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Bachelor of Commerce Co-op
COMM3116
Cost Management
Winter 2021
RECOGNITION OF MI’KMAQ TERRITORY
Dalhousie University is located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq. We are all
Treaty people.
The Elders in Residence program provides students with access to First Nations Elders for guidance, counsel and
support. Visit the office in the Indigenous Student Centre, 1321 Edward Street, or email Elders@dal.ca.
Instructor: Samantha Taylor, PME, CPA, CA
TA: Bryce Cross, Dal Accounting Grad 2018 & CPA Candidate (passed the 2020 CPA CFE)
Course Development Team:
Samantha Taylor, PME, CPA, CA
Bryce Cross, Dal Accounting Grad 2018 & CPA Candidate (passed the 2020 CPA CFE)
Nicole Corkum, Dal Accounting Grad 2020 & CPA Candidate
Office: Rowe 4084
Telephone: 902-494-7897
E-mail Samantha.Taylor@Dal.ca
Email will be monitored and responded to up until 10am AST the day of a Term Test.
Office hours: https://calendly.com/s-taylor/officehours
Bi-weekly Huddle*: Alternating Tuesdays
Course Website: Brightspace & YouTube
TA Tutorials: Brightspace (asynchronous videos of comprehensive questions)
When connecting to online resources from outside of Canada, students are responsible for ensuring that they are
aware of and observing any applicable laws of the country they are connecting from.
Calendly Office Hours: Book-your-own office hours. At least 6 hours of available times per week,
typically Tuesday and Thursdays 8 – 9am, 2 – 4pm AST in 15-minutes blocks. Book multiple times
including back-to-back. Typically, 15 minutes will be sufficient for one longer question or two to
three shorter ones. Students will sometimes book times to “talk” the material back to me and have me
stop/advise when any technical inaccuracies come up. Students can also book in “groups” where one
student books, selects the option (call or Zoom) advises me of the other group members in the
comments, and I will edit the invite to include the others.
•
Be creative – these are some of my favourite times to really get to know you better and
provide a learning experience tailored to help you meet your definition of success.
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Times will be available up to two weeks in advance; any unbooked times will disappear 24
hours prior to the meeting date/time. Extra office hours will be available the week of each of
the Term Tests.
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The Huddle – *Bi-weekly Accounting Team Virtual Meet-up: We teach different courses but are
all on the same team. Our collective goal is to coach you to “win” 3rd and 4th-year accounting.
• What: ~Optional ~ general fun/team building/encouragement (not for technical questions for
a specific course). You are welcome to drop in anytime and leave at anytime. Bring a snack
and a beverage of choice.
• When: Intermission!
• Alternating (every other) Thursday evenings at 8pm AST
• Who: Laura (Tax & Financial Reporting - IFAI), Tammy (Audit & Capstone – AA1), and
Sam (Cost Management and Financial Reporting – IFAII and AA2) and any student in any
accounting elective (you do NOT have to be in every class to attend, just one!)
• Where: ZOOM
Course Description:
The major objective of this course is to develop a deeper understanding of the key topics in
cost/managerial accounting and their management control implications. The selected topics to be
covered include costing systems, cost-volume-profit analysis, control and performance evaluation in
decentralized organizations. This course is intended for students who wish to deepen their
understanding of cost management concepts and their impact to an organization's decision-making.
Pre-Requisites and Other Requirements:
The prerequisite for Commerce 3116 is Commerce 1101 and 1102 (or the equivalent) with a
minimum average grade of B-.
Learning Outcomes:
• design and implement cost management systems to support managerial decision-making.
• demonstrate a deeper understanding of the key concepts and techniques in cost management.
• demonstrate how good cost management practices can add value to organizations.
Approach Taken:
A mix of active and lecture-style learning. Class will be interactive, and students will be
expected and encouraged to participate.
Learning Materials:
Mandatory course MyLab Accounting via:
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Horngren's Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis, Eighth Canadian Edition, Loose Leaf Version + MyLab
Accounting with Pearson eText, 8/e
Srikant M. Datar, Harvard University
Madhav V. Rajan, Stanford University
Louis Beaubien, Dalhousie University
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ISBN is 9780134897158 , or
MyLab Accounting with Pearson eText -- Standalone Access Card -- for Horngren's Cost Accounting: A
Managerial Emphasis, Eighth Canadian Edition, 8/e
Either way, you need the MyLab Accounting Access code for online assignments this
semester.
