Writing for Accounting (107A)

Enroll Code: 49528

Instructor:
Office:
Office Hours:
E-mail Address:

Syllabus: Winter 2016

Monday/Wednesday 11:00 - 12:15 pm

PHELPS 1530

Jennifer K. Johnson
Girvetz 1318
Tuesday 5:00-5:50 and by appointment
jjohnson@writing.ucsb.edu

Course Description
This is a course in professional writing, developed in close collaboration with Professor Coby Harmon,
primarily for accounting students.
Within the accounting discipline, several major studies have urged a broadening of the discipline from
mere collecting and reporting of financial data, to analytic and even persuasive communication of
information.1 According to a 1998 AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) report,
Effective communication...is particularly important to CPAs because accounting consists not only
of the identification, accumulation, and analysis of information, but also the communication of that
information to others (p. 10). It is our intention that this course will focus on building skills for that
translation of accounting issues into broadly-comprehensible information.
We will focus on appropriate strategies, style and format used in various types of professional business
writing done by accountants. Important aspects of written communication such as audience, visual
design, word choice, effective sentence structure, professional format, planning and revising will be
stressed. Particular emphasis will be placed on organization and developing written statements of
purpose. Also, techniques of effective oral presentation will be taught and practiced, including using
presentation software (MS PowerPoint) to augment oral communication. The course and its
assignments will provide an opportunity for students to explore current key issues in the accounting
profession through conducting both primary and secondary research.
Collaborative writing. Within business, much writing is done as a collaborative effort involving two or
more persons of diverse responsibilities and talents. It is important that you learn to work effectively on
a team, in planning, researching, writing, editing and presenting a common product. Principles of
effective project management will be taught and practiced. Also, it is important to evaluate performance
(your own and that of your team members), so you will have that opportunity as well.

Course Texts
Textbooks:

Effective Writing: A Handbook for Accountants by Claire and

Gordon May (10th ed). (Campus and IV Bookstores)

Guidebook

Career Placement Manual. By UCSB Counseling and Career Services. Available

at the CCS Office. Its FREE!

Course Reader

Writing 107A Course Reader (Available at The Alternative Copy Center in the
U-Cen) 805-699-6342

AICPA, Education Requirements for Entry into the Accounting Profession, 1998; Perspectives on Education: Capabilities
for Success in the Accounting Profession. Arthur Andersen & Company, et al., 1989. AICPA, Definition of Writing
Skills,1990.

Course Policies
Plagiarism. Plagiarism is stealing. It is the copying of a part, or the whole, of another persons work
while promoting this text as if you created it. Avoid plagiarism by acknowledging
(documenting, using a method taught in this course) the author or source of that idea or text.
Plagiarism may jeopardize a students entire career. Consequences include immediate failure
of the assignment--and possibly the course--as well as disciplinary action by the University.
Attendance Policy. This is not a lecture course. Each day there will be activities that are designed to
meet the course objectives. You need to attend class regularly, be on time, and be prepared to
participate, in order to do well in the course.
Grades. Your final grade will be determined by the following:
Papers, Presentations, Activities for 107A
Individual / Group
1.
Email Requesting Informational Interview, with questions 10% Individual
2.
Resume and Cover Letter
10% Individual
3.
Response to Client Letter
15% Individual
4a.
Research Report (written)
25% Group
4b.
Oral Presentation of Research
15% Individual
5.
Interview Findings Memo
10% Individual
Participation/Team Feedback Memo/Attendance
15% Individual
Final grades in the course will be on a plus/minus scale, as following:
97% - 100% = A+
87% - 90% = B+
77% - 80% = C+
67% - 70% = D+
94% - 97% = A
84% - 87% = B
74% - 77% = C
64% - 67% = D
90% - 94% = A80% - 84% = B70% - 74% = C60% - 64% = DYou must use MS Word for all graded assignments. Besides basic formatting in Word, you must be able
to use the header/footer feature, apply page-numbering, insert graphics, and create tables and charts.
Finally, you must use PowerPoint to support your final group presentation (Assignment 4b).
Extra Assistance: We want you to succeed in learning! If you experience difficulty in this course,
please talk with me. Additional services are available to you through Student Services Division:
1. Campus Learning Assistance Service (893-3269)
2. Counseling & Career Services (893-4411)
3. Disabled Students Program (DSP) (893-2668)

