The Ted Rogers School of Business Management and
The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education
Course ID: CACC 504
Course Name: Accounting Cases and Concepts
Session: Spring/Summer 2015

Instructor Information

Name: Joel Shapiro

Phone: HOME - (416) 485-9142 FAX – (416) 485-9105 RYERSON – (416) 979-5000 ext 6743

E-mail: shapiro@ryerson.ca

Ryerson Office Location: TRS2-121

Approximate Office Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays 5-6 PM and after classes

COURSE Information

Prerequisites and/or Exclusions: ACC 514 or equivalent is a pre- or co-requisite. If you have not passed this course previously, you must be taking it simultaneously with this one. If you are taking the two courses simultaneously and you drop ACC 514, you will be required to drop this course too (but not the other way around – so you may drop this course and keep ACC 514).

Posting of Grades and Feedback on Work: Before the final exam, term marks to date will be brought to class, sorted numerically by the last five digits of one’s student number, without names. Students who do not want their course grades so listed must inform the instructor in writing before the second session. Students will receive the results of their first test and completed term work to date before the final deadline for dropping courses without academic penalty. All assignments submitted for grading will be handed back within one week (occasionally two).

E-mail Communication: Students must use the e-mail address listed above to communicate with the instructor. E-mails will usually be answered within 24 hours. Students are required to activate and maintain a Ryerson Matrix e-mail account. This shall be the official means by which you will receive university communications. Faculty will not respond to student enquiries from any other e-mail address. See Policy #157 found at www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies for further information on this issue.

Course Drop Information: Please see http://ce-online.ryerson.ca/ce_2008-2009/default.asp?id=0079&term=W2009 for information on withdrawal dates. In general for Chang School courses, students have until the 8th week of one-term courses (or 8th class if classes are twice weekly) and the 16th week of two-term courses to withdraw without academic penalty.

CALENDAR COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course begins with a conceptual review of accounting principles, and reviews issues studied in earlier courses from the point of view of the effects that accounting choices and “creative” accounting have on financial statements. Students are also introduced to accounting in the not-for-profit sector. This course emphasizes the role of communication in the accounting profession. Critical thinking and problem solving skills are developed through extensive case analysis.

COURSE OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES

There are three key objectives in this course.

1. To teach case writing skills, as these are critical to the successful completion of a professional accounting designation. 2. To address the workplace demand for group work and communication skills. 3. To assist students to develop an ethical framework for decision-making in an accounting, auditing, and general business environment.

On completion of the course you should be able to:
1. Communicate, orally and in writing, the technical aspects of each major topic covered in the course
2. Interpret the issues discussed and integrate these with the information contained in a company’s financial statements and accompanying notes.
3. Communicate, orally and in writing, the underlying concepts, theories, issues and controversies of each major topic covered.
4. Demonstrate that you can use resources other than the course material to research current accounting thought on the topics covered in the course.
5. Demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving skills, and oral and written communication skills

In addition, the following are general objectives of all Ryerson accounting courses:

1. Develop the student’s skills and competencies necessary for a professional accounting career and/or graduate studies.
2. Use accounting concepts and techniques to prepare and/or communicate financial information considering the relevant ethical issues in a global economy.
3. Explain how stakeholder motivations and biases can influence the preparation or use of accounting information.
4. Cultivate the student’s ability to analyze the financial ramifications of international accounting standards as compared to Canadian requirements.

It is my hope that this course will add to the students’ previous knowledge of business ethics as they apply to accounting situations, and provide them with a framework for evaluation of real-life situations and for making decisions related thereto. I would like the students to be able to say, one or two years after completing this course, that in this course they were able to build on the knowledge they gained in earlier courses with respect to (a) thinking about business decisions in a broader way than just from the profit perspective; (b) realizing that the traditional view of accounting information as serving mainly investors and lenders is rapidly expanding to include many other types of stakeholders; and (c) internalizing the idea that the professional accountant’s role, first and foremost, is public service in the widest possible sense.

EVALUATION

The grade for this course is composed of the mark received for each of the following components:

|Type of Assessment |Group or Individual |Percent/Weight |Date |
| Group case assignment |Group |15% |See schedule |
| Short write-ups |Individual |3 x 5% = 15% |See schedule |
| Mid-term test (2.5 hours) |Individual |30% |See schedule |
| Final exam (3 hours) |Individual |40% |See schedule |
|Attendance, participation, enthusiasm, etc. | |Will be noted | |
|TOTAL | |100% | |

Students will receive the results of the midterm test and at least the first individual assignment before the final deadline for dropping courses without academic penalty.

