ACCT4210 Cost and Managerial Accounting Georgia State University School of Accountancy Spring 2011 GCB 427, 4:30-7:00 Tuesdays (CRN 10024, Section 35) Revised 1/18/11 Note: This is a sample syllabus for reference of Cairo University faculty member. Please contact Professor Hassan El Alfy for more information. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Students study the information needed by managers to plan, monitor, and improve their critical processes, products, and services. Students in ACCT4210 will learn to: 1. Develop appropriate financial and non-financial performance measures for effective planning, evaluation and control of organizations business processes. 2. Evaluate the appropriateness of alternative costing systems and methods by considering the unique context of specific product and service organizations. 3. Structure and model business problems to evaluate alternatives, conduct sensitivity analysis on assumptions, and analyze outcomes to determine causes of variances. ACCT4210 covers a large amount of difficult material, much of which builds on concepts learned in earlier chapters and classes. Therefore, it is important for you to 1) work hard at actively learning both in and outside of the classroom, and 2) stay current with the course work. I encourage you to see me during my office hours. Please do so at the first indication that you may need extra help. PREREQUISITES: Prerequisites for this course depend on your major. Accounting majors must have completed Principles of Accounting ACCT2101 and ACCT2102 with a B or higher in each course. Finance and other majors must meet the Accounting major requirements OR have completed ACCT2101, ACCT 2102 and FIN 4000 with a minimum grade of C in each course. All majors must have completed 45 semester hours, have a 2.5 GSU GPA, and must have completed CSP: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7. Prerequisites will be strictly enforced. Failure to meet these prerequisites will result in an administrative withdrawal and loss of fees. ACCT4210, Spring 2011, Hannan, page 1
TEXTBOOKS AND MATERIALS: 1) Cost Management: Strategies for Business Decisions, 4 th edition Hilton, Maher and Selto. 2008. ISBN 0073526800; e-books are available at http://textbooks.vitalsource.com/; the text can be rented from the GSU bookstore at www.rentatext.com 2) Additional required and optional materials are posted to ulearn. 3) Additional required and optional materials are on the publisher s website http://highered.mcgrawhill.com/sites/0073526800/student_view0/index.html These are at no additional cost. Internet resources: This course uses ULearn for communication purposes, additional study tools and assessments. ulearn can be accessed from a link on the GSU homepage. The course also uses resources from the McGraw- Hill website. You are expected to have reliable access to a computer with an Internet connection. Make sure that you check the ulearn site for this course often because this is the means I will use to communicate with the class. Make sure you check ulearn before each class. EVALUATION AND GRADING POLICIES: Your grade will be determined based on the following components, with the weights indicated: Assessment Weight Pre-lecture quizzes (ulearn) 10% Technical quiz 1 10% Technical quiz 2 10% Midterm exam 35% Final exam (cumulative) 35% Total 100% RCB has mandated a plus/minus grading system effective with the Fall 2006 semester. A grade of C- will count towards fulfilling your requirements when a minimum grade of C is required. Your grade will be determined based on your weighted average, as shown below. I do not curve nor do I assign extra credit to bring up exam scores. Consistent with RCB guidelines, your weighted average will be converted to letter grades as follows: 98%-100% A+ 87%-89% B+ 77%-79% C+ 60%-69% D 93%-97% A 83%-86% B 73%-76% C <60% F 90%-92% A- 80%-82% B- 70%-72% C- If you are within one percentage point of the next higher grade, I will assess your class contribution and your professionalism in dealing with me and the other students when deciding whether to round you up to the next higher grade. ACCT4210, Spring 2011, Hannan, page 2
