Accounting Research
Acctg 642
Syllabus
Fall 2007
Prerequisites: Acctg 433 (Financial Reporting), Acctg 342 (Taxation
I), and 442 (Auditing I) or concurrent enrollment. For accounting
majors only.
Instructors:
Dr. Richard Ott, Dr. Dan Deines, Dr. Mark Linville
Offices: Ott (216), Deines (114), Linville (16)
Telephones: Ott (5639), Deines (6038), Linville (6381)
Office Hours:
See individual instructor
Class Hour: TU 9:30
Classroom: C208
Texts:
Weirich & Reinstein, Accounting and Auditing Research, Southwestern
Class Notes--Union Copy Center or Varneys
Objectives
The three main objectives of this course are for students to:
(1) become familiar with the various resources available in
solving the type of problems they will confront in accounting
practice; (2) develop further their critical thinking skills; and
(3) improve their written and oral communication skills.
To achieve the first objective, students will be required to
identify and utilize various sources in the KSU library. Critical
thinking skills will be developed further through case analysis and
research.
Topics will be researched in the tax, financial,
auditing, and ethics areas. Finally, students will prepare written
reports and make oral presentations after becoming knowledgeable in
the research process.
Department of Accounting Learning Objectives
The Department of Accounting's curriculum is designed to
correspond to levels of Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives.
Lower levels of Bloom's Taxonomy (knowledge, comprehension, and
application) are emphasized in the lower division courses while
the higher cognitive objectives (analysis, synthesis and
evaluation) are stressed in upper division/graduate courses.
This does not imply that some of the higher cognitive objectives
are not reached in the lower division courses, just that it is
not emphasized. Synthesis and Evaluation are the levels of
Bloom's Taxonomy this course emphasizes. In addition, the
accounting program lists ten learning objectives for its
students. These objectives are listed below with the appropriate
emphasis in this course.
1.
Technical Knowledge--High
2.
Critical Thinking--High
3.
Ethical Standards--High
4.
Teamwork--High
5.
Diversity—NA (Not Addressed)
6.
Accounting Origins—NA
7.
Oral Communication--High
8.
Written Communication--High
9.
Computer Skills--High
10. Lifelong Learning--High
In addition to the departmental objectives, the following
learning objectives for students in accounting research are also
stated. Students will be able to do/know the following upon
completion of this course:
1.
2.
To learn how to use RIA Internet Tax Research service.
To learn how to use the Financial Accounting Research System
(FARS).
3.
To know the precedential value of the important tax law
sources (Internal Revenue Code, Treasury Regulations, Revenue
Rulings and Procedures, Letter Rulings, Determination
Letters, and the judicial system).
4.
To be able to identify the issues involved in solving
financial, auditing, and tax problems.
5.
To know the steps and procedures in the accounting research
process.
6.
To know the hierarchy of Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles (GAAP).
7.
To write clear and concise business memos.
8.
To know sources available for solving auditing
problems(Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS),
Statements on Auditing Standards (SAS), Professional
Standards, Audit and Accounting Manual, Industry Audit Guides
Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services
(SAARS), Attestation Standards, Single Audit Act, Yellow Book,
Statements of Position).
9.
To know the sources available for solving financial
accounting problems (Statements of Financial Accounting
Standards, Accounting Principle Board Opinions, Accounting
Research Bulletins, Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF)
minutes, Technical Bulletins, Statements of Position).
10.
To know the hierarchy of Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC).
11.
To make clear and concise oral presentations.
Class Organization
Students learn how to locate various sources in the KSU
library and the research process during the first part of the
course. The case method is used to apply what has been learned
during the first part of the course.
Students can expect
approximately 1 to 2 cases a week. This will vary by instructor.
There are three instructors for this course.
Grading
The course grade will be determined as follows:
Weirich and Reinstein (Ott)
Tax (Ott)
Financial Section (Deines)
Audit (Linville)
19%*
26%
29%
26%
100% (Rounded)
* An exam determines 65% of this grade and class participation
accounts for the remaining 35%. Class participation grades may
vary with each instructor because each instructor determines how
his/her portion of this course is to be graded.
