ACC 2301 180: Intro to Financial Accounting

This course provides students with both an opportunity to learn accounting rules and to develop critical thinking capacities.  After completion of this course, students should be able to define, differentiate, analyze, explain, and apply the followings:

• CO1: Describe ethics, business practice, and accounting principles as foundations of business
• CO2: Apply accounting principles and rules for journalizing and recording accounting transactions for accounting cycle
• CO3: Employ a variety of accounting methods and practices for preparation of financial statements
• CO4: Compare and contrast various methods of cost allocation for inventory and of asset valuation
• CO5: Apply methods to safeguard assets and strengthen organizational and accounting internal control systems.CO6: Practice basic technological tools to prepare accounting reporting
• CO7: Analyze financial statements using analytical and mathematical skills

Access to the textbook’s online system “CengageNOWv2” for homework assignments

• To register this course on CengageNOWv2, go to our Blackboard course page, then the folder “Content.” In the folder “Access to CengageNOWv2” you will see a link “Access to CengageNOWv2.” Click it to access our CengageNOWv2 course page and register from here. DO NOT directly go to Cengage’s website or other platforms to find our CengageNOWv2 course. If you do not register through Blackboard, your account will NOT be linked to Blackboard and all your homework assignment and quiz grades will be reported missing even if you actually submit your work.
• After you have registered our CengageNOWv2 course, you can access the CengageNOWv2 course (eBook, homework and quizzes) through the CengageNOWv2 course link on Blackboard (as described above) or through Cengage website directly at www.cengage.com/dashboard. 
• TAMIU OIT usually does network maintenance once every month. The maintenance dates and times vary, but the maintenance runs from Friday evening to Saturday early morning on the maintenance date. You cannot access Blackboard during the maintenance. OIT sends out emails about the maintenance schedule in advance. Pay attention to the maintenance schedule and adjust your plans for doing homework and quizzes accordingly. While you cannot access our CengageNOWv2 through Blackboard during the maintenance, you can still access our CengageNOWv2 course through Cengage’s website. Thus, the due dates for homework and quizzes will NOT change due to OIT network maintenance.

• Exam I: 100 points
• Exam II: 100 points
• Exam III: 100 points
• Final Exam: 100 points
• Quizzes: 200 points (20 points each)
• Homework Assignments: 200 points (20 points each)
• Projects: 50 points (25 points each)
• Discussion board forums: 40 points (20 points each)
• Total: 890 points

90-100% (801-890 points)         A

80-90% (712-801 points)           B

70-80% (623-712 points)           C

60-70% (534-623 points)           D

Below 60% (below 534 points)  F

Examination Format

You will have a quiz for each chapter and four exams in this course. The format of quizzes and exams will be multiple choices. Quiz and Exam questions are not identical to homework, sample exam or sample quiz questions, but are related to the concepts that are covered in the modules.   

All quizzes are open until 11:55pm on due dates. The allotted time for quizzes varies by chapter. The quiz access link for each module is placed in each module folder under Blackboard “Content.” All exams are open from 6am to 10pm on the exam dates. The exam access links for Exam I, II, III, and Final Exam are placed in Module 4, 7, 10, and 10 folders under Blackboard “Content,” respectively. The exam links are only available between 6am and 10pm of the exam dates. The allotted time for Exams I, II, and III is 80 minutes each, and for Final Exam 120 minutes.

All quizzes are open-book tests. You can use references while taking a quiz, but you cannot communicate with other people. The progress of you taking the quiz will be videotaped through Respondus Monitor (explained below).

All exams are CLOSED-BOOK tests. You CANNOT use any references, including but not limited to books, notes, PowerPoint slides, cheat sheets, tablets, cellphones, while taking an exam. You cannot communicate with other people during the exam, either. The progress of you taking the exam will also be videotaped through Respondus Monitor (explained below).

You need to use Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor to take all of your quizzes and exams.  It is your responsibility to purchase Respondus Lockdown Broswer and Monitor service if there is any monetary charge to use it. You will need a financial calculator to complete the quizzes and exams.

