ACCT 3305
General Information and Policies
Spring 2015
I. INSTRUCTOR
A.
Name:
Dr. Herschel Mann
KPMG Professor of Accounting
B.
Office #:
E366
C.
Office Hours:
TR 11:00-11:30 a.m.
TR 1:00-1:45 p.m.
W 10:00-11:30 a.m.
and by appointment
D.
Phone #:
834-2037
E.
E-mail:
herschel.mann@ttu.edu
F.
Web Site
http://hmann.ba.ttu.edu
II. COURSE OBJECTIVES, EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES, AND ASSESSMENT OF THE
ATTAINMENT OF EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Accounting is the process of capturing information about the activities and financial position of
an entity and communicating that information to interested parties. The interested parties may
be inside or outside the accounting entity; the activities include income and cash flow generating
activities; and the financial position elements include assets, liabilities, and elements of owners’
equity.
This course focuses on capturing information and communicating it to parties outside the
accounting entity. The activities and financial position elements emphasized in this course
relate to (1) current and long-term liabilities, (2) transactions with owners of the accounting
entity, (3) revenues, (4) income tax allocation, (5) accounting changes, and (6) cash flows.
The objectives of this course are summarized in the following statement: to help you learn
generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP) for each of the activities and elements
mentioned above and to properly apply U.S. GAAP to those activities and elements.
To successfully complete this course, you are expected to learn U.S. GAAP for each of the
activities and elements mentioned above and to demonstrate proper application of those
principles by solving a variety of accounting problems to which those principles clearly relate.
You may, from time-to-time, also be expected to choose from competing U.S. GAAP and then to
properly apply and defend the choice.
Where appropriate, we will review the comparison of U.S. GAAP with the International Financial
Reporting Standards (IFRS) of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).
A student’s attainment of the expected learning outcomes in this course will be assessed via a
set of traditional exams. Please see section IV of this General Information and Policies
statement for a description of how the results of apply this assessment method will influence the
course grade.
III. COURSE MATERIALS
Required:
Kieso, Weygandt, & Warfield, Intermediate Accounting, 15th ed. (2014 FASB Update) – 2013
(New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2013)
IV. COURSE GRADE DETERMINATION
Your grade in the course will be based on your performance on the following:
Exam #1
Exam #2
Exam #3
Exam #4
Quizzes (See Note 1)
Minimum total points possible
Points
100
100
100
100
??
400
Note 1: The instructor may give up to 11 unannounced quizzes during the semester. Each quiz
will be worth 10 points and, beyond the first one given, will increase the total points possible in the
course by 10. For each student, the quiz on which you make your lowest score will be eliminated
from consideration. (In other words, your lowest one quiz score will be "thrown out.") Any student
who misses an unannounced quiz will be assigned a grade of zero for that quiz.
Course grades normally will be based on the following scale:
Course Average
90-100%
80-89%
70-79%
60-69%
00-59%
Course Grade
A
B
C
D
F
V. EXAMS
The “Final Exam” (Exam #4) is not comprehensive.
Make-up exams will be given only if you have to miss the exam for (1) reasons of official Texas
Tech business or (2) extenuating circumstances beyond your control. In the case of (1), you must
present to me on a timely basis sufficient evidence from the proper Texas Tech official to support
your contention that you missed the exam for reasons of official Texas Tech business. In the case
of (2), you must present to me on a timely basis (normally within 24 hours of the scheduled
examination time) sufficient evidence to satisfy me that the examination was missed because of
extenuating circumstances beyond your control. Otherwise, any exam missed will be assigned a
grade of zero.
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VI. HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
“Homework” will not be taken up. Your Assignment Sheet shows the exercises, problems, or
handout problems that I likely will discuss in class on the dates noted. You should make sure that
you work them before you get to class on that date. If you expect to get anything out of that day’s
lecture, you should have, as a minimum, read the chapter and completed the “homework”
assignment for that day. (An unannounced quiz sometimes may be based on the “homework”
assignment for that day.) Anything less than that level of preparation is unacceptable and will be
taken into consideration by me should you wind up as a borderline case between any two course
letter grades. (You should have read each chapter at least three times before the exam
covering that chapter.)
The solutions to the “homework” assignments will be available on my website. Once I have had
the proper people set up the password controls, you will be able to access the solutions by using
your e-raider username and password. Make sure that when you enter your username that you
precede it with ttu\. Thus, if your username is micro, when attempting to access the solution on
my Web site, you should enter ttu\micro. The solutions are made available as a means of
providing you more timely feedback on the correctness of your work. Please be aware of the risk
associated with your using these solutions as a “crutch” instead of working the exercises or
problems yourself. Students who do not work the assigned exercises and problems on a timely
basis usually do not do well in the course.
