Financial Accounting

ACCT 6301 Course Syllabus

Fall 2023

Professor Dr. Yibin Zhou

Office Phone 972-883-2738
Office location JSOM 4.430
Email Address yibin.zhou@utdallas.edu

Class Schedule: ACCT6301.501 Thursdays 7:00pm – 9:45pm, JSOM 2.106

Office Hours: Mondays 1:00pm to 2:00pm (email appointment required)

Important Web Links, Class Notes, Homework Assignments, and other relevant information
available at: http://elearning.utdallas.edu

Teaching Assistant: Hangu Chen. Hangu.Chen@utdallas.edu

Office location: JSOM 14.321
Office hours on MS Teams, Tuesdays 6:00pm to 7:00 pm
(meeting link posted on Elearning); or by appointment.

Course Modality and Expectations

Instructional Mode:
In-person ONLY!!
I expect my students to treat everyone in this course, including myself,
with respect and kindness.

I expect all students to attend classes every week and to complete the
assignments by the due dates before 11:59 p.m. I expect honesty and
Expectations trust from my students as it pertains to quizzes and exams (no
cheating!).

Students can expect me to treat them with respect and kindness. They
can expect that I am working as hard as possible to create an engaging
and informative learning environment. I will be fair and consistent in
grading. I am available for questions and love interacting with you! If
you send an email, you can expect a response within 24 hours. Emails
sent over weekends will be addressed on the following Monday.

Classroom attendance is critical to your success in this course! Class

sessions will be a combination of lecture, problem solving, and

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 discussion. Students should bring to each class session a printed copy of
that day’s lecture notes (available on eLearning prior to each class) and
a calculator for problem solving. The material covered in-class will
follow the lecture notes, which are designed to clarify and complement
the text material.
The use of cell phones or any other electronic device for personal
reasons is not permitted in the classroom.

Technical Equipment and Computer/tablet/laptop with internet access to view course material on
Software Requirements eLearning and turn in homework assignments.

Class Recordings and Classroom instruction will not be recorded. Unless the Office of Student
Material AccessAbility has granted special approval, students are expressly
prohibited from recording any part of this course. Failure to comply with
these University requirements is a violation of the Student Code of
Conduct. The instructor will provide class materials that will be made
available to all students registered for this class, as they are intended to
supplement the classroom experience. These materials may be
downloaded during the course; however, these materials are for registered
students’ use only. Classroom materials may not be reproduced or shared
with those not in class, or uploaded to other online environments except
to implement an approved Office of Student AccessAbility
accommodation. Failure to comply with these University requirements is
a violation of the Student Code of Conduct.

Technical Support
Contact the OIT helpdesk https://oit.utdallas.edu/ or Elearning helpdesk
https://ets.utdallas.edu/elearning/helpdesk for technical difficulties.

If you experience any issues with your UT Dallas account, contact the UT
Dallas Office of Information Technology Help Desk: assist@utdallas.edu
or call 972-883-2911.

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General Course Information
Course Description and Student Learning Objectives

This course provides an introduction to the concepts of financial accounting with an

emphasis on the interpretation of financial statements. Specifically, it covers how to
prepare financial statements (income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash
flows) and how to utilize the information contained in financial statements. The
course also covers in detail how financial statements report the financial effects of
Course certain important types of transactions that firms commonly undertake.
Description
Learning Objectives:
(1) Obtain a basic understanding of financial accounting concepts
(2) Conduct basic financial ratio analysis
(3) Compare four main financial statements and understand the relationship with
each other
(4) Discuss how financial accounting information is used to make business decisions

Financial Accounting 11th Edition, Libby, Libby, and Hodge (McGraw Hill
publisher)

9781264634019 – Looseleaf text with Connect Access Card

9781264634873 – Connect Access Card only (which gives access to the ebook)
Recommended
Text* https://www.mheducation.com/highered/product/financial-accounting-libby-
libby/M9781264229734.html

FAQ: Can you purchase a used textbook or older edition? YES, but the end-of-
chapter problems that I recommend may be different in older editions.

