BGI COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Number
and Title
MGT 553 Finance, Accounting, and the Triple Bottom Line I
Instructors
Kate Lancaster, PhD, CPA
kate.lancaster@bgi.edu
(W) 805.756.2922, (H-MB) 805.772.7452
(H-BI) 206.780.1015, (C) 805.440.4618
Toni Smith, PhD, CPA
toni.smith@bgi.edu
603.659.5108
Brian Setzler, MBA, CPA
brian.setzler.cpa@gmail.com
(H) 503.287.1798 (C) 503.367.5631
Teaching Assistants
Jake Bryant, MBA
jakebryant@gmail.com
206.973.0215
André Furin, MBA
drefur.bgi@gmail.com
404.310.4077
Mark Newell, MBA
marksnewell@gmail.com
206.261.1784
Course Description
Classical financial and managerial accounting. Preparing and using financial information in
the decision making process. Triple bottom line accounting and the inherent challenges of
environmental/social accounting.
Course
Introduction
Our goal is to make sure that you have a strong enough background in accounting and
finance to be able to make good business decisions and converse effectively with other
professionals.
The three broad areas covered in this quarter are:
 Financial accounting is the set of conventions, principles, and guidelines used to
report business results (normally in an annual report) to outside audiences, including
investors, bankers, the government, business partners and the general public.
 Managerial accounting is a set of tools and techniques primarily used inside the firm
to manage costs and support business decision-making.
 Triple bottom line accounting (environmental and sustainability accounting and
reporting) is a sub-discipline of accounting that addresses some of the unique
challenges of using accounting information to determine the environmental and social
costs and benefits of a firm.
The two Accounting classes and the Research and Quantitative methods course rely heavily
on Excel. Prior to the start of class, you should be able to develop a set of properly
formatted financial statements with embedded formulas.
Prerequisite(s)/
Co-requisite(s)
Passage of diagnostic exam with 80% or better, or permission of the instructor.
Instructional
Contact
3 credit hours.
Hours/Credits
Learning Objectives
Financial Accounting
 Understand the basic accounting principles, such as double-entry record-keeping, the
matching principle, realization of income and expenses, and determining values for
assets and liabilities.
 Apply methods used to analyze and properly account for business transactions.
 Apply the correct accounting methods in the preparation of the balance sheet, the
income statement, the statement of cash flows and the statement of stockholders’
equity.
 Analyze company performance using public financial data.
 Create a spreadsheet forecast for a company in which the income statement, balance
sheet and cash flow statements intertwine and work together.
Managerial Accounting
 Analyze cost behavior, identify and quantify cost drivers, and perform cost estimation
by product, segment or activity.
 Recognize and identify the elements of product cost and differentiate between product
and period costs.
 Determine the cost of providing a good or service using various indirect cost allocation
tools.
 Develop spreadsheets and use several Excel tools to analyze cost/volume/profit
relationships and perform breakeven analysis.
 Prepare a master budget and use this information to evaluate performance and identify
management implications.
 Perform incremental analysis in various managerial decisions such as make-or-buy and
sell-or process- further.
Triple Bottom Line Accounting and Environmental and Social Accounting and
Reporting
 Appreciate and recognize the ethical issues inherent in most business decisions and
how information (both financial and otherwise) may be impacted.
 Incorporate environmental and social accounting issues, including implications for
reporting and decision-making.
 Understand the inherent difficulties of addressing environmental issues within
conventional accounting frameworks.
Instructional
Materials and
References
Required Books and Course Materials
Erikson, G. (2004). Raising the Bar: Integrity and Passion in Life
and Business: The Story of Clif Bar, Inc. San Francisco: JosseyBass. ISBN# 0787973653
CD’s: Introduction to Accounting: The Language of Business
produced by Norm Nemrow and Brigham Young University.
Erskine, J., L. Mauffette-Leenders, and M. Leenders. (2007).
Learning With Cases. Ontario: Ivey Publishing.
Required Articles and Book Chapters
Hitchcock, D. E., & Willard, M. L. (2009). The business guide to
sustainability: Practical strategies and tools for organizations,
Chapter 13: Accounting and Finance: How to Account for
Environmental and Social Impacts (pp. 245-265). London:
Earthscan.
Simons R. & Davila A. (1996). Preparing and Using a Statement
of Cash Flows. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School case
Source
Purchase new or
used or borrow from
your public library.
Purchase at
http://accountingcds.
com/index.html for
$62.50 + shipping
http://cases.ivey.uw
o.ca/cases/pages/ho
me.aspx
BGI Library eReserves
Harvard Business
Online
#196108
Hansen, F. (2007). Sustainability Reporting: Straight to the
Bottom Line. Business Finance Magazine (February), 18-22.
Sulaiman, M. & N. Ahmad. (2006). Environmental Management
Accounting: Towards a Sustainable Future. Accountants Today
(March): 22-33.
White A. (2007). Quiet Revolution in Business Reporting.
