ACCT4540/5540– ACCOUNTING INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Fall 2007

CLASS LEADER: / James R. Marlatt (Jim)
Resume: James Marlatt
E-mail:
Cell Phone: 720-933-5541
Office:S170A (my office is in the Centers space near the main entrance to Koelbel) / Home Page:
Office Hours: / August 27th to December 14nd (excluding breaks)
Mondays and Fridays from 10:00 AM to 10:50 AM
Wednesdays from 1:30 PM to3:00 PM
Or by appointment
Note: I may make changes to this schedule and will notify you via e-mail or during class regarding these changes.
Classroom Location/Date/Time / KOBL 235 MWF 11:00 TO 11:50 OR 12:00 TO 12:50
(Some Fridays, class will be held in the Computer Lab)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

An accounting information system is designed to collect, record, store and process data to produce information for decision makers. It can be simple using paper and pencil or very complex using the latest technology and anywhere in between.

As organizations are expecting more and more from their accounting information systems, its importance to an organization’s success is greater than ever before. Because the accounting function and the work accountants do has been fundamentally changed by information technology, it is critical that all accountants are very familiar with how to utilize information technology to improve decision-making and internal controls.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

When you complete this class you should be very familiar with the following:

•Explain what an accounting information system is and describe the basic functions it performs,

•Describe the role accountants play in today’s information intensive organizations,

•Describe how an accounting information system can provide management with information for better decision-making,

•Create and use process maps to understand, evaluate and design important business processes,

•Design business reports which address the business’ information needs,

•Design source documents used to capture data necessary for business reporting,

•Describe what a relational database is and how accounting transactions recorded in a database differ from traditional accounting debits and credits,

•Design a chart of accounts and data model for a business problem,

•Create queries using Microsoft Access to answer business questions,

•Explain basic control concepts and why system controls and security are important,

•Explain how to assess and respond to enterprise risk,

•Design internal controls which address business opportunities and risks,

•Design an accounting information system for a specific business scenario.

COURSE MATERIALS:

Romney, Marshall and Steinbart, PaulAccounting Information Systems, 10th Edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006.

Book web site:

The book’s website has all of the PowerPoint slides for each chapter, additional sample exercises and other useful resources for you to take advantage of in this course.

COURSE OUTLINE:

This course will be divided into the following major sections, which closely align with the project deliverables:

  1. Introduction – Chapters 1 through 4,
  2. Systems Analysis and Design/Software Selection – Chapters 18 through 20,
  3. General Ledger and Reporting – Chapter 14,
  4. Chart of Accounts Design and Data Modeling – Chapters 15 and 16,
  5. Business Process Design – Chapters 10 through 13,
  6. Internal Controls – Chapters 5, 6, 7 and 8,
  7. Project Presentations and Course Wrap-Up.

COURSE COMMUNICATIONS:

You will be responsible for any information I communicate to you during class or via e-mail. I expect you to check for messages at least once every 24 hours M-F. You are responsible for all messages sent after the second class period. Go to for more details on the campus e-mail policy.

I will communicate any clarifications, changes and/or additions during class or via the class e-mail list.

COURSE PERFORMANCE MEASURES:

Activity / Points
Midterm Exam (October 22nd) / 150
In Class Quizzes (5 at 50 points each, drop your lowest score) / 200
Class Project:
First Deliverable(October 19th)
Final Deliverable(December 14th) / 100
200
Class Participation throughout the semester / 100
Final Exam (Section 001 December 17th from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM and Section 002 December 20th from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM) / 250
Total / 1000

The following percentages define the course grading scale. If you miss an assignment, there will be no opportunity to make it up.

Grades: Points are converted to grades according to the following:
866 <= 895 B+ 766 <= 795 C+666 <= 695 D+ 0 <= 595 F
926 <= 1000 A 826 <= 865 B 726 <= 765 C626 <= 665 D
896 <= 925 A- 796 <= 825 B- 696 <= 725 C-596 <= 625 D-

Note: Students taking the course for graduate level credit will be expected to deliver higher quality products than the undergrads and provide a deeper level of understanding and participation during the class discussions.

