ACIS 2116
Principles of Managerial Accounting
Spring 2017
INSTRUCTOR:
OFFICE:
E-MAIL:
OFFICE HOURS:
Lijun (Gillian) Lei
Pamplin 3105
llei1@vt.edu
Monday 2:00-5:00 pm., Wednesday 9:00-10:00 am and by appointment.
Course Goals:
This is an introductory accounting course that focuses on managerial/cost accounting. The student will
use knowledge that they learned in financial accounting but will learn brand new concepts, reports, and
various ways that managers evaluate the performance of a business.
Course Objectives:
 The nature and purpose of managerial accounting. Managerial accounting differs from financial
accounting because managerial accounting is used to help managers plan and control the
operations of the firm.
 The types of reports and information that managers need to make decisions.
 The concepts underlying the measurements used in managerial accounting.
 The importance of ethics and professional integrity.
Prerequisites:
You must have received credit for ACIS 2115 in order to take this course. If you have not received credit
for ACIS 2115, you will be dropped from ACIS 2116.
Required Course Material:
Introduction to Managerial Accounting, 7th edition, by Brewer, Garrison and Noreen (McGraw-Hill
Education, 2016).
Access code for Connect Accounting – This access code is needed in order to complete the homework
assignments online. If a textbook is purchased at a bookstore on or near campus, the textbook may be
bundled with a Connect Accounting access code. To register for Connect and/or purchase access to
Connect, you must go to a specific web address that will be given to you by your instructor. You must
go to that specific web address in order to register for the correct section.
Simple, non-programmable, 4 or 5 function calculator – Students may only use simple, nonprogrammable, 4 or 5 function calculators during exams. Students may NOT use cell phones, graphing,
financial, scientific and/or programmable calculators during exams.
Grading:
There are a total of 840 possible points in the course. You will earn points for attendance, homework,
and exams. The grading scale and points breakdown are below:
Grades will be assigned based on the following scale:
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Points
780 or more
756 – 779
730 – 755
697 – 729
672 – 696
646 – 671
613 – 645
588 – 612
562 – 587
529 – 561
504 – 528
Less than 504
Points earned on the following items will determine your grade:
Category (approximate percentage of total)
Attendance/Participation (8%)
Homework (16%)
Exam #1 (19%)
Exam #2 (19%)
Exam #3 (19%)
Final Exam (19%)
TOTAL (100%)
Points
64
136
160
160
160
160
840
Note: All sections of ACIS 2116 are graded based on the same scale. There is NO guarantee that final
grades will be curved.
Important Information:
This course is coordinated by Jason Sharp, CPA, CMA, CFE. Mr. Sharp prepares all the exams. If you have
questions, you may contact him by email at jsharp16@vt.edu or by phone at 540.231.9241.
This course is a difficult course. Unlike other courses you may have taken, you cannot get by with simply
reading the lecture notes and/or listening to the lecture. This is a course where students must study and
must PRACTICE applying the concepts learned in class. If you merely read the book and listen to the
comments made in class, you might think you understand the material but when it comes time to work a
problem on a test you won’t know how to do it. You must work problems and exercises in order to do well
in this class. Learning accounting is a lot like learning how to drive. Simply reading an instruction manual
for how to drive does not enable you to go out on the highway by yourself. You have to practice. Ideally,
you should read the textbook before coming to class, think about what is covered in class, and then practice
working problems and exercises after class.
Do not wait until the day before the exam to ask for help! If you have trouble understanding the material
and/or the homework problems ask your instructor for help during office hours or set up an appointment to
meet with them.
Grades are not negotiable. As mentioned on the previous page, your grade for the class is based solely on
attendance, homework problems and exams. The course coordinator in conjunction with your
instructor will determine your final grade. Making the following statements to your instructor either
verbally or in writing will not result in your receiving a higher grade: (Assume that X is the grade you
want/need.)
i. I studied a large number of hours therefore I deserve a grade of “X”,
ii. I have never made a grade below an “X” before.
iii. I need a grade of “X” in order to...keep my scholarship, get off academic probation, proceed with
the rest of my course work, graduate, prevent my parents from hurting me, etc.
iv. If I receive a grade below an “X” my GPA will go down.
Extra Credit:
NO extra credit assignments are given in this course. There are no exceptions to this policy.
Canvas:
The learning management system used in this course is Canvas. Information about the course including the
syllabus, tentative schedule, and instructor’s office hours can be found on Canvas.
