AMIS 211C: Financial Accounting I
COURSE SYLLABUS

Larry Tomassini
Fisher College of Business
The Ohio State University


NATURE OF THE COURSE

AMIS 211 is the core course in financial accounting that is required of all students in the Fisher College of Business.  AMIS 211C represents a computer-intensive version of this core course that is delivered in an online format.  Those not wanting such a delivery format may enroll in a regular section of AMIS 211.  The content and grading requirements of the alternate formats are quite similar.

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE

As the first course in accounting at Ohio State, AMIS 211 serves multiple purposes.  It provides students with an understanding of basic financial statements--their nature, purpose and use by business decision makers.  Students learn the language of accounting, important concepts on which financial reporting is based, and the function of accounting as an information system. Because most students have limited previous exposure to real business settings, AMIS 211 also provides an introduction to essential business concepts and processes.  Understanding these concepts and processes enriches the student's appreciation for the relevance of accounting information.

Beginning this quarter, all versions of AMIS 211 will implement a revision of course content, relative to previous years.  The goal of this revision is to teach fewer topics with a deeper understanding and of critical concepts and analytical problem-solving in such topics as accrual accounting, the role of accounting in society, financial statements, transaction analysis, and information properties.  In this way, we anticipate that students will recognize the importance of accounting in the business world.  In addition, students will be better prepared to use accounting information  in other settings and disciplines that they may pursue.  Finally, for those who pursue advanced studies in accounting, the new content will provide a firm foundation.

  COURSE DELIVERY SYSTEM 

In addition to the revised course content, noted above, we add a new online delivery option (211C) to the traditional live lecture/discussion mode for the course.  We do so because students increasingly need scheduling flexibility for their learning activities, and this online option provides that flexibility.  In addition, the online version provides students with a portfolio of learning resources that are now available through internet technology.  We believe that many students will find this mode of learning more exciting and more effective than traditional lectures alone.

In addition to their text materials, students in AMIS 211C will have all course content delivered to them through extensive notes, tutorial videos, self-quizzing support materials, and multimedia enrichments within the WebCT shell.  Regular quizzes will be taken online through the same system. 

Two hours of live class time are scheduled on Fridays for Q&A sessions with instructors.  These are strictly optional sessions for students who wish to participate.  Midterm and final exams will be scheduled during these time slots as well.

GRADES

Each student in the course is evaluated on a fixed-point achievement scale. You will earn points from the following course elements:

 

Online Quizzes

200 maximum points

Midterm Exam

400 maximum points

Final Exam

400 maximum points

Total Points

1000 maximum points

I will use the following scale to determine final grades:

POINTS

LETTER GRADE

900 or more

A

870-899

A-

840-869

B+

800-839

B

770-799

B-

740-769

C+

700-739

C

670-699

C-

640-669

D+

600-639

D

Fewer than 600

E

There will be no make up quizzes.  If you miss the quiz submission deadline, you will receive a zero for that quiz.

There will be no make-up midterm exam.  If you miss the mid-term exam for any reason, your final exam will be re-weighted accordingly.