Group project:

You will break into teams of 4 to 5 students to work on the group project during the third week of class. Research shows that you learn and retain more by doing. This project is also closely aligned with the work in class to help increase your level of understanding and retention. The project was designed by professional consultants who charge hundreds of dollars per hour to do accounting information systems work for major corporations around the world. One challenge you may face is the project covers the same topics we cover in class, but the sequencing is not exactly the same. As a result you may have to read ahead, do outside research and/or refer back to materials from earlier in the semester.

Accounting Information Systems Project Description

  1. First Deliverable 100 points (Due In Class on October 19th)

Your deliverable must include at a minimum:

  • System Requirements,
  • Software Selection Criteria,
  • Chosen Software,
  • Management Report Mock-Ups (designs),
  • Source Document Mock-Ups (designs),
  • Attention to detail, creativity, organization, consistency among the parts, spelling, grammar and presentation,
  • Feedback form for project team membersif appropriate.
  1. Final Deliverable 200 points (Due December 14th)

Your deliverable must include at a minimum:

  • First Deliverable with My Comments,
  • Business Report, including at a minimum project summary, key findings, key decisions and project assumptions,
  • Chart of Accounts,
  • Revenue Cycle Process Map, including Internal Controls,
  • Accounting Transactions,
  • Updated Management Reports and Source Documents,
  • Presentation,
  • Attention to detail, creativity, how well your deliverables address the project requirements, organization, consistency among the parts, spelling, grammar and presentation,
  • Feedback form for project team members if appropriate.Peer Review Form.doc

Please bind your deliverables in a 3-ring binder, including your team member names and contact information noted on the cover. Please also turn in a CD with your final deliverable with all of your deliverables saved to it (using file names that are easy to understand), and your project name and team member names noted on it. Documents turned in after class time on the assigned date will not be accepted. You will receive a zero for any missing documents or sections. No exceptions. Assume that I will keep your final deliverable, so make an extra copy for yourselves. Please note that I will gather feedback from our mentors working with you on this project as input into your project grade.

Team Organization-As part of this project, you must produce two distinct deliverables (see project deliverables above) through active participation of all team members.

The team will be responsible for organizing and managing itself, including allocating work within the team. Each deliverable must be divided up among the team members, where each member participates materially in each deliverable.

A project team can fire an individual from the team at any point during the project. The group must first issue a written warning to the person describing the issue(s) and give the person one week to correct the issue(s). I must be copied on this correspondence. If the issue(s) are not corrected, the group can then vote the person off the team. I must be presented with evidence of the vote. This vote must be at least a majority in favor of firing the individual (evidence must include signatures on a document explaining the reasons the person was fired). Any person fired from a group will be responsible for completing the project on their own.

Project Grading - The group project represents 30% of your grade in this course. Your individual project score will be based on the group's score for the project. If I feel it is appropriate, I can adjust an individual’s project score by as much as two letter gradesto reflect their lack of participation.

PARTICIPATION:

Attendance and contribution to class discussion and project work

Students are expected to attend every class and to participate in the class discussions and on their class project. Class participation grades are based on two aspects: your attendance in class and your contributions to the class discussions. Contributions to discussions will focus on the quality, not the quantity of the contribution; therefore students who participate often will not necessarily receive a better grade than those who participate less often. One must recognize, however, that there is an art to quality participation that is only learned by trial and error. Therefore, students are encouraged to begin contributing to the discussions early in the semester.

As the value of this course stems from class discussion and participation, your attendance at class sessions is critical to learning the material and to enhancing the discussions. Therefore, your participation grade will include your class attendance. If you never speak out in class or if you miss several classes, you will receive a participation grade of D. If you speak out occasionally, bur rarely say anything inspired, and you attend virtually all the sessions, your participation will be a C. The best grades will be given to students who make contributions to the discussions. These involve applying conceptual material from the readings or lectures, doing some outside readings and applying them to the discussion, integrating comments from previous classes and your project work into the current discussion, taking issues (in a constructive manner) with a classmate's or instructor’s analysis and/or pulling together material from several different sources.

The instructor reserves the right to cold-call on students, particularly on students who have not participated in a while. Students who are shy or uncomfortable with participation are encouraged to make an appointment with the instructor. This discussion should take place early in the semester to minimize the impact on the student's participation grade.