All portions of the evaluation are compulsory. You must receive a passing grade on the midterm test and final examination combined, and no less than 40% on either one, in order to pass the course.

The short case write-ups will be individual assignments. The total marks allotted for all written assignments, as well as the midterm tests and final exam, will be divided approximately 90%-10% between analytical skills and communication skills respectively. The latter includes correct English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

For the group assignment, all members of a group (four or five) will receive the same basic letter grade, but each individual may receive a plus, a minus, or neither, based on his or her own contribution, as reported by other group members. Therefore, if a problem arises where one or more students believe for whatever reason that another is not contributing to his/her fullest extent, it is essential for all members of the group to meet with me promptly to discuss the matter. On the other hand, if the members of a group believe that one member has performed more of the work than his/her normal share, then they may request that that person receive a bonus. If a group member disagrees with the other members about any point in the group’s submission, that person is free to submit a dissenting opinion which will be graded separately, and which may result in that person’s grade being higher or lower than that of the other group members.

The midterm test and final exam may include case analysis, short essay, and (on the final exam) a very small number of multiple-choice questions on theory issues as well. Case analysis skills will be developed throughout the course, and you will have several opportunities to develop your skills further as the course progresses. Approximately 10% of the marks for these tests will be based on English communication skills as described above.

Every effort will be made to manage the course as stated; however, adjustments may be necessary for various reasons at the discretion of the instructor. If so, such alterations will be announced in class prior to being implemented.

IMPORTANT NOTES

There will be no exemption from the midterm test or the final exam. A test or exam may be deferred if formal documentation acceptable to the professor is provided to support the fact that the student was not able to write the test or exam at the scheduled time. For absence on medical grounds the approved student medical certificate must be provided. Absences on compassionate or religious grounds should be discussed with the professor at the student’s earliest opportunity.

The professor may arrange for the student to write the missed test with another class. If there is no other class where the student can write the missed test or exam, and the student has satisfactorily completed the other portions of the course’s evaluation, the student may receive an INC (Incomplete) grade for the course and be required to write the missed test or exam as soon as the student returns to class, or at latest, early in the following semester.

If a student misses both the midterm test and the final exam, the student will receive an F. The INC grade can only be given if the student has earned a passing grade on more than 50% of the course requirements, i.e. other than the single missed test or exam. Students can only defer one test or exam per course.

All cellular phones, pagers and other communication devices should be turned off (or at least rendered inaudible) during the class. Any such device that becomes audible, or is used, during an exam or test will earn the offending student a ten-mark penalty applied to his/her final grade in the course. Any that become audible, or are used, during other classes will affect that student’s participation mark. Audio and video recording devices, and laptop computers (to be used for note-taking only), are welcome in class but must be registered with the instructor prior to their use. Unauthorized use during any class may result in confiscation of the device.
GROUND RULES

You must attend the section in which you are registered unless an exemption is arranged with me in advance. It is my goal to ensure that each student is given the time to contribute to class discussions and to raise issues for clarification and debate. As all students must have the same information regarding tests and exams, they will only be discussed during class time.

Each class will be run in an interactive fashion. You are expected to come to class with all readings completed and all cases attempted to the best of your ability. You must be prepared to discuss this material in class. I will not always have time to review all the assigned readings in class. Class time will be used to discuss the issues that you did not understand, and to demonstrate the more challenging parts of each issue in the homework. It is crucial to the success of the course that you come to class prepared and willing to participate. If you are present in class, I will assume that you are prepared and I may call upon you to discuss the approach to an assigned problem or case. My goal is to help you to develop and improve your communication skills during the term. This approach is not intended to embarrass or intimidate you but to ensure that you are successful in the course, and ultimately in your professional examinations.

The appropriate readings, texts, CICA reference material, and attempted homework MUST be brought to all classes. If you are not in class for any reason, it is your responsibility to find out what was discussed and to obtain notes from a classmate.

Notes and/or grading outlines will be provided to each student or group with most cases. If you feel that your work has been graded unfairly, or that the grade assigned does not truly reflect your performance, then you must return your solution to me IN CLASS with your objections, and they will be considered. All students must pick up their own submissions – you may not have a friend pick up a paper or test for you. Adjustments may not be made after the end of the class in which the paper was returned.

Many of you will not have had a lot of experience with cases before. The learning curve is steep and many of you will have trouble mastering the methodology at first. The purpose of the class discussions is to assist you in learning the case method. The more you participate in class, the better you will do. A small portion of your final grade may be allotted to this admittedly subjective factor.

