ACG 2021 Spring 2024

Introduction to Financial Accounting Syllabus and Schedule

ACG 2021 INTRODUCTION TO FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING

Syllabus and Schedule
GENERAL INFORMATION

Instructor: Jill K. Goslinga, CPA, J.D., Senior Lecturer, Fisher School of Accounting
Email: ACG2021Instructor@warrington.ufl.edu
Emails must be sent from your official UF email address and must be sent to
ACG2021Instructor@warrington.ufl.edu. Do NOT send messages through Canvas or
from a non-UF email account (Gmail, etc.), as I will not respond.
Office: Gerson 315
Live class: Heavener 150 Monday and Wednesday, 9:35am to 11:00am ET
Office hours: See Connect with Us on the course website for office hours
SAs: See Connect with Us on the course website for email addresses and office hours
Website: elearning.ufl.edu (use Google Chrome to access course website)
For technical difficulties with the course website, contact the Technology
Assistance Center at TAC@warrington.ufl.edu or call 352-273-0248.

Description. This is an introductory course intended to develop an understanding of the environment,

role, and basic principles of financial accounting, primarily from the standpoint of the user of financial
information. The course is not directed towards the needs of any particular major. The objectives of
this course are as follows:

1. Identify the information conveyed in each of the four basic financial statements and the way
these financial statements are used by different decision makers.

2. Identify what constitutes a business transaction and apply transaction analysis to record the
effects of those transactions.

3. Prepare the four basic financial statements using Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

4. Describe common financial statement relationships used in financial analysis.

Prerequisites. Sophomore standing or completion of 24 credit hours.

Textbook and learning platform. The textbook is Financial Accounting, 6th Ed., by Spiceland, Thomas
and Herrmann and published by McGraw-Hill. You must also acquire access to McGraw-Hill’s Connect
learning platform. UF All Access is the least expensive way to obtain these materials (bsd.ufl.edu/all
access). Registration instructions are posted on the class website under the course files tab.
For technical difficulties with Connect, you can call McGraw-Hill technical support at (800) 331-5094 or
visit mheducation.com/highered/support/student/connect.html#contact. Support hours are Mon-Thu
24 hours, Fri 12am-9pm ET, Sat 10am-8pm ET, and Sun 12pm-12am ET.

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GRADES

Course grades are based solely on points (not percentages), which are earned as follows:
▪ Exams (3 × 120 points) ........................................................
360
▪ Quizzes (11 chapters × 4 points) ......................................... 44
▪ Homework (12 chapters × 3 points) ................................. 36
Total course points .......................................... 440

The minimum number of total course points needed to achieve each letter grade is as follows:

Minimum Course
Points Grade
396 A
383 B+
352 B
339 C+
308 C
295 D+
264 D
Below 264 E

The grade point value per credit hour for each letter grade is assigned by the Registrar’s Office. For
details, see catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/grades.aspx.

Extra credit is not available, and grades are not subject to negotiation, even if you are just one point
short of a higher grade. I will not respond to emails raising these concerns.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN THE COURSE

We will cover a significant amount of technical material in a short period of time, so it is important that
you study effectively. You should plan to spend 10 to 14 hours per week working on this four-credit
course. The course covers at least one chapter of the textbook each week. To help ensure that you
perform to the best of your ability, complete the following steps for each chapter:
1. Read the assigned chapter prior to watching the pre-recorded lecture videos. Take notes while
reading the chapter. You should watch the pre-recorded lecture videos according to the schedule
posted on the schedule at the end of this sllyabus (DO NOT let yourself get behind).
2. Attend live class review sessions or watch the recorded live class reviews through mediasite (Do
not let yourself get behind.

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3. After lecture complete the applicable homework using the notes you completed in step 1 above
and complete additional optional assignments for any concepts that you need more practice.
(accessed through Connect).
4. Attend office hours to review any issues from the homework. You may attend any office hours
that fit your schedule.
5. Take the assigned quiz for the chapter.
6. Complete the review assignment in Connect prior to the exam.

VIDEO LECTURES

The class format is pre-recorded lecture videos and live review sessions (that are also recorded and
posted online). The pre-recorded lecture videos and related PowerPoint slides are posted on the class
website. The watch schedule for the pre-recorded videos is listed in the schedule at the end of this
syllabus. The slides are not a substitute for watching the videos. For technical difficulties with the
videos, contact the Technology Assistance Center at TAC@warrington.ufl.edu or call 352-273-0248.

HOMEWORK

The graded homework assignments are completed in Connect. You are required to complete these
assignments on your own.

