Finance Foundation Free Essays

LB5212:03 FINANCIAL FOUNDATIONS FOR MANAGERS Singapore Campuses Study Period 3, 2012 LB5212:03 Financial Foundations for Managers SUBJECT GUIDE 2012 Study Period 3, Singapore Campuses Contents Contents1 1. School Overview0 2. Subject at a Glance0 3. We will write a custom essay sample on Finance Foundation or any similar topic only for you Order Now Subject Details0 4. Subject Readings and Resources0 5. Assessment Details0 6. Grading Criteria0 7. Student Assistance0 8. Important Policies Guidelines0 9. Postgraduate Skills Qualities0 10. Lecture Tutorial Schedule0 11. Annexure0 School Overview The School of Business is at the forefront of innovation in business and information technology education. With a focus on internationalisation, growth and innovation, the school exploits its unique regional location and expertise in courses that combine discipline-based excellence with practical application. JCU aims to empower responsible managers with practical skills underpinned by cutting edge theory. The school is one of the largest schools at JCU in terms of student numbers and offers programs at Brisbane, Cairns, Singapore and Townsville. Graduate coursework degrees include the flagship program the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Professional Accounting (MPA), Master of Economics (ME), and Master of International Tourism and Hospitality Management (MITHM). The school also includes Information Technology, offering a Master of IT (MIT and MIT Extended). Within the coursework masters suite of degrees there are opportunities for joint degree combinations. JCU’s recently ‘refreshed’ MBA is committed to an agenda of responsible management, in which all our activities are consistent with sustainable and ethical business practices. Across the four campuses, there are majors available in Marketing, Human Resource Management, Managerial Accounting, Dispute Resolution and International Tourism. Research degrees are also available at honours, masters, and Doctoral levels. Honours students from JCU have an outstanding record of gaining quality jobs in government and consulting circles and a number of students have won Australian Postgraduate Award scholarships and progressed into doctoral courses. There are a number of different pathways into the postgraduate study areas, with direct entry for those already holding an undergraduate degree. For those who do not have a first degree but have relevant work experience and professional experience, the pathway to postgraduate study starts with a Graduate Certificate, progresses through the Graduate Diploma, and reaches the Masters level and above by following these indirect entry strategies. Our staff are friendly and approachable and our degrees are designed to help you develop skills for application anywhere in the world in the dynamic business environment of the twenty-first century. A number of our staff have been recognised through independent rankings as world leaders in their field. School of Business staff have also recently won national awards for teaching excellence, and are committed to helping students achieve their career goals. JCU’s School of Business is committed to working towards achievement of genuine and sustainable reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the wider community, as outlined in the JCU Reconciliation Statement at http://www-public. jcu. edu. au/study/indigenous-students/JCUPRD_039193 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Prepared by D. Smorfitt for the School of Business, James Cook University. Copyright 2012 This publication is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism, or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process or placed in computer memory without written permission. This subject guide was last revised on 20 October 2012. Subject at a Glance The followin g summary provides a quick reference to the most important aspects of this subject. Please ensure that you have read the entire guide in full. Staff Contact Details The following staff members are responsible for the preparation or delivery of this subject. Please contact the relevant staff member if you have any concerns during the study period. | Name| Room| Phone| Email| Consultations*| | | | | | | Lecturers:| | | | | | Singapore| Teoh Teik Toe| | 65-97905202| teik. teoh@jcu. edu. au| | * Other consultation times by appointment only. Class Times and Contact Details A 3 credit point subject will require a 130 hour workload of study-related participation over the duration of the study period irrespective of mode of delivery. Students enrolled in LB5212 should attend the three hours of contact time set aside for each session. | Time| Day| Room| Assessment Summary A summary of the assessable items for LB5212 is provided in the table below. Please read through the assessment details presented later in this subject guide. Assessment| Supervised individual assessment| Weight| Due Date| Assessment 1 – Test| x| 20%| Week 6 in lecture – 60 minutes in duration| Assessment 2 – Assignment| | 30%| | Assessment 3 – Final Exam| x| 50%| To be advised (2 hours in duration – emphasis on application and interpretation)| You are not required to satisfy the examiners in all assessment tasks but you must obtain a final mark of at least 50% to pass the subject. In addition, you must obtain at least an average of 50% over all supervised individual components within a subject to pass the subject overall. No individual assessment piece should be taken as an indication of your final grade. Raw marks may be subject to moderation or scaling. To be eligible to pass this subject, participants are required to attempt all forms of assessment and must demonstrate a reasonable degree of competence in the required subject learning outcomes as examined in each form of assessment. To be eligible to pass this subject, participants are required to complete all forms of assessment and must demonstrate a reasonable degree of competence in the required subject learning outcomes as examined in each form of