ADVANCED EXTERNAL
FINANCIAL REPORTING
ISSUES; Syllabus – Spring 2018
Professor: Harris Smith
______
14115R: MW: 12:00pm - 1:50pm;
Classroom: BRI 5
14117R: MW: 2:00pm - 3:50pm
Classroom: BRI 5
Office: ACC 214
E-mail:
Cell Phone: (925) 787-9129
Office Hours: Mondays between 4:45pm and 6:15pm and Wednesdays between 10am and 11:45am
Course Description
Developing capabilities to identify and articulate current external financial reporting problems and issues, concentrating on operating, financing, and investing activities of business organizations.
Learning Objectives
This course focuses on problems and issues related to the reporting and disclosure of external financial accounting information (i.e., financial accounting information in firms’ external financial reports such as SEC Form 10-K). As such, it is an extension of intermediate financial accounting. The objectives and expected learning outcomes of the course include the following:
By the time students finish this course, they should be able to
· Develop capabilities to identify and articulate current external financial reporting problems and issues, concentrating on operating, financing, and investing activities of business organizations by solving problems and analyzing transactions.
· Be able to use accounting information, including the underlying rules required to prepare and report this information by using the FASB Codification and other authoritative sources (SEC), to analyze, guide and support a position taken on complex accounting cases.
· Analyze accounting information from the perspective of its various users (stakeholders) such as equity investors, creditors, company management and auditors, by preparing written and oral presentations based on information presented in cases, SEC Filings, articles discussing emerging accounting issues.
· Identify and describe differences between the various forms of business combinations by preparing business combinations worksheets resulting in the preparation of consolidated financial statements.
· Recognize and explain differences between U.S. and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by using the FASB Codification, other U.S. authoritative sources to compare, identify and articulate areas of convergence and disagreement with IFRS.
· Apply ethical principles and professional standards in analyzing situations and making informed decisions.
STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVESOBJ 1
Heavy / Technical, Conceptual, Problem-Solving Knowledge / Students will expand their critical thinking and problem solving skills learned in introductory and intermediate accounting courses.
OBJ 2
Heavy / Research, Analysis, and Critical Thinking / Students will use academic/professional literature to build their knowledge of and analyze complexities of business internal and external accounting requirements.
OBJ 3
Medium / Ethical Decision Making / Students will apply ethical principles and professional standards in decision making.
OBJ 4
Medium / Communication / Students will continue to strengthen their ability to communicate ideas clearly and strategically, after considering the relevant audience, situation and purpose of the communication.
OBJ 5
Medium / Leadership, Collaboration, and Professionalism / Students will demonstrate leadership skills and the ability to work cooperatively and productively to accomplish established goals.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS (obtainable from USC Bookstore):
Kieso, Weygandt, Warfield, Intermediate Accounting, Sixteenth Edition
Hoyle, Shafer & Doupnik, Advanced Accounting, Thirteenth Edition
RECOMMENDED OTHER COURSE MATERIALS:
Dictionary
FASB Codification
Supplemental material: Problem Solving Survival Guides volume 1 (Chs. 1-14) and volume 2 (Chs. 15-28). The survival guides contain additional problems you can do, and excellent descriptions of how to solve each problem. Although no formal assignments will be given from the guides, doing additional problems in the guides will help you better understand the course material.
Prerequisites and/or Recommended Preparation:
For successful performance in ACCT 470, completion of ACCT 370 is required. The USC Catalogue identifies all course pre-requisites. They also appear in the Schedule of Classes.
Course Notes:
Note that solutions to assigned homework and in-class exercises will be posted on blackboard the weekend after the assignment is due and/or exercise/problem was discussed in class.
Grading Policies:
All graded written assignments and examinations will be returned promptly to students. Unclaimed items will be retained until the last day of the following semester (excluding summer term), then discarded.
The mid-term examinations are 1hour and fifty minutes in length. The final examination is two hours in length. Examinations are not cumulative. The examinations normally include essay questions and problems. Grades on examinations are NOT NEGOTIABLE. No “makeup” examinations will be given; an unexcused absence from an examination results in a grade of “0” on the examination.