A handout detailing the evaluation and grading criteria for qualitative written work will be distributed or discussed in class early in the course. Students are encouraged to obtain assistance from the Writing Centre (www.ryerson.ca/writingcentre) for help with written communication as needed.
TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE FOR SPRING 2015 SESSION:

|Class |M/W eve |Topic(s) to be covered |Readings |
|1 |M May 4 |Introduction & How To Do Cases | |
|2 |W May 6 |Cases – Reporting Landscape, Conceptual Framework |Standards Overload (63), Forestry (68) |
|3 |M May 11 * |Cases – Revenue Recognition, Receivables, Inventory |Body & Soul (64), Old Bay (74) |
|4 |W May 13 |Cases – Rev. Recognition, A/R, PP&E, Intangibles, |Kentuckyville (72), Senior Frog (76) |
| | |Contingencies | |
| |M May 18 |VICTORIA DAY – NO CLASS | |
|5 |W May 20 |Not-for-profit Organizations |Hilton handout |
|6 |M May 25 |MIDTERM TEST (2.5 hours) | |
|7 |W May 27 * |Internal control, PP&E, Investments |Alexander (59), Global (69) |
|8 |M June 1 |Take up midterm |ID the Industries (handout) |
| | |Financial Ratios & Analysis | |
|9 |W June 3 *** |Liabilities, Investments, Stock Options, Forward |Dryden (104), Sit-Up (121) |
| | |Contracts | |
|10 |M June 8 * |Cases - Comprehensive |Auto Parts (92), Car-Tunes (95) |
|11 |W June 10 |Cases – Comprehensive |Crank (159), Xtreme GoKarts (193) |
|12 |M June 15 |Cases – Cash flow & review |StarGazer (78) |
|13 |W June 17 |FINAL EXAMINATION (3 hours) | |
| | | | |

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE FOR SUMMER 2015 SESSION:

|Class |M/W eve |Topic(s) to be covered |Readings |
|1 |M June 22 |Introduction & How To Do Cases | |
|2 |W June 24 |Cases – Reporting Landscape, Conceptual Framework |Standards Overload (63), Forestry (68) |
|3 |M June 29 * |Cases – Revenue Recognition, Receivables, Inventory |Body & Soul (64), Old Bay (74) |
| |W July 1 |CANADA DAY – NO CLASS | |
|4 |M July 6 |Cases – Rev. Recognition, A/R, PP&E, Intangibles, |Kentuckyville (72), Senior Frog (76) |
| | |Contingencies | |
|5 |W July 8 |Not-for-profit Organizations |Hilton handout |
|6 |M July 13 |MIDTERM TEST (2.5 hours) | |
|7 |W July 15 * |Internal control, PP&E, Investments |Alexander (59), Global (69) |
|8 |M July 20 |Take up midterm |ID the Industries (handout) |
| | |Financial Ratios & Analysis | |
|9 |W July 22 *** |Liabilities, Investments, Stock Options, Forward |Dryden (104), Sit-Up (121) |
| | |Contracts | |
|10 |M July 27 * |Cases - Comprehensive |Auto Parts (92), Car-Tunes (95) |
|11 |W July 29 |Cases – Comprehensive |Crank (159), Xtreme GoKarts (193) |
|12 |W Aug 5 |Cases – Cash flow & review |StarGazer (78) |
|13 |M Aug 10 |FINAL EXAMINATION (3 hours) | |

Page numbers shown for individual cases refer to the Lento & Ryan book.

* Dates with an asterisk are those weeks in which a short case write-up will be assigned. It will generally be written during the last half of class and handed in before you leave. THESE ASSIGNMENTS ARE NOT LISTED ABOVE – THEY WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN CLASS, SO COME TO CLASS! There will be no make-ups at all if any are missed.

*** The group case assignment will be given out in this class and will be due one week (two classes) later. Further details will be given in class.

Short case write-ups (the ones worth 15% in total) – A framework for this will be explained at the beginning of the course. At the beginning of many classes, each student is encouraged to prepare, using this framework, a summary write-up of the case to be discussed that week. Cases will be assigned in advance. Of course, this means that each student must read and think about the case beforehand!

The short case write-ups are INDIVIDUAL assignments unless specifically designated otherwise when assigned. Do not share your work with others. Do not give your electronic files to others. Students who hand in identical or nearly identical papers will be assumed to have been collaborating. On individual assignments, this is cheating and will be punished with a loss of marks and possible charges of academic misconduct.