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Method of Evaluation:
Mini-lecture videos & MCQs
10% Available by Monday evenings at 8pm,
Due Thursday evenings at 8pm
Assignments (6 in total)
25% Due Thursday evenings at 8pm
Assignment Wrap-ups (6 in total)
25% Due Monday evenings at 8pm
Term Test 1
20% Wednesday, February 24th at 8pm
Term Test 2
20% Wednesday, April 7th at 8pm
All time zones are based on Halifax time
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(Asynchronous) Mini-lecture videos & MCQs: Each topic is a bullet as listed below in
the Course Schedule. Each topic may have one, sometimes two, videos. Most videos will
have at least one MCQ. You must watch all videos and correctly complete all MCQs by
Thursday each week at 8pm AST. Your Brightspace score will reflect each correct MCQ
completed prior to the deadline. I run reports at the end of the term and will adjust grades
to 0 for people who “skip ahead” and do not watch the entire video by the deadline. After
the deadline videos will be available viaYouTube (linked above).
o The 5 lowest scores will be automatically dropped; no exceptions.
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(Asynchronous) Tutorial videos: Our TA walks you through each tutorial question and
provides you an accompanying marked up excel workbook. While these videos are not
mandatory and are not worth marks, the tutorial questions are parallel in length and
difficulty to the questions assignment and term test questions. Prior cost management
students who have attended tutorials have commented that they felt better prepared to
complete assignments and maximize their grade on term tests
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Assignments: are electronically submitted via the Assignment tab in Brightspace as
linked to MyLab. All assignments will be due on Thursday at 8pm AST. You have
unlimited attempts to maximize your score. For each assignment questions after 3
attempts, the numbers will change.
o The 1 lowest score will be automatically dropped; no exceptions.
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Assignment wrap-ups: are electronically submitted via BrightSpace dropbox. All
assignment wrap-ups are due the Monday following the related Assignment deadline at
8pm. For example, Assignment #1 is due Thursday, January 14th and the Assignment #1
Wrap-up is due Monday, January 18th. Details on assignment wrap-up requirements
including marking rubric are available via Brightspace > Content > Admin.
o The 1 lowest score will be automatically dropped; no exceptions.
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Term Tests: will take place online on MyLab. If a student is excused from writing a
term test, the student will write that term test the week of April 12th. The term tests given
the week of April 12th will be at least as difficult as the one(s) missed.
All students registered for this course are required to pass the average of all individual examinations to pass the
course. In order to pass the course you require an average of 50% on the combined term test 1 & 2 and 50%
overall.
Commented [ST1]: Change from when I sent out the
syllabus in December.
Was due Monday night at 8pm, now due 4 days later each
week.
This means some weeks will have the assignment and minilecture videos + MCQs due on the same date/time. I suggest
working ahead, not “just-in-time” whenever possible.
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Accreditation:
As an AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accredited university,
Dalhousie University’s business programs are subject to Assurance of Learning (AOL) standards.
During the semester anonymous data may be collected to assess if AOL goals and objectives are
being met. The data collected will be used for program improvement purposes only and will not
impact nor be associated with student grades
Drop dates:
Last day to add/drop classes – January 15, 2021
Last day to drop without a “W” – January 29, 2021
Last day to drop with a “W” – April 8, 2021
Other important dates
Course-specific policies:
If you have concerns about this course, please contact me using any of the ways described in this
syllabus so we can have a conversation. Giving constructive feedback is a valuable skill, so you
should always thoughtfully complete any course feedback surveys, student ratings of instruction, and
other opportunities to provide input.
If your issue is not resolved, you can follow up with an academic advisor in the Undergraduate
Advising Office by emailing uao@dal.ca
Course-specific policies:
No make-ups or extensions will be provided for course content and deliverables including tests.
Exceptions only for extenuating circumstances and only for term tests 1 and 2 may be considered but
are not guaranteed to be granted. If exceptions are granted, make-up tests will be the week of April
12th.
Emails will not be addressed after 10am the day of a term test.
Students must achieve 50% or higher on the combined average of both term tests and 50% overall in
order to pass the course.
These course materials are designed for use as part of the Commerce Co-op program at Dalhousie
University and are the property of the instructor unless otherwise stated. Third party copyrighted
materials (such as books, journal articles, music, videos, etc.) have either been licensed for use in
this course or fall under an exception or limitation in Canadian Copyright law. Copying this course
material for distribution (e.g. uploading material to a commercial third-party website) may lead to a
violation of Copyright law.
