School of Business

Syllabus Spring 2018

MBUS 300
Accounting In A Global Economy

Instructor: Professor Roberts

Email: KROBERTL@gmu.edu

This course is designed for students who are working towards a Minor in Business as
well as non-business majors who wish to take an overview class on the fundamentals of
accounting and finance. School of Business majors can not be enrolled in this class.
In-class students spend 3 hours of class-time per week in addition to the approximately
3-5 hours of at home reading/review/homework/quiz preparation per week. Keep this in
mind when budgeting your time for this class distance learning course.
Exams are taken using the Respondus Lockdown Browser located on Blackboard. You
must make sure your system is compatible with Respondus.
You are responsible for maintaining timely daily/weekly contact with the GMU email
system, Connect website, and the class Blackboard website throughout the semester.

Text and Required Materials:

• Survey of Accounting 4th Edition. Edmonds, McGraw-Hill.

• Registration with McGraw-Hill Connect is required for online completion of

homework and chapter quizzes. Most Connect subscriptions are bundled with
an ebook. Information on this is located on Blackboard under Course Content.

• There is a FREE 2 week trial version of Connect w/ebook on the McGraw-

Hill website available now.

Recommended homework includes;

▪ Reading the chapter material,
▪ Reviewing and answering the Check Yourself questions located in the chapter, as
well as the End of the Chapter Self Study review problem located at the end of
each chapter.
• Answering the homework questions through Connect online. This is the only
graded homework assignment.
• LearnSmart , Tegrity lectures, and Video lectures w/Assessments are located on
Connect. These study aides are not graded, they are available as study resources.
MBUS 300: MANAGING FINANCIAL RESOURCES
Course structure and specific responsibilities
For each chapter students should listen to the audio lecture of the chapter that is posted
on the Connect website. After listening to the lecture and reading the textbook chapter,
students need to complete the homework online. After reviewing the material, the
quizzes should be completed before the due date.

Students are required to regularly (several times per week) check the course website and
their GMU email for course information and updates. When corresponding via email,
please be sure to include your name and your course so that I may better assist you.

Homework and quizzes are essential to this class. Students will use the textbook’s
homework manager, Connect. Students will submit homework and quizzes by the due
date. No late homework or quizzes can be accepted. If there are technical difficulties
with the online homework or quizzes, students should contact Connect directly.

You are given unlimited attempts to complete your homework before the due date to
assist in your comprehension of the chapter material. Each student is expected to
complete the homework and quizzes on his/her own. It is not recommended to begin
homework on the due date.

Course Description
Managing Financial Resources focuses on using basic concepts of accounting and
financial management to make investment, credit and operating decisions for the
organization. The emphasis is on using financial reports to aid the planning and control
of organizational activities with a minor emphasis on relating business financial tools to
student’s personal financial decisions.

Course Learning Objectives:

Upon the successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
• To understand the form and content of financial statements.
• To describe the difference between accrual accounting and cash flow.
• To understand the basic concepts of revenue and expense recognition.
• To recognize the differences between fixed and variable costs.
• To discuss the various financial management decisions required within the
firm and how such decisions affect the value of the firm.
• To use various computational techniques required in the financial
management decision making process, including the use of technology to
implement the computational techniques.
• Comprehend and Utilize the Time Value of Money in investment decisions.
MBUS 300: MANAGING FINANCIAL RESOURCES

Honor Code
To promote a stronger sense of mutual responsibility, respect, trust, and fairness among
all members of the George Mason University community and with the desire for greater
academic and personal achievement, we, the student members of the University
Community have set forth this:
Student members of the George Mason University community pledge not to cheat,
plagiarize, steal, or lie in matters related to academic work.

The paragraph on below is excerpted

http://oai.gmu.edu/the-mason-honor-code-2/
It shall be a violation of this Honor Code to Lie, Cheat or Steal. The following list is
illustrative of Honor Code violations but is not exhaustive:
1. Assignments (including examinations) are to be the sole work of the student unless
specifically authorized otherwise by the professor.
2. To give, receive, or utilize unauthorized assistance in preparation for or during an
assignment is a violation of this Honor Code.
3. To continue working on an assignment or an examination beyond the allotted time
period.
4. To plagiarize.
5. To fail to report a suspected violation when a student has reasonable cause to
believe that an Honor Code violation has occurred.
For excellent examples of on-line plagiarism and related matters, see
http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/plagiarism.htm

