Course Outline

RSM 219 H1F

Introduction to Financial Accounting
Fall 2015
Weekly Lectures
L0101
Monday
L0201
Monday
L0301
Monday
L0401
Monday
L0501
Tuesday
L0701
Tuesday
L0801
Wednesday
L0901
Wednesday
L1001
Thursday
L1101
Thursday
Tutorials:
T0101
T0201
T0301
T5101
T5201
T5301
T0401
T0501
T0601
T0701
T0801

Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Thursday
Thursday
Friday
Friday

10 AM
12 PM
2 PM
4 PM
10AM
4 PM
9 AM
11 AM
10 AM
2 PM
2 3 pm
3 4 pm
4 5 pm
5 6 pm
6 7 pm
7 8 pm
11 12 pm
2 3 pm
3 4 pm
10 11 am
12 1 pm

WO 20
WO 20
WO 20
WO 20
WO 20
WW119
WO 20
WO 20
WO 20
WW 119

Elisa Zuliani
Ralph Tassone
Elisa Zuliani
Elisa Zuliani
Elisa Zuliani
Julie McDonald
Ralph Tassone
Ralph Tassone
Mindy Callen
Mindy Callen

SS 562
SS 1072
SS 1072
WW 120
WO 25
SS 1074
SS 1072
SS 1087
SS 562
SS 1072
WO 25

Instructor:
E-Mail:
Phone:
Office Hours:

Elisa Zuliani. RT, 504

[email protected]
416-978-7529
Mondays, 12 - 2 pm, RT 504

Instructor:
E-Mail:
Phone:
Office Hours:

Ralph Tassone
[email protected]
416-978-3986
Wednesday 2 4pm

Instructor:
E-Mail:

Mindy Callen
[email protected]
1

Office Hours:

Thursday 4 5, RT535

Instructor:
E-Mail:
Office Hours:

Julie McDonald
[email protected]
Tuesday, 3 -4, RT 532

Webpage:

http://portal.utoronto.ca

Teaching Assistants:
Michael Marin [email protected]
Stephanie Pantaleo - [email protected]
Matthew Soscia - [email protected]
Ian Spiegel - [email protected]

Course Scope and Mission

This course introduces Rotman Commerce students to financial accounting, including both
conceptual and technical aspects
People, such as managers, creditors, investors, just to name a few, require accounting
information in order to make a decision. This information is gathered, recorded, summarized
and published in a set of financial statements. It is important to understand the basics of
accounting to appreciate the impact it has on decisions made by these various users.
In RSM219, students will be introduced to a basic understanding of financial accounting. They
will learn how to use accounting information to prepare and interpret a basic set of financial
statements.

Course Objectives
After completing the course, you should be able to:
read and understand basic financial statements;
identify, analyze and resolve applied financial reporting issues;
determine how accounting choices affect financial statements and the implications of
these accounting choices for assessing the future prospects of the firm;
be proficient in both Accounting Standards for Private Enterprises (ASPE) and IFRS; and,
understand the basic elements of accounting theory.
Course Prerequisites
RSM100Y1.
Course Exclusions
RSM220H1 (if taken prior to 2011).
Required Readings
1. Understanding Financial Accounting, Canadian Edition, Christopher D. Burnley, Wiley,
2015.

** Students can also buy the WileyPLUS Package only which includes ebook capability go to
www.wileyplus.com to purchase
2. CICA Handbook. Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. (Electronic version of
the Handbook is available through the University's library e-resources - at
www.rotman.utoronto.ca/bic under Quick links to popular databases)
3. Additional readings will be posted on the course website
Tutorials
A mandatory 1-hour tutorial will be held starting the week of September 21st. During this tutorial,
the teaching assistant (TA) will discuss additional concepts and be available to answer your
questions. All topics covered in the tutorials may be tested in the assignments and examinations.
Evaluation and Grades
Grades are a measure of the performance of a student in individual courses. Each student shall
be judged on the basis of how well he or she has command of the course materials.