Examinations:
There will be three midterm exams and a final exam. The exams will consist of objective questions. These
objective questions may include multiple choice and true/false questions.
Midterm exams will be given from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm on the following dates:
Exam 1: Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Exam 2: Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Exam 3: Thursday, April 20, 2017
Room assignments for the exams will be announced in class at a later date and will be posted on
Canvas.
Note the date and time for each exam. If you have a regularly scheduled class which conflicts with the
exams, you MUST send an email to the course coordinator requesting an alternate time. In your email, you
must specify the name of the conflicting course, the time it is held, and who your ACIS 2116 instructor is.
The course coordinator is Jason Sharp and his email is jsharp16@vt.edu. You must send this email within
the first two weeks of the semester—by January 27. After January 27 changes will be made ONLY for
documented emergencies and illness.
Makeup exams will ONLY be given if you are taking another class that meets during the scheduled exam
time, you are a Virginia Tech athlete and you have a required athletic event on the exam date, or you have a
documented family emergency or medical condition. Medical conditions or other circumstances that cause
a student to miss a scheduled exam must be documented and approved by the Dean of Students Office or
the College of Business Undergraduate Office in Pamplin 1046. All makeup exams are handled by Jason
Sharp, the course coordinator. The course coordinator can be contacted via email at jsharp16@vt.edu. The
course coordinator has final authority to determine if your absence is justified and whether you can take a
makeup exam.
Other exam policies:
1. You must take the exam in the room indicated by your instructor.
2. You must bring your student ID to each exam.
3. Only simple, non-programmable, 4 or 5-function calculators will be allowed during exams.
4. You are not allowed to copy, duplicate or photograph exams. Doing so will be considered a
violation of the honor code.
5. Cell phones and other electronic devices must be turned off and put away in book bags, back packs,
or purses. If a proctor sees a student with a cell phone or hears a cell phone ring during an exam,
the proctor will ask the student to turn the cell phone off and put it away. It the student does not
do this, the proctor has the right to put the cell phone in a secure place until the student has turned
in his/her exam.
6. Exam grades are based on what you mark on the op scan – not what is marked in your exam
booklet. You will not get credit for a question answered correctly in the exam booklet but
incorrectly on the op scan.
7. If a student believes there is an error in the grading of his/her exam, he/she has one week from the
date grades are available to request that the exam be re-graded. Exams will not be re-graded after
a week.
8. Students may not keep their exams. Exams must be returned to the instructor. Leaving the exam
room or the instructor’s office, with an ACIS 2116 exam is considered a violation of the VT Honor
Code.
Final Exam. The final exam is a common time exam. The final exam will be held on Friday, May 5 from
7:00-9:00 pm. PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS NO ALTERNATE OR MAKEUP FINAL EXAM. If you have
another class with a final exam scheduled on Friday, May 5 at 7:00 pm., you will have to make
arrangements to move the other exam.
Homework:
Assignments for each class meeting are detailed in a separate tentative schedule for the course. An online
system called Connect will be used to handle the submission and grading of all homework assignments. To
register for Connect you will need the access code that you purchased and you must go to the specific web
address given to you by your instructor.
The dates on which assignments will be available for online completion are indicated at the Connect Web
site. Because these assignment questions are auto-graded, you must format your responses precisely as
instructed in each question. It is your responsibility to make sure that the homework is completed and
submitted prior to the deadline. The Connect web site automatically submits your work at the due date and
time. Absolutely no work is accepted after the deadline; therefore, your grade is based on what you have
completed by the homework deadline.
Students are limited to 3 attempts (“submits”) per question on Connect. You also have 5 opportunities to
“check your work” over the 3 official attempts. I would recommend not to use all 5 “check your work” for
the first attempt. I would spread them out over the 3 attempts. The highest score earned on all attempts
will be used to calculate the final homework grade. In addition, about ten percent of the total possible
homework points will be dropped when calculating the final homework grade. There is a total of 152
homework points but you only need to earn 136 points to achieve 100% for the semester. If you earn more
than 136 points, these do not count as extra credit. Once you earn 136 points, no more points are counted
towards your homework grade. Note that many of the questions are algorithmic. That means that
different students will have homework problems with different numerical values.