Online Homework Assignments

For on-line homework assignments, students will submit them online for grading using CengageNOWv2 Homework system. Each student must set up his/her own CengageNOWv2 account to complete the required work.

To register our course on CengageNOWv2, go to our Blackboard course page, then the folder “Content.” Click on the CengageNOWv2 access link to access our course page and register. Use the following link https://startstrong.cengage.com/cnowv2-blackboard-ia-no/ to learn how to register and access course materials. If you are new to CengageNOW, you need to create an account before you register. The technology sufficiency is your own responsibility to do your assignments online.  If you have any technical problems about CengageNOW, contact the publisher’ technical support center www.cengage.com/support or call 800-354-9706.

You have unlimited attempts to answer CengageNOW homework assignment questions to earn highest possible scores (through using “Check My Work” function at the bottom of the page) by the due date. Assignments are tied to textbook chapter materials. Assignments are due at 11:55pm on the due dates. Once a due date has passed, access to assignments will be denied.  The homework grades are based on the percentage of correct responses recorded in the online system.

The CENGAGENOW2 ON-LINE SYSTEM IS THE ONLY METHOD FOR YOUR SUBMISSION OF HOMEWORK.  NO EMAILED, FAXED, OR HARD COPIES OF HOMEWORK SUBMISSION WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Projects: Two projects are required. Through the first project students learn non-GAAP information on the SEC filings that also convey important information about the firm. The purpose of the second project is to equip students with hands-on data analytics experience through Excel using accounting data. Each project is worth 25 points. The first and the second projects are due at 11:55 pm on the due dates. See Blackboard Project pages for instructions.

Discussion Board forums: Posted on Blackboard Discussion Board, the discussion questions enhance your analytical and communication skills. Two discussion board forums are given. You will not earn any points by simply giving a yes/no or a very short statement or agreeing with peers’ answers.

IMPORTANT: Technical difficulties will not be an excuse for failing to submit the required work by the deadlines. Start the work early to avoid technical issues that may delay your submission.

If a pregnant or parenting student needs further assistance for the completion of the homework and quiz assignments, she/he should notify the professor “BEFORE” the due date.

Taking QUIZZES and exams: Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor Requirement

This course requires the use of LockDown Browser AND Respondus Monitor (webcam) for quizzes and exams. The webcam can be built into your computer or can be the type that plugs in with a USB cable. Respondus Monitor will record you taking the quiz/exam from the beginning to the end.

Watch this short video to get a basic understanding of LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor (the webcam feature). A student Quick Start Guide (PDF) is also available.

Download Instructions

To download Respondus LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor, go to https://www.tamiu.edu/distance/technology/respondus-ldb-and-monitor.shtml. Links to download the software for PC and Mac are listed Installing the Respondus LockDown Browser Download section. It is free to download and install the software. You won't be able to access tests using a standard web browser. If this is tried, an error message will indicate that the test requires the use of LockDown Browser. Simply start LockDown Browser and navigate back to the quiz/exam to continue. Note that Respondus LockDown Browser must be downloaded through TAMIU’s website. Respondus LockDown Browser retrieved from other sources is not compatible with TAMIU Blackboard and does not grant access to any of our tests.

Once Installed

• Open LockDown Browser
• Log into Blackboard
• Navigate to the test and begin
• Note: Once you have installed Respondus LockDown Browser, you should run a system and network check (before the first test day) to see if your equipment works well. To run the check, start Respondus LockDown Browser and access the Help Center form the toolbar.

Cost for Respondus Monitor

There is a $15 fee for the webcam feature that's used together with LockDown Browser (sometimes referred to as Respondus Monitor). This is a one-time fee, valid for 12 months (365 days) for all courses that use Respondus Monitor. You will be prompted to make the purchase the first time you use LockDown Browser's webcam feature. Payment can be made with PayPal, Visa or Mastercard.

To pay for Respondus Monitor:

1. Start Respondus LockDown Browser.
2. Navigate to your test.
3. Complete the set-up process, which includes a payment screen for entering credit card information.
4. Payment and entering credit card information is only necessary one-time per course.