Grading
Assignment
Course Participation & Contribution **
Test 1 (MC)

Weight
10%
15%

Test 2 (Problem Solving)

30%

Group Case Assignment

10%

Final Examination
35%
** includes the submission of profile assignment

Due Date
Ongoing
Week 4 - Friday, October 9th
Location: EX 100/EX200
Week 10 - Friday, November 13th
Location: EX 200/300/310/320
Week 11 Friday, November 27th
noon in the commerce office
During Final Examination period

Team Work Session

Week 4 in class
In this course, you will learn about team work through experience. The class 4 lecture will
include a seminar on good team practices: you will learn what behaviours work - and don't work in teams. You will also learn about the importance of creating team charters that will serve as a
contract for your team.
Students will be placed into groups; students CANNOT choose their groups. These groups will
be used to complete the Group Case Assignment (see below). There will be two required to
prepare a team charter that will also be evaluated in the course participation:

Course Participation & Contribution (10%)

Class participation is important to your understanding of the material. Discussion is an essential

part of learning, and it is also the most interesting way to conduct a class. In addition, class
participation will enhance your presentation and communication skills, which will help you
in recruiting and in your career.
The participation grade will be determined by the quantity and quality of your participation. You
will not be penalized for wrong answers to the questions raised in class. To facilitate the
participation grading, you are required to put your name in front of you in every class. If you
feel that your name is not called when you raise your hand, please let your instructor know.
Attendance does not buy participation marks. If you attend and do not participate, your
participation mark will be very low. Do not assume that you cannot get zero participation mark.
Additional information on the participation marks will be discussed in the first class. The
participation mark is subjective based on the instructors perception of your participation.
Test 1 (15%)
Test 1 is scheduled for Friday, October 9th from 6 8pm. Date and time are subject to change
and will be confirmed on the course website. The test will be 90 minutes in length, and will cover
all material covered up to that point (Chapter 1 to 4). Location and format of the term test will be
announced in class and posted on the course website. If you have any conflict with the term test
date due to another class or exam you must notify your instructor about the conflict by the
second class (week of September 21, 2015), and provide a ROSI printout of your timetable
to support the conflict. Time, location and format of the term test will be announced in class
and on the course website once they are finalized.
Test 2 (30%)
Test 2 is scheduled for Friday, November 13th from 6 - 8pm. Date and time are subject to
change and will be confirmed on the course website. The exam will be 110 minutes in length,
and will cover all material covered up to that point (Chapter 1 -7, 12, with the emphasis on
chapter to 5, 6, 7 & 12. If you have any conflict with the term test date due to another class or
exam you must notify your instructor about the conflict by the second class (week of
September 21, 2015), and provide a ROSI printout of your timetable to support the
conflict. Time, location and format of the term test will be announced in class and on the course
website once they are finalized.
Drop-in Centre
The RSM219 drop-in center will be available before the tests and exam. The dates and times will
be announced in class and on the course website once they are finalized.
Group Case Assignment (10%)
Details for the group case submission project will be announced in class and posted on the
course website.
The group assignment and instructions will be posted after the fourth class. Students will be
placed in groups of four or five students. The assignment is due in hard copy and through
Turnitin.com. It is due on Friday, November 27th by noon in the commerce office..
Learning to work together in teams is an important aspect of your education and preparation for
your future careers. That said, project-based teamwork is often new to students; to work well in
teams, it helps to follow a set of core expectations to best succeed at your team projects.

1. Read the document entitled, Working in Teams: Guidelines for Rotman Commerce Students
which is available on the RC portal under the Academic Services tab.
2. When working in a team, Rotman Commerce students are expected to:

Treat other members with courtesy and respect;

Honour the ground rules established by the team;
Contribute substantially and proportionally to the final project;
Ensure enough familiarity with the entire contents of the group project/assignment so as
to be able to sign off on it as original work;
Meet the project timeline as established by the team.