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Course Schedule:
Dates
(Week Beginning)
Topics for Mini-Lecture Video
Due Thursday @ 8pm
Optional (not for credit, no deadlines for this week's "soft start
of term")
Chapter
Read syllabus
Optional (not for credit, no submissions):
Recap of pre-requisite courses
January 6th
Ch 3 - Cost-volume-profit analysis
January 11th
Ch 4 - Job costing
January 18th
Ch 5 - Activity based costing
January 25th
Ch 11 - Decision making and relevant information
February 1st
Ch 12 - Pricing decisions
February 8th
February 15th
February 22nd
Ch 14 - Period cost application
1. Nature of costing (types and methods)
2. Application of costs (COGM, COGS)
3. Contribution calculations
1. Target operating profit
2. Contribution margin vs Gross and Operating margins
3. Applications of CVP
1. Job Costing vs. Process Costing
2. Actual, budgeted, and normal costing
3. Job costing and cost flow
1. Overcosting and undercosting
2. ABC implementation
3. ABC versus other costing systems
1. The relevance of costs
2. Short term vs. long term
3. Opportunity costs and outsourcing
1. Costing and pricing in the short run
2. Costing and pricing in the long run
3. Target costing and pricing
4. Cost plus pricing
5. Alternative pricing methods
WINTER BREAK - no classes or deliverables
Wednesday, February 24th @ 8pm: TERM TEST #1 (3, 4, 5, 11, 12)
1. Purpose of cost applications
2. Single vs. dual rate methods
3. Budgeted vs. actual costs
4. Direct, step down, and reciprocal approach
5. Allocating common costs
March 1st
Ch 15 - Joint costs
March 8th
Ch 18 - Spoilage, rework, and scrap
March 15th
Ch 20 - Capital budgeting
March 22nd
Ch 21 - Transfer pricing
1. Challenges of joint costs
2. Approaches to allocating joint costs
3. The methods of allocation
4. Accounting for byproducts
1. Defining spoilage, rework, and scrap
2. Job costing and spoilage
1. DCF and the time value of money
2. Non DCF methods of capital budgeting
3. Strategic factors in capital budgeting
1. Multinationals and transfer pricing
2. Transfer pricing methods
3. Market based and cost based transfer prices
Assignment #1 Due:
Thursday, January 14th @ 8pm
Wrap-up #1 Due:
Monday, January 18th @ 8pm
Assignment #2 Due:
Thursday, January 28th @ 8pm
Wrap-up #2 Due:
Monday, February 1st @ 8pm
Assignment #3 Due:
Thursday, February 11th @ 8pm
Wrap-up #3 Due:
Monday, February 22nd @ 8pm
Assignment #4 Due:
Thursday, March 11@ 8pm
Wrap-up #4 Due:
Monday, March 15th @ 8pm
Assignment #5 Due:
Thursday, March 25th @ 8pm
Wrap-up #5 Due:
Monday, March 29th @ 8pm
Assignment #6 Due:
Thursday, April 1st @ 8pm
Wrap-up #6 Due:
Monday, April 5th @ 8pm
March 29th
April 5th
Assignments
Wednesday, April 7th @ 8pm: TERM TEST #2 (14, 15, 18, 20, 21)
Dalhousie is scent free - Thank you for helping us all breathe easier!
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APPENDIX
UNIVERSITY POLICIES, STATEMENTS, GUIDELINES and RESOURCES for SUPPORT
This course is governed by the academic rules and regulations set forth in the University Calendar and the Senate
(University Regulations, and Academic Regulations)
Grade Scale and Definitions
Grade
Grade Point
Value
Definition
A+
A
A-
4.30
4.00
3.70
90-100
85-89
80-84
Excellent
Considerable evidence of original
thinking; demonstrated outstanding
capacity to analyze and synthesize;
outstanding grasp of subject matter;
evidence of extensive knowledge base.
B+
B
B-
3.30
3.00
2.70
77-79
73-76
70-72
Good
Evidence of grasp of subject matter,
some evidence of critical capacity and
analytical ability; reasonable
understanding of relevant issues;
evidence of familiarity with the
literature.
C+
C
C-
2.30
2.00
1.70
65-69
60-64
55-59
Satisfactory
Evidence of some understanding of the
subject matter; ability to develop
solutions to simple problems;
benefitting from his/her university
experience.
D
1.00
50-54
Marginal Pass
Evidence of minimally acceptable
familiarity with subject matter, critical
and analytical skills (except in programs
where a minimum grade of "C" or "C+"
is required).
F
0.00
0-49.9
Inadequate
Insufficient evidence of
understanding of the subject
matter; weakness in critical and
analytical skills; limited or
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irrelevant use of the literature.