I encourage you to work with other students to help one another understand the material.
However, all graded work such as online homework, quizzes and tests are expected to be
original work.
School of Business Standards of Behavior: The mission of the School of Business at
George Mason University is to create and deliver high quality educational programs and
research. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni who participate in these educational
programs contribute to the well-being of society. High quality educational programs
require an environment of trust and mutual respect, free expression and inquiry, and a
commitment to truth, excellence, and lifelong learning. Students, program participants,
faculty, staff, and alumni accept these principles when they join the School of Business
community. In doing so, they agree to abide by the following standards of behavior:
• Respect for the rights, differences, and dignity of others
• Honesty and integrity in dealing with all members of the community
• Accountability for personal behavior
Integrity is an essential ingredient of a successful learning community. Ethical standards
of behavior help promote a safe and productive community environment, and ensure
every member the opportunity to pursue excellence. School of Business can and should
be a living model of these behavioral standards. To this end, community members have a
personal responsibility to integrate these standards into every aspect of their experience
at the School of Business. Through our personal commitment to these Community
Standards of Behavior, we can create an environment in which all can achieve their full
potential.

STUDENT PRIVACY
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) gives protection to
student educational records and provides students with certain rights. George Mason
University strives to fully comply with FERPA by protecting the privacy of student
records and judiciously evaluating requests for release of information from those records.
For further information on FERPA and student privacy, please see the dedicated page
provided by the Office of the University Registrar
(http://registrar.gmu.edu/students/privacy/).

DISABILITY STATEMENT
Students with disabilities who require special accommodation should contact the Office
of Disability Services (http://ds.gmu.edu)/to request accommodations. Please also inform
the instructor of their needs so it can be taken into consideration. Please take care of this
during the first two weeks of the semester.

DIVERSITY

George Mason University promotes a living and learning environment for outstanding
growth and productivity among its students, faculty and staff. Through its curriculum,
programs, policies, procedures, services and resources, Mason strives to maintain a
quality environment for work, study and personal growth. These goals apply to online
learning at George Mason University equally as it does to classroom learning.
An emphasis upon diversity and inclusion throughout the campus community is essential
to achieve these goals. Diversity is broadly defined to include such characteristics as, but
not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, disability, and sexual orientation.
Diversity also entails different viewpoints, philosophies, and perspectives. Attention to
these aspects of diversity will help promote a culture of inclusion and belonging, and an
environment where diverse opinions, backgrounds and practices have the opportunity to
be voiced, heard and respected. For further information, please see the Office of
Diversity, Inclusion and Multicultural Education (https://odime.gmu.edu/).
This is the link to the Mason University Life religious holiday calendar
http://ulife.gmu.edu/calendar/religious-holiday-calendar/ . It is the obligation of students,
within the first two weeks of the semester, to provide faculty members with the dates of
major religious holidays on which they will be absent due to religious observances.
 RESOURCES AND SUPPORT
Course support: Preparedness is a major facilitator for a heightened learning experience
in an online course. For help on Blackboard tools like Collaborate, Kaltura, Respondus
Lockdown Browser and other resources, please refer to courses support or tutorials for
additional information. If you encounter any difficulties accessing Blackboard or your course
you can reach the Technical Help Desk at the following email: courses@gmu.edu. The
Libraries at George Mason University strive to provide the best possible collections of
research resources and scholarly materials in all formats for our users throughout the
university community, supporting the University’s goals of learning, teaching, and research.
The School of Business has a dedicated librarian liaison and more information is available at
library resources. The University Libraries also provides resources specifically for distance
students, including the ability to e-reserve materials. For more information on these services
and the process to e-reserve texts, see http://library.gmu.edu/distance.
The George Mason University Writing Center is committed to supporting writers in the
Mason community and offers free writing support to Mason students. You can now sign up
for an Online Writing Lab (OWL) session just as you would sign up for a face-to-face
session in the Writing Center, which means you set the date and time of the appointment!
Learn more about the Online Writing Lab (OWL).
Student services: If you are a student with a disability and you need academic
accommodations, please see me and contact the (ODS) http://ds.gmu.edu/ or call 703-
993-2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through the ODS.
Mason offers counseling and psychological services that can provide assistance if you
find yourself overwhelmed by life, want training in academic or life skills, or the like.
University policies: The University Catalog is the central resource for university policies
affecting student, faculty and staff conduct in university affairs.
Information regarding weather related changes in the University’s schedule (e.g., closing
or late opening) will be provided on the GMU website and via MasonAlert. Changes to
schedule or deliverable due dates, if any, will be communicated via email and on
Blackboard.
Mason Student privacy is governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
(FERPA) and is an essential aspect of this course.
Copyright: Any audio or visual recording of lectures, reuse or remix of course materials,
or further dissemination of course content is not permitted without prior written consent
of the course instructor and George Mason University unless the recording is part of an
approved accommodation plan.
Disclaimer: Any changes to assignments or course schedule will be announced on
Blackboard and/or via e-mail. Inability to access the course webpage or failure to read e-
mails cannot be an excuse for late submissions or non-completion of assignments.