PRE-LECTURE QUIZZES The purpose of the pre-lecture quizzes is to motivate you to actively read the chapter before class. It also allows me to see before class if there are areas in which students are having trouble grasping the material. The questions on the quizzes are multiple-choice and consist of two types, content and quantitative. The quizzes will be given on ulearn. You will have two hours to take each quiz, which is more than ample time if you have read the material beforehand. You are allowed two attempts, with your score being the average of the two attempts. To allow for any technology glitches or question ambiguities, I will drop your lowest quiz before computing your quiz average. There are no make-up quizzes. Guidance for using ulearn when taking the quizzes: It is essential that you turn off all popup blockers. If you don t do this, your time limit will start but the popup blocker will prevent the quiz from appearing. Thus, you will lose your chance to take the quiz. Also, do not use the back button anytime during the quiz or after the quiz has been submitted. This confuses the computer and may result in a quiz grade of zero. POST-LECTURE HOMEWORKS AND ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS Although I do not collect your homeworks, I expect you to have completed the assigned problems before class. Actively attempting the homework assignments before we go over them in class facilitates your learning process. It lets you know what you don t know and it lets my lecture reenforce your learning. If you wait to learn the material from me, you ll think I m going too fast and will feel lost. I provide additional problems via files posted on ulearn. Please refer the table on the last page of the syllabus for a list of these resourses. EXAMINATIONS There are two examinations: a midterm and a cumulative final and two technical quizzes. Exams will consist of problems, multiple choice, and/or short essays. The type of question on the exam will be more difficult than the type of questions on the quizzes. Some exam questions will be similar in difficulty level (but not necessarily similar in format) to the homework assignments. Other exam questions will be more difficult - similar in difficulty level to some of the more advanced concepts we cover in class. That is, the exams cover more than rote knowledge and include more integrated comprehension of the material and critical thinking related to it. Technical quizzes will consist of problems that are similar in difficulty to the homework problems. You will have 25 minutes of class time to complete the technical quizzes. If you have an excused conflict (religious holiday, university obligation, etc.) on a scheduled test or quiz date, it is your responsibility to notify me in writing prior to the scheduled exam (at least one week before is considered satisfactory). In the case of an unforeseen illness or accident, please contact me via e-mail at the earliest possible time. SUFFICIENT SUPPORT MUST BE PRESENTED TO VERIFY THE CONDITIONS OF ALL EXCUSED ABSENCES. Should an excused absence occur, you may take a make-up examination. The student is expected to take the examination as soon as is physically possible, making every effort to complete it before the following class period. Unexcused absences result in a zero grade for that exam. ACCT4210, Spring 2011, Hannan, page 3
ATTENDANCE: Class attendance is required. ACCT4210 covers complex subject matter that builds on previous material. Therefore, it is important that you attend class in order to grasp the course content and do well on cases and exams. Attendance will be recorded each class. Excessive absences may result in your being withdrawn from the class and given a grade of WF. You will be responsible for material covered in class even if it does not appear in the text. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: I adhere strictly to the Policy on Academic Honesty as detailed in the Student Code of Conduct and Policies, available on-line at http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwdos/codeofconduct_conpol.html I always penalize violations of academic honesty and file documentation with both the School of Accountancy and the Dean s Office. I can and have failed students who engage in academic dishonesty. Also note that additional penalties, including suspension, expulsion and annotations of academic dishonesty appearing on the student s transcript, may be imposed. For everyone s protection, the following policies will be in place during all classroom examinations (including technical quizzes). You will be: assigned a seat for each examination; required to place all personal effects at the front of the classroom; required to either not wear caps or turn them backwards (nothing hiding face); required to do the exam independently with no notes of any kind; prohibited from communicating with anyone other than proctors during an exam (talking to any other person during the exam will be construed as cheating); required to remove from view any electronic device, other than a calculator (holding or viewing an electronic device will be construed as cheating); allowed to use a calculator, which 1) does not also function as a cell phone, text messaging device, or PDA, 2) does not possess word processing or printing capabilities (no alphanumeric capability), 3) is used only by you; required to complete the exam within the allotted time period (Budget your time); required to return your exam to me and never retain a copy. (Taking a copy outside of the classroom for any time will be considered cheating.) I give multiple versions of exams; a correct answer for the wrong version is evidence of academic dishonesty. For on-line Quizzes: Actively learning together is OK; doing the work for another or having another provide you with his/her work is cheating. You may discuss your work with another and even do the assignments together. You may not simply copy another s work or provide answers to another student. ACCT4210, Spring 2011, Hannan, page 4
