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Syllabus
ACCTG 462: Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting
ACCTG 462: Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting (3 credits): Provides an understanding of governmental and not-for-profit accounting theory, procedures, and financial statements.
Overview | Objectives | Materials | Library Resources | Technical Requirements | Course Requirements and Grading | Course Schedule | Academic Integrity | Accommodating Disabilities | Additional Policies
Overview
This course provides a framework for understanding the unique accounting requirements of governments and not-for-profit entities.
Governments and private businesses operate in vastly different environments. As a result, their accounting processes and reporting requirements are substantially different. The basic concepts, techniques, and terminology of fund accounting as utilized by governmental entities are emphasized.
Nonprofit entities, including voluntary health and welfare agencies, hospitals, colleges and universities, and religious organizations, are often evaluated through non-financial measures and have unique revenue sources. Financial reporting and other performance measures are highlighted.
Prerequisite
ACCTG 311 or ACCTG 471
Instructor Information
My name is Dr. Renee Flasher. I'm here to help you with your learning journey through governmental and nonprofit accounting. While there is a lot of overlap with your prior financial accounting courses, there are new concepts and tweaks to many aspects of accounting—some fundamentally large, some small. Since each of you has a different level of comfort with your financial accounting courses and different life experiences, the level of interaction with me may differ. Here are multiple avenues for contacting me to help support you through the course:
1) E-mail: Please address me as Dr. Flasher, Professor Flasher, Mrs. Flasher when you email me. If you have a preference for how I should address you, please make it clear in your email (or I'm apt to use your first name from the Penn State email system). I try to respond to emails within 24 hours except when life happens and I can't (I do have three kids).
2) Zoom meetings: Please feel free to schedule a Zoom meeting with me. While I require a single meeting as part of the course, I am willing to meet with any student for as many times as you like. It can be more spontaneous with drop in with my office hours or through a mutually agreed upon time. An appointment can be booked through the following link: Book time with Renee Flasher.
3) In person: If you happen to be in the Harrisburg or State College areas of Pennsylvania, I would be excited to meet you in person.Please let me know when you would be around and we'll meet up on campus or somewhere in the community.
Each of you will be working to improve your understanding and mastery of governmental and nonprofit accounting. My job is to help guide you on this journey. Like any journey, it takes work and time invested for the learning to occur. I'd budget at least five to seven hours a week to read the chapter, complete the Smartbook assignment, work through the lesson assignment and Connect assignment, create a concept map of the chapter material, and work on the projects for this course. This would be my expectation for a week without tests. There are three exams so those weeks might be a little more intense. There is also review materials (entirely optional) but it might help you to work through the course material if you do a referesher on the for-profit world -- all the other accrual accounting courses you have in the curriculum (ACCTG 211, ACCTG 471, ACCTG 472, ACCTG 473).
Course Objectives
To develop an understanding of concepts and principles of accounting for governmental and nonprofit entities. Specifically, upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to do the following:
- Describe the basics of governmental and not-for-profit accounting.
- Identify the basics of fund accounting.
- Summarize governmental operating activities.
- Summarize governmental balance sheet activities.
- Examine governmental financial reporting.
- Describe the basics of not-for-profit accounting and financial reporting.
- Summarize the unique reporting requirements for health care organizations, colleges, and universities.
Required Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Technical Requirements
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
|---|---|
| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course Requirements and Grading
| Assignment | Grade percentage |
|---|---|
| Connect Assignments | 6% |
| Connect Quizzes | 12% |
| LearnSmart (Smart Book) | 5% |
| Lesson Assignments | 15% |
| Discussions | 2% |
| Exams | 45% |
| Reflection Paper and Project | 15% |
| Extra Credit Assignments | 3% |
| Total | 103% |
Letter grades will be based on the following scale:
| Letter grade | Percentage |
|---|---|
| A | 93.0 - 100% |
| A- | 90.0 - 92.9% |
| B+ | 87.0 - 89.9% |
| B | 83.0 - 86.9% |
| B- | 80.0 - 82.9% |
| C+ | 77.0 - 79.9% |
| C | 70.0 - 76.9% |
| D | 60.0 - 69.9% |
| F | Below 60.0% |
The numeric course grades above are the actual grades required to earn the accompanying letter grades. Students should not expect any rounding of the numeric course grades.