INC
0.00
Incomplete
W
Neutral and
no credit
obtained
Withdrew after
deadline
ILL
Neutral and
no credit
obtained
Compassionate
reasons, illness
P
Neutral
Pass
TR
Neutral
Transfer credit on
admission
Pending
(PND)
Neutral
Grade not reported
University Policies to Highlight:
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The Grading Practices Policy outlines the university's commitment and professors' responsibilities on how
grading will be achieved. The policy applies to all credit-bearing courses at both the undergraduate and
graduate levels at the university.
Information on Appealing Regulations and Grades
Sexualized Violence Policy
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Missed or Late Academic Requirements due to Student Absence:
Dalhousie students are asked to take responsibility for their own short-term absences (3 days or less) by contacting
their instructor by phone or email prior to the academic requirement deadline or scheduled time AND by submitting
a completed Student Declaration of Absence form to their instructor in case of missed or late academic
requirements. Only two (2) separate Student Declaration of Absence forms may be submitted per course during a
term (note: faculty, college, school, instructor or course-specific guidelines may set a lower maximum).
The submission of the form does not guarantee accommodations, or provide an automatic exemption, from any
academic requirements that were missed or late during an absence. Any alternate coursework arrangements for
missed or late academic requirements are at the discretion of individual course instructor(s).
Students who experience recurring short-term or long-term absences are strongly encouraged to meet with their
Academic Advisor (uao@dal.ca).
Click here for further information.
Standard Citation Style:
The Bachelor of Commerce Co-op Program uses APA as its standard citation style (unless otherwise indicated by
your professor). Please use APA style in your assignments to briefly identify (cite) other people’s ideas and
information and to indicate the sources of these citations in the References list at the end of your assignment.
For more information on APA style, consult Dalhousie Library website at https://libraries.dal.ca/help/styleguides.html or consult the Frequently Asked Questions about APA
Academic Integrity:
At Dalhousie University, we are guided in all of our work by the values of academic integrity: honesty, trust,
fairness, responsibility and respect (The center for Academic Integrity, Duke University, 1999). As a student, you
are required to demonstrate these values in all f the work you do. The University provides policies and procedures
that every member of the university community is required to follow to ensure 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 Management’s 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 Secretariat’s Academic Integrity page.
Please note that Dalhousie subscribes to a plagiarism detection software 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
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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 Honesty contained in the Calendar.
Furthermore the University’s 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 plagiarism detection 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 a lapse in academic integrity by colleagues or a professor, you may confidentially share your
concerns via DeanManagement@dal.ca.
Faculty of Management clarification on plagiarism versus collaboration:
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.
ACCESSIBILITY
The Student Accessibility Centre (Halifax Campus) and the Student Success Centre (Agricultural Campus) are
Dalhousie’s centres of expertise on student access, inclusion, and accommodation support. We work collaboratively
with students, faculty, and staff to create an inclusive educational environment for students.
If there are aspects of the design, instruction, and/or experiences within this course that result in barriers to your
inclusion please contact the Student Accessibility Centre (dal.ca/access) and/or make arrangements to discuss
with the instructor.
Please note that your classroom may contain accessible furniture and equipment. It is important that these items
remain in the classroom, undisturbed, so that students who require their use will be able to fully participate.
STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT
Everyone at Dalhousie is expected to treat others with dignity and respect. The Code of Student Conduct allows
Dalhousie to take disciplinary action if students don’t follow this community expectation. When appropriate,
violations of the code can be resolved in a reasonable and informal manner—perhaps through a restorative justice
process. If an informal resolution can’t be reached, or would be inappropriate, procedures exist for formal dispute
resolution.
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DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION – Culture of Respect
Every person at Dalhousie has a right to be respected and safe. We believe inclusiveness is fundamental to
education. We stand for equality. Dalhousie is strengthened in our diversity. We are a respectful and inclusive
community. We are committed to being a place where everyone feels welcome and supported, which is why our
Strategic Direction prioritizes fostering a culture of diversity and inclusiveness (Strategic Priority 5.2).
FAIR DEALING POLICY
The Dalhousie University Fair Dealing Policy provides guidance for the limited use of copyright protected material
without the risk of infringement and without having to seek the permission of copyright owners. It is intended to
provide a balance between the rights of creators and the rights of users at Dalhousie.
Learning and Support Resources:
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Undergraduate Advising Office
Student Health & Wellness
Mental Health Resources
Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team (dial 211)
Writing Centre
Studying for Success Program
Indigenous Student Centre
Black Student Advising Centre
International Centre
LGBTQ2SIA+ Collaborative
Human Rights and Equity Services
Dalhousie Student Advocacy Services
Dalhousie Ombudsperson
Dalhousie University Libraries
Copyright Office