Boston, MA: Ceres, Inc. (6 pages). Retrieved September 3,
2008 from:
http://www.incr.com/NETCOMMUNITY/Document.Doc?id=17
0
Required Cases (Case No.)
Bruns Jr, W. (1997) Lille Tissages, S.A. (198005)
BGI Library eReserves
BGI Library eReserves
BGI Library eReserves
Bruns Jr, W. (2001) Maria Hernandez & Associates. (902401)
Used for the Summer Accounting Prep, but purchased now.
Keating, E. (2003) New York City Audubon Society. KEL143
Plambeck, E., and Denend L. (2007) Wal-Mart's Sustainability
Strategy OIT71
Rankine G. (2009) Primo Benzina AG. TB0013-PDF-ENG
Simons, D, and A. Davila. (1995) Chemalite, Inc. (B): Cash Flow
Analysis. 195130-PDF-ENG
Thompson, D. (2009) Cariboo Industrial Ltd. 905B21-PDF-ENG
Wilson, D. (2008) Chemalite, Inc. 177078-PDF-ENG
Source
Harvard Business
Online
Harvard Business
Online
Harvard Business
Online
Harvard Business
Online
Harvard Business
Online
Harvard Business
Online
Harvard Business
Online
Harvard Business
Online
Instructional
Methods
The course will be taught using four integrated components: the course material as laid out
in the CDs, additional reading, case discussions, and application of concepts. Prior to each
intensive, you will work through assigned lessons on the “Introduction to Accounting” CD
and complete the online quizzes pertaining to the material. Also prior to the intensive, you
are required to read and prepare the assigned case(s), which will be discussed during the
intensive. We will devote a short amount of time during each intensive to respond to
specific questions on the reading material. The majority of intensive time will be devoted to
case analysis and discussion. During the intensive, we will give you time to discuss the case
issues with your team members; then reconvene to discuss the case issues as a class. The
remaining time will be spent describing upcoming assignments.
Topical Outline
A breakdown of the course into its major topics with specific learning objectives, including
instructor and student activities that support those objectives.
Week
1
2
Topic
Lesson 5 Sales Revenues & Receivables (2:50)
Lesson 6 Cost of Goods Sold (2:38)
Simons and Davila, Preparing and Using a Statement
of Cash Flows
Chapter 13: Accounting and Finance: How to Account
for Environmental and Social Impacts from The
business guide to sustainability: Practical strategies
and tools for organizations.
Intensive Week – Prepare Case Analyses
Activities
Elluminate
Lesson Quizzes
Elluminate
Chemalite (Full case
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Lesson 7 Operating Expenses & Internal Controls
(1:32)
Lesson 8 Long-Term Assets (2:32)
Raising the Bar (Chaps 1 - 3)
Lesson 9 Debt and Equity Financing (3:19)
Sustainability Reporting: Straight to the Bottom Line.
Raising the Bar (Chap 4)
Lesson 10 Financial Statement Analysis (4:15)
Quiet Revolution in Business Reporting
Raising the Bar (Chap 5 & 6)
Lesson 11 Introduction to Managerial Accounting
(1:05)
Intensive Week – Prepare Case Analyses
Lesson 12 Cost Accounting (3:23)
Lesson 13 Cost Volume Profit Analysis (3:53)
Raising the Bar (Chap 7)
Thanksgiving Week
Raising the Bar (Chap 8)
Lesson 15 Non-routine Business Decisions (3:23)
Environmental Management Accounting
Intensive Week – Prepare Case Analyses
12
Assessment Criteria and Methods
of Evaluating Students
analysis)
Chemalite B (through
part 6 of case analysis)
Primo Benzino
(through part 6 of case
analysis)
Elluminate
Lesson Quizzes
Article Discussion
Lesson Quizzes
Article Discussion
Elluminate
Lesson Quizzes
Prepare for Exam
Article Discussion
Exam
Lesson Quizzes
Elluminate
New York Audubon
Society (Full case
analysis)
Cariboo Industrial
(through part 6 of case
analysis)
Elluminate
Lesson Quizzes
Article Discussion
Clif Bar and Article
Discussion
Elluminate
Lesson Quizzes
Article Discussion
Elluminate
Lille Tissages (Full case
analysis)
Wal-Mart's
Sustainability Strategy
(Full case analysis)
Discussion team's CVP
Analysis
CVP Analysis due
You will be evaluated on your work in the following categories:
Individual Assignments
Quizzes
Exams
Case write-ups
Participation
Team Assignments and Case PowerPoint Presentations
Total
Grading Scale
20%
30%
20%
10%
20%
100%
Exceptional Work
Meets Expectations
Unsatisfactory
An overall 80% is the minimum acceptable level required to pass the
course.
BGI Final Grading Scale
CR Credit (A through B)
NC No Credit (C through F)
I Incomplete
Policies
Please refer to the BGI Catalog for current academic policies regarding
attendance, grading, academic honesty, students with disabilities,
intellectual property and any other pertinent information.
Disclaimer
The content of this syllabus or course outline may change during the
quarter.
Date Syllabus Was Last Reviewed
Jill Bamburg, 9-6-10