assessment. Please note that in the event that you miss a piece of assessment, you will be allocated a zero unless the appropriate documentation such as a doctor’s certificate is provided. If such documentation is provided, the end of semester ‘Final Exam’s’ weighting will be increased accordingly. Subject Details Welcome from the Subject Coordinator Welcome to the subject of Financial Foundations for Managers. The history of accounting can be traced back to traders in ancient times who sought to keep account of their business dealings and wealth. Today, organisations from small to large utilise the skills of accountants to help them in their decision-making and to report their financial performance to shareholders, creditors, employees and other stakeholders. Accounting skills are also utilised in a wide range of related jobs including financial analysts, auditing, professional practice, tax agents, financial planning, stockbroking and investment banking. This subject is designed to provide an understanding of the related applications of accounting in the contemporary environment. Financial information about corporate performance is critical not only to the success of individual companies but to the success of global capital markets. Accounting topics covered will include the preparation and interpretation of financial reports, budgeting and performance evaluation. It should be recognised that this subject is concerned with developing an understanding of accounting concepts, issues and problems rather than with educating you to undertake the role of a professional accountant. Our Master of Professional Accounting program or combined Master of Professional Accounting and MBA program is better designed for the latter task. Since the 1980s, many developments have occurred in the field of accounting such as the integration of cashflow statements into financial reporting, development of international accounting standards, and environmental and social reporting. The number of practitioners, academics and students engaged in this field has grown substantially, reflecting the perceived value of the study to business practice and the many financially rewarding careers that the area promises. The principles and concepts of accounting, once the exclusive preserve of financial controllers and finance staff, are now being applied to units and functions within a business. Managers at all levels are expected to have financial skills such as the capacity to understand financial reports and budgets and to be able to analyse business decisions not just from a strategic viewpoint but from a financial one as well. You have chosen an important subject to study. No matter what your level or position in an organisation, you will find yourself involved in some way with decision-making from a financial viewpoint. Whether your career goal is to be part of a top management team or you plan to apply your technical training in some functional area of the business, you will be expected to understand and apply basic financial skills such as the capacity to interpret financial statements, budgets and measure financial performance of divisions/markets/products. We do hope that your studying this subject will significantly improve your financial skills and you will find studying this subject interesting and rewarding. Subject Description This subject provides students with an understanding of the fundamentals of accounting. The aim is to build on basic concepts to develop a clearer understanding of financial statements, their uses and limitations in decision-making. The capacity to analyse financial statements and make decisions based on them will be emphasised. The subject examines decisions on cost structures and the implications for operating leverage and thus the financial statements. An introduction to capital budgeting and the application thereof to various cases is also covered. This subject is a core requirement for the MBA and thus must be completed by all MBA students. Subject Learning Outcomes As a student it is important for you to understand how the learning outcomes identified by the subject coordinator are achieved throughout the subject. The following table shows the alignment between content, assessment and learning outcomes. Subject Learning Outcomes| Related Content / Assessment| 1. Understand the nature of assets, liabilities, equity, income and expenses in the context of the accounting model. | Lectures, tutorials,test andassignment| 2. Develop an understanding of and ability to prepare asic accounting statements such as the statement of financial position and the statement of financial performance| Tutorials and assignment | 3. The ability to analyse and interpret financial statements and an understanding of the relationship between the different statements. | Lectures, tutorial and exam| 1. Ability to produce and interpret budgets and understand the various ways in which a business assesses capital investments, develop its capital budg et and make long term resource allocations. | Lectures, tutorial and exam| 2. Understand the behaviour of costs and know how to conduct analysis of impact of changes in sales and costs on profits. | Lectures, tutorial, assignment and exam| 3. Understand operating leverage, its measurement and the impact it has on financial statements through the cost structures as well as the use of cost structures in short-term decision regarding resource usage. | Lectures, tutorial and exam| 4. Understand the various ways in which a business assesses capital investments develop their capital budget and make long term resource allocation decisions. | Lectures, tutorial and exam| These are the learning outcomes for the subject. Specific learning outcomes for each assessment item will be provided with the detailed assessment item. Approaches to Teaching and Learning in this Subject A number of teaching-learning approaches will be used in this subject in order to achieve the above-stated learning outcomes. * Lectures: They are used to introduce basic concepts, principles, and issues