Due dates. For simplicity, the homework assignments for all the chapters related to an exam will open
at the same time and the homework for a specific chapter is due on the same day as the quiz date for
that chapter (see the schedule at the end of the syllabus for specific quiz due dates), as follows:
Start date for Due date for a
Module Chapters all chapters specific chapter Exam date
Same as quiz
Exam 1 1 to 3 and 5 January 8, Mon February 13
date
6 to 8 an Same as quiz
Exam 2 February 14, Wed March 25
Appendix D date
9 to 11 Same as quiz
Exam 3 March 26, Tues April 22
Appendix C date

Procedures. You are allowed unlimited attempts at the homework assignments. Each attempt will
open a new assignment with new numbers for each problem. The best score out of all attempts will be
transferred to canvas once the homework assignment is submitted.

Excused absences. Each graded homework assignment is open and available for at least one week and
in most cases for two or more weeks. This provides students considerable flexibility in terms of when

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to complete an assignment. THERE ARE NO EXTENSIONS ALLOWED FOR THESE ASSIGNMENTS, SO

PLEASE DO NOT ASK. Consequently, you should plan to complete the assignments in advance of the
due date. If you wait until the last minute and an unexpected personal issue or technical problem
arises, that is your responsibility.

If the Connect system is unavailable (system failure) for over 24 hours, the due date will be extended
for all students. Due dates are not adjusted for university-approved absences, such as religious
holidays, unless the event prevents a student from completing the assignment during the entire time
that the assignment is available to complete.

QUIZZES

The quizzes provide valuable feedback regarding how well you understand the course content. Some of
the exam questions will be similar to quiz questions, so be sure to review the quizzes when studying for
the exams. There will be a total of 11 chapter and appendix quizzes. There will not be a quiz for
chapter 11. Each quiz consists of four questions and is worth four points. You must take each quiz on
your own. Collaborating with anyone on a quiz is a violation of the UF Honor Code.

Dates and times. The quiz dates are summarized in the course schedule at the end of the syllabus.
Each quiz will open on the lecture day the chapter is completed in class and close the following lecture
day. You may take the quiz any time during this period. There is no time limit on how long you take to
finish a quiz, but you must finish the quiz by 11:59 pm ET on the due date.

Procedures. The quizzes are taken in Connect. You have one attempt to complete the quiz. Do not
start a quiz unless you have enough time to finish the quiz. Once you start a quiz, you cannot close out
of the quiz and start over later. If you close out of a quiz before pressing submit, your quiz will not be
graded, and you cannot retake the quiz. Once you press submit, your quiz will be graded, and it cannot
be reopened. Your quiz score will display immediately, and you can review your quiz anytime after the
due date (click Results on left-hand menu bar).

Any questions regarding the grade you received on a quiz (as posted in Canvas) must be emailed to the
instructor within one day of the due date for the quiz.

Excused absences. Excused absences from quizzes are at the discretion of the instructor. As with
exams, events such as weddings, family vacations and reunions, cruises, conventions, student
competitions, student organization events, job interviews and club sports are not considered excused
absences from a quiz. If you are medically unable to take a quiz on the assigned date, you must email
documentation in the form of a doctor’s note to the instructor within two days of the quiz date. No
make-up quizzes will be allowed after April 15.

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Connect Score Rounding: All assignments completed in Connect (homework, and quizzes) will
automatically be reported in your canvas gradebook. At the end of the semester the raw points for all
your Connect assignments will be added up for a total Connect grade. The total Connect score (out of
a possible 80 points) will be rounded up if the total is .5 or above or rounded down if the total is below
.5.

EXAMS

Dates and times. The three exams will be administered on the following dates:
 Exam 1 – February 13, Tuesday
 Exam 2 – March 25, Monday
 Exam 3 – April 22, Monday
 ** Optional Final Exam = April 27, Saturday
You will have 120 minutes to complete each exam. There will be an additional 25 minutes added to
your exam time to account for any technology issues. At the end of 145 minutes, the exam will close.
Exams are scheduled during a window of 4:00pm to 11:00pm (Eastern Standard Time) on the date of
the exam. If you are not located in the Eastern Standard time zone, you should check the time for the
exam prior to the end of drop/add. Available exam times will not be adjusted according to the time
zone where you are located. You may start your exam anytime between 4:00pm and 11:00pm,
however the exam will close at 11:00pm. To make sure you have the full amount of time to take the
exam you should start your exam NO LATER THAN 8:30pm. If you start your exam after 8:30 pm you
will not be given extra time past the 11:00pm exam close time to complete your exam. Please allow
time to connect to honorlock and start the exam. If you are registered with the DRC you must start
your exam at a time that allows for the extra time you receive. Under no circumstances will the exam
end time be extended beyond 11:00pm. The due dates that you see in Canvas do not accurately
convey the start or end times of your exam.

