CLASS INFORMATION

Class:          Room 522, Tues & Thur, 7:00 to 8:50 p.m., Jan 28 to May 27

Section:       3573

INSTRUCTOR

Ms. Catherine Larocca, rocklaw@san.rr.com, office 504A

PREREQUISITE

“C” or better in Financial Accounting, Bus 120, or its equivalent

REQUIRED TEXTBOOK

Text:  Managerial Accounting, Garrison & Noreen, 10^th ed, McGraw Hill

(ISBN: 0-07-252812-5).  

Website:   www.mhhe.com/garrison10e

OTHER REQUIRED MATERIAL:

·          12 small scantrons  (15 item, suggested form no. 815-E or 23040)

·          4 long scantrons (100 item, suggested form no. 882-E or 25420)

·          Class Calendar

·          One RED pen or marker

·          Calculator

·          No. 2 pencil

OTHER AVAILABLE MATERIAL:

The new text should come with a free “Topic Tackler” compact disk which has practice quizzes, 2 to 5 minute videos for each chapter showing real life applications for the topics, and hands-on practice exercises.  Available on Limited Loan in the library:

� Study Guide for use with Managerial Accounting

� Student Lecture Aid

� Microsoft Excel for Accounting (ISBN: 0-13-008553-7)

� Microsoft Excel 2002 (ISBN: 0-07-247254-5)

� Excel for Accounting (ISBN: 0-324-18277-5) – Chapter 1

� Effective Writing: A Handbook for Accountants

Students also may want to have Web Access to view the instructor’s websites which may have additional material: http://blackboard.gcccd.net:8920 and http://grossmont.gcccd.cc.ca.us/catherine.larocca/  For students new to the web, notice there is no www in the website name.  Grossmont students can obtain their own free email addresses through the College.    

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course introduces the student to the concepts, methods and procedures for the development and use of accounting information to support and assist management in their internal cost accounting processes and financial decision-making.  This course includes theory and concepts of cost accounting, use of financial and accounting information for planning, budgeting and control of operations, and methods and analyses to assist managerial accountants in decision-making activities.

CLASS FORMAT:

This is a student-centered class.  This class will involve extensive group work.  Attendance is mandatory for success.  To succeed, you must be on time and prepared for class.  Students must take a proactive role in their own learning.  There are plenty of resources available and it is the student’s responsibility to take the initiative to learn the material. 

ATTENDANCE:

An excess of four absences will result in your being dropped from the class.  Absences are not considered either excused or unexcused (even if you are under a doctor’s care) – they are merely counted!  Students can drop themselves through Web Connect www.grossmont.net or College Connection 619.668.4040.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Students of managerial accounting will:

 

1.     Explain the cost accounting process, including terminology and cost behavior patterns and apply them to job order and process costing systems

2.     Demonstrate effective communications with the controller and other management accountants and apply the methods by which cost information is collected and aggregated. 

3.     Evaluate the way cost information is estimated and analyzed in corporate planning and decision-making. 

4.     Demonstrate the use and development of accounting information in segment reporting and the control and performance evaluation process.

5.     Evaluate information as to is usefulness in the decision-making process and apply pertinent information to measure varied outcomes in problem-solving situations.

COURSE CONTENT

1.     Introduction to managerial accounting

2.     Cost terminology and concepts

3.     Job order costing systems

4.     process costing systems

5.     cost behaviors

6.     cost volume profit relationships

7.     the contribution approach to costing

8.     budgeting and responsibility accounting

9.     standard costs and variances; and performance measures

10.flexible budgets and overhead anayalys

11.segment reporting

12.relevant costs for decision-making

13.

capital budgeting decisions

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated and the penalties are severe.  Cheating on an exam will result in a zero on the entire exam.  Students may work together on all the homework and assignments, but each student must individually type his or her own hand-in assignments.  Obtaining a basic understanding of EXCEL is a requirement of this class so any student caught cheating on an Excel project may receive a zero for the entire assignments aspect of your grade.  Get Excel help from the books on limited loan, from each other, from the lab technician or from the instructor. 

ASSESSMENT & TESTING

(students must provide their own scantrons for quizzes and tests)

Participation:  (50 points)  Students are expected to have studied and prepared the material assigned for the day so that each student can actively participate in class.  Lack of preparedness and absences will reduce the student’s score by 3 points each occurrence.

Quizzes:  (100 points)  There will be a short 10-point quiz for each chapter.  The quizzes will be given directly after reviewing the last assignment from a chapter.  Quizzes may consist of short answer, completion, true/false, or multiple choice.  Students may drop their lowest two quiz scores at the end of the term. 

Excel Projects:  (110 points)  There will be a graded Excel assignment for each chapter.  Each assignment must be completed using EXCEL and must be accompanied by a formulas page.  Late assignments will not be accepted for any reason.  Please do not ask.  Each assignment is worth 10 points.

Tests:  (150 points each)  There will be 4 comprehensive tests.  Tests may consist of short answer, completion, true/false, multiple choice, problem-solving, and written exercises, including the preparation of statements, schedules, journal entries, etc.  The material tested on all Tests will be cumulative. 

Make-Up Quizzes & Tests:  There are no make-ups for quizzes or the final exam.  There are no exceptions.  For the first three tests only, a test may be made up if the student has a legitimate reason and makes arrangements with the instructor.  The make-up test will be administered only within 2 weeks of the original test.  A make-up will consist of 50 multiple choice questions only. 

Make-Up Assignments:  Late assignments are not accepted for any reason.  However, there will be two 10-point “make-up” assignments which can be used to replace the student’s two lowest assignment scores.  The make-up assignments usually require more work than an original assignment.  The make-up assignments and due dates are indicated on the Class Calendar.

Bonus Points:  There will be two fourteen-point bonuses offered during the semester.  The bonuses and their due dates are indicated on the Class Calendar. 

E-MAIL ETIQUETTE      

In the subject line of all emails to the instructor, identify the subject as: “Managerial Accounting,” otherwise the Instructor will not open the email. 

 

TUTORING

Tutoring is free to any Grossmont College student enrolled in accounting.  Students must make appointments to see a tutor.  The tutoring center is in Room 711J of the LRC.  The center’s telephone number is 619.644.7387.

CAREERS IN ACCOUNTING

Grossmont College Catalog 2001 – 2002 describes the courses needed for students interested in qualifying for responsible positions in accounting or business.  See the 2001-2002 Catalog at pages 37, 41-44 and 61-63.  You can pick up a copy of the Catalog in the Career Center (room 627) or the Counseling Center (room 118), or view it on-line at http://grossmont.gcccd.cc.ca.us, by selecting site index, and then Catalog, 2001-2002.  Grossmont College encourages all students to visit the Career Center (619) 644-7614, and the Counseling Center (619) 644-7208 for specific information on career opportunities.  Students also may visit www.careerselector.com or explore other websites by running their own search using the search phrase “careers in accounting.”  Students interested in an accounting internship contact Judy Zander at 619.644.7555, room 509A.

CLASS CONTACTS & STUDY GROUPS:

Many students find it extremely helpful and even fun to study together outside of class.  Get the following info for at least 3 of your classmates:

How do I balance this class with my other classes? 

Many students find it helpful to actually set a schedule of times several hours per week to work on the problems and study the material.