related to accounting foundations. Generally, lectures are arranged to lead each session. At the beginning of the lectures, participants will be made aware of session objectives and specific session learning outcomes. A set of current financial statements will be used to provide students with an on-going example of the applicability of the topics covered in real life. * Class exercises: We will work through class exercises in most sessions. These are used to check your understanding and grasp of some fundamentals of the subject. The list of exercises is on the last page of the subje ct outline. The exercises referred to are at the end of the respective chapters or provided on LearnJCU. * Prior study: Study prior to the start of the class is essential, otherwise deep learning is unlikely to occur. It is understood that all of you have a very busy work schedule. However, it cannot be over-emphasised that this pre-class study (especially pre-reading and attempting set class exercises) is absolutely essential and should be taken seriously. * Application of class learning to real world issues: In this subject, it is our intention to extend the learning beyond the classroom and hence you are expected to apply what you have learnt in the classroom to the real world issues. This is done by relating the subject assessment to financial analysis for a real world business or industry. A practical assignment in which the operational budgets and accrual based Income Statement and Balance Sheet are produced are required. The effectiveness of the class sessions for the above teaching-learning approach depends importantly on your participation in and contribution to the class. Your involvement in the class can be the most effective way of improving your understanding of the subject matter. It is strongly recommended that you regularly participate in the class and actively engage yourself in class activities. Subject Readings and Resources Prescribed Texts (Compulsory) * ————————————————- Atrill, P. , McLaney, E. , Harvey, D. and Jenner, M. (2009), Accounting: an introduction, 4th edition, Pearson, Frenchs Forest NSW. * Jenner, M. and Silvester, M. (2009), Workbook to accompany Accounting: an Introduction, 4th edition, Pearson, Frenchs Forest NSW. * ————————————————- Copies of financial statements of an entity is provided to you – also available at http://www. cpaaustralia. com. au/cps/rde/xbcr/cpa-site/2010-financial-report. pdf There is an expectation that you will read the appropriate chapters in your text prior to the lecture they relate to. The Jenner workbook provides you with chapter by chapter questions and solutions that I strongly encourage you to work through in your own time. Further Reading Please note the following URL http://libguides. jcu. edu. au/content. php? pid=117627sid=2226980 contains additional information applicable to this subject. The literature on accounting is ever expanding. There are a large number of publications available at the JCU library. Books in this area are also readily available in business sections of many bookshops. Provided below is a list of selected titles for your information. You may not have the time to read through many books. Nonetheless, it will be useful even if you have a quick flip over some of them. We do encourage you to consult some other books or buy some good ones for your own library. * * Some useful materials for further reading have been selected for you and will be placed on LearnJCU or handed out in class from time to time. Hope you will find it interesting to read them. * Accounting Texts such as * Bazley, M. and Hancock, P. (2010), Contemporary Accounting, 7th Edition, Cengage Learning, Australia. (ISBN: 9780170181587) Birt, J. , et al. 2010). Accounting: business reporting for decision making, John Wiley Sons Australia, Milton, Qld. Hoggett, J. R. , Medlin, J. Edwards, L. , Tilling, M. Hogg, E. (2012). Accounting, 8th Edition, John Wiley Sons. * * Useful Electronic Databases available at JCU library: * ACCOUNT   1982 –  via Informit –  An index with abstracts produced by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia. Subject coverage includes accounting, auditing, taxation, insolvency, financial management, corporation law, banking, electronic data processing, management and superannuation. Source documents are Australian journal articles, conference papers and academic research papers. * ABI/Inform (1971-1997) – International business, management and marketing. * AUSTROM (1990-1998) – Australian databases, particularly APAIS (Australian Public Affairs Information Service). * EconLit (1969-2002) – Citations with abstracts of the world’s economic literature. * DatAnalysis – This database provides comprehensive information for all Australian Stock Exchange listed companies. These reports are updated daily from relevant ASX announcements. Full text. Subject Website on LearnJCU Access the subject website through LearnJCU at learnjcu. jcu. edu. au for all relevant materials. Login using your JCU email username and password. The site for this subject is opened to all participants enrolled in the subject at least seven days prior to the commencement of the subject. Browser requirements for LearnJCU are provided on the opening webpage of LearnJCU. Assessment Details There are three pieces of assessment. 1. Semester test (20% Weighting) The semester test covers the content from the first three sessions. It is a good opportunity to start off the semester by writing a test on a relatively small portion of the semester’s work and gain a good understanding of the concepts covered and hopefully achieve a good result. 2. Group Assignment (30% Weighting) Students are required to submit a group report in groups of two. Students will be allocated into teams in the second session. You will submit one report per group of two. The Topic and associated details are provided in Section 6 below. 3. Final Exam (50% Weighting) You will be required to complete a two-hour end of semester exam covering sessions 4 to 12 inclusive. However, the material in sessions 1 to 3 may be examined indirectly and thus a good understanding of this material is essential. Grading Criteria ASSIGNMENT: TASK The assignment consists of the development of the financial component of a financial plan for a ‘new start business’ that you establish. REPORT Grading Criteria – The report should include the following: * Student group work documentation as per the Annexure at the end of this document. No documentation will result in a zero mark attributed to the group. * Contents page * Introduction and explanation of the business venture. 5 marks) * Executive summary (One page limit) – this is important as in many instances this is where you ‘sell’ your firm and the application for finance and this will determine whether or not the financiers will look at the rest of the document. (5 marks) * Assumptions – these must be documented, clearly presented and must be realistic e. g. you cannot sim ply say I will achieve 10% market share. You need to justify how and why you will achieve this. This may require you researching various sources for information regarding the type of business, the market size as well as consumption patterns for the service your new firm will provide. 10 marks) * Budgets* for two years on a monthly basis. The budgets should at the very least include: (30 marks) * ————————————————- Sales budget (volume) * ————————————————- Sales revenue budget ($) * ————————————————- Debtors budget ($) * ————————————————- Cash b udget ($) * Budgeted Statement of Financial Performance for two years (PL). (15 marks) * Budgeted Statement of Financial Position for two years (Balance Sheet). 15 marks) * Ratios analysing the firm’s liquidity, solvency, profitability and efficiency. ( 5 marks) * Comment and analysis of ratios (this would obviously have to be a favourable commentary! ) i. e. an opportunity to ’sell’ your business. (10 marks) * Conclusion(5 marks) Total: 100 marks ————————————————- ————————————————- Note: Attention should be paid to: * ————————————————- not materially exceeding word limits; * ———————à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- spelling, grammar and structure; ————————————————- professional presentation including tables and figures where appropriate; and * ————————————————- use of other resources, appropriate referencing and provision of bibliography. Assignment requirements: * All assignments are to be typed to a professional standard on standard A4 paper using 1. 5 line spacing. * Binding of assignments is not required – staple top left hand corner. * Word limit of 3,500 words (approximately 10 pages) – remember quantity need not reflect quality. * Any appendices are not included in the page limit. Reports should follow (generally) a format for a professional report. * All calculations are to be pro vided in the appendix to your report. * You should make good use of tables where applicable. * You are expected to research the topic in other relevant accounting/finance texts. This research should be well referenced. Do not rely solely on the assigned text for interpretations. * Sources should be appropriately referenced, acknowledging all sources of information that are not yours. * Please clearly indicate the make-up of the formula used. Some useful sites The following may assist you in this assignment: AusInfo – Department of Finance and Administration (1994), Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers, 5th Edition, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra. * Australian Tax Office http://www. ato. gov. au/businesses/content. asp? doc=/content/45518. htmpage=2#P15_738 * Look at the Institute of Chartered Accountants website: http://www. charteredaccountants. com. au/ * CPA magazine – available on the web as well on the CPA website: http://www. cpaaust ralia. com. au/cps/rde/xchg/cpa/hs. xsl/index. html * Small Business Development Corporation (WA): http://www. sbdc. com. u/index2. asp * The Queensland State Development: http://www. business. qld. gov. au/index. html * NSW State Development Department: http://www. smallbiz. nsw. gov. au/ * Australian Bureau of Statistics: http://www. abs. gov. au/ausstats/abs@. nsf/mf/1321. 0 * Cairns city council websitehttp://www. cityofcairns. qld. gov. au/ * Cairns Port Authority website – http://www. cairnsport. com. au/ * Tourism Tropical North Queensland – http://www. ttnq. org. au/ General information regarding the assignment The ability to adhere to deadlines is a key feature of any competent professional. Right from the beginning, new students should acquire the habit of meeting deadlines for their work, by organising their study time appropriately. The following points apply to the submission of this assessment: Students are required to submit a group report (groups of two). Students will be allocated into teams in the second lecture. You will submit one report per group of two. Assessment Criteria and Skills Development: Assessment will be based on the criteria provided above. This exercise will teach you the skills needed for formal written communication in a business setting, as well as organising information in a structured format. Team Conflict and Disbandment: The ability to â€Å"lead, manage and contribute effectively to teams† is a key JCU Generic skill and an important skill sought by employers. Working in teams, under proper conditions, encourages peer learning and peer support. Sometimes members of a team will not contribute equally to the task, resulting in some students carrying the full load or the team effort. On other occasions team members have left the subject. This subject uses a peer evaluation sheet to alleviate student concerns about the contribution of individual team members. This will be made available on LearnJCU. Should you have conflict in your team it is important to advise the lecturer as soon as possible. Submission and Return of Assessment: The ability to adhere to deadlines is a key feature of any competent professional. Right from the beginning, new students should acquire the habit of meeting deadlines for their work, by organising their study time appropriately. The following points apply to the submission of this assessment: * Hard copies of the assignment are to be submitted by the due date as per ‘Assessment Summary’ on page 2. The submission is via the School of Business assignment box. (Rooms A1. 