Student Responsibilities
Readings, library work, and/or cases are assigned for each
class. Students are expected to have completed the work before
class. Class participation, case analysis, written reports, and
oral presentations are weighted considerably in determining the
course grade.
Failure to be prepared will most likely lead to
failure in the course.
Kansas State University Undergraduate Honor System: Kansas State
University instituted an undergraduate honor system in 1999. The
basic difference between the new honor system and the old one
related to academic dishonesty is that students now hold majority
representation on hearing panels. This significant change gives
students ownership in the honor system and a reason to protect
the integrity of our university.
I expect you will do all academic work in this class. Do not
collaborate on any academic work unless specifically approve by
me.
On all assignments, exams, or other course work undertaken by
students, the following pledge is implied, whether or not it is
stated: "On my honor, as a student, I have neither given nor
received unauthorized aid on this academic work."
Please visit the Honor System web page for more information at:
http://www.ksu.edu/honor.
Any student with a disability who needs an accommodation or other
assistance should make an appointment to speak with Dr. Ott as soon
as possible.
September 24, 2007--last day to drop a course without a "W" being
recorded.
October 26, 2007--last day to drop a course.
Assignment Schedule
Date
Instructor
T Aug 21
Ott
Assignment
Intro--Tax--Ch 1 & 7 Weirich (W)
Tax--Authoritative sources--Notes
(N) pp.44-58; 66-69 (W) Ch 1
Questions (Q)1-21,
Ch 2 Q 1-15, Ch 7 Q 1-15
U
23
Ott
Tax--Authoritative sources--Notes
(N) pp.44-58; 66-69 (W) Ch 1
Questions (Q)1-21,
Ch 2 Q 1-15, Ch 7 Q 1-15
T
28
Ott
Library Resources, RIA, and
Tax Quiz
U
30
Ott
Case 1 Taxpayer vs. IRS
(M) Chap 7, 8, 9, 10 (N) pp.
59-65 Group Memo to the file.
T Sept 4
Ott
Case 2 Taxpayer vs. IRS
U
6
Ott
Judges----all group papers
Kennedy and Coe (Deb Prater and
Shellee Callahan)
T
11
Ott
Case 3--Taxpayer vs. IRS
U
13
Ott
Judges--all papers—individual
K&C Presentation
T
15
Ott
W Ch 2 Q 1-15 if not completed
Ch 3 Q 1-6, Ch 4 Q 1-8
U
20
Ott
W Ch 4 Q 9-16 Ch 5 Q 1-13
T
25
Ott
Group presentations--limit 12
minutes
"The House of GAAP"
Journal of Accountancy
June 1984 Pgs. 122-127
"The FASB's Emerging Issues
Task Force" Journal of
Accountancy June 1986
Pgs. 96-104
"Sas No. 69"
Journal of Accountancy
March
1992
Pgs.
108-111
"EITF Consensuses and the
GAAP Hierarchy" Journal of
Accountancy May 1992 Pgs. 103-110
U
27
Ott
Ch 6 (W) Q 1-18 Ch 8 Q 1-19
Presentations
Enron, Worldcom
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002,
And Mutual Funds—Journal of
Accountancy December 2004 Pgs.
32-36.
T Oct
2
Ott
W Ch 9 Q 1-8 & Ch 10 Q 1-11
U
4
Ott
Weirich Exam
T
9
Deines
Financial
U
11
Deines
Financial
T
16
Deines
Financial
U
18
Deines
Financial
T
23
Deines
Financial
U
25
Deines
Financial
T
30
Deines
Financial
U Nov
1
Deines
Financial
T
6
Deines
Financial
U
8
Linville
Audit
T
13
Linville
Audit
U
15
Linville
Audit
T
20
Linville
Audit
U
22
Holiday
T
27
Linville
Audit
U
29
Linville
Audit
T Dec
4
Linville
Audit
U
6
Linville
Audit
W
12
Final Exam 2:00-3:50--Audit
ACCTG 642
Accounting Research
Fall 2007
Dr. Richard Ott
Dr. Dan Deines
Dr. Mark Linville