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Grading Policy
All assignments are to be submitted in the appropriate location no later than 11:59 p.m eastern time (ET) on the due date shown on the Course Schedule. Any late submissions or submissions to other places will be subject to a penalty of 10% (on a 100 scale) per 24-hour period or any portion thereof at the instructor's discretion. Advanced communication with me reduces the chance that a late penalty will be applied. I want your grade to reflect the learning done within the course -- not the promptness of submissions. However, it is important that regular engagement with the material occurs. Each week does build on the prior week. Thus, if you try to skip weeks or engage very sproadically with the material, the odds of struggling with the course material increase. Anything that is due at the end of the course (i.e. 12/8/23) can be submitted early. In some cases, I give you until the end of the semester to submit but really would expect that you complete the assignment and submit it earlier.
Assignments
Connect Assignments and Quizzes
Connect and LearnSmart (SmartBook) are assignments you will complete on the publisher's web site, which can be accessed from this course through the course navigation.
The quizzes are also on the McGraw Hill platform. The quizzes are structured to be opportunities to begin to place some time pressure on the completion of problems for this course. While you can use your book as a reference for the quizzes, no books will be allowed for the written tests.
For each category of Connect assignments/quizzes, the lowest grade will be dropped. This helps to offset one bad week in the course.
Graduate Students only: You may elect to complete the Gleim materials instead of Connect exercises. Please contact your course instructor for details.
Lesson Assignments
Lesson assignments are assignments you will complete and submit within Canvas. The required problems are to be submitted in the appropriate location in the classroom no later than the due date and time listed each week. Late submissions are subject to the late submission penalty presented earlier. Communication with the instructor typically results in waiving of any late penalty. Please follow the instructions given for each assignment. If a template is provided for the assignment, the assignment must be submitted using that template. Attempts at assignments are encouraged as students may resubmit any lesson assignment prior to the last class day (i.e. Fall 2023 is December 8 at 11:59 pm) to improve their lesson grade. The grade will not go down from the initial grade and will be increased, if earned. Multiple attempts are encouraged.
I believe that inviduals master material by addressing errors and seeing where mistakes happened. Thus, I want to encourage continued engagement with the material throughout the course.
Discussions
Discussions are completed within Canvas and consist of a topic. You will typically post your first reply by Thursday, then read and reply to classmate's comments by Sunday. This is one area that timeliness is important. If you post late, then your classmates do not get to see your thoughts about the material or engage with your post. Thus, posting the original post on Sunday, instead of earlier in the week, will result in a point deduction.
Exams
There are two written exams and a verbal exam. The verbal exam is conceptual and uses a sample page from an ACFR as part of the exam. Each written exam tests knowledge around the preparation of financial statements and journal entries.
This course may require you to take exams using certain proctoring software that uses your computer's webcam or other technology to monitor and/or record your activity during exams. The proctoring software may be listening to you, monitoring your computer screen, viewing you and your surroundings, recording and storing any and all activity (including visual and audio recordings) during the proctoring process. By enrolling in this course, you consent to the use of the proctoring software selected by your instructor, including but not limited to any audio and/or visual monitoring which may be recorded. Please contact your instructor with any questions.
Extra Credit Assignments
Extra credit assignments are available in this course, which mostly consist of Gleim quizzes accessed through a link from the course navigation, but may also consist of other opportunities that may be provided to the course by your instructor via course announcements or posted in the extra credit module.
Turnitin
This course includes at least one assignment that uses Turnitin. Additionally, the instructor reserves the right to have work submitted, either by students or by the instructor, through Turnitin for review prior to grading.