Assembly exams are scheduled by the University and have priority over regular classes and regular
exams scheduled at the same time. If you have a conflict with an assembly exam in another course or
with the observance of a religious holiday, you must notify the instructor via email at least seven days
prior to the exam date. Accommodations made for conflicts with religious holidays will not include
accommodation for travel plans.

Content. Each exam consists of 30 questions, including both multiple choice questions and numeric fill-
in questions. Each question is worth 4 points. The exams are closed book and closed notes. You may
use up to three sheets of scratch paper. The only type of calculator allowed is a hand-held, 4-function
or scientific calculator. Use of a financial or programmable calculator is prohibited and considered a
violation of the honor code. The exams are not cumulative. Instead, each exam covers selected
chapters in the textbook as outlined in the course schedule. The exam questions relate to the material
covered in the pre-recorded videos, quizzes, in-class review lectures, homework, and readings.

Preparing for the exams. Prior to each exam, practice exams will be posted on the course website. Be
sure to review these questions when studying for the exams. Here are some suggestions for how to

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prepare for the exams.

 The exams are problem oriented, so it is important to work problems when studying for the exam.
Nevertheless, it is also important to study the conceptual material discussed in the lecture videos
and textbook readings. A solid understanding of the underlying concepts is essential to answering
the more challenging numerical exam questions as well as the conceptual exam questions.
 Make sure you can do the problems on your own. It is easy to think you know how to solve a
problem when you are looking at the solution or watching someone else solve the problem. When
studying for the exam, be sure to try to solve the problems on your own first. If you get stuck, you
can peek at the solution for a hint.
 Be able to explain why. When solving a problem, take the time to think about why you are
performing each step. This will help you better understand the concepts involved and better
remember how to get from one step of a problem to the next. You may want to outline the steps
that you work through to solve a problem and include “why” for each step.
 Shorter study periods distributed over many days are more effective than a marathon study
session the day before the exam. Long study sessions lead to a lack of concentration, and you miss
the benefit of repetition.

Excused absences. Excused absences from exams are at the discretion of the instructor. Events such as
weddings, family vacations and reunions, cruises, conventions, student competitions, student
organization events, job interviews and club sports are not considered excused absences from an
exam. If you believe you have a valid conflict with an exam, you must notify the instructor via email at
least seven days prior to the exam date. If you miss an exam without a valid, documented excuse, you
will receive a grade of zero for the exam. No exceptions.

Excused absences due to injury or illness require a doctor’s note that must be dated within one day of
the exam date (one day before or after) and must be received within two days of the exam date. The
note must say that you were medically unable to take the exam on the exam date. If you miss an exam
for an excused reason and have provided your medical documentation within two days of the exam
date, you will be allowed to take a makeup exam at a date and time determined by the instructor. If a
student is still sick on the date of the scheduled makeup exam the student must take the optional final
exam (see below). If a student misses Exam 3 for an excused reason, is still sick on the date of the
optional final exam and has completed all other course requirements, the student will be assigned a
grade of incomplete and will take Exam 3 during the next semester.

Optional Final Exam. There will be a comprehensive OPTIONAL final exam offered on the first day of
the University’s final exam week. The optional final exam will be open from 8:00am to 11:00pm EST. It
is a comprehensive final exam and will cover all the chapters covered in the class. It will be the same
format as the other exams given during the semester. If the optional final exam is taken it will replace
the lowest exam grade for the semester. There are no makeup exams and no exam review offered for
the optional final exam.

Honorlock procedures. All students will take the exams on Canvas using Honorlock, which records each
exam session. The UF Student Honor Code will be strictly enforced, and the recordings will be used in

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any suspected cases of academic dishonesty. You will be required to show your official UF Gator One
photo ID card at each exam.

A wired internet connection is strongly recommended. Even with a good wireless connection, stability
can be an issue due to the extra load created by the proctoring software. To create the best
opportunity for a good internet connection, restart your computer and do not open any extraneous
programs or apps. Having a computer that cannot access the internet is not a valid excuse for missing
an exam. You cannot use a cellphone, iPad, or other mobile device to take an exam.

