Welcome
Letter and Course Instructions
ACC 500 - Fundamentals of Accounting
A7, 2016
ST. THOMAS UNIVERSITY
School of Business
WELCOME TO ACC 500
- Fundamentals of Accounting!
This course is a prerequisite
for ACC 770 (Managerial Accounting) in the
MBA program.
It is very easy to put off this course. Experience indicates that this will cause you unnecessary stress and worry. Do the course as early as possible during the term, so that it does not conflict with final exams and final course papers in your other courses. There are no incompletes - you must complete by the deadline.
READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS IN FULL NOW!
Please take the time NOW to reply to this e-mail so that I will know that you have received the course information.
Also, do 2 things right now:
1. Setup my e-mail in your address book: RK@kulzick.com
Direct all correspondence and any questions by e-mail to this address.
2. Setup my web page in your favorites: kulzick.com/stu (all lower case)
Information on this and other courses is on my web site.
Course Description: This course is an independent, self-paced study of accounting principles and practices for those with no previous background in accounting. It is designed for adult, self-motivated students. The collection, reporting and interpretation of the financial data of modern business firms are emphasized. This is a one-term, one-credit course that is a prerequisite for MBA students who have not completed ACC 530 or its equivalent.
The five steps to complete this course:
Step One - Complete your profile information in Ember.
This is a course requirement and you cannot pass the course without completing this step. The information for this course is located on the University’s Virtual Classroom – Ember. You can access Ember through MyBobcat. Once in Ember, select this course from the "Courses" menu.
For Ember or Other Technology Questions and/or Problems, see the Misc. Module and the link for 24/7 Technical Support or use the help button (upper right) to access the knowledge base.
Once in your profile, update each section, including uploading your photo.
If not sure how to get to your profile use the help button and search "edit my profile", then follow the directions.
Note that your information in the profile is available to other students in the course, so use good judgment in limiting highly personal information.
Step Two - Buy the multimedia online course material from the publisher.
REQUIRED MATERIAL: Financial Accounting: A Management Perspective (latest edition). Ivy Software (www.ivysoftware.com). The course materials are available in an online version. This material is NOT available in the bookstore - see below for ordering.
Please contact Ivy Software online at http://ivysoftware.com/FinancialAccounting.html or by phone at (800) 342-5489 to order the book. When ordering your book, please identify yourself as a St. Thomas University FAAMP graduate student so Ivy Software will send you a password that will allow you to access its website for taking the final comprehensive exam for this course. Do not buy a used text and only purchase your book directly through Ivy Software because of the final exam password requirement.
Be sure you keep the email you receive from Ivy with your password and exam access instructions.
Step Three - Complete the course, including all chapter examinations.
Study each chapter, reading the material carefully and reviewing any supplementary material. Then take BOTH the reading comprehension AND the practice exam, repeating them until you can do them perfectly (and understand why each question is answered the way it is), then take the final CHAPTER exam before you move on to the next chapter. If you follow this approach and do the course early in the term, you will not have a problem with the final exam.
If your chapter exam is not AT LEAST an 80 (you need an 83 on the final to pass the course), go back and re-read all the chapter material and retake the practice exam and reading comprehension exam until you know the material.
Do not rush through the chapters. Be sure you thoroughly understand the material in each chapter before moving to the next one. This material is more difficult than it may appear - including the new language of accounting.
The University requires that weekly attendance be taken and submitted. To meet this requirement, you are required to send an email to the professor every week stating that you have read my weekly email and are working on the course.
Step Four - Complete the final exam at Ivy Software.
Go to Ivy Software following the instructions you received from Ivy and Login to take the test. Select St. Thomas University - FAAMP. As this is a prerequisite course, you MUST receive a grade of B or better (83.0 or more on the test - 82.5 is not an 83). You may take the test a maximum of three (3) times. Students not receiving at least an 83.0 on the exam and completing their Ember profile will receive a "NP" in the course.
If you do not pass the final exam on the first try, go back and study the material again (chapter-by-chapter) - including all the practice exams before retaking the final exam. There are no "makeups," you must pass the final within 3 attempts or retake the course next term.
The absolute final date to complete the course for A7/16 is December 13, 2016 - note that this is earlier than the term end date.
As a few students have abused the retake privilege by just randomly hoping for a passing grade (certainly not a good way to learn the material which is essential for your future courses), you may not take the test more than one time in any day. Taking the final more than once in any given day or more than three (3) times in a term is a serious violation and will be considered as cheating in this course.
Step Five - e-mail me that you have completed the final exam.
When you have received a score of 83.0 or higher, email me to report your success. Be sure you get an acknowledgement from me - allow one week. You must complete all five steps listed above in order to receive a passing grade.
Keep a copy of these course instructions so you will have them as you proceed through the course.
If you have any questions, contact me by email at rk@kulzick.com (preferred communication method, anytime) or at 305-628-6624 (if telephoning, always leave a message and contact phone number) . Please note that although we will not meet as a “traditional” class, I am available to assist you with any questions and/or problems you may have at anytime. Please do not hesitate to contact me!
Dr. Raymond S. Kulzick,
CPA, CFE, CFF, CDFA, CGMA
Professor, School of Business