Financial Accounting

BUS 230A Syllabus

syllabus

2023-1 Winter

Subject to revision (updated Dec 27, 2022)

Contact information

  • Instructor: Elizabeth Stanny, PhD

  • Email: stanny@sonoma.edu

  • Office hours in Zoom meeting room

    • Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu: 4 - 5 PM
    • Fri: 2 - 3 PM
    • by appointment

Course overview

This course provides an overview of financial accounting. It will help you understand, prepare and analyze financial statements. Topics covered will be helpful in your professional and personal lives.

Course format

  • Course site: stanny.moodlecloud.com. If you are enrolled in the course, I will send you login information.
    • If you have any questions about the site, please ask me.
  • Videos, notes, quizzes and other materials are posted on the site.
  • As you watch the videos you should work along and replicate the spreadsheets. You will use the spreadsheets in your quizzes.

Course materials

Schedule

Date Topic Textbook
Jan 4 1: Financial Statements due at 5 PM 1/2
Jan 5 2: Accounting Cycle I due at 5 PM 3
Jan 9 3: Accounting Cycle II due at 5 PM 4
Jan 10 4: Accounting Cycle III due at 5 PM 5
Jan 11 5: Sales Revenue, Receivables and Cash due at 5 PM 9
Jan 12 6: Cost of Sales Revenue and Inventory due at 5 PM 10
Jan 13 7: Property/Plant/Equipment and Intangibles due at 5 PM 11
Jan 16 8: Liabilities due at 5 PM 12/13
Jan 17 9: Owners’ Equity due at 5 PM 14
Jan 18 Exam (Topics 1-9) open from 9 AM to 5 PM (2 hour time limit) due at 5 PM

Grading

There are 1000 possible points in the course. Your grade will be determined by your total points:

Grade Points
A 950
A- 900
B+ 870
B 830
B- 800
C+ 770
C 730
C- 700
D+ 670
D 600

Quizzes - 280 points

  • Each quiz is worth 40 points.
  • Your two lowest scores will be dropped (max points = 7 x 40 = 280)
  • Questions will be short-answer, numerical and multiple-choice.
  • You can attempt each quiz twice and you will receive the highest grade scored.
  • There will be multiple versions of quizzes. You can work with others on the quizzes, but you must enter and understand the answers yourself. You can ask me for help and whether your second attempt answers are correct before submitting them. When you submit your answers you are acknowledging that you can explain them.

Assignments (links to your Google Sheet) - 280 points

  • For each topic 1-9 provide the link to your updated Google spreadsheet that has your work and answers for your quiz.
  • Each submission (assignment) is worth 40 points.
  • Your two lowest scores will be dropped (max points = 7 x 40 = 280)

Exam - 440 points

  • The exam is open-book, open-note I will proxy them by monitoring your work on your shared Google Sheet.
  • On the exam day the exam will open at 9 AM and close at 5 PM. After you open the exam you will have 2 hours to complete it.
  • You will be required to do your work on your SSU Google Spreadsheet on the Google Drive that is shared with me.

In general late submissions will not be accepted. If you need an extension because of hardships related to COVID-19 and other illnesses, mental health challenges and family concerns, please let me know as soon as possible and provide documentation if possible. The most important thing that you can do is communicate with me so I can work with you to determine what options there are for you to succeed.

University Policies

There are important University policies that you should be aware of, such as the add/drop policy; cheating and plagiarism policy, grade appeal procedures; accommodations for students with disabilities and the diversity vision statement.

Dropping and Adding

Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drops, academic renewal, etc. How to Register has step-by-step instructions and important deadlines and penalties for adding and dropping classes.

Campus Policy on Disability Access for Students

If you are a student with a disability, and think you may need academic accommodations, please contact Disability Services for Students (DSS), located in Salazar Hall, Room 1049, Voice: (707) 664-2677, TTY/TDD: (707) 664-2958, as early as possible in order to avoid a delay in receiving accommodation services. Use of DSS services, including testing accommodations, requires prior authorization by DSS in compliance with university policies and procedures. See SSU’s policy on Disability Access for Students.

Academic Integrity

Students should be familiar with the University’s Cheating and Plagiarism Policy. Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at Sonoma State University and the University’s policy, require you to be honest in all your academic coursework. Instances of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Cheating on exams or plagiarism (presenting the work of another as your own, or the use of another person’s ideas without giving proper credit) will result in a failing grade and sanctions by the University. For this class, all assignments are to be completed by the individual student unless otherwise specified.

Recording

Students may not record (audio or video) in this class except in accordance with ADA accommodations. Any recordings made in connection with a disability accommodation are for the student’s personal academic use only and may not be distributed in any manner to any other individual.

University services

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

CAPS is a unit of the division of Student Affairs of Sonoma State University. CAPS offers confidential counseling to students experiencing personal problems that interfere with their academic progress, career or well-being. The CAPS website provides information only. If you would like to talk with someone or make an appointment, please call (707) 664-2153 between 8 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday during the academic year.

Basic Needs

We learn as whole people. To learn effectively, you must have basic security: a roof over your head, a safe place to sleep, enough food to eat. If you are having trouble with any of those things, please visit Student Affairs’ Basic Needs webpage for resources to support your well-being both inside and outside the classroom.

Religious Observances

The observance of religious holidays (activities observed by a religious group of which a student is a member) and cultural practices are an important reflection of diversity. As your instructor, I am committed to providing equivalent educational opportunities to students of all belief systems. At the beginning of the semester, you should review the course requirements to identify foreseeable conflicts with assignments, exams, or other required attendance. If at all possible, please contact me (your course coordinator/s) within the first two weeks of the first class meeting to allow time for us to discuss and make fair and reasonable adjustments to the schedule and/or tasks.