ACCTG 331: Intermediate Accounting I
Fall 2015
COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Jeff J. Wang, Ph.D. CFA
E-mail: jwang@mail.sdsu.edu
Office: SSE 2417
Phone: 619-594-2033 (office)
Teaching Assistant: Zhiwen Tang
Class Meetings: T-Th 0930, 1100, and 1600
Office Hours: T-Th 1400 – 1530 and by appointment
E-mail: tangzhiwen2014@gmail.com
Course Overview
GOALS OF THE SDSU CHARLES W. LAMDEN SCHOOL OF ACCOUNTANCY PROGRAM:
As you move forward through the accounting program here at SDSU, the coursework you encounter is designed to provide a
high quality experience to prepare accounting students with the foundation in accounting and general business knowledge for
their professional career. With that in mind, your undergraduate accounting experience was designed with the following goals
in mind:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Effective Communicators
Critical Thinkers
Able to Analyze Ethical Problems
Global in their perspective
Knowledgeable about the essentials of business
This financial module primarily focuses on the Analytical/Critical Thinking Skills and Technical Competence goals while
secondarily touching on the Global Perspective and Interpersonal/Teamwork Skills goals.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR THIS MODULE:
The purpose of this Intermediate Accounting is to enhance and expand your current understanding of corporate financial
reporting for the subject areas covered in the course. More specifically, we will take an in-depth look at the mechanics of
financial accounting and the theory behind U.S. GAAP as presented in the statement of operations (i.e., income statement) and
the statement of financial position (i.e., balance sheet).
We will also cover the impact of International Financial Reporting Standards how these rules differ from GAAP for the relevant
topics. At the end of this course students should be able to:



Identify, measure, classify, present and disclose financial information in accordance with U.S. Generally
Accepted Accounting Principles and International Financial Reporting Standards. (SLO #1.1)
Properly record transactions in the relevant topic areas. This means knowing how to calculate the amount of
the accounting impact of a transaction under accrual accounting and how to properly journalize such
transactions. (SLO # 1.1, 1.2)
Effectively work in groups to analyze business transactions and apply the correct accounting techniques in
properly recording those transactions and present the effects on financial statement presentation (SLO 2.11b).
Enrollment Information

Prerequisite: Admission to Accountancy major, minor, or certificate. Minimum grade of C in both ACCTG 201 and
202. Completion of General Education requirement in Communication and Critical Thinking. Proof of completion of
prerequisites may be requested.
Course Materials
Required materials:

Kieso, Weygandt & Warfield, Intermediate Accounting (15th ed.)

WileyPLUS online homework

Materials posted on Blackboard

Financial calculator, examples include (but are not limited to):
o TEXAS INSTRUMENTS MODEL – BA II PLUS
o HEWLETT PACKARD MODEL – 10B
o HEWLETT PACKARD MODEL – 12C

Scantrons, we will be using the red Parscore forms (F-289) for ALL Unit Tests and The Final Exam.
Recommended materials:

WileyPLUS ORION

Gleim, Financial Accounting: Exam Questions and Explanations
Course Structure and Conduct
This course will be managed via the Blackboard course website. Therefore, each student needs an email account. Please make
sure that you update your email address in the SDSU database. You can check on your Blackboard email account (or
update/change it) by going to the SDSU Web Portal at http://sunspot.sdsu.edu/portal. The Blackboard website will be where I
make announcements, upload class slides and solutions for assignments. All points for assignments and exams that factor into
the students’ grades will be posted on Blackboard.The information on Blackboard is organized in folders. You may find the
relevant material by downloading the information from the relevant folder. You will need to download from Blackboard and
bring to class the following information before each class meeting:

