hope you have an enjoyable learning experience. Good luck!
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