Guidelines

All quizzes are open-book tests. You can use references while taking a quiz, but you cannot communicate with other people. The process of you taking the quiz will be videotaped through Respondus Monitor.

All exams are CLOSED-BOOK tests. You CANNOT use any references, including but not limited to books, notes, PowerPoint slides, cheat sheets, tablets, cellphones, while taking an exam. You cannot communicate with other people during the exam, either. The process of you taking the exam will also be videotaped through Respondus Monitor.

When taking an online test that requires LockDown Browser and a webcam, remember the following guidelines:

• Sign in your Blackboard account through Respondus LockDown Browser. You will NOT need a password to take the test if you sign in the test using Respondus LockDown Browser. Access to any of our tests will be denied if you use a regular browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Edge) to sign in. If you are prompted to enter a password, you are not doing it correctly. 
• Select a location where you won't be interrupted
• Before starting the test, know how much time is available for it, and also that you've allotted sufficient time to complete it
• Turn off all other devices (e.g. tablets, phones, second computers)
• Clear your area of all external materials — books, papers, other devices
• Remain at your computer for the duration of the test
• To produce a good webcam video, do the following:
  • Avoid wearing baseball caps or hats with brims
  • Ensure your computer or tablet is on a firm surface (a desk or table) — not on your lap, a bed, or other surface that might move
  • If using a built-in webcam, avoid tilting the screen after the webcam setup is complete
  • Take the exam in a well-lit room and avoid backlighting, such as sitting with your back to a window
• LockDown Browser will prevent you from accessing other websites or applications; you will be unable to exit the test until all questions are completed and submitted.

Getting Help

Several resources are available if you encounter problems with LockDown Browser:

• The Windows and Mac versions of LockDown Browser have a "Help Center" button located on the toolbar. Use the "System & Network Check" to troubleshoot issues.
• If you have problems downloading, installing, or taking a test with Respondus LockDown Browser, email the TAMIU eLearning Team at elearning@tamiu.edu.

Webcam Checkout for Personal Computer

If students are unable to use personal or borrowed computers and equipment, students may stop by the Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services office to check out webcams (with built-in microphones). Checkout for a webcam is on a first-come, first-service basis. Speak with an eLearning staff member to checkout a camera. Students will sign an Equipment Loaner Agreement, making them responsible for the care of the camera. Webcams checked out must be returned within five business days of the checkout date.

Student-Instructor Communication Policy and Response Time

Course Messages/Emails

The instructor will check your emails and respond to your inquiries within 24 hours during business hours excluding weekends and holidays.

Assignments and Assessments 

Your homework assignments through CengageNOW and quizzes and exams via Blackboard are automatically graded. The projects are graded based on the rubric criteria provided by the instructor. The Discussion Board assignments provide a platform for you to discuss questions. The questions in the Discussion Board are posted in the order of modules. See the due dates of CengageNOW homework assignments, quizzes, exams projects and Discussion Board assignments in the VIII, Grading and Evaluation.

Correction of Grading Errors

After grades of homework, quizzes, exams, and projects have been posted on Cengage system or blackboard, all requests regarding course record corrections must be submitted in writing within one (1) week. After that time, all grades and records become final.  Please note that any and all changes are at the sole discretion of the instructor

Course Communication Guidelines (Netiquette)

There are course expectations concerning etiquette or how we should treat each other online. We must consider these values as we communicate with one another. Visit Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services’ web page on Netiquette for further instruction.