3. Resolving conflicts:
Conflicts are part of the teams process of learning how to work together. When handled well, it
can generate creativity and bring-multiple perspectives to the solution.
Student teams are expected to work through their misunderstandings as soon as they arise (and
prior to submission of the final project). When teams are unable to arrive at a solution that works
for all members, the team must meet with the Rotman Commerce Team Coach** as soon as
possible. The Coach will listen to the team and help develop options for improving the team
process. All members of the project team must commit to, and, utilize their action plans.
** For an appointment with a Rotman Commerce Team Coach, please contact Elaine
Zapotoczny at [email protected]. Elaine is highly skilled at facilitating team
dynamics and collaboration. Note that the Team Coachs role is to provide guidance, support and
advice on team matters not to formally evaluate or assess teamwork for academic purposes.
To Use Turnitin.com:
Students will be required to submit their course essays to Turnitin.com for a review of textual
similarity and detection of possible plagiarism. In doing so, students will allow their essays to be
included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database, where they will be used
solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. The terms that apply to the universitys use of the
Turnitin.com service are described on the Turnitin.com website.
For Written Assignments:
Please note that spelling and grammar will be considered in the evaluation of Group Assignment.
That is, you may lose points for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Students who require
additional support and/or tutoring with respect to their writing skills are encouraged to visit the
Academic Success Centre (www.asc.utoronto.ca) or one of the College Writing Centers
(www.writing.utoronto.ca/writing-centres). These centers are teaching facilities not editing
services, where trained staff can assist students in developing their academic writing skills.
There is no charge for the instruction and support.
Late assignments
The group assignment is due at noon on Friday, November 27th, 2015. Late submissions will be
penalized by 20% if the assignment is not received on the specified date, at the specified time. A
further penalty of 10% will be applied to each subsequent day.

Final Examination (35%)

The date and time of the final examination will be announced by the Faculty of Arts & Science
Registrars Office, and will be posted on their website when it becomes available. The final
examination will be 2 hours long (120 minutes) and will include all topics covered throughout the
semester. Additional information will be posted on the course website.
POLICY AND PROCEDURE
Missed Assignments/Midterms
Students may miss an assignment or term tests due to illness, domestic affliction, or in the case
of part time students, work commitments, without academic penalty providing the appropriate
documentation is received and approved in a timely manner.
In such cases, students must notify Rotman Commerce on the date of the missed test (or due
date in the case of course work) and submit supporting documentation (e.g. Verification of
Student Illness or Injury form) to the Rotman Commerce Program Office within 48 hours of the
originally scheduled test or due date. Students who do not provide Rotman Commerce or the
instructor with appropriate or sufficient supporting documentation will be given a grade of 0
(zero) for the missed test or course deliverable.
Note that the physicians report must establish that the patient was examined and
diagnosed at the time of illness, not after the fact. Rotman Commerce will not accept a
statement that merely confirms a report of illness made by the student and documented
by the physician.
Students who legitimately miss the term tests and/or assignment (see above) will have the final
exam reweighed (adding the term test(s) and/or assignment weight to the final exam). Students
who legitimately miss up to two quizzes will have the weight of those quizzes allocated to other
quizzes. Students who legitimately miss more than two quizzes will have that mark re-allocated
to the final exam.
Submission of Assignments - Late submissions of any assignment may be considered;
however, a resolution may be determined at the instructors discretion and may include an
academic penalty.
Accessibility Needs - The University of Toronto is committed to accessibility. If you require
accommodations for a disability, or have any accessibility concerns about the course, the
classroom or course materials, please contact Accessibility Services as soon as possible:
[email protected] or http://www.accessibility.utoronto.ca/.
Academic Integrity
Academic Integrity is a fundamental value essential to the pursuit of learning and scholarships at
the University of Toronto. Participating honestly, respectively, responsibly, and fairly in this
academic community ensures that the UofT degree that you earn will continue to be valued and
respected as a true signifier of a student's individual work and academic achievement. As a
result, the University treats cases of academic misconduct very seriously.
The University of Torontos Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters
http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/policies/behaveac.htm outlines the behaviours that
constitute academic misconduct, the process for addressing academic offences, and the
penalties that may be imposed. You are expected to be familiar with the contents of this
document. Potential offences include, but are not limited to:

In papers and assignments:

Using someone else's ideas or words without appropriate acknowledgement.
Submitting your own work in more than one course without the permission of the
instructor.
Making up sources or facts.
Obtaining or providing unauthorized assistance on any assignment (this includes
collaborating with others on assignments that are supposed to be completed individually).
On test and exams:
Using or possessing any unauthorized aid, including a cell phone.
Looking at someone else's answers
Misrepresenting your identity.
Submitting an altered test for re-grading.
Misrepresentation:
Falsifying institutional documents or grades.
Falsifying or altering any documentation required by the University, including (but not
limited to), medical notes.
All suspected cases of academic dishonesty will be investigated by the following procedures
outlined in the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters. If you have any question about what is
or not is permitted in the course, please do not hesitate to contact the course instructor. If you
have any questions about appropriate research and citation methods, you are expected to seek
out additional information from the instructor or other UofT resources such as College Writing
Centres or the Academic Success Centre.

