SANTA BARBARA CITY COLLEGE ACCOUNTING EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ACCT 240 - Managerial Accounting Fall Semester 2009 Instructor: Office: Office Phone: Fax: E-Mail: Website: Office Hours: Michael Kulper, CPA BC 206 965-0581 x2686 966-3672 mnkulper@pipeline.sbcc.edu www.sbccaccounting.com MW 3 pm to 4 pm; TTh 1 pm to 2 pm; Friday by appointment. COURSE DESCRIPTION The course provides an introduction to the uses of accounting data by management within an organization for internal planning, control, and decision-making purposes. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES 1. Define the basic managerial accounting terms and apply those terms on a conceptual basis. 2. Calculate costs of products and services under job-order costing, process costing, and activitybased costing. 3. Differentiate the behavior of costs (i.e., variable, fixed, and mixed costs). 4. Perform cost-volume-profit analysis to determine breakeven point in sales, or sales volume necessary to achieve a desired net operating income. 5. Calculate standard and normal costs for preparation of budgets, and compute and analyze cost variances. 6. Apply the time value of money concept for long-term capital budgeting decisions. COURSE CONTENT The role played by accounting in accumulating, preparing, and analyzing data for its use in decisionmaking by management within an organization is emphasized in the course. A few of the more recent developments in business process management - Lean Production and the lean thinking model, the Theory of Constraints, and Six Sigma, – will be covered early on. The various terms, concepts, and classifications utilized in accumulating and allocating costs will then be discussed. The two costing systems which have emerged in response to variations in the manufacturing process and are used in tracking costs -- job-order costing and process costing -- will be examined, as will activity-based costing (ABC), which has been embraced by many companies. We will also look at cost behavior, as well as the relationship between cost, volume, and profit (CVP analysis). ACCT 240 - Managerial Accounting Fall 2009 Additionally, absorption versus variable costing, budgeting, controlling costs through the use of standard costs, and overhead cost analysis will be studied. We will also learn how to evaluate cost, profit, and investment centers within a business entity. Lastly, we will identify the relevant information (revenues and costs) and methods used by management in making both short-run and long-run decisions. Throughout the course it will be recognized that management accounting concepts are not only applied in manufacturing settings, but in retail, wholesale, and service organizations as well. Finally, it will be emphasized that a relentless drive for continuous improvement is key to organizations of all types and sizes. Accounting truly is the “language of business.” Accounting data is utilized every day in making internal business decisions, and as a yardstick by which your performance will be measured. Therefore, does it not make sense to study managerial accounting, so that you have some idea what is being discussed?? THE STUDY OF ACCOUNTING WILL IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES FOR SUCCESS in the business environment. COURSE PREREQUISITE AND ADVISORIES ACCT 230, with a minimum grade of "C,” is a prerequisite for enrolling in ACCT 240. Eligibility for ENG 110 is advised Completion of MATH 4 is advised. Sophomore standing is strongly recommended. TEXTBOOK AND SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS (available at SBCC Bookstore required, unless indicated otherwise) Managerial Accounting, Garrison/Noreen/Brewer, McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 13th Edition. Workbook/Study Guide for the above (recommended). Working Papers for the above (optional). Five 100-question Scantron forms for exams. Stapler - multiple page homework will not be accepted unless it is stapled. ASSIGNMENTS Accounting is “learned by doing” and this is the reasoning behind the homework policy. Understanding the material and, therefore, success in the course will only come through doing the work!! It should require several hours of study outside of class each week! Conventional wisdom says that you should plan on spending a minimum of two hours outside of class for each hour in class. PLEASE READ EACH CHAPTER MORE THAN ONCE!! 2 ACCT 240 - Managerial Accounting Fall 2009 The following types of assignments will be prepared and submitted by you during the semester: HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS and IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS: Homework assignments (questions, such as “Q2,” exercises, such as “E13-10,” and problems, such as “P2-15”) will need to be prepared for every class session, except for exam dates. Typically, questions at the end of a chapter are assigned for the first day a chapter is covered, while exercises and problems at the end of a chapter are assigned for the second day a chapter is covered. Please see the FALL SEMESTER SCHEDULE handout for due dates. Homework assignments must be completed before class on the dates indicated in the FALL SEMESTER SCHEDULE handout. Please keep current with your assignments!! MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING IS A CHALLENGING COURSE and will require a serious commitment of time, energy, and effort on your part. However, a serious commitment will yield a much more satisfying and successful result! Homework assignments will be collected and reviewed throughout the semester. The collection of homework