ACCTFIN 7001 - Ethical Principles in Finance & Accounting

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2018

The purpose of this course is to focus on the context of the theoretical and empirical underpinning of professional ethics in finance and accounting. The course seeks to link theory and research to the practical application of ethical choices facing the finance and accounting professions. The conduct of stakeholders responsible for preparing and using financial information including moral dimensions and ethical aspects are interpreted through the application of various accounting and finance theories. This reinforces the role of finance and accounting professionals in a dynamic business environment and their significance to society in general. In accordance with various principle-based Association and Regulatory Codes of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, a number of contemporary business issues are examined to illustrate these concepts.

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Course Details

Course Code	ACCTFIN 7001
Course	Ethical Principles in Finance & Accounting
Coordinating Unit	Adelaide Business School
Term	Semester 1
Level	Postgraduate Coursework
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	N
Prerequisites	ACCTING 7019 & CORPFIN 7005
Assessment	Exam/assignments/tests/tutorial work as prescribed at the first lecture

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Peter Lennox

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Analyse, evaluate and critically reflect on various theoretical and practice based principles of morals and ethics.
2. Apply and explain ethical principles to the role of business in society including the reporting of financial information and the competing perspectives of the stakeholder and shareholder.
3. Demonstrate an ability to exercise professional judgement consistent with an organisations ethical values and corporate social responsibility.
4. Identify and discuss the application of professional body ethics and professional conduct standards to business decision-making and it's consequences in an ethical context.

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1 & 2
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	2, 3 & 4
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	3 & 4
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	3 & 4
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	1, 2, 3 & 4
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	3 & 4

Learning Resources

Required Resources

CFA Standards of Practice Handbook, 11th edition (2014)
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

No information currently available.

Workload

No information currently available.

Learning Activities Summary

No information currently available.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Class Test (Individual)          15%
Group Presentation and Peer Review (Group)     25%
Personal Reflection (Individual)        5%
Final Exam (Individual)            55%
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TOTAL      100%

Assessment Detail

Class Test (Individual)

In the earlier weeks of the semester there will be a 90 minute closed book test held in the lecture time. The Class test will consist of a combination of multiple-choice, true-false questions and fill in the blanks style questions.
Questions will be provided in the form of statements, scenarios and/or case studies of a nature similar to that included with the course topic materials.
Assessment will be based on the correctness of the response marked against an answer guide.

Group Presentation and Peer Review (Group)

After the mid-semester break students will undertake a presentation in assigned groups in their allocated tutorial class. The presentation will be based on a current event / scenario relevant to the course materials. Presentations will involve the preparation of a class handout together with power point slides delivered to the tutorial class. Questions will be asked of the presenting group in relation to their presentation including from the evaluation group.
Another group will be required to undertake an evaluation of the presentation and to submit a report based on a set of criteria.

Personal Reflection (Individual)

All group members of a presentation / peer review group will be required to individually submit a brief reflection outlining their experiences in working in a group environment and outlinign their contribution to the group outputs.

Final Exam (Individual)

A final exam will be held at the end of the semester and will will consist of a combination of multiple-choice, true-false questions and fill in the blanks style questions together with open-ended discussion / problem based questions.
Assessment will be based on the correctness of the response marked against an answer guide.

Submission

No information currently available.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator