Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Accounting Principles (Face-to-Face)

ACCT 2010-01

Course: ACCT 2010-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: ACFN
CRN: 30062

Course Description

Accounting is the language of business—and in ACCT 2010, you’ll learn to speak it. We’ll start with the mechanics of recording transactions, then work step-by-step toward creating the four core financial statements: the Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Statement of Cash Flows, and Statement of Stockholders’ Equity. Along the way, you’ll discover how these reports connect to tell the story of a business’s performance, position, and cash flow. Through real-world examples, you’ll see not just how to prepare and read them, but why they matter in understanding any organization.

Required Texts

Good news—you don’t have to hunt down the textbook! It’s already included in your tuition and fees through the university’s Inclusive Access Program at a 30% discount. That means you’ll have online access starting on Day 1 to McGraw Hill Connect, the platform we’ll use for Financial Accounting by Spiceland, Thomas, and Herrman (McGraw Hill).

Connect is linked directly to Canvas and is where you’ll find everything—your reading assignments, homework, quizzes, and exams—all in one place.

If you’re someone who likes having a physical book in hand, you can choose to purchase an optional loose-leaf version from the publisher.

Learning Outcomes


By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Explain the role of financial accounting and describe the purpose and structure of the primary financial statements. (School of Business #3, #4; Accounting Program #1)
  2. Explore career paths in accounting and identify the skills and qualifications needed for each. (Accounting Program #2)
  3. Describe the accounting cycle and demonstrate how to record transactions using the double-entry system. (School of Business #3, #4; Accounting Program #1)
  4. Apply accrual accounting concepts by recording adjusting entries for assets, liabilities, and equity to ensure accurate financial reporting. (School of Business #3, #4; Accounting Program #1)
  5. Prepare and interpret financial statements and calculate key financial ratios to assess an organization’s financial condition. (School of Business #3, #4; Accounting Program #1)
  6. Evaluate ethical issues in business and explain the standards that guide ethical decision-making in accounting. (School of Business #1)

What this means for you:

By the end of the semester, you won’t just know about accounting—you’ll actually be able to read, understand, and create financial statements from scratch. You’ll see how the numbers tell the story of a business, sharpen your skills in spotting financial strengths and weaknesses, and get a real feel for the professional opportunities accounting can open for you. Along the way, we’ll tackle real-world examples and ethical challenges so you’re ready to use what you learn in both your career and everyday financial decisions.

Course Requirements

Assignment Weighting



Assignment Category | Points | Percent
Course set up/registration items | 20 | 2.5%
SmartBook/LearnSmart reading | 60  | 6.5%
Homework & Projects | 165 | 18.5%
Quizzes | 130 | 14.5%
Writing Assignments/Activities | 40 | 4.5%
Exams  | 480 | 53.5%
Total | 895 | 100% 


The following grading standards will be used in this class:

GradeRangeA | 100 % to 93.0%
A- | < 93.0 % to 90.0%
B+ | < 90.0 % to 87.0%
B | < 87.0 % to 83.0%
B- | < 83.0 % to 80.0%
C+ | < 80.0 % to 77.0%
C | < 77.0 % to 73.0%
C- | < 73.0 % to 70.0%
D+ | < 70.0 % to 67.0%
D | < 67.0 % to 63.0%
D- | < 63.0 % to 60.0%
F | < 60.0 % to 0.0%

Course Outline

SmartBook


You’ll have 12 SmartBook reading assignments—one for each chapter. SmartBook is an interactive study tool that works like a personal accounting tutor. It adapts to you, tracking what you’ve mastered and what still needs work, then adjusts the questions and content to strengthen your understanding and build your confidence.

Each SmartBook assignment is short and designed to introduce the key principles and concepts of the chapter. You’ll get much more out of it if you complete it before our discussion of each chapter. Doing it ahead of time will make class easier to follow and help you feel more prepared for the homework and quizzes that follow. Think of it as your warm-up before we dive into the real game.

Pro tip: The more effort you put into SmartBook, the easier the homework and quizzes will feel—it’s your chance to learn without the pressure of a grade hanging over every question.

Homework


You’ll have 12 homework assignments—one for each chapter—to help you practice and apply the concepts we cover. All homework will be completed online through McGraw Hill Connect and is due on the date shown in Canvas.