ACCT4540/5540 Class ASSIGNMENTS:

we will typically cover this material by time period in the order listed (e.g. chapter 18, then chapter 19, etc.). It is best if you can read all of the chapters assigned at the beginning of each period, then review each chapter in more detail and do the homework prior to the class during which it will be discussed. I will let you know more specifically what is planned for the next class. If I forget, make sure to remind me.

  1. Week of August 27th - Introduction – Chapters 1 through 4, Read and be prepared to discuss the chapter Integrative Case for each chapter assigned,

Accounting Information Systems - Introduction

  1. September 5ththrough September 14th - Systems Analysis and Design/Software Selection – Chapters 18 through 20, (No class on September 3rd and 7th), Read and be prepared to discuss the chapter Integrative Case for each chapter assigned,

Accounting Information Systems - Sept 5-14.doc

Student Copy S&S In-ChapterDatabase

  1. September 17th through September 28th - General Ledger and Reporting – Chapter 14, Read and be prepared to discuss the chapter Integrative Case for each chapter assigned,

Accounting Information Systems - Sept 17-28

Quiz 1 Sample Solution Chart of Accounts

  1. October 1st through October 19th - Chart of Accounts Design and Data Modeling – Chapters 15 and 16, Read and be prepared to discuss the chapter Integrative Case for each chapter assigned,

Accounting Information Systems - Oct. 1st to 19th

Sample Database Problem 16-9

  1. October 22nd through November 9th - Business Process Design – Chapters 10 through 13, Read and be prepared to discuss the chapter Integrative Case for each chapter assigned,

Accounting Information Systems - Oct 22 - Nov 9

Quiz 3 Sample Solution

  1. November 12th to November 16th and November 26th to December 7th - Internal Controls – Chapters 5, 6, 7 and 8, Read and be prepared to discuss the chapter Integrative Case for each chapter assigned,
  2. December 3rd to December 14th - Project Presentations and Course Wrap-Up.

All reading assignments are to be read prior to the week for which they are assigned. All written assignments are to be turned in at the beginning of class on the day they are due. Because assignments may be discussed in class when due, no late assignments will be accepted without written approval one week in advance. Any assignments turned in after the due date/time will receive an automatic zero.

Exams must be taken when scheduled, per the syllabus, unless written approval is received at least one week in advance. Any missed exams will receive an automatic zero.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Student Mentoring Sessions:

Each semester, Hitachi Consulting’s Denver office sends a number of their professionals to meet with our students and help them with their projects. You are welcome to attend these sessions if you wish. There is no requirement that you do so, but we have found attending these sessions will improve your chances of success on the project.

Please note the following mentoring dates in your calendars:

Student Mentoring Session – Wednesday, September 19th from 5 pm to 7 pm in Koelbel Room 302

Student Mentoring Session – Monday, October 15th from 5 pm to 7 pm in Koelbel Room 302

Student Mentoring Session – Tuesday, November 27h from 5 pm to 7 pm in Koelbel Room 302

Reference Materials:

AICPA Web Site

Textbook Web Site

CFO On-Line Tools and Resources for Financial Executives

Deloitte & Touche

37signals - design firm

Status Report Template

SOX 404 IT

XML (XBRL)

First Class - Presentation

DARDEN_10-Q

FY08 AERS Overview.ppt

PWC_Nicole_Folino_Presentation

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Disabilities:

If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services in a timely manner so that your needs may be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities. Contact: 303-492-8671, Willard 322, and

Religious Observances:

Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance. In this class, please notify me of any obligations that will require you to miss class within one week of the start of the semester. See full details at

Learning Environment:

Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Students who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Faculty have the professional responsibility to treat all students with understanding, dignity and respect, to guide classroom discussion and to set reasonable limits on the manner in which they and their students express opinions. Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student's legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. See polices at

and at

Discrimination and Harassment:

The University of Colorado at Boulder policy on Discrimination and Harassment, the University of Colorado policy on Sexual Harassment and the University of Colorado policy on Amorous Relationships apply to all students, staff and faculty. Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been the subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment (ODH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550. Information about the ODH, the above referenced policies and the campus resources available to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained at

Honor Code:

All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution. Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior. All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (; 303-725-2273). Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion). Other information on the Honor Code can be found at and at

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Revised 11/26/2007