After completing this course, students should be able to:

• Identify, distinguish and address both personal and professional moral, ethical and illegal issues which could have both an effect on you as a person as well as a professional and have an affect on you, your professional carrier, your profession, your business and more importantly on your family.
• Describe the ethical standards expected from you from the various professional organizations such as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Institute of Management Accountants, and other professional business organizations.
• Explain your understanding of the various professional ethical codes of conduct, thus enabling you to analyze and address ethical issues which you may confront in your professional life.
• Determine when an ethical dilemma and unethical conduct could cause you to lose your job and/or your professional standing.
• Determine when you will require professional legal assistance to confront an ethical dilemma.

ACCT 411 will exam the moral, ethical, and legal issues that are found in the some business environments. With the advent of today's World Com's, Enron's, Ford's, Firestone's, as well as the mutual funds scandals and the tobacco industries disastrous legal/ethical failures, a greater and more in depth study of the legal, moral and ethical issues facing the business environment is becoming more important than ever for the new professional entering the both the public and private sectors of the economy.

The course with take actual historical and recent cases where the courts have either determined that, (or are considering whether), the company's conduct or the conduct of individuals' within the company were illegal and/or legally liable to the plaintiff (s). These cases will be reviewed, analyzed, and finally determine what type(s) of conduct was (were) found by the courts to be illegal and/or cause the companies (and/or individuals) to become legally liable to the plaintiff(s). In addition, what conduct by individuals was considered to be unethical the professional organizations. The ethical part of the course will concentrate on identifying the types of unethical conduct which professional organizations have been prosecuting and will continue to prosecute in the future. Extensive class discussions will be held on what types of conduct is immoral, unethical, and/or illegal as they relate to each of the cases being analyzed. Further, subjects such as integrity, objectivity, independence, and due care will also be discussed sat length in conjunction with the ethical considerations including methods that could be used to avoid being involved in unethical behavior. A review, analysis, and discussion by the class will also be held to arrive at the types of conduct that is considered to be objective and independent, thereby leading the professional person to conduct himself/herself in a manner that will distinguish that person to have personal and professional integrity.

Instructors may also add faculty policies on late assignments, attendance, and extra credit.
A = 90-100%; B = 80-89%; C = 70-79%; D = 60-69; F = Below 60%

The Course will be computed on a weighted average of:

Oral Presentations: 30%
Participation:  30%
Written assignment(s): 40%

The instructor will assign a written research term paper relevant to the ethical issues studied and discussed in class.  Said term paper will be turned in at the end of the term.  The body will contain no less than fifteen (15) typed pages, double spaced, using number 12 font and no more than twenty (20) footnotes, and it will also include a page for each of the following: title page, table of contents, and bibliography. Please follow Modern Language Association (MLA) style rules.

The paper will be graded proportionately on the basis of (1) content; (2) grammar, spelling, and continuity; (3) use of citations within the paper; and (4) appropriate authoritative sources. Regarding content, does your paper deal with a significant question in governmental or not-for-profit accounting? For example, how do the standards proposed by the GASB for governments correspond to those set down by the FASB for not-for-profit organizations?

The content of the paper cannot be communicated without correct grammar and spelling. Continuity, the easy and logical flow from one idea to another, enables readers to understand the writer's argument.

Citations, correctly presented according to MLA rules, are important to give due credit to the originator of a particular idea. Finally, to assure that those you cite are recognized by their peers and not simply people self-publishing their random remarks on the Internet, be sure to use professional literature as your sources of information. For example, you may want to use the The Journal of Accountancy published by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

SESSION  #1
Introduction
View movie "Class Action"

Homework: Read and be prepared to make an oral presentation on the Standard Code of Conduct for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and case material on Grimshaw v. Ford Motor Co.  Also be prepared to make an oral presentation on the moral and illegal conduct found in the movie and case.

SESSION #2
Class discussion on the movie based on the AICPA' Standard Code of Conduct as it relates to the movie "Class Action and the case study Grimshaw v. Ford Motor Co, (the Pinto Ford Case), including all moral and illegal issues found in the case.

Homework: Read and prepare to make an oral presentation the code of ethical conduct by the Institute of Management Accountants. Also be prepared to make an oral presentation on the moral and illegal conduct found in the movie and case.

SESSION #3
Class discussion of the differences between the AICPA and IMA' codes of conduct and why there is a difference between them.  Relate the difference in ethical and unethical conduct as to the movie and case discussed previously including all moral and illegal issues found in the case.

Homework: Read and prepared to make oral presentation the case material on the tobacco industry. Also be prepared to make an oral presentation on the moral and illegal conduct found in the case.

SESSION #4
Class discussion of the differences between the AICPA and IMA' codes of conduct they relate to the tobacco industry case including all moral and illegal issues found in the case.

Homework: Read and be prepared to make an oral presentation on the case material on the charges being presented on the Enron Company; the Texas energy company that went bankrupt. Also be prepared to make an oral presentation on the moral and illegal conduct found in these case.

SESSION #5
Class discussion of the differences between the AICPA and IMA' codes of conduct they relate to the Enron case including all moral and illegal issues found in the case.

Homework: Read and be prepared to make an oral presentation on the case material on the charges being presented on the Worldcom case. Also be prepared to make an oral presentation on the moral and illegal conduct found in these case.

SESSION #6
Class discussion of the differences between the AICPA and IMA' codes of conduct they relate to the Worldcom case including all moral and illegal issues found in the case.

Homework: none

SESSION #7
Presentation of movie "Wall Street"

Homework: Be prepared to make an oral presentation on the unethical issues being presented by the movie "Wall Street". Also be prepared to make an oral presentation on all of the ethical, moral and illegal conduct not only found in this case but an overall summary of these issues presented in the movies and case materials presented in class to date.

SESSION #8
Class discussion of the code of conduct portrayed in the move case including a summary of all of the ethical, moral and illegal issues not only in this movie but all of the cases and materials read and discussed in class to date.

Homework: Read and be prepared to make an oral presentation on the case and materials on the Firestone and Ford Motor Co. (Bronco) case and materials. Also be prepared to make an oral presentation on the moral and illegal conduct found in these case.

SESSION #9
Class discussion of the differences between the AICPA and IMA' codes of conduct they relate to the Firestone and Ford Motor Co. (Bronco) case including all moral and illegal issues found in the case.

Homework: Read and be prepared to make an oral presentation on the case and materials on the charges being presented on the Mutual Fund cases such as the charges brought against the Putnam Investment Co. Also be prepared to make an oral presentation on the moral and illegal conduct found in these case.

SESSION #10
Class discussion of the differences between the AICPA and IMA' codes of conduct as they relate to the Mutual Fund cases and materials including all moral and illegal issues found in such cases.

SESSION #11
TBA

SESSION #12
Class discussion on the role of Professional Associations, as they relate to influencing ethical conduct in the public and private arena.

SESSION #13

Homework: Read the Federal law known as the "Whistle Blower" Protection Law. (There may be some case materials on this case as well.)

SESSION #14
Presentation of the movie: "The Insider."

SESSION #15
Class discussion of the differences between the AICPA and IMA' codes of conduct they relate to the movie "The Insider" the law and case materials including all moral and illegal issues found in the case.

SESSION #16
Review of the course and Term Papers are due to be turned in.