DO NOT wait until the evening the homework assignment is due to start working on it. You may not be able
to finish the homework by the deadline. Homework deadlines are strictly observed. Extensions on
homework are not given to students who are having problems with their computers. If your computer is
not working properly, plan on completing the homework in a computer lab. Going out of town and not
having access to a computer is also not a valid excuse for receiving an extension on a homework
assignment.
Attendance/Participation:
Each class, excluding exams, will be worth two points. Your instructor will have an attendance sheet that
he/she will have you sign. To receive the attendance/participation point each day, the student must attend
the class, and actively participate in the class. Being active in the participation of the class means that the
student is listening to the instructor, taking notes, attempting to solve any in-class problems by themselves
or in a group, and/or asking questions on material that you do not understand. If a student is disruptive, on
their cell phone, or engaging in any other behavior detrimental to the learning environment, the student
will not earn the attendance/participation points for the class. Also, if a student comes to class, signs the
attendance sheet and leaves, that student will not receive credit for attendance. Please DO NOT try to sign
the attendance sheet for another student. This would be considered a violation of the honor code. We
have 38 classes scheduled, excluding exams, which means that there is 76 total points but a student only
needs 60 points to receive a 100% for attendance/participation. Once you earn 64 points, you cannot earn
any additional points. There is a buffer built-in to allow for some absences due to sickness, job interviews,
athletic absences, etc….If you can make it to class every single day, I would, because I think you will really
benefit and it will make homework/studying for the exams a lot easier.
Getting Help:
Your instructor may or may not have a phone in his/her office. All instructors, however, will hold scheduled
office hours. The hours and location will be posted on Canvas. If there is something you do not understand,
you are encouraged to seek help from your instructor during office hours. Before seeking help from your
instructor, however, you should read the relevant text material, and independently develop specific
questions. Instructors are not expected to solve entire homework assignments or to provide repeat
lectures of classes that have been missed, but rather to help with specific unclear issues.
Cell Phone Policy:
Cell phones that go off during class time can be very distracting; therefore, cell phones or other electronic
devices that ring, beep, or play a melody should be silenced before class begins. It could also lead to the
loss of your attendance grade for the day.
Student Responsibility:
Students are expected to attend all classes and actively participate during the class. If, however, a student
should miss a class, the student is responsible for all material covered during the class and for completing all
assigned work. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain notes from a classmate and study them for
understanding.
Special Accommodations:
Students who require special accommodations for exams should submit the Faculty Accommodations form
to Jason Sharp, the course coordinator, no later than the second week of classes. All students requiring
special accommodations for exams must take their exams at the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD)
Office. To take an exam at the SSD Office a Testing Reservation Form must be completed and turned into
that office. The Testing Reservation Form must be signed by Jason Sharp, the course coordinator. The
email address for the course coordinator is jsharp16@vt.edu
The Office for Services for Students with Disabilities can be reached at:
www.ssd.vt.edu
Academic Honesty:
Honesty in your academic work will develop into professional integrity. The faculty and students of Virginia
Tech will not tolerate any form of academic dishonesty.
The Undergraduate Honor Code pledge that each member of the university community agrees to abide by
states:
“As a Hokie, I will conduct myself with honor and integrity at all times. I will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor will I
accept the actions of those who do.”
Students enrolled in this course are responsible for abiding by the Honor Code. A student who has doubts
about how the Honor Code applies to any assignment is responsible for obtaining specific guidance from the
course instructor before submitting the assignment for evaluation. Ignorance of the rules does not exclude
any member of the University community from the requirements and expectations of the Honor Code. For
additional information about the Honor Code, please visit:
http://www.honorsystem.vt.edu/
1. All assignments submitted shall be considered "graded work” and all aspects of your coursework are
covered by the Honor Code. All projects and homework assignments are to be completed individually unless
otherwise specified.
2. Commission of any of the following acts shall constitute academic misconduct. This listing is not,
however, exclusive of other acts that may reasonably be said to constitute academic misconduct.
Clarification is provided for each definition with some examples of prohibited behaviors in the
Undergraduate Honor Code Manual located at:
https://www.honorsystem.vt.edu/
A. CHEATING
Cheating includes the intentional use of unauthorized materials, information, notes, study aids or other
devices or materials in any academic exercise, or attempts thereof.
B. PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism includes the copying of the language, structure, programming, computer code, ideas, and/or
thoughts of another and passing off the same as one's own original work, or attempts thereof.