VII. CLASS PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDANCE
You individually and the class collectively will benefit from your participation in class discussions.
For each class, you should be prepared to participate in a meaningful way. While participation is
not specifically included in the allocation of points for grading purposes, it may be a deciding
factor, either positively or negatively, in borderline cases. In this regard, absences obviously
indicate a lack of class participation.
I normally take attendance at the beginning of class. If you are not present at that time, you are
counted as absent, even if you show up for class later. You should understand that I heavily
frown on unexcused absences. You simply cannot contribute to the class if you are not present.
Please bear in mind that attendance is a principal factor that I take into consideration in borderline
cases. Thus, if your course average is “on the bubble” (borderline between two letter grades) and
you have a poor attendance record, you should expect to receive the lower course grade. Having
more than three unexcused absences will, by itself, prevent you from receiving a grade of A in the
course.
I also frown heavily on students getting to class late. If you enter the classroom after class has
started, you should submit to me by the next class period a written explanation as to why
you were late. If, in my judgment, your reason is unacceptable, your tardiness will be considered
to be an unexcused absence. Failure to submit your written explanation by the next class period
will result in that absence being considered an unexcused absence.
VIII. OTHER
A.
Academic Honesty
Cheating will result in an "F" in the course and you will be subject to the maximum
disciplinary action allowed by Texas Tech University.
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B.
Use of Calculators and/or Computers during Exams
Calculators that have the capability of storing words are not allowed during exams. Use of
an unauthorized calculator during an exam period constitutes grounds for a zero grade on
that exam. Calculators may not be shared during an exam.
Computers must be turned off during exams. A computer being left on during an exam
constitutes grounds for a zero grade on that exam.
C.
Disabilities
If you have any type of disabling condition that causes you to have special needs with
respect to the class, I request that you notify me as soon as possible. I will attempt to make
the appropriate accommodations.
D.
Possible Changes in Due Dates/Assignments
Changes in the assignments or due dates are not expected but possible could occur. Such
changes would be announced in class. It is the responsibility of each student to attend class
and become aware of such changes. It is anticipated there will be no changes in the exam
dates.
E.
E-Mail Address
You will need an e-mail address. You need to make sure that your e-Raider e-mail
address is correct. Please be reminded that Texas Tech uses only your Texas Tech email address. I consider any information that I send to your e-Raider e-mail address to be
official. It is your responsibility to make sure that your e-Raider e-mail address is correct.
F.
Cell Phones and Other Communication Devices
The use of a cell phone, iPod, iPhone, or any other form of communication device to send
or receive oral or written messages during class is prohibited. The mere presence of one
of these forms of communications during class is grounds for your dismissal from the class
for that day. Therefore, it should be obvious that the use of any of these forms of
communications during class is grounds for dismissal from the class for that date. (Thus,
texting during class is grounds for dismissal from class for that day.) A repeat of either of
these violations (the presence or use of any of these forms of communications) is grounds
for your dismissal from the class for the semester.
Your cell phone being visible in the classroom on the day that I give an exam or on the day
that I return your exam to you graded constitutes grounds for a zero grade on that exam.
Computers may NOT be used in class unless I specifically state otherwise. Thus,
unless I tell you otherwise, all laptops must remain closed and in the off position during
class. Violation of these policies may result in your dismissal from the class.
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G.
Class Starting and Ending Time
Class is scheduled to start promptly at 9:30 a.m. for ACCT 3305-004 and 2:00 p.m. for
ACCT 3305-005. Please make sure that you are in your seat and ready to start class at
that time. I very heavily frown on students getting to class late. (Getting to class late
disturbs me and your fellow students.) If you have another class across campus that
makes it difficult for you to get to class on time, please let me know within the first week of
class.
Class is scheduled to dismiss on a timely basis. I will attempt to honor the appropriate
ending times.
Getting to class late or leaving before class is dismissed will not be tolerated. If you need
to leave class early for whatever reason, please do not plan to re-enter the class that
day.
H.
Professional Attitudes and Behavior
You will be treated in this class as a young professional. I expect you to conduct yourself
as a young professional. Disturbing other students in class or treating them in an
unprofessional manner will not be tolerated. Those who choose to conduct themselves in
an unprofessional manner will be asked to leave the class.
I.
Miscellaneous
I will do my best to show you respect. I ask that you likewise show respect to me and your
classmates. Being late to class and talking in class are ways that you show disrespect; I
frown on both.
Now that all of the dos and don’ts are out of the way, let’s try to have a great semester. You
can do that by showing up for class each day prepared and with a good attitude. I will do my
best to do the same.
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