Honorlock
Honorlock will proctor your exams this semester. Honorlock is an online proctoring service that allows you to take your exam from the comfort of your home. You do not need to create an account or schedule an appointment in advance. Honorlock is available 24/7, and all that is required is a computer, a working webcam/microphone, your ID, and a stable internet connection. See How to Use Honorlock (Student Guide) for an example session.
To get started, you will need Google Chrome and download the Honorlock Chrome Extension.
When you are ready to complete your assessment during the scheduled exam window, log into Canvas, go to your course, select your proctored exam and “Take the Quiz” to start the process. Then read and accept terms, review exam rules, and run the system checks. Select "Launch Proctoring" to begin the Honorlock authentication process, where you will take a picture of yourself, show your ID, and complete a scan of your room. Honorlock will be recording your exam session through your webcam, microphone, and recording your screen. Honorlock also has an integrity algorithm that can detect search-engine use, so please do not attempt to search for answers, even if it's on a secondary device. Also note that you will need to disconnect any external display monitors during the exam and close out of all tabs and windows except for your exam.
Honorlock support is available 24/7/365. If you encounter any issues, you may contact them through live chat on the support page or within the exam itself. Some guides you should review are Honorlock MSRs, Student FAQ, Honorlock Knowledge Base, and How to Use Honorlock. You may also wish to review Penn State's knowledge base article on Honorlock. Good luck!
Course Schedule
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
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Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Academic Integrity
The instructor reserves the right to have work submitted, either by students or by the instructor, through Turnitin for review prior to grading. I make it clear in the assignment instructions if generative technology is appropriate for assignments (there are a few as this is a skill that you do need to develop). For these assignements, if you use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source with appropriate references. For all other aspects of this course, you may not use materials created by another person (e.g. Chegg) or by generative technology (e.g. ChatGPT). This is covered by the following academic integrity language.
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
Accommodating Disabilities
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.
In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Additional Policies
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
Counseling and Psychological Services
If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:
- Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
- Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
- At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
- At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.
Veterans and Military Personnel
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
Privacy Notice
In order to protect your privacy, course access is limited to those individuals who have direct responsibility for the quality of your educational experience. In addition to the instructor, a teaching assistant or college administrator may be provided access in order to ensure optimal faculty availability and access. World Campus technical staff may also be given access in order to resolve technical support issues.Student Responsibilities and Conduct
- Students are responsible for online course content, taking notes, obtaining other materials provided by the instructor, taking tests (if applicable), and completing assignments as scheduled by the instructor. As a general rule, students should plan on logging into the course at least three times per week and spending at least three hours per course credit per week on the course, e.g., if the course is three credits, the student should plan on spending at least 9-12 hours per week on the course, just as they would in a residence course.
- Students are responsible for keeping track of changes in the course syllabus made by the instructor throughout the semester.
- Students are responsible for monitoring their grades.
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Students must contact their instructor (and teammates when working on any collaborative learning assignments) as soon as possible if they anticipate missing long periods of online time due to events such as chronic illnesses, death in the family, business travel, or other appropriate events. The instructor will determine the minimal log on time and participation required in order to meet course responsibilities. In the event of other unforeseen conflicts, the instructor and student will arrive at a solution together.
- Requests for taking exams or submitting assignments after the due dates require documentation of events such as illness, family emergency, or a business-sanctioned activity.
- Conflicts with dates on which examinations or assignments are scheduled must be discussed with the instructor or TA prior to the date of the examination or assignment.
- Students are responsible for following appropriate netiquette (network etiquette) when communicating with their instructor and classmates. For reference, see the Academic Success Kit.
- Behaviors that disrupt other students’ learning are not acceptable and will be addressed by the instructor.
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For severe and chronic problems with student disruptive behavior, the following will be applied for resolution:
- Senate Committee on Student Life policy on managing classroom disruptions: Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
- Penn State Principles
Report Bias
Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage.
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.