CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

College of Business Administration

Accounting Department
ACC 2070 – Sections #1 & #2: Financial Accounting for Decision Making

Spring 2021

INSTRUCTOR: Les Sullivan

E-MAIL: [email protected]
OFFICE: 98C-4-007
OFFICE HOURS: None
OFFICE PHONE: 213 305 5214 (cell)
CLASS HOURS & CLASSROOM: M/W/F Sect #1: 10:00 pm – 10:50 pm – Via ZOOM Sessions
Sect #2: 11:00 pm – 11:50 pm – Via ZOOM Sessions

REQUIRED MATERIALS
1. Financial Accounting, Information for Decisions, 10th Edition, by John J. Wild (McGraw - Hill)
2. Connect Online Access (McGraw - Hill)

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Introduction to financial accounting and accounting information systems (AIS), including basic
concepts, limitations, tools and methods, Use of AIS-generated information, including financial statements
in decision making by investors, creditors, and other users external to the organization.

THE COURSE OBEJECTIVES ARE TO LEARN:

1. The nature and purpose of accounting for various business entities.
2. The use, analysis, and interpretation of financial information in reports prepared for users external
to the business enterprise.
3. The concepts and standards underlying the measurements used in accounting to develop the
financial statements of businesses.
4. Accounting methods and their use as an orderly means of recording, classifying, and presenting
useful information from a mass of data derived from transactions and events affecting the
enterprise.
5. The role and impact of ethical accounting and reporting in economic decision-making.

PLAGIARISM/ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
The College of Business Administration expects the highest level of ethical behavior from its students,
both in the classroom and in their future careers. Therefore, students should be familiar with the
Standards of Academic Conduct (including Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty), described in the
Student Handbook.
See http://www.cpp.edu/~studentconduct/student-conduct-code.shtml

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DROPPING THE COURSE
Students must go through the official procedures to drop the course and check on a regular basis to verify
the course has been dropped. A student who stops attending the class and fails to officially drop will
receive a grade of WU.
See http://www.cpp.edu/~studentsuccess/oss/academic-advising/university-policy-
information/withdrawals.shtml

EXAM POLICY
There will be thirteen weekly quizzes (1 each Friday), two midterm exams and a comprehensive final
exam. The quizzes and exams will include a mix of multiple choices and problem solving problems.
Barring extreme extenuating circumstances, there will be no make-up quizzes or exams.

GRADING
Final grades will be computed from the following allocation:

Weekly Quizzes 13%

Midterm Exam1: 17.5%
Midterm Exam2: 17.5%
Final Exam (Comprehensive): 25%
Project (see below): 10%
Homework/Participation: 17% (*)
Total 100%

(*) Homework problems are generated by the MHConnect System. Students will have access to a
particular chapter’s homework assignment on the date the Chapter is first assigned.

GRADING SCALE

90% - 100%: A 89% - 90%: A-

87% - 89%: B+ 80% - 87%: B 79% - 80%: B-
77% - 79%: C+ 70% - 77%: C 69% - 70%: C-
67% - 69%: D+ 60% - 67%: D 59% - 60%: D-
Below 59%: F

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Cal Poly Pomona, as a learning-centered university, is committed to student success. Students with
disabilities are encouraged to contact me privately or the Disability Resource Center (909.869.3333)
Building 9 Room 103 to coordinate course accommodations.