The due dates above for submission of assignments are firm and cannot be extended for any reason. Late submissions may or may not be accepted at the discretion of the instructor, and a penalty of at least 25% per day late may be assessed, if the late submission is accepted at all. (It probably won’t be.) Submissions of assignments may be made by email to the address on the first page of this course outline, or in person in class. Emailed submissions will always be acknowledged within 24 hours. It is the student’s responsibility to check that such an acknowledgement has been received, and resubmit the assignment if it has not been acknowledged. The instructor takes no responsibility for submissions to incorrect email addresses, and the student will get zero in such a case.

Every effort will be made to return graded assignments to the students as soon as possible after they are submitted, but a turnaround of less than two weeks cannot be absolutely guaranteed.

TEACHING METHODS

This course will incorporate the following teaching/learning methods:

Primarily lectures, class discussion, individual assignments and group projects. There will be a small amount of numerical work and quantitative problem-solving as well.

TEXTS AND READING LISTS

REQUIRED - Lento & Ryan, “Canadian Financial Accounting Cases” – published by Wiley in 2013
ISBN 978-1-118-36244-0

The use of used textbooks is okay, but photocopied books are unacceptable. These will be confiscated and may trigger a charge of academic misconduct.

Additional material will be distributed during the course as well, including Chapter 12 from the Hilton book on advanced accounting which is used in ACC703.

Each student should also have access to the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants’ CICA Handbook-Accounting, as well as current revisions and Exposure Drafts related to the course. The Handbook is now available on-line through the Ryerson Library. Students should connect to the library home page at www.library.ryerson.ca, and perform the following steps:
Select: Catalogue Select: Title Type: CICA Handbook Select: Submit search
If several hits are listed, click on CICA Virtual Professional Library
Under “connect to internet resources” select: View Online
Before using the Handbook, read and close the Notice to Readers dialogue.

Other Course Issues

Students are NOT required to submit assignments themselves to turnitin.com or any similar service. However, the instructor reserves the right to use such a service for any or all assignments without restriction or advance notice, except that any student who does not wish his/her work to be so submitted must inform the instructor on or before the end of the second week of classes and arrange for alternate procedures, which may include but are not limited to oral examinations related to the student’s work.

Variations within the Course

Every effort will be made to manage the course as stated. However, adjustments may be necessary during the term at the discretion of the instructor. If so, students will be advised, in class and/or via Blackboard, and alterations will be discussed prior to implementation.

Policies and Course Practices

Academic Consideration • Students must submit assignments on time. Failure to do so will result in a penalty of not less than 25% per day including weekends, IF THE ASSIGNMENT IS ACCEPTED. • Assignments submitted for grading will be handed back within one week (occasionally two) except for the final exam. • There will be no penalty for work missed for a JUSTIFIABLE REASON. Students need to inform the instructor of any situation that arises during the semester that may have an adverse affect on their academic performance, and request any necessary considerations according to the policies and well in advance. Failure to do so will jeopardize any academic appeals. o Medical certificates –If a student is going to miss a deadline for an assignment, a test or an examination because of illness, he/she must submit a medical certificate (see www.ryerson.ca/senate/forms/medical.pdf for the certificate) to the instructor within 3 working days of the missed assignment deadline, test or examination.

o Religious observance – If a student needs accommodation because of religious observance, he/she must submit a formal request to the instructor within the first two weeks of the class or for a final examination within 5 working days of the posting of the examination schedule. o Students with disabilities - In order to facilitate the academic success and access of students with disabilities, these students should register with the Access Centre www.ryerson.ca/accesscentre/. Before the first graded work is due, students should also inform their instructor through an “Accommodation Form for Professors” that they are registered with the Access Centre and what accommodations are required. o Regrading or recalculation – These requests must be made to the instructor within 10 working days of the return of the graded assignment to the class. These are not grounds for appeal, but are matters for discussion between the student and the instructor. • Other valid reasons must be approved by the instructor in advance. If you do not have a justifiable reason for an absence, you will not be given credit or marks for the work missed during that absence. • For more detailed information on these issues, please refer to Policy #134 at www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/ (Undergraduate Academic Consideration and Appeals) and Policy #150 www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/ (Accommodation of Student Religious Observance Obligations.