09 for Cairns and DA027-317 for Townsville). * Please ensure that you have attached the School of Business Assignment Coversheet and stamped your assignment with the date stamp. All written assignments must use the standard School of Business coversheet and all authors must sign this coversheet. A copy of the cover sheet is available online at: www. jcu. edu. au/business/JC UDEV_011380. html * An electronic copy of your report and spreadsheet must also be emailed to your lecturer as part of the assessment process. The file should be named as follows: Subject, year, surnames, document For example: LB5212_2012_Smith and Jones_Report. ocx LB5212_2012_Smith and Jones_Spreadsheet. xlsx * No extensions will be granted due to the time frame and advance warning provided concerning the work to be undertaken. * The assessment will be returned with feedback. * The mark allocated to the group for the written component will also be the mark allocated to the individual members of the group adjusted as per the peer assessment documentation as provided to the lecturer. The lecturer’s decision on the allocation of marks is final. * See Annexure for peer assessment documentation. Student Assistance Studying at university typically involves many challenges. You may experience academic, professional or personal situations that are difficult to deal with. However, there are many options for you to pursue including academic advisers, counsellors or study skills advisers. The following table provides a summary of some of the services you may access at JCU. If you have any concerns please talk to someone! Support Needed| Who to Contact| Information for Current Students| www. jcu. edu. au/student/| Accommodation| www. jcu. edu. au/accommodation/| Childcare | www. jcu. edu. au/student/JCUPRD_017384. html| Computers, IT, Library and Email| http://www-public. jcu. edu. u/libcomp/assist/infohelp/JCUPRD_033554 | Equity and diversity| http://www. jcu. edu. au/studentequity/| Students with disabilities| http://www. jcu. edu. au/disability/| Indigenous students| http://www-public. jcu. edu. au/study/indigenous-students/index. html | Employment| www. jcu. edu. au/careers/| Enrolment| Faculty Student Office www. jcu. edu. au/newstudent/studyabroad/jcut st_057853. html | Exams| www. jcu. edu. au/student/assessment/| Financial| Student Loans www. jcu. edu. au/student/Loans/studentloans/| International Student| http://www. jcu. edu. au/international/| Personal / Emotional Support| Counselling Service www. cu. edu. au/student/counselling/| Library| http://www-public. jcu. edu. au/libcomp/index. htm Faculty Librarian [Insert here. ]| Spiritual Support| http://www. jcu. edu. au/chaplaincy/| Learning Skills / Language Help| Language ; Learning Services http://www. jcu. edu. au/learningskills/ | Equity Statement James Cook University is committed to encouraging equity and diversity. In particular, JCU aims to provide an optimal learning environment to students from a variety of backgrounds: * Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students * People from rural and isolated areas * People from low socio-economic backgrounds People with disabilities * People from non-English speaking backgrounds. Information relating to scholarships, bursarie s and services is available at www. jcu. edu. au/studentequity or by free call 1800 300 064. Important Policies ; Guidelines Role and Responsibilities – JCU Student Charter The Charter outlines the reasonable expectations that students can have of the University while studying and also what the University expects of its students. Refer to the JCU website. Assessment Policies There are a number of assessment policies that you should be aware of as a student of JCU. The most important policy is the university’s Assessment Practices Policy, which specifies the requirements of assessment practice for undergraduate and postgraduate coursework subjects. This policy can be accessed from: http://www. jcu. edu. au/policy/teaching/coursemanagement/JCUDEV_016741. html You should also be familiar with the policies and procedures that relate to your right of access to assessment marks and materials and the request for review of assessment. These rights are detailed in the Review of Assessment and Student Access to Scripts and Materials policy which can be viewed at: http://www. cu. edu. au/policy/teaching/coursemanagement/JCUDEV_005333. html Referencing and Plagiarism Plagiarism occurs when writers claim ownership of written words or ideas that are not their own. Plagiarism is a form of cheating and any instances of plagiarism will be dealt with promptly according to University procedures. Instances of student academic misconduct are handled using a four stage procedure: Stage 1: Referral of the allegation; Stage 2: Preliminary investigation; Stage 3: Hearing; Stage 4: Appeal. If plagiarism is detected, the lecturer will immediately notify the Head of School in writing. The Head of School is then responsible for further actions, and will notify you of their decisions about the penalties. Working together, discussing ideas, or helping one another with references is fine. However, the piece of work that you finally submit for assessment must be your own. It should contain your ideas and your assessment of other people’s ideas, and be written in your own words. Students who are found guilty of plagiarism will be subject to the provisions of the Student Academic Misconduct Requirements which can be accessed from: http://www. cu. edu. au/policy/teaching/coursemanagement/JCUDEV_005375. html It is important that you reference your work correctly. In the School of Business different disciplines may require different ways of referencing your sources, but in general most subjects within the school will use the APA (American Psychological Association) Style. Please confirm this with your lecturer. APA referencing guidelines are provided in the library l ibguide which can be accessed from: http://libguides. jcu. edu. au/referencing Submitting Written Assignments Unless advised otherwise by the subject coordinator, all written assignments must use the standard School of Business coversheet and all authors must sign this coversheet. A copy of the cover sheet is available online at: www. jcu. edu. au/business/JCUDEV_011380. html The assignment and coversheet must be stamped using the time/date stamp located adjacent to the assignment boxes in Townsville and Cairns. Different submission processes are in place for students in other locations. The assignment boxes will be cleared at 5. 00pm each day and the date/time stamp on each assignment will be checked. Any assignments received after the due date and time will be deemed to be â€Å"late† and will not be collected until 5. 00pm the following working day. Please note that some lecturers may have specific assignment requirements and it is your responsibility to check these with your lecturer. Penalties for late submission of assignments In the absence of any extension, late submission of work will result in a penalty of 5% of the possible mark for each day late. For example, If you are awarded a mark of 71% for a 30% essay that is handed in 4 days late, your final mark will be 51% of 30, which is 15. . Weekends are treated as a single full day because university buildings are not usually accessible of over the weekend to allow for submission. Assessment tasks will generally not be graded after 14 days past the due date. Supplementary and Deferred Exams If you are unable to sit your examination at the scheduled times due to extenuating circumstances (e. g. medical, trauma, death in the family etc) you may apply to sit a deferred examination. The Head of School has the right to decline an application if they consider the reasons are less than exceptional. Alternately, applying for special consideration is recommended in situations where you feel that your preparation has been/or is adversely affected by certain circumstances before and up to the day of the exam. In this situation you still need to sit the exam on the scheduled day. Special consideration (if approved) means that the lecturer will consider your circumstances when marking your examination. In some cases, you might be awarded the opportunity to complete a supplementary exam. This will be indicated by an ‘NS’ grade on semester results. A supplementary exam cannot be applied for, it is granted at the discretion of the examiner. A supplementary result is based exclusively on the result of the supplementary exam and previous assessment is not included in a recalculation of the student’s result. In accordance with University policy, a student who has completed a supplementary exam can only receive a grade of ‘SP’ (supplementary passed), ‘SN’ (supplementary failed) or an ‘SX’ (failed to sit supplementary). For more information please see: http://www. jcu. edu. au/policy/teaching/coursemanagement/JCUDEV_005344. html Subject and Teaching Feedback We welcome all forms of feedback from our students. If you have something to say about your experience you should visit JCU’s Student Feedback and Complaints web pages www. jcu. edu. au/student/complaints/index. htm JCU staff value and appreciate student feedback as a source of evidence about the quality of our teaching and courses so you are strongly encouraged to provide considered feedback for each of your subjects. Student feedback is one way of gaining recognition of subject and teaching strengths, and provides information on areas that may need further development or change. JCU provides two formal mechanisms for you to provide feedback about your subjects and teachers: Student Feedback about Teaching (SFT) and Student Feedback about Subjects (SFS). The SFT is paper-based, and is conducted at the request of your lecturer or tutor and usually occurs in the latter weeks of semester. The SFS is available to all students through StudentsOnline towards the end of each study period. You can view a sample of the SFS at http://www. jcu. edu. au/teaching/evaluation/JCUPRD_016952. html Other Policies and Guidelines Further information on important policy information is available for all JCU students at the JCU website http://www. jcu. edu. au/policy/student/ Postgraduate Skills Qualities Postgraduate attributes are the skills and qualities that every student should have when they leave the University – irrespective of the qualification they have attained. These skills are often the same competencies that employers expect from graduates. You will not attain all of the JCU postgraduate qualities in this subject because these skills will be developed over the full the length of your degree in various subjects. The table below indicates how the content and assessment in this subject fosters the development of JCU’s postgraduate attributes. Graduate Skills| Related Content / Assessment| Critical Thinking| | 1. 1 the ability to appraise information critically| Lectures, Test, Assignment and Exam | 1. 2 the ability to use independent judgement to synthesise information to make intellectual and/or creative advances| Lectures, Assignment and Exam | 1. 3 the ability to place their research in a broader (preferably international) theoretical, practical and policy context| | Problem Solving| | . 1 the ability to think laterally and be original| Lectures, Test, Assignment and Exam | 2. 2 the ability to conceptualise problems| Test, Assignment and Exam | 2. 3 the ability to conceptualise and evaluate a range of potential solutions to relevant problems| Test, Assignment and Exam | 2. 4 the ability to encompass and use methods and conceptual advances in areas of knowledge cognate to their centra l area(s) of expertise| | 2. 5 the ability to evaluate and extrapolate from the outcomes of their research| | Project Management| | . 1 the ability to plan, conduct and manage research in their discipline| | 3. 