PowerPoint presentations
Classroom Format
Classes will consist of lectures using PowerPoint slides and in-class problems/exercises that are designed to help students
better understand the correct financial reporting rules for a variety of common business transactions. Students are responsible
for downloading and printing the slides from the Blackboard website. The pace of my lectures and in-class exercises are based
on the assumption that students have read the textbook material and completed the ORION exercise on WileyPLUS ahead of
time and printed out the relevant slides for class (i.e., YOU ARE PREPARED FOR CLASS).
The atmosphere in the classroom will be active and informal, involving lecture and class discussion. The in-class assignments
and quizzes contribute to increasing your knowledge about accounting and to developing your critical thinking skills. THE USE
OF LAPTOPS, CELL PHONES, RECORDING DEVICES, ETC. DURING THIS CLASS IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
Changes to the Course Schedule and Content
Typically, e-mail will be used to inform students of any changes to the schedule and the timing of assignments. Changes to the
course schedule or content can occur at any time during the semester at my discretion. You are responsible for checking your
e-mail and Blackboard for any changes to the course schedule or content. If you are not present in class when an
announcement is made of changes to the schedule or content, you are still responsible for these changes. Please note that all
announcements via e-mail, on Blackboard, or distributed in class are deemed to be part of this syllabus and have the same
prescriptive power. Typically, any supplemental readings and notifications will be made via Blackboard or e-mail.
Expectations
The classroom learning environment is a combination of activities, including lecture, discussion, in-class assignments, and
quizzes. Outside of class there will be recommended homework that requires individual reading, analysis, and writing. Prior to
each class, all students are expected to read the assigned materials and be prepared to participate in a meaningful discussion of
these materials. While I will help you maintain progress toward successful completion of the required work, it is your
responsibility to complete all assignments and to provide competent and thorough responses in all work submitted.
Evaluation
This course is designed for you to succeed. I expect you to participate in all aspects of this course. I will give you
encouragement, help, and guidance when you ask for it or when I notice that you are struggling with the material. However, I
strongly urge you to communicate with me before any problem becomes a crisis. If you attend all classes, read and make sure
that you understand all assigned readings, pay attention to details when completing the in-class assignments, and thoroughly
prepare for quizzes and exams, you should successfully complete this course.
Students with Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact
Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact
Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that
accommodations based upon disability cannot be provided until you have presented your instructor with an accommodation
letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Academic Honesty
The University adheres to a strict policy regarding cheating and plagiarism. These activities will not be tolerated in this class.
Become familiar with the policy (http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/srr/conduct1.html). Any student suspected of academic dishonesty
will be reported to the SDSU Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities; if found responsible for academic dishonesty, the
student may receive an F in ACCTG 331.
Examples of Plagiarism include but are not limited to:

Using sources verbatim or paraphrasing without giving proper attribution (this can include phrases, sentences,
paragraphs and/or pages of work)

Copying and pasting work from an online or offline source directly and calling it your own

Using information you find from an online or offline source without giving the author credit

Replacing words or phrases from another source and inserting your own words or phrases