www.clas.ucsb.edu
www.counseling.ucsb.edu
www.sa.ucsb.edu/dsp

Date
Week 1
Tuesday
Jan. 5

Thursday
Jan. 7

Week 2
Tuesday
Jan. 12

Thursday
Jan. 14

Week 3
Tuesday
Jan. 19

Thursday
Jan. 21

Week 4
Tuesday
Jan. 26

Thursday
Jan. 28

Week 5
Tuesday

Topics During Class

Assignments After Class

Course Overview;
Introductions

Read: May: Chapter 1

Skim: Are They Really Ready to Work?
on Gauchospace
Write: Writing Sample (Self-Intro Memo)
Purchase: Course Reader and Textbooks

DUE: Writing Sample

Writing for the Workplace;
Business Letters, Memos,
and E-mail

Read: May: Chapters 2 and 12

Reader-Centered Writing;
Tone; Informational
Interviewing

Prepare & Write: Assignment #1 Draft:

bring to class for review
Read: May: Chapter 6

Document Design; Peer

Review of
Assignment #1

Write: Final Version of Assignment #1

Read: May: Chapters 4 & 5

DUE: Assignment #1;

Career Services: Resume
Writing at Career
Services

Write: Final Version of Assignment #1

Read: May: Chapters 9 and14
Skim: Career & Counseling Guide
Write: Draft Assignment #2 for Review in
Class Thursday

Letters; Establish Groups;

Peer Review of Assignment
#2

Skim: Ethos and Errors Article

Conduct: Preliminary Research for
Assignment #4
Write: Final Version of Assignment #2

DUE: Assignment #2
Library: Meet at
Information Desk or in
Library Room 1575

Read: May: Chapter 8

Conduct: Database Research for
Assignment #4a

Research Methods,
including citation and use of
quotation, Group Work

Read: May: Chapter 11

Grammar Review

Read: May: Chapters 3 and 7

Purpose Statements;
Organization, Relevance
and Reliability

Write: Draft Assignment #3 for Review in

Class Monday
Read: Chapter 16

Feb. 2

Thursday
Feb. 4

Date
Week 6
Tuesday
Feb. 9

Thursday

Topics During Class

Assignments After Class

Principles of Oral
Communic
ation; Peer
Review of
Draft #3

Write: Revise Assignment #3

Feb. 11

Style Review

Week 7
Tuesday
Feb. 16

Thursday
Feb. 18

Week 8
Tuesday
Feb. 23

Thursday
Feb. 25

Week 9
Tuesday
March 1

DUE: Assignment #3
Team Meetings/Research
Sharing

Write: Outline for Assignment #4a

Develop: Work Plan for Assignment #4a

DUE: Outline for #4a

Team Meetings with
Instructor

Complete: Research for assignment #4a

Read: May: Chapter 10

Memo writing and memo

format, Style Workshop

Write: Draft of Assignment #4a

PowerPoint Preparation for

Oral
Presentation

Write: Draft of Assignment #5

Final editing session; Peer

review of
Assignment #5

Prepare for presentations

Write: Final Version of Assignment #4a
Write: Final Version of Assignment #5

Thursday
March 3

Week 10
Tuesday

Team Oral Presentation (2)

DUE: Assignment #4a;
DUE: Assignment #5

March 10

Prepare for presentations

Prepare Team Evaluation Feedback
Forms

Team Oral Presentation (2)

Prepare Team Evaluation Feedback

Forms

Team Oral Presentation (1)

Last Day of Class!
Course summary and
evaluation

Have a Great Spring Break!

March 8

Thursday

Finalize: Assignment #3
Write: Outline for Assignment #4a
Develop: Work Plan for Assignment #4a