This course is designed as an introductory accounting course for graduate students, and provides an introduction to the concepts underlying external financial reporting. The unit utilises a transaction-effect approach to the preparation of financial statements. The course examines the main financial statements produced by an accounting system and the process by which these statements are prepared. The course covers fundamental issues relevant to the use of accounting information as a decision aid. Contents include accounting concepts, double entry and accrual systems of accounting, financial statements preparation and analysis. There are no prerequisites that need to be satisfied. The course assumes no previous knowledge of accounting. 

Learning Outcomes

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

1. explain the accounting assumptions and principles underlying the financial information;
2. identify the main users of financial accounting reports, and the main purpose for which information is used;
3. understand the concepts of assets, liabilities, equity, income and expense;
4. apply accounting principles to the preparation and recording of accounting entries;
5. develop the knowledge and ability to prepare financial statements for organisations characterised by moderately complex financial transactions;
6. analyse and interpret financial statements with regard to key aspects of performance;
7. develop analytical and communication skills.

Research-Led Teaching

As part of the assessment, students will conduct research to complete the assignment which is set in a realistic business context.

Required Resources

Financial Accounting eBook, (9th Edition), By Tracie Miller-Nobles, Brenda L. Mattison, Ella Mae Matsumura, Peter Best, Rebecca Tan, Roger Willett. Publisher: Pearson Australia.

Students are expected to have access to a copy of the prescribed book for the duration of the semester. An ebook version of the text is available from the ANU Library (https://library.anu.edu.au/), but with limited concurrent users at any one time.

Recommended Resources

There are a variety of online platforms you will use in your study. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

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

• written comments on assignments
• verbal comments during tutorials and consultation

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). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

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 Integrity Rule.

 

COMMUNICATION

 

Email and Forums on the Wattle Course Website

Email and the Wattle course website are the preferred ways of communication. Student forums are set up on Wattle for each topic and can be viewed by all enrolled students and teaching staff. Students are encouraged to post any questions they have in the appropriate forum.

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. 

 

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: Accounting, business structures & regulations	[No tutorial classes this week]
2	Recording business transaction
3	The adjusting process
4	Completing the accounting cycle	Academic Integrity and Referencing Exercise (Due Friday 5pm)
5	Accounting for receivables and payables
6	Accounting for non-current liabilities & Financial statement analysis	Online (Wattle) Quiz
7	Accounting for inventory
8	Internal control and cash
9	Accounting for non-current assets	MYOB assignment (Due Friday 5pm)
10	Cash flow statement
11	Accounting for partnership
12	Accounting for companies

Tutorial Registration

Tutorials will be held weekly on campus (starting from Week 2). Tutorial times will be made available via MyTimetable. Two weeks before the commencement of semester, please check the MyTimetable website for details of tutorial availability and release.

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities/tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

Please see Wattle for tutors’ information.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Academic Integrity and Referencing Exercise	5 %	18/08/2023	01/09/2023	7
Online Quiz (via Wattle)	15 %	29/08/2023	31/08/2023	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
MYOB Group Assignment	20 %	06/10/2023	27/10/2023	3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Final Examination	60 %	02/11/2023	30/11/2023	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

* 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 Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Guideline and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

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 Skills website. 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.

Participation

Course delivery: on-campus lecture (recording on Echo360) and weekly on-campus tutorials.

Attendance at all classes, while not compulsory, is expected in line with “Code of Practice for Teaching and Learning”, clause 2 paragraph (h).

Examination(s)

Information regarding permitted examination materials for the course will be available on the examination timetable website when the examination timetable is released: https://exams.anu.edu.au/timetable/

Assessment Task 1

Academic Integrity and Referencing Exercise

Students must attend the Academic Integrity and Referencing Workshop (conducted by the Academic Skills and Learning Centre) prior to submitting this assessment.

Attendance at the Academic Integrity and Referencing Workshop is compulsory. The Workshop will be a live workshop held on campus and online. Please check Wattle for instructions on how to register for this Workshop.

This is an individual assessment. The writing exercise examines your ability to appropriately reference scholarly research in preparation for your project.

Assessment criteria: Clear, coherent and cohesive expression and presentation with correct referencing.

Due: Week 4 Friday - 5:00 pm (Canberra time), via Turnitin.

Value: 5%

Hurdle Assessment requirements: Attendance in the Academic Integrity and Referencing Workshop and the submission of this assignment are necessary to pass the course.

Assessment Task 2

Online Quiz (via Wattle)

The Online Quiz lasts for 90 minutes. It will be conducted online via Wattle. It covers course materials of Week 1, 2, 3 and 4. Online invigilation tools may be used for the examination. Details will be provided no later than Week 4.

Due Date: Week 6. The Quiz will be held during the lecture day and time. Further details about the Quiz will be provided on Wattle no later than Week 4.

Return Date: The return date for this assessment will be no later than Thursday of Week 6.

Feedback: The quiz will be reviewed in class by Week 7.

Value: 15%

Assessment Task 3

MYOB Group Assignment

This is a team assignment to be completed in teams of up to 3 students. Students are free to choose their own team members and there will be a forum to help find team members on Wattle.

The assignment will be released on Wattle in Week 6. Students are expected to self-learn MYOB and complete an MYOB practice set. Through completing an accounting cycle with the MYOB software in a realistic commercial scenario and writing up a business analysis report, students will gain technical skills, practical experience and develop analytical and communication skills. Any portion in excess of the word limit will not be considered.

Please be aware of the time investment in learning a new accounting software is substantial -- it is advisable to set (and stick to) a plan to self-learn the software and complete this exercise well before the assignment due date. 

Late submissions will not be accepted.

Due: Week 9 Friday - 5:00 pm, via Turnitin.

Feedback: Written feedback will be provided on Turnitin on the return of the assessment.

Value: 20%

Assessment Task 4

Final Examination

This closed-book final examination covers all materials covered from Week 1 to Week 12. In-person exam with a duration of 3 hours writing time plus 15 minutes reading time. Details will be provided no later than Week 10. 

Value: 60%

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 in due course.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

Academic Integrity and Referencing Exercise is submitted using Turnitin in the Academic Integrity and Referencing Wattle site. MYOB group assignment is submitted using Turnitin in BUSN7008 Wattle site. You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

 

Late Submission

Late submission not permitted. Submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material.

Returning Assignments

Assignments will be returned on Wattle.

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

Resubmission of assignments is not applicable. 

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 Access 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