Submitting a piece of work you did for one class to another class
If you have questions on what is plagiarism, please consult the policy and this helpful guide from the Library
Turnitin
Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to
Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com
reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. You may submit your papers in such a way
that no identifying information about you is included. Another option is that you may request, in writing, that your papers not
be submitted to Turnitin.com. However, if you choose this option you will be required to provide documentation to
substantiate that the papers are your original work and do not include any plagiarized material.
Assessments
WileyPLUS Online Homework
The graded homework assignments must be completed and submitted online by 8:00am on the due date. The homework
system will not accept any homework submissions made after the assigned date and time. Students will be allowed three
attempts for each homework problem.
The homework is designed to be a supplementary tool to help students: 1) understand the concepts covered in the financial
module and 2) apply the concepts in a practical situation. All homework assignments will be completed online via WileyPLUS
that comes with your edition of the Kieso textbook. You will need to provide a user name and password to log on and do the
homework assignments throughout the semester. Please register at the following website by type in the course ID and
following the instructions:
https://www.wileyplus.com/WileyCDA/
Course ID: 466693
Each graded homework assignment is worth a maximum of 10 points. The lowest homework score will be dropped.
In-Class Assignments
In-class assignments will be short problems similar to the homework assigned in WileyPLUS. Your will show all work and the
assignment will be graded for the correct answers as well as your documented methods and calculations. In-class assignments
can be individual or group.
Graded Group Work
There will be four graded simulation assignments during the semester. These simulations are designed for students to work in
their groups outside of class. Points will be earned on a group basis based on the accuracy of the groups’ answers to the
simulations. All members of the group will receive the same point score unless one or more team members do not contribute
equally to the assignment. Each submission will include a contribution percent for each team member. If a team member’s
contribution is less than others, the student’s score will be reduced proportionally. For example, if the simulation score is 12
and student A contributes at 50% of the other team members, student A will receive 6 points and other team members will
receive 12 points.
In addition, one or more of the graded in-class assignments will require you to work with your group. All group members
present will receive the same score.
Unit Tests
There will be six unit test exams. Students will need a Parscore sheet (F-289) for the exams. Exams will be administered during
class times on the dates listed in the class schedule. The lowest Unit Test score will be dropped.
Unit tests are not handed back during class period for review by students. If a student wishes to go over their unit test, that
student must make an appointment to review the exam in my office.
Final Exam: Comprehensive
The final exam is a comprehensive exam covering all materials in the course. It will have questions on the most important core
material covered during the Intermediate Accounting course.
JOIN CALCPA REQUIREMENT
The CalCPA is a professional organization dedicated to increasing the value and promoting the integrity of the CPA profession,
contributing to the success of their members and strengthening client, employer, public and government trust in CalCPA
member advice, work products and opinions.
As new accounting majors, you likely have a multitude of questions about the profession and what it means to be an
accountant in the state of California. The CalCPA’s website (http://www.calcpa.org/content/home.aspx) is a useful resource in
learning more about the accounting profession. The website also provides information that can be very useful to someone
wanting to learn more about the accounting profession such as CPA exam information, CPA license requirements in the state of
CA and other career resource information.
In addition to the information resource benefits, CalCPA has multiple scholarship opportunities available to its student
members.
As a requirement for this course, every ACCTG 331 student is required to join the CalCPA as a student member. Membership
is free. You must join by September 30, 2015. Please email the TA (Teaching Assistant) a proof of your membership (e.g. a
snapshot of your account information under the “My Account” link or a scanned printout of your account page or you can
just copy the account page onto a Word document or copy it directly into the body of the email and send it to me).
ATTEND CAREER SERVICES WORKSHOPS REQUIREMENT
Seeing how getting a job seems to be a common goal for many (if not all) accounting students at SDSU, it is extremely
important to get connected to the Career Services Department. Career Services’ main goal is to help students develop the tools
necessary to obtain employment during school (internships) and after graduation (full-time employment). Therefore, we are
requiring every ACCTG 331 student to attend two Career Services workshops by the end of the Fall 2015 semester.
Here is the web link to the Career Services website: http://career.sdsu.edu
WileyPLUS ORION (Extra Credit)
This brand new online adaptive exercise system is designed to give you a preview of your weaknesses in the new material we
are going to teach in the class. You will be able to earn a maximum of 5% of the total scores throughout the semester if you
complete all ORION exercises. Partial completion will be calculated on a pro rata basis. I will assign ORION exercises for every
chapter covered in ACCTG331. The due date of each exercise will always be 8:00AM on the day of lecture. You will get a full
score for each Chapter as long as you achieve 25% proficiency. This ORION exercise is optional and will count as extra credit
toward your final grade.
IN-CLASS, UNGRADED WORK
