Accounting 322
Introduction to Accounting for Management Decision Making Syllabus
WINTER 2021
Instructor: Ke Wang, PhD Classes:
Office Hours: T 10:00 am – 12:00 noon B04: TR 9:30 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.
Email: [email protected] B05: TR 11:00 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.
1. Course Description and Objectives
This course is an introduction to managerial accounting. It is designed to make business students aware of the roles that accounting plays within organizations. The focus is primarily on the informed use of managerial accounting information, rather than on its production. The course emphasizes the links between accounting information and management activities such as strategic and operational decision making, financial planning and control, organizational design, and performance evaluation. The course examines how managerial accounting is used within a variety of organizations, including
manufacturing, merchandising, and service businesses, as well as public-sector and not-for-profit organizations.
Specific skills developed in this course include the abilities to:
• identify, categorize, and analyze the behaviour of costs;
• utilize cost information in making decisions (i.e., cost-benefit and profitability analyses);
• prepare and use budgets; and
• use accounting information to evaluate and motivate the performance of divisions, departments, and other units within organizations.
This course incorporates the Learning Goals of the BCom Program, in particular, Critical Thinking, Ethical Awareness, and Quantitative Skills. At the conclusion of the course, students should be familiar with the basic terminology, concepts, and techniques of managerial accounting, be able to use them in managerial problem solving, and be able to critically evaluate managerial accounting data and reports.
2. Academic Integrity
Absolute and complete academic honesty is expected of you in this course. It is important for you as a student to behave in an ethical manner. The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour and avoid any behaviour that could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in
suspension or expulsion from the University.
3. Course Materials and Activities
3.1. Device and Internet Requirements
Reliable internet connection is a must for this course. You also need a well-functioning webcam because you will be required to join recorded Zoom sessions with your video turned on for the in-class assignments and exams. You are permitted to use a calculator for the assessments.
3.2. Textbook
Managerial Accounting (Eleventh Canadian Edition) by Garrison, Libby & Webb (McGraw-Hill Ryerson). ISBN-13: 978-1-25-927581-4 (ISBN-10: 1-25-927581-7).
3.3. eClass
You will be able to obtain lecture notes and related materials from eClass. Announcements and other information regarding the course will be made on eClass. Please plan to check this site regularly and/or make sure your settings in eClass will send you emails when there are updates.
3.4. Class Activities
Our classes will be a combination of lectures and discussions of problems. Most of the concepts and techniques taught in this course are best illustrated and learned through problem solving. Therefore, we will analyze many problems. The course materials will be primarily delivered through recordings. The attached class schedule serves as a recommended study pace. The relevant recordings for each class will be posted no later than the specified class date. Solutions to problems demonstrated in recordings for each class will be posted on eClass after the class date. You may take the flexibility advantage of asynchronous remove delivery of course materials to generate your own schedule. However, it is not recommended to leave everything to the last few days before the midterm exam and the final exam.
I will not check who have viewed the recordings. However, the recordings are the most important components of this course, and students will serve their interests best by regularly and carefully viewing the recordings. Those who choose not to view the recordings must assume whatever risks are involved.
When designing the assessments, I will assume that you have carefully viewed all the recordings that I upload for this course.
The first class will be synchronous via Zoom. The session information will be posted on eClass.
3.5. Out-of-class Activities
After viewing the recordings on a particular topic, you should work on the recommended questions from the textbook. The recommended questions for each chapter are identified in the attached class schedule. You can check your answers against the solutions posted on eClass.
3.6. Office Hours
Office hours serve as an important channel of interactions. You are welcome to ask questions during my office hours, but, when discussing with you, I always assume that you have viewed all recordings. You should not expect me to repeat or review what I have covered in the recordings during the office hours.
You should use the office hours in a wise and responsible manner.
My office hours will be organized via Zoom. I will set Google Calendar appointment slots (15 minutes for each slot) for you to sign up. Please sign up for the slots at least one day before the office hours. I will send the Zoom session information only to those who have signed up. If you want to drop by but have no available slot to sign up, please email me to check my availability outside the office hours.
Special office hours will be offered for group Q&As for the midterm and final exams. The arrangement and session information will be announced on eClass.
4. Evaluation
Your grade in this course will be based on the marks you obtain on five online quizzes, three written assignments, one 80-minute midterm exam, and a two-hour comprehensive final exam. These marks will be weighted as follows to determine your percentage mark in the course:
Assessment Components
Online Quizzes 10%
Written Assignments 10%
Midterm Exam 35%
Final Exam 45%
Total 100%
Letter grades will be determined in accordance with the Evaluation Procedures and Grading System section of the University’s Academic Regulations. Grades in this course will be based on a combination of absolute achievement and relative performance. These grades represent the only marks available to students. No additional work or extra credit is available.
4.1. Online Quizzes
Six scheduled quizzes will be administered in this course via eClass. The marks for your best five of these quizzes will count toward your final mark in the course. Each online quiz will include 10 multiple choices questions. More information will be posted in the Online Quizzes section on eClass. Online quizzes are available Friday noon until 11:59 p.m. on the following Tuesday.