Prior to taking an exam proctored using Honorlock, you should do the following:
 Take the Honorlock practice exam posted on the course website. If you do not take the practice
exam and encounter technical issues on an exam, that is your responsibility.
 Read the UF Honorlock Student Guide (warrington.ufl.edu/covid-19/information-for/for-
students/honorlock-student-guide/).
 Read the list of best practices (warrington.ufl.edu/covid-19/information-for/for-
students/honorlock-best-practices/).
 Download and install the Honorlock extension from the Chrome Web Store.
 Ensure that Chrome is not blocking third-party cookies and that the pop-up blocker is disabled.
 Carefully read all the requirements regarding your computer system, necessary resources, and
the physical space in which you are taking the exam.

To avoid being flagged for a post-exam integrity review, prepare a clean desk space in a place where no
wall art or other images are displayed behind you, behave the same way you would in an in-person
exam (no talking or eating), and keep your face in the camera frame to avoid having your exam paused.
If you encounter technical issues with Honorlock, you can initiate 24/7 Proctoring Support (live chat)
via the right-hand toolbar.

Other procedures. If you experience any issues with your exam, you must notify the instructor via
email as soon as possible and no later than 12 hours after you finish the exam. Remember that 25
minutes is added to the exam time to allow for any technological issues. Only issues causing more than
a 25-minute delay will be addressed. You may review your exam during a specific exam review period
during the student assistants’ Zoom office hours. During the Zoom session, you must turn on your
camera so that the student assistant can see you and you must show your UF Gator One photo ID card.
The amount of time for exam review is limited to ten minutes to give all students an opportunity to
review their exam. You may not record any portion of the review session. UF policy and state law
prohibits any unauthorized recording or sharing of recorded materials.

GETTING ASSISTANCE AND STAYING IN TOUCH

Office hours. Please see the instructor during office hours if you have any questions or concerns
regarding the course. The student assistants also hold office hours. For information about days and
times, see Connect with Us on the course website.

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Announcements. Any change in the course schedule or procedures as well as any corrections or
revisions to the course materials will be posted on the Announcements section of the course website.
You are responsible for all posted announcements.

Emails. In most cases, you can expect a response to your email within 1 to 2 days. If your concern
applies to most of the class, an announcement will be posted on the course website.

FINAL CAVEAT

This syllabus represents the instructor’s current plans. As the semester unfolds, these plans may need
to change. Such changes are not unusual and should be expected. Any changes to the course schedule,
procedures or materials will be posted on the Announcements page on the course website. You are
responsible for all posted announcements.

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UNIVERSITY POLICIES
UF Student Honor Code. Students are required to know and comply with the university’s policy on
academic honesty. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. UF students are bound by The Honor
Pledge which states, “We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold
ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honor and integrity by abiding by the Student
Honor Code. On all work submitted for credit by Students at the University of Florida, the following
pledge is either required or implied: ‘On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid
in doing this assignment.’” The UF Student Honor Code (sccr.dso.ufl.edu/process/student-conduct-
code/) specifies behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions.
Students with disabilities. Students requesting accommodations for disabilities must contact the
Disability Resource Center (disability.ufl.edu/students/get-started/). To receive accommodations on an
exam, an accommodation letter issued by the DRC must be emailed to the instructor at least one week
prior to the exam date. Instructor will send a confirmation email to conform the accommodations
letter has been received and your accommodations are recorded. If you do not receive a confirmation
email contact the instructor directly to see if the letter was received.
Course evaluations. Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the
quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online via GatorEvals (for
guidance, see gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/students/). You will be notified when the evaluation period opens,
and you can complete the evaluations at ufl.bluera.com/ufl/. Summaries of evaluation results are
available at gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/public-results/.
U Matter, We Care. If you or someone you know is in distress, please contact umatter@ufl.edu, 352-
392-1575, or visit umatter.ufl.edu to refer or report a concern and a team member will reach out to
the student in distress.
Assessments. UF requires that any assessment equivalent to 15 percent or more of a student’s final
course grade must be proctored. This policy protects both the value of your academic degree and your
own time and effort in becoming a successful WCBA student. Please expect all assessments to be
proctored and all assignments to utilize plagiarism software. For online proctored exams, you must
have a working webcam and computer, Google Chrome including the extension for Honorlock, and a
private workspace. The WCBA is strongly committed to academic integrity and will rigorously enforce
violations of the UF Honor Code and/or additional WCBA academic integrity policies.
Audio and video recordings. Our class sessions may be audio visually recorded for students in the class
to refer back and for enrolled students who are unable to attend live. Students who participate with
their camera engaged or utilize a profile image are agreeing to have their video or image recorded. If
you are unwilling to consent to have your profile or video image recorded, be sure to keep your
camera off and do not use a profile image. Likewise, students who un-mute during class and
participate orally are agreeing to have their voices recorded. If you are not willing to consent to have
your voice recorded during class, you will need to keep your mute button activated and communicate
exclusively using the “chat” feature, which allows students to type questions and comments live. The
chat will not be recorded or shared. As in all courses, unauthorized recording and unauthorized sharing
of recorded materials is prohibited.