2 the ability to identify and take serendipitous advantage of research opportunities| | 3. 3 the potential to lead and contribute to projects effectively and efficiently| Assignment | 3. 4 the ability to conduct their research in an ethical manner| | Interpersonal Understanding and Communication| | 4. 1 the ability to communicate the methodology, results and implications of their research in a manner appropriate to different purposes and audiences| | 4. the ability to make constructive contributions to project teams or collegial activities| Assignment | 4. 3 the potential to resolve conflicts| Assignment | 4. 4 the ability to work individually and independently| Lectures, Test, Assignment and Exam| Lecture Tutorial Schedule Week/Session| Lectures/Session| Content a| Readings | Related Assessment| Tutorials b, c,| 1| Introductory concepts financial systems| Ch 1 Ch 2 self study| Test, Assignment and exam| Def exercise provided, Ch 1: DC – 1. 1; 1. 11; 1. 12; 1. 16; 1. 17; 1. 18; 1. 20; 1. 22; Ch 2: is self study 2. 16; 2. 17; 2. 24; 2. 5; 2. 26. | 2| Accounting equation and transaction analysis| Notes provided| Test, Assignment and exam| Three exercises provided| 3| Income statement and balance sheet| Ch 3 4| Test, Assignment and exam| Financing decisions questions provided and Ch 3: DC– 3. 7; 3. 10; 3. 18; 3. 20; App – 3. 15 Ch 4: DC – 4. 2; 4. 8; 4. 10; 4. 11; 4. 15; 4. 17; 4. 19 4. 28; App – 4. 14| 4| Statement of cash flows| Ch 5| Exam| Guess Who question provided; Ch 5: DC 5. 2; 5. 19; Case study 5. 1 (leave out Q3, 10, 11)| 5| Managing working capital| Ch 13| Assignment and exam| Ch 13: DC – 13. 1; 13. 7; 13. ; 13. 11; 13. 12; 13. 13; 13. 19; App – 13. 2; 13. 8; 13. 12; 13. 13; 13. 14| 6| Mid-Term TEST and Financial statement analysis| Ch 6| Assignment and exam| Ch 6: DC – 6. 4; 6. 5; 6. 6; 6. 27 App – 6. 16; 6. 17; 6. 18ab| 7| Financial statement analysis| Ch 6| Assignment and exam| Ch 6: DC – 6. 2; 6. 3; 6. 7; 6. 12; 6. 13; 6. 16; 6. 21; 6. 23 App – 6. 3; 6. 4; 6. 5; 6. 14; 6. 15; 6. 18c-e; Case study 6. 6| 8| Budgeting| Ch 9 10| Assignment and exam| Ch 9 DC – 9. 2; 9. 3; 9. 5; 9. 6; 9. 8; 9. 11; 9. 13; 9. 17; 9. 19; 9. 20; 9. 27; 9. 30; 9. 31 App – 9. 2; 9. 4; 9. 7;Ch 10 DC – 10. 1; App – 10. 6 Case Study 10. 1| | | Study break (Good time for the groups to get together to work on the assignments as well)| | | | 9| | Cost behaviour| Ch 7| Exam| Questions as provided| 10| | Application of cost structures| Ch 7| Exam| Ch 7: DC – 7. 8; 7. 9; 7. 10; 7. 12; 7. 13; 7. 14; 7. 15; App – 7. 6; 7. 10; 7. 12; 7. 13; 7. 15; 7. 17; | 11| | Capital budgeting methods| Ch 11| Exam| Ch 11: DC – 11. 7; 11. 8; 11. 9 ; 11. 10; 11. 11; 11. 12; 11. 14; 11. 17; 1 1. 18; 11. 21; App – 11. 2; 11. 3; 11. 4; 11. 5; 11. 7| 12| | Capital budgeting application| Ch 11| Exam| Ch 11: App – 11. 8; 11. ; 11. 10; 11. 11; 11. 12; 11. 13; 11. 14| Notes: a The sequence of some topics may change due to availability of staff, resources or due to unforeseen circumstances. b Whilst not all will be covered by the lecturer, students should attempt all. Do as many examples as you can until you personally feel you have a good grasp of the material. Publishers’ solutions are available from the lecturer. There will also be other problems for you to look at from time to time. Also do chapters from publishers Workbook. c Additional readings will be provided from time to time as the semester progresses and are examinable. Annexure PEER ASSESSMENT OF GROUP WORK CONTRIBUTION ————————————————- Employers have clearly indicated the need for their employees to have appropriate social skills including the ability to work in groups. Management (something I assume all of you aspire to) are required to undertake performance appraisal of their employees. For these two reasons alone, the ability to work in groups is a skill the University encourages students to develop. In working in groups there are a number of aspects that need to be managed including: * Identify members of the group. This should be done keeping in mind the skills required to do the assignment as well as your peers’ attitude towards their academic work and their grade expectations; * Elect a leader of the group; * Identify the topic or task to be undertaken; * Allocate the work to be undertaken e. g. topics to be covered, research to be done; * You must set time frames (deadlines) for when the work is to be done and diarise the dates of regular meetings e. g. after every lecture in that subject you should schedule a meeting; * Some people are free-riders – they want the benefit of the group mark but will only put in as little effort as possible. This can be managed by using the Appendices 1 and 2 that follow. Every time (weekly) a meeting is held you should complete Appendix 2 for each group member. This should be kept in a file and submitted weekly together with the minutes of the meeting and any other supporting documentation from that week. * Appendix 2 should also include any emails confirming allocation of work, requests for work to be done by individuals (and was expected of them), identification of any issues and how they were resolved or suggestion son how to resolve them. Essentially you are to document the process so that the full picture can be presented and the results you award can be justified. * Appendix 1 is only completed at the end when you submit your assignment; * Some students may regard this as onerous, but if you do this it allows you to develop workplace skills, leadership skills and also protects those ‘workers’ from the ‘free-riders’. Also include any emails confirming issues, allocating work and requesting people to do what was expected of them i. e. document the process so that the full picture can be presented and the result you come to can be justified. This would be what would occur in any business and the minutes of the meetings are regarded as legal documentation and accepted as such in court cases. The mark you will be allocated will be the proportion of the lecturer’s mark that your colleagues attribute to you based on your contribution. If