Use these assignments as a learning tool, not just a checklist item. If you get stuck or aren’t sure why you’re doing something, that’s your cue to dig in, ask questions, and work toward understanding the why behind the answer.

To support you, I’ve recorded video walkthroughs for each homework assignment. You can find them in the Modules section of Canvas under the corresponding homework.

Quizzes


You’ll have 12 quizzes—one for each chapter—covering the key concepts and material from that chapter. Quizzes will be available in Connect or Canvas and are due on the dates shown in Canvas.

Once the due date and time have passed, the quiz answers will open so you can review them and use them as study material for the exams. Treat each quiz as both a checkpoint for your understanding and a low-stakes way to get ready for the tests.

Success tip: Don’t wait until the last minute—completing the quiz soon after we cover the chapter will keep the material fresh and make exam prep much easier.

Memos/Writing Assignments


You’ll complete two short writing assignments during the semester:

Biographical Sketch – A one-page memo or short video introducing yourself. Share a bit about your life, interests, and experiences so I can get to know you better.

Accounting Career Options Memo – A short memo exploring possible career paths in accounting. You’ll research both familiar roles and ones you may not have considered before.

Purpose: These assignments are designed to help you connect personally with the course and think ahead about your future in accounting. They’re not just tasks to finish—they’re opportunities to reflect, discover, and make the material more meaningful to you.
  

Public Company Ratio Analysis Case


In this case study, you’ll work with real-world financial statements from publicly traded companies to calculate and interpret key financial ratios. The goal is to give you hands-on experience applying what you’ve learned in class to actual business data—seeing how the numbers tell the story of a company’s performance, financial position, and efficiency.

You can begin the case at any time and submit it by the due date listed in Canvas. Starting early will give you more time to analyze the numbers, spot trends, and draw meaningful conclusions.

Skills You’ll Gain:

  • Locating and reading SEC-filed financial statements
  • Calculating and interpreting common financial ratios
  • Comparing companies within the same industry
  • Drawing conclusions about financial health and performance using real data

Exams


You’ll have four exams in this course. They are closed-book and must be completed individually, but you may use your own notes, along with a calculator, scratch paper, and a pen or pencil. Exams are taken online in Connect and will include a mix of multiple-choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, calculation, and other question types similar to your homework.

All exams are proctored through Proctorio (free to SUU students), which requires a webcam, microphone, and reliable internet connection. You can take them anywhere, anytime, 24/7 during the testing window, and they are generally due by 11:59 PM (Mountain Time) on the date noted in Canvas. For live classes, the testing window spans multiple days, and we will cancel one regular class session during that period to give you extra time and flexibility to take the exam.

There is no time limit for exams. If you are not satisfied with your score, you may retake each exam one time, and the higher of the two scores will count toward your grade. The final exam is not comprehensive—it covers only Chapters 11 and 12. After each exam, you can also earn three extra credit points by completing a short self-assessment about your exam experience.

A practice exam will be available before each test. While it’s optional, it’s an excellent way to get familiar with the format and types of questions you’ll encounter. Students who use the practice exam tend to feel more confident and perform better.

Exam Tips: Organize your notes so they’re clear, concise, and easy to navigate during the exam. Include worked-out example problems in your notes so you can quickly see the steps for solving similar questions. Prepare your notes as you study—don’t wait until the last minute—and use the retake opportunity to focus on areas where you struggled the first time.


Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Staying on top of due dates is important—accounting concepts build on each other, and falling behind makes it much harder to keep up. To give you some flexibility, there is a two-day grace period for SmartBook assignments, homework, and quizzes.

This grace period is there for unexpected situations, not as a reason to delay starting your work. Using it regularly will put you behind and make the course more stressful. Aim to complete assignments by the posted due dates so you can stay in step with the class and get the most out of our discussions.

Attendance Policy

Class time is your opportunity to connect with me, ask questions, and deepen your understanding of the material. To make the most of it, come prepared—read the assigned material beforehand and bring your questions, especially about anything that’s unclear.

For online courses, participation means more than just logging in once a week. Plan to check in on the course several times a week and review announcements so you’re aware of any updates or changes.

Attendance and participation are not graded in this course. However, students who consistently attend class (or engage regularly online) tend to perform better on homework, quizzes, and exams because they’re continuously working with the material instead of cramming at the last minute. Your success is much more likely if you stay involved from start to finish.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.