Accounting 2 online, 8 weeks
Preliminary syllabus, session: Spring 2012
Course opens at12:01 am on: April 16, 2012
Taught by: Teri Bernstein
Email:
Communicating with me: Please use a subject line with a CLEAR subject!
Office: B200C
Office hours: online M-F; on-ground: Mon: 12:15-3:15; Tuesday 1:00-1:30 pm
Instructor availability: I check email 5-6 days per week
I answer Q&A questions 5 days per week.
I grade items within 3 days of their due date, except for the Midterm and Final (a week).
I check the Grade Issues dropbox every Sunday.
Note: I usually take 36 hours off sometime between Friday evening and Sunday evening, as well as campus holidays.
General info:
Everyone comes to the class with different expectations. This online course DOES duplicate the content of the traditional course, but NOT the delivery. An online course relies on a self-directed student completing the assignments, readings, and threaded discussions on his/her own time schedule while meeting the posted deadlines. Students who perform at their potential, welcome change and are willing to assume responsibility, make decisions, and express opinions, are successful in this online course.
NOTE: This is NOT a self-paced course. Weekly deadlines must be met.
It is very easy to fall behind in an online class. There are no scheduled on-campus or on-line class periods. The entire course is asynchronous and can be accessed at your convenience. Your only requirement is to complete assignments and exams as scheduled on the syllabus and/or task calendar. You must be a self-directed student who can plan your schedule to accommodate the deadlines. Cyber students are often in multiple life roles and time is a valuable commodity.
Enter the course through Corsair Connect, on the SMC website. www.smc.edu
You are expected to visit the course website several times a week--ideally, once a day, 5-6 days per week
Once there, you will find announcements, lecture material, assignments, resources and exams. Please ask any questions about class protocols in the Administrative Q&A thread, after you have read all of the items in Course Home.
Prerequisites and skills required:
The pre-requisite to this course is the successful completion of Accounting 1 ( C grade or better). You are also advised to have completedMath 20 Intermediate Algebra with a passing grade.
It is essential that you have an above-average mastery of the accounting cycle for a sole proprietorship (chapters 1-7 in Accounting 1), including the preparation of transactional, adjusting and closing journal entries, and the ability to calculate financial statement balances accurately.
In addition, you must have the following computer skills to enable you to complete all required assignments in this class:

1. It is highly recommended that you have working knowledge of Microsoft Excel (how to set up worksheets, basic formatting in a worksheet, add or delete worksheets, save files and attach files). If you cannot use Excel, you will need to use the Table functions of Microsoft Word. There is an Excel tutorial available at the Wiley site; see the link under Student Resources & Cafe.

2. Your level ofcomputer proficiency shouldenable you to take an online course, which includes the completion of homework using an online homework system.
3. You will need to be able to master the use of a homework managementsoftware applicationto complete your weekly homework. (WileyPlus)
4. You will also need to follow written instructions within the course.
5. You willneed to provide your own computer equipment, internet access and email account, and use the browsers recommended by eCollege in the tutorials.
Additionally, you will, at times, have to be patient and calm.As we are working in an internet environment over which neither instructor nor student has complete control, we all must make allowances for technical glitches. Please report all technical problems to both the helpdesk and the instructor atyour earliest convenience.
Wiley Plus course management software, eCollege and textbook requirements:
This course requires completion of homework and other assignments using a product called "WileyPlus" as well as completing reading assignments from the textbook.
If you purchased these items from the SMC bookstore for Accounting 1 this Fall, you will not have to buy additional texts or supplements for Accounting 2.
However, if you took Accounting 1 before Fall 2011, or out of another textbook, you will need:
1. the textbook: Accounting Principles, 10th edition, by Weygandt, Kieso and Kimmel. Pub: John Wiley & Sons.
Several ISBN numbers exist for this book. A less expensive, looseleaf version is available in the SMC bookstore. http://bookstore.smc.edu/ Choose: Textbooks...Accounting...002....Bernstein
.
2. Regardless of which textbook you buy...or have...or have borrowed....you NEED a WileyPlus code. You can get one for the bargain price of $49.95. Special website (note code printed at left): http://www.pages02.net/johnwileysonsinc/santamonicacollegeweygandt10e/

3. Also: Please make sure that you complete the Tutorial course and Student Orientationprovided by eCollege if this is your first time taking an online course. For technical requirements, log on to www.smconline.org and link to "Tech Requirements." (note: ExamGuard is NOT required)

Spring 2012 Grading grid
Assignment / points
Homework: 14 chaps; 70 points offered. Maximum recorded: / 60
Chap quizzes 14 @ 15pts [two can be removed from the total upon student’s request...assuming 2 are dropped:] / 180
Financial Statement Assn: / 30
Participation points for Q & A and other online activities primarily for answering questions in threaded discussions for each chapter. / 30
Points for accessing and reading instructional material: 4 points per chapter to a maximum of 50 points / 50
Midterm / 150
Final / 150
Note: because of optional dropped assignments, not all students will have the same grade total
Total points possible / 650

A: 90-100%; B: 80-89.99%; C 70-79.99%; D 60-69.99%; F: below 60%
You must print out your assignment list from Course Home: Task Calendar
Course requirements and mandatory dates:

·  Check out the Task Calendar straightaway. There are several assignments due the first week of class. Log in on the first day to get started.

·  All WileyPlus assignments are due at 11:00 pm (NOT midnight), usually Sunday night.

·  Quizzes are due at midnight, usually on Monday night, but are open 4 days.

·  The Midterm and Final each have 3 separately openable sections, are open for 3 days, and are due by 11:00 pm on the due date.

·  Participation points for a chapter are due at 5 pm on the day of the chapter quiz.

There are NO make-up assignments, however you have some leeway because of extra credit allowances and quizzes that can be dropped from the computation upon request.
Never, never (and I mean never) ask to turn in an assignment late. Extra point possibilities and dropped assignments are built in to accommodate emergencies. Multiple days of open exams are also provided. Please plan to take quizzes and exams at the beginning of the open period so that you do not run into trouble.

If you cannot arrange your schedule to meet theseobligations, please take the course in a different semester.
Quizzesare open each week for 4 days. Usually two chapters will be covered each week.
The midterm and final are open for 3 days each.
Due for every chapter:

·  Accessing and studying interactive Instructional material (4 points)

·  Answers/active participation in chapter Q & A: 0.5 to 3 pts

·  Homework in WileyPlus (due the day before the quiz--usually Sunday) 5 pts

·  Quiz (15 points): 30 minutes, 12-15 questions, (usually due on Monday nights)

Required instructional materials:

·  Powerpoint lecture, posted in Doc Sharing by chapter

·  B problems, posted in Doc Sharing by chapter

·  Question and Answer threads (Q & A)

·  posted outlines and notes

Extra Credit:
Each instructor has their own policy regarding extra credit. Pleasesee the content item in Course Home, if any,that addresses this issue. I have an extra credit policy that requires extra problems to be completed in Wiley Plus. Subjective extra credit can be earned from stellar participation (answering questions) in the discussion threads.

Academic Honesty:
You signed an honor code when you registered in this course. The academic honesty policy is availableon the SMC website:
http://www.smc.edu/StudentServices/HonorCouncil/Pages/Honor-Code.aspx
The bottom line:you are expected to do all of your own work. Do not share course materials or work you do with anyone else. This is not an environment where you will be doing “whatever you can get away with.” Only a criminal would behave in that fashion. You are a student of Santa Monica College and a future business person and world citizen. You are expected to be honorable, honest and trustworthy. Thank you.