there are any differences of opinion then the lecturer’s decision will be final, based on the documentation that is presented to him/her. The next two pages provide you with an example of how to use the Appendices; then two blank forms are provided for your use. EXAMPLE: Three members in the group David, John and Mary APPENDIX 1: (Submitted at the end of he process with the assignment) Surname| Initials| Percentage of lecturer allocated group mark you think you should get based on your contribution to the group project| % of allocated group mark you thinkJohnshould get based on their contribution to the group project| % of allocated group mark you thinkMaryshould get based on their contribution to the group project| % of allocated group mark you thinkXXXXshould get based on their contribution to the group project| Assessor’sSignature| | | | | | | | Insert the names of the various group members in here| | Insert the percentage of the mark you think you should be receiving. If you feel your contribution deserves the full mark then insert 100%| An average of the marks you have allocated over the weeks will assist you in allocating a mark here for John| An average of the marks you have allocated over the weeks will assist you in allocating a mark here for Mary| | | Smith | David| 100%| Average of weekly mark out of 50 x 2 | Average of weekly mark out of 50 x 2| | David’s signature here| Jones| John| 100%| Average of weekly mark out of 50 x 2 | Average of weekly mark out of 50 x 2| | John’s signature here| Ngcobo| Mary| 100%| Average of weekly mark out of 50 x 2 | Average of weekly mark out of 50 x 2| | Mary’s signature here| As a means of assisting you in completing the above table, the following table must be completed and where appropriate documentary evidence can be submitted including any written statements. David, John and Mary will all complete and sign this form so everything is transparent. EXAMPLE: APPENDIX 2: (Submitted weekly)NAME OF MEMBER BEING ASSESED JOHN| | GROUP CRITERIA REVIEWED| SCORING| | | (5)Always| (4)| (3)Freq1| (1)| (0)Hardly| Score| 1. | Communication:-| | | | | | 4| 2. | Participation:-(attendance and active: meetings, tasks, workloads, discussions †¦)| | | | | | 1| | | (10)High| (8)| (6)Adeq2| (3)| (0)Lack of| | 3. | Cooperation Shared Responsibilities:-(decisions, milestones, goals, tasks work processes – added to group cohesiveness †¦)| | | | | | 6| 4. Commitment:-(effort to: meet deadlines goals, be flexible, achieve standards of work agreed †¦ ) | | | | | | 6| 5. | Contributions:-(quantity of : work, discussion, dialogue, planning and organising â € ¦) | | | | | | 6| 6. | Performance:-(quality of: work submitted, reliability †¦)| | | | | | 4. 5| Total Score (Max 50):| 27. 5| 1. Frequently 2. Adequate ————————————————- Comments: ————————————————- John has †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ ————————————————- ————————————————- If the person being assessed (John in this case) does not agree with this peer evaluation – that is fine – because this is his peers’ assessment of him. If this is the case, you must address this issue with the lecturer immediately. ————————————————- Please note: between scores can be awarded by marking two juxtapose circles and thus averaging their score: Becomes (10+8)/2 = 9 The score tally will be used to weight this members assignment grading and adjust accordingly. I attest, as being the member assessed here, that I have seen and read this assessment: Signature: John to sign here Dated: / /2011 oup Members: The following are the individual members who ‘group assessed this member’s performance. N David signs here________ Signature: Mary signs here APPENDIX 1: (Submitted at the end of the process with the assignment)SUBJECT: Surname| Initials| Percentage of lecturer allocated group mark you think you should get based on your contribution to the group project| % of allocated group mark you think_______________should get based on their contribution to the group project| % of allocated group mark you think________________should get based on their contribution to the group project| % of allocated group mark you think_______________should get based on their contribution to the group project| Assessor’sSignature| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | As a means of assisting you in completing the above table, the following table must be completed and where appropriate documentary evidence can be submitted including any written statements. APPENDIX 2: (Submitted weekly)SUBJECT: NAME OF MEMBER BEING ASSESED| | GROUP CRITERIA REVIEWED| SCORING| | | (5)Always| (4)| (3)Freq1| (1)| (0)Hardly| Score| 1. | Communication:-| | | | | | | 2. | Participation:-(attendance and active: meetings, tasks, workloads, discussions †¦)| | | | | | | | | (10)High| (8)| (6)Adeq2| (3)| (0)Lack of| | 3. | Cooperation Shared Responsibilities:-(decisions, milestones, goals, tasks work processes – added to group cohesiveness †¦)| | | | | | | 4. Commitment:-(effort to: meet deadlines goals, be flexible, achieve standards of work agreed,†¦. ) | | | | | | | 5. | Contributions:-(quantity of : work, discussion, dialogue, planning and organising †¦) | | | | | | | 6. | Performance:-(quality of: work submitted, reliability †¦)| | | | | | | Total Score (Max 50):| | 1. Frequently 2. Adequate ————————————————- Comments: ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- Please note: between scores can be awarded by marking two juxtapose circles and thus averaging their score: Becomes (10+8)/2 = 9 The score tally will be used to weight this members assignment grading and adjust accordingly. I attest, as being the member assessed here, that I have seen and read this assessment: Signature: ______________________________ Dated: / /2011 Group Members: The following are the individual members who ‘group assessed this member’s performance Name ____________________________ Signature _________________ ame ____________________________ Signature _________________ Signature ____________________________ Dated: / /2011 How to cite Finance Foundation, Essay examples