The in-class group work will consist of open-book/notes ungraded exercises designed to have students analyze different
business transactions and practice application of relevant concepts and principles in financial reporting. In-class group work
does not have to be done in your assigned groups.
10-K ANALYSIS-UNGRADED
Each group will select a public company at the beginning of the semester. Throughout the semester groups will be asked to
present and discuss how their selected company has reported and disclosed the relevant accounting topics. This is not graded,
but will help students learn how the topics are implemented in practice.
Grading
Course grades will be assigned in accordance with San Diego State University policy (see General Catalog, pp. 468-470).
Undergraduate grades shall be: A (outstanding achievement, available only for the highest accomplishment), B (praiseworthy
performance, definitely above average), C (average, awarded for satisfactory performance, the most common undergraduate
grade), D (minimally passing, less than the typical undergraduate achievement), and F (failing).
ASSESSMENT
POINTS
(PERCENT)
Unit Test 1 Ch 1, 2
100
10%
Unit Test 2 Ch 3, 4, 5
100
10%
Unit Test 3 Ch 6, 7
100
10%
Unit Test 4 Ch 8, 9
100
10%
Unit Test 5 Ch 10, 11, 12
100
10%
Unit Test 6 Ch 13, 14
100
10%
(100)
(10%)
Final Exam-Cumulative
200
20%
In-class assignments (20 points each)
100
10%
Homework (10 points each, lowest dropped)
100
10%
Group Simulation (15 points each)
60
6%
Attend Accounting Orientation
20
2%
CALCPA registration
10
1%
Attend 2 Career Services Sessions
10
1%
TOTAL
1,000
100%
Extra Credit Opportunity: WileyPLUS ORION
50
5%
Less one Unit Exam dropped
Final grades: Final grades will be determined from a distribution of total points earned by each student in the whole course.
Once a distribution of scores is determined, I will assign cut-off scores for each grade (A, A-, B+, etc.), determine the number of
students for each grade, and then compute a grade point average for the class. In other words, I will be grading on a curve.
The class average for this course typically has been in the 2.3 to 2.9 range. Grades for all assignments will be posted on
Blackboard. If you believe there was an error in recording your grade, you must contact me within one week of the grade being
posted. Consideration will not be given to disputed grades after this time period.
CLASS ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION
Each student is expected to attend all classes and to participate in class discussions. However, class attendance is not required.
I will note who attends class and adds to the class interaction. If a student’s grade is on the cut-off score border at the end of
the semester, then class attendance and participation may be factored into the overall grade.
If you are absent on a day that an in-class assignment, quiz or exam is collected, you will receive zero points for that
assignment. NO MAKE-UP WORK WILL BE COLLECTED. An excused absence is possible only if relevant documentation
acceptable to the instructor is provided. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS.
Late arrivals or early departures are disruptive. Students are expected to arrive on time for class and to stay for the duration of
the class session.
Grade of Incomplete. A grade of Incomplete (I) indicates that a portion of required coursework has not been completed and
evaluated in the prescribed time period due to unforeseen, but fully justified, reasons and that there is still a possibility of
earning credit. It is your responsibility to bring pertinent information to the instructor and to reach agreement on the means by
which the remaining course requirements will be satisfied. The conditions for removal of the Incomplete shall be reduced to
writing by the instructor and given to you with a copy placed on file with the department chair until the Incomplete is removed
or the time limit for removal has passed. A final grade is assigned when the work agreed upon has been completed and
evaluated. An Incomplete shall not be assigned when the only way you could make up the work would be to attend a major
portion of the class when it is next offered. Contract forms for Incomplete grades are available at the Office of the Registrar
website
Tentative Course Schedule
Table 1. The course schedule, including topics and class activities listed by week, is presented in the following table
DATE
Aug 25 Tu
Aug 27 Th
Aug 28
1pm4pm
TOPIC COVERED
RELEVANT
CHAPTERS
WileyPLUS
Syllabus and Introduction
Financial Accounting and Accounting Standards
CH 1 ORION
Conceptual Framework
CH 2 ORION
ACCOUNTING ORIENTATION—MANDATORY
ATTENDANCE
AL 201
Sep 1 Tu
Sep 3 Th
Accounting Information System
CH 3 ORION
Income Statement
CH 4 ORION
UNIT TEST # 1
LAST DAY TO DROP: Sep 4
HW #1: Ch 1&2
DUE
CH 1, 2
Sep 8 Tu
Income Statement Cont.
CH 4
Sep 10 Th
Balance Sheet
CH 5 Orion
HW #2: Ch 4
DUE
Sep 15 Tu
Statement of Cash Flows
CH 5
HW #3: Ch 5
BS DUE
CH 5
HW #4: Ch 5
SCF DUE
Sep 17 Th
In-Class Exercise #1 and review
Simulation # 1 DUE
Sep 22 Tu
UNIT TEST # 2
CH 3, 4, 5
Sep 24 Th
Accounting and Time Value of Money
CH 6 ORION
Sep 29 Tu
Oct 1 Th
Accounting and Time Value of Money
Time Value of Money (Recorded Lecture)
Cash and Receivables
CH 6
HW #5: Chap 6
DUE
CH 7 ORION
Cash and receivables Cont.
Oct 6 Tu
HW #6: Chap 7
DUE
In-class exercise #2
Simulation # 2 DUE
Oct 8 Th
UNIT TEST # 3
CH 6, and 7
Oct 13 Tu
Inventory Chap 8
CH 8 ORION
Oct 15 Th
Oct 20 Tu
Oct 22 Th
Inventory Chap 8-complete
In-class Exercise – Ungraded
Inventory Chap 9
Inventory Chap 9-complete
In-Class Exercise #3
CH 8
HW #7: Chap 8
DUE
CH 9 ORION
CH 9
Oct 27 Tu
UNIT TEST # 4
CH 8,9
Oct 29 Th
PP&E
CH 10 ORION
HW #8: Chap 9
DUE
Nov 3 Tu
Nov 5 Th
Nov 10 Tu
PP&E Cont
Intangible Assets
CH 11 ORION
CH 12 ORION
HW #9: Chap
10&11 DUE
In-class exercise #4
Simulation # 3 DUE
Nov 12 Th
UNIT TEST # 5
CH 10,11, 12
Nov 17 Th
Current Liabilities
CH 13 ORION
Nov 19 Th
Long-term Liabilities
CH 14 ORION
HW #10: Chap
13 DUE
CH 14
HW # 11: Chap
14 DUE
Nov 24
Tu
Nov 26
Th
No Class
Thanks Giving Break
Long-term Liabilities Cont.
Dec 1 Tu
In-class exercise #5
Simulation #4 DUE
Dec 3 Th
UNIT TEST # 6
Dec 8 Tu
Review
Dec 10 Th
Review
Dec 12 Sat
3:30pm
FINAL EXAM- Comprehesive
Changes to the course schedule, if any, will be announced either in class or through email.
CH 13, 14
ALL
MATERIAL