CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
Baruch College -- Executive MBA
Financial Accounting
Fall 2003
Class
sessions
Saturdays 8.30 – 11.00am, except for October 4th when
class will be held on Friday October 3rd
Instructor
Jan Sweeney, Ph.D.
Address: Box 12-225, 55 Lexington Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010
Office: Room 12-262; Telephone (646) 312-3201(Voice mail) or (646)
312-3160 (Department)
Fax: (646) 312-6161;
E-Mail: jan_sweeney@baruch.cuny.edu or swnyjan@hotmail.com
Office hours: Tuesday 4.30 – 5.30 pm and
Wednesdays, 6:00 – 7:00 pm, and by appointment
Course
objectives
The goal of this course is to develop your understanding of
financial information required for businesses that are publicly listed in the
USA, specifically:
§
technical understanding of alternative accounting
concepts and practices, and their effects on
financial statements
§
broad ranging analysis and evaluation of the impact of
alternative accounting methods on
capital markets, managerial motivation and politics
Class
format
Classes are lecture-discussion sessions with most of the time
devoted to considering conceptual implications of questions and problems
assigned for homework. Most classes
will also have a group discussion period for a case study or long problem. Each student is required to write up and
submit 3 cases (of your choice) during the semester.
Each participant is expected to review the assigned readings and
study each problem in advance of class in order to maximize the learning
experience. You should concentrate on understanding the rationale underlying
the solutions; I will hand out copies of solutions or post them on the web
after class.
Students are expected to register their e-mail addresses on Baruch
College's Electronic Blackboard, and to monitor Blackboard for announcements
and assignments.
Textbook
Stickney, Clyde P., and Weil, Roman L., Financial Accounting,
(10th ed.; South-Western/Thompson, 2003).
The study guide is optional
Selected articles, papers, class notes, and problems will be
distributed during the course.
Course
Materials and Resources
Homework
I have made every effort to assign readings and problems that are
clearly worded, but English has its limitations in explaining and applying
accounting concepts. If you have trouble with a problem, make assumptions that
allow you to answer the question, not ones that make any answer impossible! If you don’t have time to read and do the
problems, DO THE PROBLEMS, SKIP THE READING.
Examinations
and grading policy
|
Cases |
45% |
|
Class participation |
5% |
|
Midterm |
20% |
|
Final examination |
30% |
|
Total |
100% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
A passing grade on the final examination is required to pass the
course. The midterm and final are take
home exams that must be submitted by the date required. A make-up final examination is given only for
documented problems according to College policies. If you have a reasonable, documented excuse
for missing the midterm exam, its weight will be dropped in determining your
final grade.
Academic
honesty and integrity
Any form of academic dishonesty undermines the value of the academic degrees earned by all Baruch College students. I expect you to honor Baruch College’s standards regarding academic honesty and integrity in course work and examinations, and to report violations by other students to the instructor immediately. All reported incidents of academic misconduct are kept confidential. Using notes, giving or receiving help from another student during an examination constitutes cheating. Any effort to gain an advantage not given to all students is dishonest and another form of cheating, even if the effort is unsuccessful. Students caught cheating risk severe academic penalties, including a failing grade on the examination, a failing grade in the course, suspension and/or dismissal from the College.
Suggestions
for studying
(a)
Preparing for each class session will make our meetings
more interesting and aid your success in the class. Make the time to do the reading before class, you’ll do it some
time anyway, and it is so much more beneficial if you do it before rather than
after. If you are exposed to a concept or procedure for the first time in
class, you will have difficulty grasping it.
We cannot hold up the class, because class time is very limited.
(b)
It is important to understand the concepts. I think illustrations are worth a thousand
words. While reading, check the figures
in the examples - mentally or with a calculator - and draw up the T accounts to
make sure that you understand the relationships among the numbers, (but don’t
get bogged down in long numerical illustrations that stretch on for many
pages).
(c)
Work the assigned problems. Learning accounting is like learning to ride a bike -- you need
practice! Further, having learned to
ride a bike, you do not forget how because the knowledge is generalized all
over the brain, not in short or long term memory.
(d)
Keep up with the course. This is a comprehensive course
and the material builds upon itself. You need to schedule regular times to study.
(e)
Form study groups.
Students who work together on homework assignments and who discuss the assigned
reading understand the material better.
Schedule of Classes
and Assignments
Revised10/10/03
PLEASE BE PREPARED FOR CLASS AS WE HAVE SO LITTLE CLASS TIME FOR
THIS COURSE. I WILL BE HANDING OUT HAND
OUTS AS WE PROGRESS
1 9/12 Review
of financial statements SW Chs 1-5
2
9/13 Articulation of FS Financial Statements
3. 9/20 FS
Analysis/Current Assets SW Chs
5 and 6
6-17,22,23,27,37
4. 10/3 Operating
Capacity SW Ch 7 and 8 7-6,17,20,23,28
7-30, 8-16,20,26,
8- 27.30.32
5. 10/11
Corporate Liabilities: Notes,
SW Chs 9 and 10 9-27,33,37,44
Mortgages,
Bonds, Leases 10-23,24,25,38,30
Deferred Taxes, Pensions 10-33,35,38,39,43
and
Other Deferred Comp
6. 10/18 Marketable
Securities, SW Ch 11 11-3,14,21,26,27,
and Investments 11-35,36,37,43,45
7.
10/25 Earnings, Shareholders’
SW Ch 12 12-,29,31,32,35,38
Equity,
EPS
FINAL
EXAM