assignments will occur on the day they are due. In addition, you may be asked to present your answers in class. You will lose points if you are not prepared, so please come prepared to discuss your homework assignments! Homework assignments are assessed based on effort and completeness, not correctness only. Homework assignments have been allocated 100 POINTS for the semester. Five points will be deducted from your 100-point total for any homework not submitted when requested, or up to five points will be deducted for homework judged to be incomplete when submitted. In-class assignments, as well as any random article summaries, will be included with homework assignments in determining your overall point total. In-class assignments will be graded for completeness and correctness! Please refer to the “COURSE GRADE” and “GRADING SYSTEM” section of this syllabus regarding points. ARTICLE REVIEWS Article reviews must be typed (single-spaced, with no larger than size 12 font) and will be collected at the beginning of the class session indicated in the FALL SEMESTER SCHEDULE handout. Five articles have been assigned during the semester. Article reviews should be at least ONE page in length, but no more than TWO. The first paragraphs of your review should consist of a brief summarization of the article, while the final paragraph should consist of your comments in reference to the article. Your ability to summarize the article effectively and comment appropriately, as well as punctuation, sentence structure, and spelling will be reviewed. The five article reviews have been allocated a total of 50 POINTS for the semester. If an article review (10 points) is not submitted when due, you will lose all points on that assignment. Points will be deducted for article reviews that poorly presented, or are judged to be incomplete when submitted. Please refer to the “COURSE GRADE” and “GRADING SYSTEM” sections of this syllabus regarding points. 3 ACCT 240 - Managerial Accounting Fall 2009 CASES: Cases assignments must be typed (single-spaced, with no larger than size 12 font) and will be collected at the beginning of the class session indicated in the FALL SEMESTER SCHEDULE handout. Five cases have been assigned during the semester. Case responses should be at least ONE page in length, but no more than TWO. Please address all questions/issues in the case within the body of your overall case response. In other words, do not separate your case responses into parts “1,” “2,” etc., as it may be presented in your textbook. Your ability to support your position, as well as punctuation, sentence structure, and spelling will be reviewed. The five cases have been allocated a total of 50 POINTS for the semester. If a case (10 points) is not submitted when due, you will lose all points on that assignment. Points will be deducted for a case that is in error, poorly presented, or judged to be incomplete when submitted. Please refer to the “COURSE GRADE” and “GRADING SYSTEM” sections of this syllabus regarding points. IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING LATE ASSIGNMENTS: Late assignments will be accepted TWICE during the semester, NO MATTER WHAT THE REASON. Please note that a “late” can be used for all assignments due on a particular class session date. When submitting late assignments, make it clear by adding a note (“FIRST LATE” or “SECOND LATE,” and the DATE DUE) at the top of your late assignment. Late assignments submitted without such a note will be returned to you. Late assignments must be submitted by the following class session. ATTENDANCE As specified in the SBCC Schedule of Classes, regular class attendance is required. The college considers absence from the equivalent of one week of classes to be excessive. Therefore, since we meet twice a week, I will drop you if you have missed TWO class sessions prior to the last drop date (unless you can provide me with written documentation which supports an excused absence -- i.e., a note from your physician for illness, or a religious holiday). Please communicate with me, or I will assume you have dropped the course upon your SECOND unexcused absence. After the second week of classes or your second late arrival to class, whichever happens later, I may deduct 5 points from your overall point total at the end of the semester for each time you arrived late to class during the semester. You can check with me any time during the semester to see how many points you may have lost due to arriving late to class. Hopefully, you can see that I feel attendance is important and, therefore, not attending class, or continually arriving late, will adversely affect your grade in the course. Make-up exams will only be allowed under the most unusual of circumstances, which have been discussed with me prior to the exam date. Make-up exams must be scheduled at a time before the date you were to take the exam with the class. Not showing up for exam will result in a score of zero. Please refer to the “EXAMINATIONS” section of this syllabus for additional information. 