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 SCHEDULE OF CLASSES

Week No. Date Chapter Homework Assignment

Orientation/Chapter #1/Class
1 Jan 25/27/29 Read Chapter 1/2, HW#1
Exercise/Q#1
2 Feb 1/3/5 Chapter #2/Class Exercise/Q#2 Read Chapter 3, HW#2

3 Feb 8/10/12 Chapter #3/Class Exercise/Q#3 Read Chapter 4, HW#3

4 Feb 15/17/19 Chapter #4/Class Exercise/Q#4 HW#4

5 Feb 22 Review Prepare for MT #1

Feb 24 Mid-Term Exam #1

Feb 26 No Class Read Chapter #6

6 Mar 1/3/5 Chapter #6/Class Exercise/Q#5 Read Chapter 5, HW#6

7 Mar 8/10/12 Chapter #5/Class Exercise/Q#6 Read Chapter 7, HW#5

8 Mar 15/17/19 Chapter #7/Class Exercise/Q#7 Read Chapter 8, HW#7

HW #8
9 Mar 22/24/26 Chapter #8/Class Exercise/Q#8
Mar 29/31/Apr 2 Spring Break – No Class
10 April 5 Review Prepare for MT #2

April 7 Mid-Term Exam #2

Read Chapter #9
April 9 No Class
11 Apr 12/14/16 Chapter #9/Class Exercise/Q#9 Read Chapters 10, HW#9

12 Apr 19/21/23 Chapter #10/Class Exercise/Q#10 Read Chapter 11, HW#10

13 Apr 26/28/30 Chapter #11/Class Exercise/Q#11 Read Chapter 12, HW#11
14 May 3/5/7 Chapter #12/Class Exercise/Q#12 Read Chapter 13, HW#12
15 May 10/12/14 Chapter #13/Class Exercise/Q#13 HW #13/Study for Final
Finals Final Exam/Projects Due

Comprehensive Final Exam: Section #1:

Section #2:

It is the students’ responsibility to be informed of any change to the syllabus that may occur.

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COURSE PROJECT

In this course, you will be learning the accounting implications of several aspects of businesses
including capital formation, business decisions and operations, internal controls, financial reporting and
ethical issues. For your class project, you are to select a company (any company you want), and discuss
some interesting aspect of their operations, and the accounting implications related thereto. For instance,
you might want to analyze the Enron scandal and how the lack of internal controls and/or how “cooking of
the books” caused the company to collapse and many investors to lose their money. Or, you may want to
look at a company like Alibaba or Facebook, and trace their history from infancy to IPO, discussing the
accounting treatment of the various phases of their capital formation/restructuring. Bottom Line: any
company and any aspect of its operations, as long as you can somehow tie it back to what you are learning
in this course; and as long as it is interesting.

You will work in teams of four members; my only requirement is that you tell me the name of your
team members and the topic of your presentation no later than a date (TBD) in the not too distant future.
If you are stuck for an idea, please see me – and we’ll figure something out. The objectives of this project
are: (1) to integrate what you are learning in this class to what is actually happening in the real world, and
(2) to have some fun.

Project Requirements: For your course project, you will prepare a term paper. Realistically, your
report should be no less than 10 pages [double spaced; 12 point font; paginated and sourced to the extent
appropriate] – excluding sourcing.

I have two overarching objectives: (1) I really want you to dig into a company and learn something
about it; who knows: you may actually learn something interesting about the products you use every day;
and (2) I want you to continue to work on your presentation skills; better to “work out the kinks” now than
during your first month on the job.

Grading Rubric: The Course Project comprises 15% of your course grade. Generally speaking, I
prefer “substance over form”; however, a professional presentation will be more favorably received. As to
matters of substance: you are now college students; I expect the form and substance of your report to
reflect that fact.

1. Structure is important. Your report should be well organized, neat and “tight” (i.e., no wasted
words in an effort to fill 10 pages).
2. Exhibits are always nice; a picture can tell a thousand words.
3. I loathe incomplete sentence structure and typos.
4. Evidence of research and analysis (over and above “the legally required minimum”).
5. Evidence/integration of knowledge acquired from this course.
6. Collective effort (no “free riding”).

Now; I understand there are foreign students in the class; and I am sympathetic to your plight.
However, if you end up remaining, and getting a job, in the United States, language deficiencies could
hurt you. The purpose of college is to train you for your future career; and the school provides services to
assist students in this regard. There are also tutors available to assist you. Finally, you can come see me
during office hours – and I can provide assistance.
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