The course focuses on the nature and scope of business reporting and the need for financial and non-financial information for business decision-making. It provides students with fundamental financial management knowledge in the contemporary business environment. The course commences with an introduction to the use of business reports and the financial reporting regulatory environment. The concepts of primary financial reports and specific reporting issues are then discussed, with a focus on the preparation and analysis of financial statements from the perspectives of business report users. The course proceeds with discussions on the basic financial decision tools, the use of past and future-oriented information and how the knowledge is applied to managerial decision-making, including planning, control and investment opportunities.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Understand the relationship of business reporting to the social and economic environment;
2. Explain who are the main users of business reports, and the main purposes for which the information is used;
3. Understand the major differences between sole traders, partnerships and companies.
4. Distinguish between income, expenses, assets and liabilities;
5. Apply the principle of duality to the accounting equation;
6. Prepare an income statement, balance sheet and a statement of cash flows;
7. Analyse financial reports with regard to key aspects of performance such as profitability, solvency and liquidity;
8. Explain what the planning and control processes are in relation to company objectives;
9. Evaluate investment opportunities, including cost-volume-profit analysis, capital investment decision making, and budgeting.

Research-Led Teaching

This course introduces fundamental knowledge and skills in business reporting and analysis that can be applied to real world business research applications, but also addresses the research findings related to the central accounting concepts where relevant. Students are encouraged to discuss the underlying research with their lecturers and tutors and they are expected to perform basic research tasks in the preparation of the group assignment.

Examination Material or equipment

Details regarding materials and equipment that is permitted in an examination can be found on the ANU website:

http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/examination-conduct

Information regarding permitted examination materials for the course will be available on the examination timetable website when the examination timetable is released:

http://timetable.anu.edu.au/

Required Resources

Birt, J., K. Chalmers, S. Maloney, A. Brooks, J. Oliver and D. Bond, 2020. Accounting: Business Reporting for Decision Making, 7th Edition, John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd (hybrid version – hard copy + ebook ISBN 9780730369325). 

You are expected to have access to a copy of the prescribed book for the duration of the semester. A small number of copies are available for 2 hour loan in the reserve loan section of the Chifley Library. ANU Library has organised access to the e-book version via https://library.anu.edu.au/record=b6458354, but with limited concurrent users at any one time.

You will need access to a calculator to complete exercises required for this course.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• verbal or written feedback on the return of assessment tasks
• verbal feedback during class discussions or during consultation with lecturers and tutors.

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS

Any student identified, either during the current semester or in retrospect, as having used ghost writing services will be investigated under the University’s Academic Misconduct Rule.

COMMUNICATION

 

Email and the Wattle Course Website

Email and the Wattle course website are the preferred ways of communication.

If necessary, the lecturer and tutors for this course will contact students on their official ANU student email address. Students should use this email address when contacting staff as spam filters used by ANU may not allow other email addresses to be received. Information about your enrolment and fees from the Registrar and Student Services' office will also be sent to this email address.

Announcements

Students are expected to check the Wattle site for announcements about this course, e.g. changes to timetables or notifications of cancellations.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction to accounting and business decision making
2	Business structures Recording business transactions I	Tutorial preparation 1 Quiz 1
3	Recording business transactions II	Tutorial preparation 2
4	Measuring and reporting financial position (Balance Sheet)	Tutorial preparation 3 Quiz 2
5	Measuring and reporting financial performance (Income Statement)	Tutorial preparation 4
6	Analysis and interpretation of financial statements	Tutorial preparation 5 Quiz 3 Mid-semester exam
7	Measuring and reporting cash flows I (Cash flow statement)	Tutorial preparation 6
8	Measuring and reporting cash flows II (Cash flow statement)	Tutorial preparation 7 Quiz 4
9	Planning and budgeting	Tutorial preparation 8 Group assignment
10	Introduction to cost behaviour, cost volume-profit analysis, relevant costing	Tutorial preparation 9 Quiz 5
11	Capital investment decisions	Tutorial preparation 10
12	Working capital management and financing the business	Tutorial preparation 11 Quiz 6

Tutorial Registration

Please see Wattle for tutors’ information.

This course includes live on-line tutorials. Tutorial signup for this course will be done via the Wattle website. Detailed information about signup times will be provided on Wattle. When tutorials are available for enrolment, follow these steps:

1. Log on to Wattle, and go to the course site.

2. Click on the link “Tutorial enrolment”

3. On the right of the screen, click on the tab “Become Member of ……” for the tutorial class you wish to enter.

4. Confirm your choice

If you need to change your enrolment, you will be able to do so by clicking on the tab “Leave group…” and then re-enrol in another group. You will not be able to enrol in groups that have reached their maximum number. Please note that enrolment in ISIS must be finalised for you to have access to Wattle.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Tutorial preparation	10 %	03/08/2020	30/10/2020	1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
Quizzes	10 %	03/08/2020	30/10/2020	1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
Group assignment	10 %	06/10/2020	30/10/2020	7
Mid-semester exam	20 %	31/08/2020	09/10/2020	1,2,3,4,5,6,7
Final exam	50 %	05/11/2020	03/12/2020	1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Integrity . In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Examination(s)

Centrally administered examinations through Examinations, Graduations & Prizes will be timetabled prior to the examination period. The due date listed in the assessment summary is the earliest possible date. Please check ANU Timetabling for further information. Information regarding exam script viewing will be provided on the Research School of Accounting webpage in due course.