Academic Integrity • Students are required to adhere to all relevant University policies, such as the Student Code of Academic Conduct. University regulations concerning unacceptable academic conduct (cheating, plagiarism, impersonation, etc.) will be followed. See the Ryerson University calendar or online versions at http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol60.pdf and http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/pol61.pdf and http://www.ryerson.ca/studentguide/Introduction9.html for more explanation. • Plagiarism is a serious academic offence and penalties range from zero in an assignment all the way to expulsion from the university. In any academic exercise, plagiarism occurs when one offers as one’s own work the words, data, ideas, arguments, calculations, designs or productions of another without appropriate attribution or when one allows one’s work to be copied. (See the Ryerson Library for APA style guide references: www.ryerson.ca/library/ref/style.html). • It is assumed that all examinations and work submitted for evaluation and course credit will be the product of individual effort, except in the case of team projects arranged for and approved by the course instructor. Submitting the same work to more than one course, without instructors’ approval, is also considered plagiarism. • NOTE: Students may not drop a course when they have been notified of the suspicion of academic misconduct. If a student attempts to drop the course, the Registrar’s office will re-register the student in that course until a decision is reached. • When an instructor has reason to suspect that an individual piece of work has been plagiarized, the instructor shall be permitted to submit that work to any plagiarism detection service. • For more detailed information on these issues, please refer to the Student Code of Academic Conduct (see Policy #60 at www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/ and the Academic Integrity Website (www.ryerson.ca/academicintegrity).

Standard for Written Work • Students are expected to use an acceptable standard of business communication for all assignments. Technical errors (spelling, punctuation, proofing, grammar, format, and citations) and/or inappropriate levels of language or composition may result in marks being deducted. You are encouraged to obtain assistance from the Writing Centre (www.ryerson.ca/writingcentre) for help with your written communications as needed. (See the Ryerson Library for APA style guide references: www.ryerson.ca/library/subjects /style/index.html).

Maintaining a Professional Learning Environment • Some instructors do not allow the use of any electronic device in classroom, except in case of an emergency, as they are a distraction to other students. Laptop computers may only be used for academic activities (e.g., note-taking, class presentations). In order to ensure the least amount of disruption for other students and the instructor, students who use laptops for taking notes may be required to sit in the back row.

Examinations • During examinations, students must display their Ryerson photo ID cards. All electronic devices, such as cell phones and tablets, are prohibited. Students are also not permitted to wear hats (religious headcoverings excepted) or to have food or drink (unless it is in a clear container with no label). • For more detailed information on examination policies, please refer to Policy #135 at www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/.

CHANG SCHOOL GUIDELINES/PROCEDURES FOR MISSED TERM TESTS, ASSIGNMENTS, or FINAL EXAMS

You must inform your instructor immediately of any situation which arises during the semester which has an adverse effect on your academic performance and you must request any necessary considerations or accommodations from your instructor.

For missed term work, you must do the following: • Inform your instructor by e-mail prior to the test. • Present the completed official Ryerson medical certificate to your instructor within three working days or no later than the next scheduled class. See http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/forms/medical.pdf for the required Ryerson medical form. • Provide religious observance requests to your instructor within the first two weeks of class. See http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/forms/relobservforminstr.pdf

If you will miss the final exam you must do the following: • Inform your instructor by e-mail prior to the exam. • Within three business days of the final exam, present the completed official Ryerson medical certificate to your instructor or, if your instructor is not available, at the front desk of the Chang School, Heaslip House, 297 Victoria St. • If the medical documentation is approved and the instructor assigns an Incomplete (INC), it is the student’s responsibility to arrange with the instructor to write a makeup exam at the first available opportunity. • INC – Incomplete course work or a missed final examination due to documented medical or compassionate grounds. An INC can be awarded only when the completion of the outstanding work or an alternate final examination may result in a passing grade. The outstanding work or alternate examination must be completed by a specified date within three months of the submission of the INC. The INC will be replaced by an official course grade when the work is completed. If the work is not completed by the deadline, the INC will become a grade of F. The designation INC is not included in calculating the GPA nor is it counted as a course credit or failed course.

Academic Grading Policy • Evaluation of student performance will follow established academic grading policy outlined in the Ryerson GPA Policy (See Policy #46 at www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/. The grading system is summarized below:

|Definition |Letter Grade |Grade Point |Conversion Range |
|Excellent |A+ |4.33 |90-100 |
| |A |4.00 |85-89 |
| |A- |3.67 |80-84 |
|Good |B+ |3.33 |77-79 |
| |B |3.00 |73-76 |
| |B- |2.67 |70-72 |
|Satisfactory |C+ |2.33 |67-69 |
| |C |2.00 |63-66 |
| |C- |1.67 |60-62 |
|Marginal |D+ |1.33 |57-59 |
| |D |1.00 |53-56 |
| |D- |0.67 |50-52 |
|Unsatisfactory |F |0.00 |0-49 |

Course Repeats:
Ryerson Senate GPA policy prevents students from taking a course more than three times. (i.e., registered initially, repeated once, repeated twice = 3 registrations) If you fail a required course for the third time, you will be assigned an academic standing of Withdrawn, and will be ineligible to continue in your program. [pi