 A basic calculator. Graphing calculators or other calculators with text

memory during examinations are not allowed.
Supplemental  eLearning Website: elearning.utdallas.edu
Material  Lecture slides and notes: available on eLearning
 Homework: available on eLearning

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 Academic Calendar
Important Dates
August 24 Thursday First day of class (WELCOME )
September 6 Wednesday Last day to drop course without a “W”
September 7 Thursday Quiz 1
September 21 Thursday Quiz 2
October 3 Tuesday Homework 1 Due
October 11-12 Wed. – Thur. Exam 1 Testing Center
October 26 Thursday Quiz 3
October 31 Tuesday Homework 2 Due
November 8-9 Wed. – Thur. Exam 2 Testing Center
November 20-26 Happy Thanksgiving, no class!
December 7 Thursday Quiz 4
December 9 Saturday Homework 3 Due
December 13-14 Exam 3 (cumulative) Testing Center

Registration Deadlines: Students MUST reserve a seat NO LATER THAN 72 HOURS prior to
exam time at https://ets.utdallas.edu/testing-center/students/

Grading Policy

The overall course grade will be comprised of the following:

Quizzes 30 min each (best 3 out of 4) ------------------------------------------------------ 15%

Three Homework ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 15%
Exam 1 120 min (Ch 1-4)…………………………………………………………… 20%
Exam 2 120 min (Ch 6-8)…………………………………………………………… 20%
Exam 3 150 min (Cumulative) --------------------------------------------------------------- 30%
100%

There is NO opportunity for extra credit or special assignment available at the end of the
semester!!

At the end of the semester, I will calculate the total composite scores. I may curve the scores if necessary. Final
grades will be assigned following the general guidelines below:

Letter Numeric Grade Letter Numeric Grade

Grade (out of 100) Grade (out of 100)
A+ 96-100 C+ 76-79
A 93-95 C- 70-72
A- 90-92 D+ 66-69
B+ 86-89 D 63-65
B 83-85 D- 60-62
B- 80-82 F <60
C 73-75

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 Class Procedure and Participation
Classroom attendance is critical to your success in this course! While I do not grade classroom
attendance, it is your responsibility to attend every session. There will be 8 unannounced attendance
checks throughout this semester, and I offer 1 bonus point for each attendance you take (total of 8 bonus
points) towards your cumulative Exam 3. This is your opportunity to earn up to 8 bonus points for
Exam 3.

Students who fail to participate in class regularly are inviting scholastic difficulty. Attending classes and
practicing problems on your own are critical to your success in this course. Class participation is
documented by faculty. The professor will use the tracking feature in eLearning to monitor student activity.
Successful participation is defined as consistently adhering to University requirements, as presented in this
syllabus. Failure to comply with these University requirements is a violation of the Student Code of
Conduct.

Class sessions will be a combination of lecture, problem solving, and discussion. Students should bring
to each class session a printed copy of that day’s lecture notes (available on eLearning prior to each class)
and a calculator for problem solving. The material covered in class will follow the lecture notes, which
are designed to clarify and complement the text material. It is also important that you read the assigned
chapter in the textbook. The use of cell phones or any other electronic device for personal reasons is
not permitted in the classroom. Cameras (including cell phones), and audio and video recordings are
strictly prohibited.

Neither the office hour nor e-mail communication serves as a substitute for class teaching. In office
hours, I will NOT repeat the material covered in class except answering clarification questions.

Quizzes (graded)

There will be 4 quizzes (30 min each) administered throughout the course. Tentative quiz dates/time are listed on
the attached Class Schedule. The quizzes will be timed. There will be no make-up quizzes. However, I will drop
your lowest quiz score. If you miss a quiz, your grade will be zero. Quizzes will be closed-book (100%
INDEPENDENT work!) and closed notes. You should not consult with fellow students in answering quiz
questions.

Homework (graded)

There will be 3 homework assignments during the semester to reinforce the skills necessary to do well on
exams. Homework assignments are take-home tests and available on eLearning. All homework assignments
must be submitted electronically by 11:59 pm of the due date. No late homework will be accepted and there
will be no opportunities to make up missed homework. You may work with others on the homework, but
it is important that you understand how to work the problems in order to do well on exams.

Homework assignments are intended to be a learning experience and are graded based on effort and completion.
You should develop your best solution for each of the questions, exercises, and problems assigned. You must
show all intermediate steps in your homework solutions to earn credits.