Class Schedule and Deliverables This is a general plan for the class. Deviations may be necessary and will be announced on ulearn Date Class Topic Deliverables Tue 1/11 GSU cancelled classes due to snow Tue 1/18 1 Tue 1/25 2 Intro and Chapter 2: cost definitions, variable costing, absorption costing Ch 2, cont d Chapter 3: overhead allocation methods, job costing Ch 3 cont d Skim chapter 1, Read chapter 2 Video assignment (on ulearn) Homeworks 2.42, 2.46, 2.64 Read chapter 3 (skim pp. 118-119) Ch 3 quiz (due 3:00 p.m.) Homeworks 3.38 a, 3.42 a b c, 3.43 a b, 3.44 a b Tue 2/1 3 Chapter 4: activity based costing and management Read chapter 4 Ch 4 quiz (due 3:00 p.m.) Tue 2/8 4 Tue 2/15 5 Chapter 10: allocating support department costs Technical Quiz (absorption costing and variable costing income statements) Ch 4 cont d Ch 10 cont d Chapter 12: cost structure and profitability Ch 3, 4 revisited Read chapter 10 (omit appendix.) Ch 10 quiz (due 3:00 p.m.) Homeworks 4.36, 6.35 Homeworks 10.27, 10.29 Read chapter 12 (omit pp 488-489) Ch 12 quiz (due 3:00 p.m.) Homeworks 12.35 a b c d, Homeworks, 3.47, 4.39 (analysis only, solution is posted to ulearn) Tue 2/22 6 Midterm Exam: chapters 2, 3, 4, 10, 12 Fri 2/25 Tue 3/1 Last day to withdraw Exam grades will be posted to ulearn on 2/24 Spring Break no class ACCT4210, Spring 2011, Hannan, page 5
Date Class Topic Deliverables Tue 3/8 7 Chapter 12: constrained resources Chapter 13 cost management and decision making Read chapter 12: pp 488-489, skim App A Homework 12.39 Read chapter 13 Ch 13 and Ch 12 (constrained resources) quiz (due 3:00 p.m.) Homeworks: 13.46, 13.47, 13.50 Tue 3/15 8 Tue 3/22 9 Ch 13 cont d Chapter 15 Budgeting and financial planning Ch 15 cont d Flexible budgeting (transition from Ch 15 to Ch 16) Homeworks: 13.48, 13.59, 13.60, 13.63 Read chapter 15 (skim appendix) Ch 15 quiz (due 3:00 p.m.) Homeworks 15.31 a, b; 15.32 a; 15.41 a Homeworks 15.49 Tue 3/29 10 Chapter 16, standard costing, variance analysis Ch 16 cont d Chapter 17, flexible budgets, overhead cost management and variance analysis Read chapter 16 (skim appendix) Ch 16 quiz (due 3:00 p.m.) Homeworks 16.39, 16.38 Read chapter 17 (skim app A, omit app B) Ch 17 quiz (due 3:00 p.m.) Homework 17.30 a b, 17.33 a b c d, Tue 4/5 11 Ch 17 cont d Chapter 18: performance evaluation Homeworks 17.37 a b c d, 17.51, 17.54 Read chapter 18 Ch 18 quiz (due 3:00 p.m.) Tue 4/12 12 Technical Quiz (flexible budget and variance analysis) Ch 18 cont d Homeworks 18.27, 18.37 Tue 4/19 13 Tue 5/3 Chapter 20: balanced scorecard, incentive systems Final Exam 4:15-6:45 p.m. in GCB 427 Ch 2, 3, 4, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20 Read chapter 20 (omit appendix) Ch 20 quiz (due 3:00 p.m.) Homework: Walmart assignment (ulearn) ACCT4210, Spring 2011, Hannan, page 6
Optional extra practice assignments by chapter HMS Source Chapter (Denison is posted in one file; HMS is your textbook) 2 Denison pages 5,6 HMS 2.35, 2.39, 2.51 3 Denison chapters 9,10; Chapter 9 problems 1, 3 4, 5, 15, 18; Chapter 10 problems 1-12, 15-20, 22, 23 HMS 3.29, 3.31, 3.53 4 Denison Chapter 9 problems 2, 6 HMS 4.39, 4.43 File posted on ulearn 10 Denison chapter 6; Chapter 6 problems 1,2,7,8,10,11,13,14,16,17,19,20 HMS 10.45 (compute all allocations using both the direct and step methods) 12 Pre midterm 12 Post midterm Denison pages 10-12; Chapter 1 problems 35, 36, 41, 45 HMS 12.33, 12.49 Denison chapter 12; Chapter 12 problems 1 through 6 HMS 12.53 13 Denison pages 7-9, Chapter 1 problems 33, 34, 40, 44 Denison Chapter 11 short term pricing for external customers topic; Ch 11 problems2, 24, 25, 26, 31, 34 File posted on ulearn 15 Denison Chapter 2; Chapter 2 all problems Denison Chapter 3, cash budget sections; Ch 3 problems 1-9; cash budget requirements for 22, 23, 24 HMS 15.29, 15.35, 15.43 Flexible Denison Chapter 3, flexible budget sections; Ch 3 problems 10-15; flexible budget requirements for 22,23,24 budget 16 Denison Chapter 4; Ch 4 problems 1, 2, 4-7, 10-13 HMS 16.29, 16.37, 16.43 a,b,c 17 Denison Chapter 4 covers HMS chapter 17 material Dennison Chapter 4 Appendix, Ch 4 App problems 15, 16 HMS 17.47, 17.53 18 HMS 18.39, 18,43 20 none ACCT4210, Spring 2011, Hannan, page 7