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Use of recordings. Students are allowed to record video or audio of class lectures. However, the
purposes for which these recordings may be used are strictly controlled. The only allowable purposes
are (1) for personal educational use, (2) in connection with a complaint to the university, or (3) as
evidence in, or in preparation for, a criminal or civil proceeding. All other purposes are prohibited.
Students may not publish recorded lectures without the written consent of the instructor.
A “class lecture” is an educational presentation intended to inform or teach enrolled students about a
particular subject, including any instructor-led discussions that form part of the presentation, and
delivered by any instructor hired or appointed by the University, or by a guest instructor, as part of a
University of Florida course. A class lecture does not include lab sessions, student presentations,
clinical presentations such as patient history, academic exercises involving solely student participation,
assessments (quizzes, tests, exams), field trips, private conversations between students in the class or
between a student and the faculty or lecturer during a class session.
Publication without permission of the instructor is prohibited. To “publish” means to share, transmit,
circulate, distribute, or provide access to a recording, regardless of format or medium, to another
person (or persons), including but not limited to another student within the same class section.
Additionally, a recording, or transcript of a recording, is considered published if it is posted on or
uploaded to, in whole or in part, any media platform, including but not limited to social media, book,
magazine, newspaper, leaflet, or third party note/tutoring services. A student who publishes a
recording without written consent may be subject to a civil cause of action instituted by a person
injured by the publication and/or discipline under UF Regulation 4.040 Student Honor Code and
Student Conduct Code.

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COURSE CONTENT

ACG 2021 TOPICAL OUTLINE

Module Date Chapter Topic Homework and Video Schedule
Quiz Due Date (watch before
(In Connect) next class)
1 M  January 8 Syllabus Review Ch 1: videos 1-4
W  January 10 1 The Financial Statements Ch 1: videos 5-7
Ch 2: videos 1-2
M  January 15 Holiday – No class
W  January 17 1 and 2 Transaction Analysis Ch 2: videos 3-6
M  January 22 2 and 3 Accrual Accounting and Income Chapter 1 Ch 3: videos 1-6
W  January 24 3 Chapter 2 Ch 3: videos 7-8
M – January 29 3 and 5 Comprehensive problem Ch 5: videos 1-6
Receivables and Revenue
W – January 31 5 Chapter 3 Ch 5: videos 7-9
M  February 5 5
W- February 7 Exam Review Chapter 5
M  February 12 Exam Review
T- February 13 Exam 1 (Chapters 1-3 and 5)
2 W  February 14 No class Ch 6: videos 1-6
M  February 19 6 Inventory and Cost of Goods Ch 6: videos 7-9
Sold Ch 7: videos 1-2
W  February 21 6 and 7 Ch 7: videos 3-7
M  February 26 7 Plant Assets, Natural Resources Chapter 6 Appendix D:
& Intangibles videos 1-4
W  February 28 Appendix Investments Chapter 7 Ch 8: videos 1-6
D
M  March 4 8 Current and Contingent Appendix D
Liabilities
W- March 6 Exam 2 Review Chapter 8
M – March 11 No class – Spring Break
W March 13 No class – Spring Break
M  March 18 Exam 2 Review
W- March 20 Exam 2 Review
M  March 25 Exam 2 – Chapters 6-8 and Appendix C:
Appendix D videos 1-5
3 W  March 27 Appendix C Time Value of Money Ch 9: videos 1-5
M  April 1 9 Long-term Liabilities Appendix C Ch 9: videos 6-8
W  April 3 9 and 10 Long-term Liabilities Ch 10: videos 1-7
M  April 8 10 Stockholders’ Equity Chapter 9 Ch 11: videos 1-7
W  April 10 11 The Statement of Cash Flows Chapter 10
M April 15 Exam 3 Review Chapter 11
(homework only)
W April 17 Exam 3 Review
M  April 22 Exam 3: (Chapter 9-11 and
Appendix C)
S- April 27 Optional Final Exam
(Comprehensive)

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