Online quizzes are to be completed individually, without the assistance of another individual. This means that at any time before you submit your quiz you are to be working on it by yourself and not talk, email, or communicate with anyone else. The quiz should not be discussed with anyone until after the deadline has passed. You are welcome to use any materials from the course to assist you in completing the quiz. For each quiz, you will have one attempt and 45 minutes maximum. The quiz should
automatically submit at the 45 minute deadline, but you are welcome to submit earlier. Quizzes need to be completed by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday.
Each quiz may cover material from the previous lecture(s), textbook readings, and chapter recommended questions assigned. There will be no opportunity to make up a quiz.
Please see below for the schedule for online quizzes.
Schedule for Online Quizzes
Open Close
Quiz #1 12:01 p.m. Jan 22 (F) 11:59 p.m. Jan 26 (T) Quiz #2 12:01 p.m. Feb 5 (F) 11:59 p.m. Feb 9 (T) Quiz #3 12:01 p.m. Mar 5 (F) 11:59 p.m. Mar 9 (T) Quiz #4 12:01 p.m. Mar 12 (F) 11:59 p.m. Mar 16 (T) Quiz #5 12:01 p.m. Mar 26 (F) 11:59 p.m. Mar 30 (T) Quiz #6 12:01 p.m. Apr 9 (F) 11:59 p.m. Apr 13 (T)
4.2. In-Class Assignments
Four scheduled in-class assignments will be administered in this course via Crowdmark. The marks for your best three of these assignments will count toward your final mark in the course. These in-class assignments will be assigned, completed, and collected during class time. The exact start and end time will be announced at least one day before each assignment. In-class assignments will include calculation and/or short answer questions but no multiple choices questions. Unless otherwise specified, all your work for the in-class assignments must be in handwriting. Typed work will not be marked. You will have 15–20 minutes to complete each assignment. For each assignment, you will have 10 minutes extra time for preparation and wrap-up, including (but not limited to) printing the exam before you start and scanning and submitting the exam after you finish. Late submissions are subject to penalty (see section
4.4 below for details). Students are responsible for their own technical issues. For example, a
printer/scanner breakdown is not an acceptable excuse for late submissions. The Zoom sessions for the in-class assignments will be recorded.
In-class assignments are to be completed individually, without the assistance of another individual.
Each in-class assignment will cover material from the current or previous lecture(s) and chapter recommended questions assigned. You are welcome to use any materials from the course to assist you in completing the in-class assignments. There will be no opportunity to make up an in-class assignment.
Please see below for the dates of the written assignments.
Schedule for In-Class Assignments
Assignment #1 Class time Jan 28 (R)
Assignment #2 Class time Feb 4 (R)
Assignment #3 Class time Mar 18 (R)
Assignment #4 Class time Mar 25 (R)
4.3. Exams
All exams in this course will be open book. You will have 80 minutes to write the midterm exam and two hours to write the final exam. The final exam will be comprehensive. All exams will include calculation and/or short answer questions but no multiple choices questions. Unless otherwise specified, all your work for the exams must be in handwriting. Typed work will not be marked. For each exam, you will have 10 minutes extra time for preparation and wrap-up, including (but not limited to) printing the exam before you start and scanning and submitting the exam after you finish. Late submissions are subject to penalty (see section 4.4 below for details). Students are responsible for their own technical issues. For example, a printer/scanner breakdown is not an acceptable excuse for late submissions. All exams in this course will be administered via Crowdmark. The Zoom sessions for the exams will be recorded.
• Midterm Exam – Saturday, February 27th, 2021, 9:00–10:30 a.m.
• Final Exam – Saturday, April 24th, 2021, 2:00 – 4:10 p.m.
Note that the midterm exam will not be held during class time; rather, students in all seven sections of the course will write each exam at a common time, 9:00–10:30 a.m. on February 27 (Saturday). The time periods specified above for the exams already include the 10 minutes extra time for logistics. It means that the midterm exam will end at 10:30 a.m. sharp and the final exam will end at 4:10 p.m.
sharp. Any submission later than the closing time will be subject to late submission penalties (see section 4.4 below for details).
The Examinations section of the University’s Academic Regulations provides guidance for the conduct of exams. The exams are to be completed individually, without the assistance of another individual.
4.4. Late Submission
For the in-class assignments, midterm exam, and final exam, late submissions are subject to a two-mark penalty for each minute late. An incomplete minute will be rounded up in determining the penalty. For example, if you are late by one minute and one second in an in-class assignment or exam, it will be counted as two minutes late and thus you will have a four-mark penalty for the late submission.
Submissions late by more than five minutes will not be accepted. It means that if you submit an in-class assignment or exam later than five minutes after the closing time, a final grade will be computed using a raw score of zero for the assignment or the exam.