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING DETAIL
The average grade in this course will be in accordance with Leventhal School of Accounting Standards.
The following weights will be assigned for determination of final grades:
Participation...... 10%
Group Project………………………………………………. 10%
Two Mid-Term Examinations...... …………………….…… 50%
Final examination...... ……. 30%
Total…………………………………….………………… 100%
The +/- grading system will be used. (See attached "Leventhal School of Accounting Grading and Academic Standards.") Final grades are obtainable only through USC's formal grade report; they are not obtainable from the Leventhal School of Accounting Staff. Final grades are NOT NEGOTIABLE.
Final grades represent how you perform in the class relative to other students. Your grade will not be based on a mandated target, but on your performance. Historically, the average grade for this class is about a (B+). Three items are considered when assigning final grades:
- Your average weighted score as a percentage of the available points for all assignments (the points you receive divided by the number of points possible).
- The overall average percentage score within the class.
- Your ranking among all students in the class.
Assignment Submission Policy:
Any assignment turned in late, even if by only a few minutes, will receive a grade deduction (for example, if your work is a B+ grade, you will be given a C+ grade). You must deliver a hard copy at the beginning of class on that day. If you are unable to attend class on that day, make arrangements for it to be delivered to the classroom or to my box by the start of class. Late or not, however, you must complete all required assignments to pass this course.
STUDENT OBLIGATIONS:
1. Attend all classes on time. (See SCampus 2002-2003, p. 78, B2. )
(NO MAKE-UP EXAMINATIONS WILL BE GIVEN; UNEXCUSED ABSENCE FROM AN EXAMINATION RESULTS IN A GRADE OF “O” ON THE EXAM.)
2. Submit all written assignments, prepared on a word processor, on the date assigned and in good form. (See ES Rule 13). Written assignments submitted late will be graded 0, except for excused absences. Also see pages 5 and 6 hereof. Students who do not turn in a solution to a case study on which a mid-term or final examination question is based will receive no credit for an answer to the examination question.
2. Staple written assignment sheets. Students are responsible for complying with the English grammar, style, and usage rules in Chapters I and II of The Elements of Style. Written assignments will be returned after being graded on a scale of 4 = Excellent, 3 = Good, 2 = Fair, 1 = Poor, 0 = No Credit; grades on case assignments are NOT NEGOTIABLE. (The 4, 3, 2¸ and 1 are not to be construed as A, B, C, and D.) Students may consult informally with each other, and they may do any desired research, in completing written assignments; however, written assignments must be the students’ own work, and any cited material must be properly footnoted. (Please see definition of plagiarism at Section 11.11.)
3. Be sure to check your final exam schedule to resolve conflicts with multiple exams on the same day. You must discuss your conflicts with your professor at least three weeks BEFORE the start of USC’s scheduled final exams. You are also expected to make every effort to resolve with the professors of the courses that present the schedule conflict.
Classroom Participation
I will assign a significant proportion of the grade in this course based on the extent to which students participate actively in classroom discussions and the quality of their contributions to the discussions. I do this both to improve our grading accuracy and to encourage the building of a healthy “learning community.” Further, active class participation encourages students to be well prepared and thus to become active, rather than passive, learners. Participation provides students with the opportunity to gain from the experiences and talents of everyone in the class. Class participation also helps students improve their oral communication skills, which are vitally important in the working world.
Participation will be evaluated on a near-continuous scale, the end points of which can be described as follows:
Outstanding Contributor: This person's contributions reflect exceptional preparation, and the ideas offered are always substantive and provide major insights and direction for the class. If this person were not a member of the class, the quality of the discussions would be diminished significantly.
Unsatisfactory Contributor: This person may be absent from class or someone who rarely participates in class discussion. Alternatively, this person’s contribution in class reflects inadequate preparation and/or understanding. Ideas offered are not substantive and provide few, if any, insights and never a constructive direction for the class. Integrative comments and effective arguments are absent. Class comments are either obvious, isolated from the main discussion, or confusing to the class.