4 ACCT 240 - Managerial Accounting Fall 2009 EXAMINATIONS Five examinations are scheduled during the semester for a total of 500 POINTS. Please refer to the FALL SEMESTER SCHEDULE handout for exam dates. The exams will test your knowledge of the specific chapters indicated, although an understanding of the basic concepts covered in prior exams will be necessary. The exams will consist of objective, multiple-choice questions which test your conceptual (qualitative) and computational (quantitative) understanding of the topics covered, as well as short problems, from time to time. Please note that the exams are designed to test your understanding of concepts, rather than your ability to memorize terminology or mechanical steps! No exam score will be dropped, as there is no cumulative final exam. Please refer to the “COURSE GRADE” and “GRADING SYSTEM” sections of this syllabus for additional information as to how the exam scores fit into your overall grade in the course. As noted above under “ATTENDANCE,” make-up exams will only be given under the most unusual of circumstances which have been communicated to me in advance of an exam! COURSE GRADE Your grade will be based primarily on objective factors, as evidenced by your performance (points) on exams, article reviews, cases, homework assignments, and in-class assignments. Scores for all of the above can be accessed at www.geocities.com/sbcc4acct during the semester. Please refer to the “GRADING SYSTEM” section of this syllabus for additional information regarding the point structure. If you are on a grade borderline at the end of the semester, my overall perception of your performance during the semester may cause me to either award you the higher or lower grade. Be aware that this is totally at my discretion. The subjective portion will be based on my perception of such things as your attendance, punctuality, preparation for class, and participation in discussion, activities, etc. The last day to drop the course without receiving a "W" (withdrawal) is Saturday, September 5. The last day to withdraw without a grade ("A" - "F") being assigned is Friday, October 23. STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES Students with disabilities who are requesting accommodations should use the following SBCC procedure: contact the DSPS office, submit documentation of your disability to the DSPS office, communicate with a DSPS counselor regarding options for services and accommodations, and reach written accommodation agreement with the DSPS counselor and your instructor. SBCC requests that you complete this process at least ten working days before your accommodation is needed, in order to allow DSPS staff time to provide your accommodation. Contact: DSPS office (805) 965-0581 x 2364, SS Building, Room 160, or dspshelp@sbcc.edu. 5 ACCT 240 - Managerial Accounting Fall 2009 ACADEMIC HONESTY AND STUDENT CONDUCT All assignments and examinations must be completed by students on an individual basis. Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. If you choose to violate the academic honesty policy established for this course, you will be subject to a failing grade on the assignment or exam in question, and/or a failing grade in the course itself. These penalties are consistent with the SBCC Academic Honesty Policy (see http://www.sbcc.edu/collegeprocedures/index.php?sec=896). During class sessions, you are expected to act in a manner compatible with the college’s function as an educational institution. Therefore, all rules and regulations apply which are set forth in the SBCC Standards of Student Conduct (see http://www.sbcc.edu/collegeprocedures/index.php?sec=901). In particular, if you choose to talk with your neighbor, are distracted by your cell phone or any other electronic device, or are distracted by outside reading materials during class, you will be given a warning the first time. If the incident involves talking with your neighbor, you will be asked to move to another location in the classroom. The second time you will be asked to leave the classroom. These disciplinary actions are consistent with the college’s Guidelines for Addressing Disruptive Student Behavior and Recommended Actions. Please note that food and drinks are not allowed in the classroom. Finally, please do not continually leave the classroom during class sessions unless you have communicated to me what necessitates you having to do so. RESOURCES AVAILABLE Some resources outside the classroom environment have been made available for your use in order to improve your chances for success in the course. The resources available to you are: 1. MCGRAW-HILL INTERNET WEBSITE: Many valuable student resources, such as the ONLINE LEARNING CENTER – STUDENT EDITION, are available on the McGraw-Hill website for the textbook (www.mhhe.com/garrison13e). 2. ACCOUNTING TUTORS: can begin assisting students after the first week of classes, pending final funding as a result of budget cuts. The Accounting Education Department has usually been allocated about 20 hours per week of tutor time in past semesters. Tutoring, if available, will be provided in the faculty library (room BC204). Times will be announced and posted. 3. FELLOW STUDENTS: can be a wonderful source of assistance! Please do not hesitate to form study groups. Research has shown them to be very useful!! 6 ACCT 240 - Managerial Accounting Fall 2009 GRADING SYSTEM (point totals may be subject to revision during the semester) Point Structure: Item Chapters Points Article Reviews Various 50@ Cases 2, 3, 9, 11, and 14 50# Homework Assignments/In-Class Assignments, All 100& 1st Exam 1 and 2 100 2nd Exam 3, 4, and 8 100 3rd Exam 5, 6, and 7 100 4th Exam 9, 10, and 11 100 5th Exam 12, 13, and 14 100 Total Points 700* @ 10 points for each article review. # 10 points for each case. & 5 points lost for each homework assignment or in-class assignment not submitted when due. * Late assignments will be accepted TWICE during the semester, NO MATTER WHAT THE REASON, but must be submitted by the following class session!! Grade Scale (letter grades/points/percentages): A B C D F 630-700 560-629 490-559 420-489 419 and below (90-100%) (80-89%) (70-79%) (60-69%) (below 60%) 7