4.5. Remarking Policy for Quizzes, Assignments and Midterm Exam
After marked online quizzes, in-class assignments, and midterm exam papers have been returned, the answer key will be posted on eClass. Students should review the marking carefully and bring to my attention any questions about their marks as soon as possible. No remarking requests will be accepted more than one week after the results have been made available.
All appeals must be in writing and a copy of the exam or assignment (unless available online) must be attached. Items submitted for appeal may be subject to an entire review. This may result in your grade being lower.
4.6. Absence from Term Work or Examinations
Occasionally life events occur that require a student to miss term work, term examinations, or final examinations. However, excused absences are not granted automatically and will be considered only for acceptable reasons such as incapacitating illness, severe domestic affliction, or religious convictions.
Unacceptable reasons include, but are not limited to personal events such as vacations, weddings, or travel arrangements. When a student is absent without acceptable excuse, a final grade will be computed using a raw score of zero for the work missed. Any student who applies for or obtains an excused absence by making false statements will be liable under the Code of Student Behaviour.
There will be no opportunity to make up an online quiz or in-class assignment.
4.6.1. Absence from Midterm Examination
If you are absent from the midterm exam for a legitimate reason, please email me within two (2) days (or as soon as possible). If the midterm is missed for an acceptable reason, the weight of the midterm will be reallocated to the final exam. There will be no deferred midterm exam in this course.
4.6.2. Absence from Final Examination
The Attendance section and the Examinations section of the University’s Academic
Regulations provide guidance regarding procedures in the case of a missed final examination.
If a deferred final exam is required for this course, it will tentatively be held on Friday, May 7th at 10:00 a.m.
4.7. Final Exam Reappraisals
For information regarding applying for a reappraisal of your final exam please see the Examinations section of the University’s Academic Regulations.
5. Useful Links
• The University’s Academic Regulations:
https://calendar.ualberta.ca/content.php?catoid=6&navoid=806
• Code of Student Behaviour: https://www.ualberta.ca/governance/resources/policies-standards- and-codes-of-conduct/code-of-student-behaviour
• eClass: https://eclass.srv.ualberta.ca/portal/.
• The Bookstore link for purchasing the e-book:
https://www.campusebookstore.com/integration/AccessCodes/default.aspx?bookseller_id=10&
Course=Winter+2021+ACCTG+322&frame=YES&t=permalink.
• The course link for purchasing the smart book or registering for the online resources offered by the publisher: https://connect.mheducation.com/class/k-wang-winter-2021.
Accounting 322 Syllabus – Winter 2021 – Ke Wang 6 ACCTG322TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE
Class# Dates A* Topics Readings Recommended Questions
1 T Jan 12 Introduction to the course (live) 2 R Jan 14
Cost Terms, Concepts, & Classifications Chapters 1 & 2 2-2, 2-4, 2-13, 2-16, 2-19, 2-22, 2-24, 2-25 3 T Jan 19
4 R Jan 21
Cost Behaviour Chapter 3 3-4, 3-13, 3-14, 3-15
5 T Jan 26
6 R Jan 28 A#1
Cost-Volume-Profit (CVP) Relationships Chapter 4 4-1, 4-4, 4-12, 4-17, 4-18, 4-20, 4-25, 4-27, 4-30
7 T Feb 2
8 R Feb 4 A#2
9 T Feb 9
Job-Order Costing Chapter 5 5-1, 5-5 (ignore req’d 2), 5-6, 5-16, 5-22, 5-26, 5-27 (ignore req’d 3)
10 R Feb 11
Feb 15-19 Reading Week – No classes T Feb 23 Classes cancelled
R Feb 25 Classes cancelled; Special office hours S Feb 27 Midterm Exam – 9:00 a.m. (remote exam) 11 T Mar 2
Activity-Based Costing Chapter 7 7-1, 7-5, 7-6, 7-9, 7-13, 7-19, 7-20, 7A-5 12 R Mar 4
13 T Mar 9
Variable Costing Chapter 8 8-5, 8-6, 8-8, 8-9, 8-11, 8-12, 8-15
14 R Mar 11 15 T Mar 16
Budgeting Chapter 9 9-11, 9-12, 9-14, 9-16, 9-17, 9-19, 9-24
16 R Mar 18 A#3 17 T Mar 23
18 R Mar 25 A#4 19 T Mar 30
Reporting for Control Chapters 11 & 11A 11-1, 11-2, 11-8, 11-9, 11-12, 11-18, 11A-3, 11A-10, 11A-11, 11A-12
20 R Apr 1 21 T Apr 6 22 R Apr 8
Relevant Costs for Decision Making Chapter 12 12-10, 12-11, 12-12, 12-14, 12-15, 12-16, 12-21, 12-22, 12-26, 12-27, 12-28, 12A-5
23 T Apr 13
24 R Apr 15 Classes cancelled
S Apr 24 Final Exam – 2:00 p.m. (remote exam)
*In this column, A stands for in-class assignment.