Course Website
Logging in to your Blackboard Course Website
Like many other courses, RSM219 uses Blackboard for its course website. To access the
RSM219 website, or any other Blackboard-based course website, go to the UofT portal login
page at http://portal.utoronto.ca and log in using your UTORid and password. Once you have
logged in to the portal using your UTORid and password, look for the My Courses module,
where youll find the link to the RSM219 course website along with the link to all your other
Blackboard-based courses.
Activating your UTORid and Password
If you need information on how to activate your UTORid and set your password for the first time,
please go to www.utorid.utoronto.ca. Under the First Time Users area, click on activate your
UTORid (if you are new to the university) or create your UTORid (if you are a returning
student), then follow the instructions. New students who use the link to activate your UTORid
will find reference to a Secret Activation Key. This was originally issued to you when you picked
up your Tcard at the library. If you have lost your Secret Activation Key you can call 416-978HELP or visit the Help Desk at the Information Commons on the ground floor of Robarts Library
to be issued a new one. The course instructors will not be able to help you with this. 416978-HELP and the Help Desk at the Information Commons can also answer any other questions
you may have about your UTORid and password.
Email Communication with the Course Instructors
At times, the course instructor may decide to communicate important course information by
email. As such, all UofT students are required to have a valid UTmail+ email address. You are

responsible for ensuring that your UTmail+ email address is set up AND properly entered on the
ROSI system. For more information please visit http://help.ic.utoronto.ca/category/3/utmail.html
Forwarding your utoronto.ca email to a Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo or other type of email account is
not advisable. In some cases, messages from utoronto.ca addresses sent to Hotmail, Gmail or
Yahoo accounts are filtered as junk mail, which means that important messages from your
course instructor may end up in your spam or junk mail folder.
Conduct of Classes and Expectations
Classes will begin at ten minutes after the hour, in accordance with university policy. Students
are expected to arrive on time so as not to disrupt the class.
Recording Lectures
Lectures and course materials prepared by the instructor are considered by the University to be
an instructors intellectual property covered by the Canadian Copyright Act. Students wishing to
record a lecture or other course material in any way are required to ask the instructors explicit
permission, and may not do so unless permission is granted (note: students who have been
previously granted permission to record lectures as an accommodation for a disability are, of
course, excepted). This includes tape recording, filming, photographing PowerPoint slides,
Blackboard materials, etc.
If permission is granted by the instructor (or via Accessibility Services), it is intended for the
individual students own study purposes and does not include permission to publish them in
anyway. It is absolutely forbidden for a student to publish an instructors notes to a website or
sell them in any other form without formal permission.
SUS101: Saving Paper in Courses
Each year at U of T, an estimated 10 million sheets of paper are used in the printing of lecture
slides, tests, assignments, and other course materials in 1st and 2nd year courses alone
(Sustainability Office, University of Toronto).
In order to reduce this number, we are taking part in a program called SUS101: Saving Paper in
Courses.
Please do your part in helping to conserve paper in this (and all other) courses. Consider the
following ideas:
Avoid printing electronic documents get used to working with them from digital format (you
will need to do this in your professional careers);
Make your own notes in electronic documents (e.g. MS Word, MS Excel, Google Docs, etc);
If you are printing, make sure you select double-sided printing (available at all libraries);
Take leadership and share your concerns and ideas with all of us so we can improve our
practices.

Class Schedule
Class
Date

Topic

Readings

Sept 14

Sept 21

Sept 28

Oct 4

Chapter 4
Revenue Recognition
Team Work Session details to follow

Oct 12

Term Test #1
Friday, October 9th
6:00 8:00pm
EX 100 & EX200
Chapter 12
Financial Statement Analysis

Oct 19

Statement of Cash Flow

Chapter 5

Oct 26

Cash & Accounts Receivable

Chapter 6

Nov 2

Inventory

Chapter 7

Sources of GAAP
Purpose
of
Financial
Statements
Conceptual Framework
Double-Entry Accounting and
the Accounting Cycle

Assignments
/Quizzes

Chapter 1 /2

Chapter 3

Term Test #2
Friday November 13th
6:00 8:00pm
EX200/300/310/320
Chapter 8

10

Nov 16

Long-term Asset

11

Nov 23

Current Liabilities

12

Nov 30

Special Topics / Review

Chapter 9

Group
Assignment
Due in Class
Friday, November
27th by noon in the
commerce office