Blackboard
Course information will be available through the class website on blackboard. Check it
for study guides, announcements, homework or assignment changes.
Withdrawal Policy
If you desire to drop the course, you must submit a drop form to Student Services on or
before September 30, 2016. The selective withdrawal period ends on October 28, 2016.
MBUS 300: MANAGING FINANCIAL RESOURCES

You are expected to understand and follow the Honor Code of the GMU University
Catalogue. The hallmarks of the accounting profession are integrity, objectivity, and
independence. Cheating in this class will result in a failing grade, being reported to the
Honor Code Committee, and being prevented from graduating with the possible
expulsion from the school.

To promote a stronger sense of mutual responsibility, respect, trust, and fairness among
all members of the George Mason University community and with the desire for
greater academic and personal achievement, we, the student members of the University
Community have set forth this:

• Student members of the George Mason University community pledge not to

cheat, plagiarize, steal, or lie in matters related to academic work.

• It shall be a violation of this Honor Code to Lie, Cheat or Steal. The following
list is illustrative of Honor Code violations but is not exhaustive:
➢ Assignments (including examinations) are to be the sole work of the
student unless specifically authorized otherwise by the professor.
➢ To give, receive, or utilize unauthorized assistance in preparation for or
during an assignment is a violation of this Honor Code.

➢ To continue working on an assignment or an examination beyond the

allotted time period.
➢ To plagiarize.

➢ To fail to report a suspected violation when a student has reasonable cause

to believe that an Honor Code violation has occurred by another student.
MBUS 300: MANAGING FINANCIAL RESOURCES
Grading

The final grade will be calculated using the following formula:

Description Percentage of Total Grade

Exam 1 20
Exam 2 25
Comprehensive Final Exam 35
Chapter Homework 10
Chapter Quizzes 10
Total 100

Quizzes
At the completion of most chapters there is a quiz on the material covered. This
quiz is timed to help you stay on pace with the class, help you to identify chapter
material not yet mastered, and assist you in experiencing the chapter material in
exam question format. Timed quizzes are completed through Connect. You are
given two attempts to take these quizzes before each due date, with the highest
attempt recorded as your quiz grade.

Exams
You will be taking the exam online with the approved Respondus Lockdown
Browser setup. Information for this setup will be posted to Blackboard under
Course Content. You MUST have the ability to take the exams using Respondus.
You are responsible for the proper setup and execution of the online exam. Any
difficulty experienced by you either in the setup or execution of your exam, and not
experience by other exam taking students, will not be compensated.

NO MAKEUP EXAMS

➢ If you miss an exam, your final exam grade will count as both the missed
exam and final exam grade.

➢ You will not be compensated for more than one missed exam.

Failure to take the final exam when scheduled will result in an F grade on the
final. Exceptions made for military personnel on unscheduled government
assignments.
Course Schedule
The schedule for the course is given below. Please note that this schedule may be
changed at the discretion of the instructor during the term.

Week
Topic
Of
Jan 22 Discussion on CH 1 Elements of Financial Statements

Jan 29 Discussion on CH 2 Understanding the Accounting Cycle

Feb 5 Discussion on CH 3 Accounting for Merchandising Businesses

Discussion on CH 3 Accounting for Merchandising Businesses

Feb 12
Review of Chapters 1, 2, and 3

Feb 22 Online Exam 1 - Chapters 1, 2, 3

8 pm

Feb 26 Discussion on CH 4 Accounting Internal Controls and Ethics

Mar 5 Discussion on CH 5 Accounting for Receivables and Inventory

Mar 12 Spring Break – University Closed

Mar 19 Discussion on CH 6 Accounting for Long-Term Operational Assets

Mar 26 Discussion on CH 7 Accounting for Liabilities

April 5 Online Exam 2 - Chapters 4, 5,

8pm 6, and 7

April 9 Discussion on CH 8 Accounting for types of business ownerships

April 16 Discussion on CH 10

April 23 Discussion on CH 11

May 3 Online Final -

8pm Comprehensive