For grading fairness, you should not ask the instructor or TA how to solve homework questions before the
submission deadline.

Exams (graded)
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Students MUST take all three exams and are expected to take the exam at scheduled exam sessions. Exams
will be closed-book (100% INDEPENDENT work!) and closed notes. Concepts from chapter notes, class
handouts, exam reviews, and homework assignments will be included on the exam. Exam 1&2 will emphasize
material covered during that respective exam period. However, some questions will require a solid understanding
of topics covered on the previous exam. Exam 3 is CUMULATIVE and will cover all topics discussed throughout
the course of the semester.

You are NOT permitted to copy or otherwise reproduce the exams at any time. This includes taking pictures
of the exam with your cell phone or other device while taking the exam or when reviewing graded exams. I will
consider it cheating if the above rules are violated.

Suggested Practice Problems (not graded)

There are recommended reading and practice problems to work out of your textbook (posted separately on
eLearning). These problems are for your own practice and will not be turned in for a grade. However, you are
encouraged to work all problems on a timely basis. Solutions to the recommended problems will be posted
on eLearning. Unlike many other courses, accounting cannot be learned by watching someone else explain
concepts and work problems. You must become actively involved! Getting behind in preparation is one of
the most prevalent causes for poor performance in this class.

Exam Make-up Policy

Students MUST take all exams. No make-up exams will be given.

Students with anticipated excused absences (such as documented university-sponsored events) should contact
me at least one week prior to the absence. If you miss an exam due to an illness or other emergency, you
should notify me as soon as possible and provide me with verifiable written documentations (e.g., a note from
the attending physician) after you return. I have final authority to determine if your absence will be excused.
Students who do not show up for an exam, and for whom prior arrangements have not been made will receive a
score of zero. There is no guarantee that the level of difficulty of the make-up exam will be compatible to that of
the original test. All make-up exams will be taken at a time determined by the instructor.

Making non-refundable (or non-cancelable) arrangements for travel before the exams will not
constitute an excused absence. Unexcused absence from any exams will result in a score of zero.

Disposition of exams: As per school policy, exams will be retained for one year and then destroyed.

Extra Credit and Special Assignments

NONE

There will be no extra credit or special assignments available at the conclusion of the semester. If you find
yourself a few points short of your desired goal at the end of the semester, do not email me and ask for something
to do for additional credit! How many points you accumulate during the semester is up to you!

DO NOT CHEAT OR PLAGARIZE. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT CHEATING MY RECOMMENDATION TO

STUDENT AFFAIRS WILL BE AN F FOR THE COURSE.
Class Recordings and Material
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Classroom instruction will NOT be recorded. Unless the Office of Student AccessAbility has granted special
approval, students are expressly prohibited from recording any part of this course. Failure to comply with these
University requirements is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct. The instructor will provide class
materials that will be made available to all students registered for this class, as they are intended to supplement
the classroom experience. These materials may be downloaded during the course; however, these materials are
for registered students’ use only.
Classroom materials may not be reproduced or shared with those not in class or uploaded to other online
environments except to implement an approved Office of Student Accessibility accommodation. Failure to
comply with these University requirements is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct.

Classroom Citizenship
All students should respect each person's right to learn and attend this class. Laptops and all other devices used
in class should only for study purpose. Students will not be allowed to stream non-class related content, use
social media or other items that could be distracting others.
Absolutely no recording or photos allowed for any reason (other than by the faculty member).

Comet Creed

This creed was voted on by the UT Dallas student body in 2014. It is a standard that Comets choose
to live by and encourage others to do the same:

“As a Comet, I pledge honesty, integrity, and service in all that I do.”

Academic Support Resources

The information contained in the following link lists the University’s academic support resources for all
students. Please go to Academic Support Resources webpage for these policies.

UT Dallas Syllabus Policies and Procedures

The information contained in the following link constitutes the University’s policies and procedures
segment of the course syllabus.

Please go to UT Dallas Syllabus Policies webpage for these policies.

_______________________________________________________________________________________
The descriptions and timelines contained in this syllabus are subject to change at the
discretion of the Professor.