Assessment Task 1

Tutorial preparation

Due date: The due date listed in the Assessment Summary above indicates the earliest possible due date. This task is assessed weekly starting from Week 2. Typically, work will be due at the beginning of each tutorial week.

Return of assessment date: The return date listed in the Assessment Summary above indicates the latest possible return date. Typically, work will be assessed and marks posted on Wattle no later than two weeks after the tutorial.

There will be 11 tutorial preparation tasks with questions linked to the lectures and readings of the preceding weeks. The marks are assigned by the tutor for completion of those tutorial preparation tasks. The average of the best ten marks will be considered as the overall tutorial preparation mark. The questions you need to complete as part of the tutorial preparation for each tutorial will be available on the course Wattle website at least on Tuesday the week prior to each tutorial. You are expected to read the relevant textbook chapters and prepare answers to the tutorial preparation questions prior to each tutorial. The tutorial preparation work has to be completed on Wattle, and Wattle will score the work out of 10 marks, based on the correctness of the answers.

Tutorial preparation marks will be allocated according to the following:

0/1: If marks provided by Wattle are between 0 and 2.5.

0.5/1: If marks provided by Wattle are between 2.5 and 7.5.

1/1: If marks provided by Wattle are between 7.5 and 10.

Any missed tutorial preparation will be marked with 0. Any adjustment must be approved by the course convenor. You are required to provide medical certificates (or other documentation) for all missed tutorials preparation in the case of adjustment. This documentation should be sent via ANU email to the course convenor within 3 working days after the missed tutorial preparation.

Assessment Task 2

Quizzes

Due date: The due date listed in the Assessment Summary above indicates the earliest possible due date. Each quiz will have to be completed within a time limit of 15 minutes from when the student first attempts the quiz. Only one attempt is allowed.

Return of assessment date: The return date listed in the Assessment Summary above indicates the latest possible return date. Marks will be posted on Wattle right after the quiz closes.

The marks are assigned based on the scores achieved on completion of quizzes assigned via the course Wattle website. There will be six quizzes. Each quiz will include questions linked to the lectures and readings of the preceding 2 weeks and up to, and including the tutorial questions of that week (with the exception of the first quiz that will include questions linked to the first lecture and readings of the first week of the semester). The average of the best five quiz scores will be considered as the overall quiz mark.

Any missed quiz will be marked with 0. Any adjustment for missed quizzes must be approved by the course convenor. You are required to provide medical certificates (or other documentation) for all missed quizzes in the case of adjustment. The documentation provided should cover the whole time period for which the missed quiz was open. This documentation should be sent via ANU email to the course convenor within 3 working days after the closing time of the missed quiz.

Assessment Task 3

Group assignment

The group assignment requirements will be distributed through the course Wattle website in Week 6. The assignment will need to be submitted via Turnitin, with the cover sheet submitted via a separate link provided on the course Wattle website.

Assessment Task 4

Mid-semester exam

The mid-semester exam will assess topics covered in lectures from Weeks 1-4 inclusive (those topics will be further discussed in the tutorials from Week 2-5 inclusive). Centrally administered examinations through Examinations, Graduations & Prizes will be timetabled prior to the examination period. Mid-semester exams will be held in either Week 6 or Week 7. The due date listed in the assessment summary is the earliest possible date. Please check ANU Timetabling for further information. Information regarding exam script viewing will be provided in due course.

Assessment Task 5

Final exam

The final exam may assess all topics, with an emphasis on topics covered in lectures from Weeks 5-12 inclusive. Details of the final exam will be provided no later than Week 12 of Semester 2. Centrally administered examinations through Examinations, Graduations & Prizes will be timetabled prior to the examination period. The due date listed in the assessment summary is the earliest possible date. Please check ANU Timetabling for further information. Information regarding exam script viewing will be provided on the Research School of Accounting webpage in due course.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically, committing to honest and responsible scholarly practice and upholding these values with respect and fairness.

The ANU commits to assisting all members of our community to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle and Academic Misconduct Rule, uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with.

The Academic Misconduct Rule is in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Very minor breaches of the academic integrity principle may result in a reduction of marks of up to 10% of the total marks available for the assessment. The ANU offers a number of online and in person services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. Visit the Academic Skills website for more information about academic integrity, your responsibilities and for assistance with your assignments, writing skills and study.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your group assignment. Please keep a copy of the group assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

No submission of assessment tasks, other than group assignment (task 3) without an extension after the due date, will be permitted. If such an assessment task is not submitted by the due date, a mark of 0 will be awarded.

Late submission of group assignment without an extension is penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of group assignment is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Feedback on group assignment will be provided via the Turnitin link from the course Wattle website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

No resubmission of assessment tasks after due date is accepted.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students