TAMIU Honor Code: Plagiarism and Cheating

As a TAMIU student, you are bound by the TAMIU Honor Code to conduct yourself ethically in all your activities as a TAMIU student and to report violations of the Honor Code. Please read carefully the Student Handbook Article 7 and Article 10 available at https://www.tamiu.edu/scce/studenthandbook.shtml (https://www.tamiu.edu/scce/studenthandbook.shtml/).
We are committed to strict enforcement of the Honor Code. Violations of the Honor Code tend to involve claiming work that is not one’s own, most commonly plagiarism in written assignments and any form of cheating on exams and other types of assignments.
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s work as your own. It occurs when you:
1. Borrow someone else’s facts, ideas, or opinions and put them entirely in your own words. You must acknowledge that these thoughts are not your own by immediately citing the source in your paper. Failure to do this is plagiarism.
2. Borrow someone else’s words (short phrases, clauses, or sentences), you must enclose the copied words in quotation marks as well as citing the source. Failure to do this is plagiarism.
3. Present someone else’s paper or exam (stolen, borrowed, or bought) as your own. You have committed a clearly intentional form of intellectual theft and have put your academic future in jeopardy. This is the worst form of plagiarism.
Here is another explanation from the 2020, seventh edition of the Manual of The American Psychological Association (APA):
“Plagiarism is the act of presenting the words, idea, or images of another as your own; it denies authors or creators of content the credit they are due. Whether deliberate or unintentional, plagiarism violates ethical standards in scholarship” (p. 254)
Plagiarism: Researchers do not claim the words and ideas of another as their own; they give credit where credit is due. Quotations marks should be used to indicate the exact words of another. Each time you paraphrase another author (i.e., summarize a passage or rearrange the order of a sentence and change some of the words), you need to credit the source in the text. The key element of this principle is that authors do not present the work of another as if it were their own words. This can extend to ideas as well as written words. If authors model a study after one done by someone else, the originating author should be given credit. If the rationale for a study was suggested in the discussion section of someone else's article, the person should be given credit. Given the free exchange of ideas, which is very important for the health of intellectual discourse, authors may not know where an idea for a study originated. If authors do know, however, they should acknowledge the source; this includes personal communications (p. 11).For guidance on proper documentation, consult the Academic Success Center or a recommended guide to documentation and research such as the Manual of the APA or the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. If you still have doubts concerning proper documentation, seek advice from your instructor prior to submitting a final draft.

TAMIU has penalties for plagiarism and cheating.
• Penalties for Plagiarism: Should a faculty member discover that a student has committed plagiarism, the student should receive a grade of 'F' in that course and the matter will be referred to the Honor Council for possible disciplinary action. The faculty member, however, may elect to give freshmen and sophomore students a “zero” for the assignment and to allow them to revise the assignment up to a grade of “F” (50%) if they believe that the student plagiarized out of ignorance or carelessness and not out of an attempt to deceive in order to earn an unmerited grade; the instructor must still report the offense to the Honor Council. This option should not be available to juniors, seniors, or graduate students, who cannot reasonably claim ignorance of documentation rules as an excuse. For repeat offenders in undergraduate courses or for an offender in any graduate course, the penalty for plagiarism is likely to include suspension or expulsion from the university.
• Caution: Be very careful what you upload to Turnitin or send to your professor for evaluation. Whatever you upload for evaluation will be considered your final, approved draft. If it is plagiarized, you will be held responsible. The excuse that “it was only a draft” will not be accepted.
• Caution: Also, do not share your electronic files with others. If you do, you are responsible for the possible consequences. If another student takes your file of a paper and changes the name to his or her name and submits it and you also submit the paper, we will hold both of you responsible for plagiarism. It is impossible for us to know with certainty who wrote the paper and who stole it. And, of course, we cannot know if there was collusion between you and the other student in the matter.
• Penalties for Cheating: Should a faculty member discover a student cheating on an exam or quiz or other class project, the student should receive a “zero” for the assignment and not be allowed to make the assignment up. The incident should be reported to the chair of the department and to the Honor Council. If the cheating is extensive, however, or if the assignment constitutes a major grade for the course (e.g., a final exam), or if the student has cheated in the past, the student should receive an “F” in the course, and the matter should be referred to the Honor Council. Additional penalties, including suspension or expulsion from the university may be imposed. Under no circumstances should a student who deserves an “F” in the course be allowed to withdraw from the course with a “W.”
• Caution: Chat groups that start off as “study groups” can easily devolve into “cheating groups.” Be very careful not to join or remain any chatgroup if it begins to discuss specific information about exams or assignments that are meant to require individual work. If you are a member of such a group and it begins to cheat, you will be held responsible along with all the other members of the group. The TAMIU Honor Code requires that you report any such instances of cheating.
• Student Right of Appeal: Faculty will notify students immediately via the student’s TAMIU e- mail account that they have submitted plagiarized work. Students have the right to appeal a faculty member’s charge of academic dishonesty by notifying the TAMIU Honor Council of their intent to appeal as long as the notification of appeal comes within 10 business days of the faculty member’s e-mail message to the student and/or the Office of Student Conduct and Community Engagement. The Student Handbook provides more details.