Retention of Graded Coursework
All graded written assignments and examinations will be returned promptly to students. All unclaimed items will be retained by the instructor until the last day of the following semester (excluding summer term), then discarded.
Statement for Students with Disabilities
USC is committed to making reasonable accommodations to assist individuals with disabilities in reaching their academic potential. If you have a disability which may impact your performance, attendance, or grades in this course and require accommodations, you must first register with the Office of Disability Services and Programs (www.usc.edu/disability). DSP provides certification for students with disabilities and helps arrange the relevant accommodations. Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me (or to your TA) as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in GFS (Grace Ford Salvatori Hall) 120 and is open 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776. Email: .
Students need to make a request with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) for each academic term that accommodations are desired. Guidelines for the DSP accommodation process can be found here: https://sait.usc.edu/academicsupport/centerprograms/dsp/registration/guidelines/guidelines_general.html
Students requesting test-related accommodations will need to share and discuss their DSP recommended accommodation letter/s with their faculty and/or appropriate departmental contact person at least three weeks before the date the accommodations will be needed. Additional time may be needed for final exams. Reasonable exceptions will be considered during the first three weeks of the semester as well as for temporary injuries and for students recently diagnosed. Please note that a reasonable period of time is still required for DSP to review documentation and to make a determination whether a requested accommodation will be appropriate.
(https://sait.usc.edu/academicsupport/centerprograms/dsp/registration/accommodationletters_howto.asp)
USC Statements on Academic Conduct and Support Systems
Academic Conduct:
Students enrolled in any class offered by the Leventhal School of Accounting are expected to uphold and adhere to the standards of academic integrity established by the Leventhal School of Accounting Student Honor Code. Students are responsible for obtaining, reading, and understanding the Honor Code System handbook. Students who are found to have violated the Code will be subject to disciplinary action as described in the handbook. For more specific information, please refer to the Student Honor Code System handbook, available in class or from the receptionist in ACC 101
Support Systems:
Student Counseling Services (SCS) - (213) 740-7711 – 24/7 on call
Free and confidential mental health treatment for students, including short-term psychotherapy, group counseling, stress fitness workshops, and crisis intervention. https://engemannshc.usc.edu/counseling/
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline -1-800-273-8255
Provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention Services (RSVP) - (213) 740-4900 - 24/7 on call
Free and confidential therapy services, workshops, and training for situations related to gender-based harm. https://engemannshc.usc.edu/rsvp/
Sexual Assault Resource Center
For more information about how to get help or help a survivor, rights, reporting options, and additional resources, visit the website: http://sarc.usc.edu/
Office of Equity and Diversity (OED)/Title IX compliance – (213) 740-5086
Works with faculty, staff, visitors, applicants, and students around issues of protected class. https://equity.usc.edu/
Bias Assessment Response and Support
Incidents of bias, hate crimes and microaggressions need to be reported allowing for appropriate investigation and response. https://studentaffairs.usc.edu/bias-assessment-response-support/
Student Support & Advocacy – (213) 821-4710
Assists students and families in resolving complex issues adversely affecting their success as a student EX: personal, financial, and academic. https://studentaffairs.usc.edu/ssa/
Diversity at USC – https://diversity.usc.edu/
Tabs for Events, Programs and Training, Task Force (including representatives for each school), Chronology, Participate, Resources for Students
Classroom Rules of Conduct
· Cell phone use of any kind (e.g., voice, text messaging, calculator, photography) is strictly banned during class. (During exams, any cell phone use or other external electronic communication will automatically constitute cheating and will be dealt with as such.)
· Cell phones must be turned off.
· Use of computer, music player and other electronic devices is not permitted during class.
· Be courteous to your fellow students by not making distractions (e.g., coming to class late, eating, talking, paging through newspapers).
LEVENTHAL SCHOOL OF ACCOUNTING HONOR CODE:
Per Article II of the Student Honor Code, “All students enrolled in upper division and graduate courses required for a degree in Accounting and offered by the Leventhal School of Accounting…are subject to the Code…” If you have questions about any Honor Code matters (e.g., will my proposed conduct comply?), please see me.