C. FALSIFICATION
Falsification includes the statement of any untruth, either verbally or in writing, with respect to any
element of one's academic work, or attempts thereof
D. FABRICATION
Fabrication includes making up data and results, and recording or reporting them, or submitting
fabricated documents, or attempts thereof.
E. MULTIPLE SUBMISSION
Multiple submission involves the submission for credit—without authorization of the instructor
receiving the work—of substantial portions of any work (including oral reports) previously submitted
for credit at any academic institution, or attempts thereof.
F. COMPLICITY
Complicity includes intentionally helping another to engage in an act of academic misconduct, or
attempts thereof.
G. VIOLATION OF UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE, DEPARTMENTAL, PROGRAM, COURSE, OR FACULTY RULES
The violation of any University, College, Departmental, Program, Course, or Faculty Rules relating to
academic matters that may lead to an unfair academic advantage by the student violating the rule(s).
“If you have questions or are unclear about what constitutes academic misconduct on an assignment,
please speak with me. I take the Honor Code very seriously in this course. The normal sanction I will
recommend for a violation of the Honor Code is an F* sanction as your final course grade. The F represents
failure in the course. The “*” is intended to identify a student who has failed to uphold the values of
academic integrity at Virginia Tech. A student who receives a sanction of F* as their final course grade shall
have it documented on their transcript with the notation “FAILURE DUE TO ACADEMIC HONOR CODE
VIOLATION.” You would be required to complete an education program administered by the Honor System
in order to have the “*” and notation “FAILURE DUE TO ACADEMIC HONOR CODE VIOLATION” removed
from your transcript. The “F” however would be permanently on your transcript.”
Course Changes:
Please be aware that the tentative course schedule is a general guide and may be changed as we go
through the semester. I will let you know about any changes to the syllabus during class or by email. It is
your responsibility to keep up with any changes that are announced.
Tips for Success:
The following tips are from Jason Sharp, the course coordinator for ACIS 2116. I believe if you follow these
general guidelines you will get the most out of this course:
1. Read the entire assigned chapter before you begin discussing it during class. The readings are
not very long, the chapter readings range from 14 pages (Chapter 4) to 28 pages (Chapter 2).
When you first read the chapter, you will not understand everything, but that’s ok. Doing this
will make you better prepared for class, will help you complete homework assignments, as well
as, identify areas where you need extra practice/assistance.
2. Attend each class. We want you to come to class and actively participate. During each class,
your instructor will go over key concepts from the chapters and will be going over actual
problems related to the chapter readings. If you read the assigned reading before class and
actively participate while attending class, you will find that you will do better on the homework
assignments, and be better prepared for the exams.
3. Attempt/complete homework problems in a timely manner. You typically will have about 5-8
days to complete the homework problems for the assigned chapter. If you are doing steps 1 & 2
above, you should have more than enough time to attempt the homework problems, receive
any needed assistance from your instructor or tutor, and complete the problems. When first
attempting the homework problems, attempt them by yourself, not in a group setting. You can
talk with other students about the homework problems, but to best utilize your time and any
time spent with other students, it is always best to attempt them first by yourself.
4. Study for the exams. If you are doing the previous 3 steps, studying for the exams should
become much easier and shouldn’t be as stressful. A normal exam will cover 3-4 chapters which
might not sound like a lot but there is LOTS of material covered in these chapters, plus, most of
these topics are brand new to you and the only way to really prepare for the exams is lots of
practice (ie, steps 1, 2, & 3). If you procrastinate when preparing for the exams, just remember,
it will make your life much more difficult/stressful.
Each student learns/understands material at a different pace. When I was a student I had to read
chapter’s multiple times to actually understand the material but that’s ok. If you have an
understanding of how much time you need to put in and practice with the homework problems, you
can do great things in the course!
Please treat everyone in the class with the utmost respect and civility. Think of yourself as a role model and
future business professional. The classroom should be one where all students feel welcome, appreciated,
and provide the best learning environment possible.
Outside Help, Tutoring and Campus Resources
If you feel you need to hire a tutor you can contact me and I can put you in touch with people that
provide tutoring services.
You can also contact the Student Success Center here on campus for tutoring and other aids. Here is a
link to the Student Success Center:
www.studentsuccess.vt.edu
Another resource for students is the Cook Counseling Center:
www.ucc.vt.edu
The Virginia Tech Dean of Students office can be reached at:
www.dos.vt.edu