Accommodations/Accessibility Policy

Texas A&M International University seeks to provide reasonable accommodation for all qualified persons with disabilities. This University will adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student's responsibility to register with the Director of Student Counseling and to contact the faculty member in a timely fashion to arrange for suitable accommodation. For more information, contact the online at Office of Disability Services for Students (DSS), via phone at 956.326.3086 or by visiting the staff at the Student Center, room 118. A link to the Disabilities Services for Students site has also been included under the "Resources" tab inside the course.

Student Support Resources

The University wishes to have all students succeed in their courses. To provide support to our students, an array of services in the areas of technology support, academic support, student support, and accessibility support may be found at the University. For more information, visit the Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services page on University Resources and Support Services.

Computer/Technology Requirements

It is recommended that you meet the technical requirements listed on the Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services’ webpage when using the learning management system (LMS) of the University.

Additional Hardware. For this class, you will need the following additional hardware: a webcam and microphone. Recently purchased laptops may have these built-in web cameras.  If you do not have such equipment, it is recommended to purchase a stand-alone webcam, microphone or a webcam with a built-in microphone from your local electronic store or any online store. You will also need a financial calculator to complete the quizzes and exams.

NOTE: Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services may check out available webcams to students on a first-come, first-served basis. To check out a webcam, please stop by Killam Library, Room 259 and request an available webcam.

Additional Software. You will need the following additional software: Microsoft PowerPoint for viewing lesson presentations, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel for viewing course files and submitting assignments. TAMIU Students may access online versions of this software through their Dusty Office 365 account at https://dusty.tamiu.edu/. This site also provides students access to download the Microsoft suite for educational use. See instructions for downloading the Microsoft Office suite.

Note: Students, if you do not own the required hardware, software or do not have access to internet, it will be highly challenging for you to make any progress in this class. However, my goal is to assist you to find solutions and guide you appropriately most of the required materials can either be found free of charge at TAMIU’s library, computer labs, and classrooms.  In addition, you may also purchase any of these items at any electronic store.

Learning Management System (Blackboard)

Students are provided with an orientation (*eLearning (Blackboard) Student Orientation*) and access to guides on how to use the Blackboard LMS. Guides may be available at Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services' Student eLearning Tutorial Videos page or by contacting the eLearning team at elearning@tamiu.edu.

Minimum Technical Skills Expected

When participating in distance education courses, it is vital to consider the technology involved in order to have a successful course. Students in distance education should have knowledge of basic computer and Internet skills, as mentioned on the Instructional Technology and Distance Education Services’ webpage.

Technical Support Services

Because of the nature of distance education courses, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) computing and information services are vital to the success of online students. This webpage covers contact information for Distance Education Services (Blackboard Support), the OIT Help Desk, and E-mail support: Technical Support Services.

Late Work Policy

Late work will not be accepted once the due date has passed.

Course Evaluation

At the end of this course, students are encouraged to complete a course evaluation that will be distributed to them via email and through a course link.

Accessibility and Privacy Statements on Course Technologies

At Texas A&M International University, we believe that all students should have equal technology opportunities in the classroom. These technologies/sites may also require user data, such as the creation of a username and password. You may find the accessibility and privacy policies of the technologies used in this class on the following pages: Accessibility Statements and Privacy Statements.

In this class, we will utilize: CengateNOWv2.

Syllabus Subject to Change

While information and assurances are provided in this course syllabus, it should be understood that content may change in keeping with new research and literature and that events beyond the control of the instructor could occur. Students will be informed of any substantive occurrences that will produce syllabus changes.