Kathy Baughman

Color portrait of Kathy Baughman

Associate Teaching Professor

Department Accounting

Email Address krd102@psu.edu

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Courses Taught

ACCTG 211 – Fin Mgl Acc Dec Mk (4)
Introduction to the role of accounting numbers in the process of managing a business and in investor decision making. ACCTG 211 Financial and Managerial Accounting for Decision Making (4)The objective of this course is to introduce students to the discipline of accounting through an introduction to two of accounting's sub-disciplines, financial and managerial accounting. The more specific purpose is to provide students a basic understanding of the role of financial and managerial accounting information in the decisions of capital market participants external to a business enterprise (e.g., stockholders, banks, financial analysts, prospective stockholders), and in the decisions of those who manage business enterprises. Accounting information has an important role in the resource allocation process in our socio-economic system as a whole, as well as in each individual business enterprise. This course provides students an understanding of (1) the nature of the accounting function, and (2) how the information in accounting reports are used by various decision makers in their resource allocation decisions. In this course students will develop an understanding of (a) the five activity dimensions of accounting (the collection, recording, analysis, interpretation and reporting of information to decision makers for (mainly) their investment decisions), (b) the issues surrounding the five activity dimensions, (c) the environment in which accounting is practiced, and (d) what information is used in a number of specific decision situations, and how such information is used in such decision situations. The analysis, interpretation and decision-making orientation of this course includes a study of the procedural (mechanical and processing) aspects of the recording activity dimension which is an important means to the end --where the end is the analysis and interpretation of the information, and the reports produced by the recording/processing part of accounting. Through this focus on the recording activity dimension, students will obtain an understanding of (a) the nature and quality (strengths and weaknesses) of accounting information, (b) how to proceed in analyzing and interpreting accounting information, and (c) numerous other aspects of financial and managerial accounting. This course is an important background course for all business majors, as well as for numerous non-business majors.

ACCTG 471 – Int Fin Acctg I (3)
Theory and practice issues in income concepts and value measurement; GAAP; revenues, costs, assets, liabilities, and equities. ACCTG 471 Intermediate Accounting I (3) This course provides students with an understanding of generally accepted accounting principles and procedures so that they properly account for and present information in financial statements prepared for external users. The student should acquire a complete understanding of the accounting issues relating to cash, receivables, inventory, plant assets, natural resources, and intangibles. The student should be able to evaluate alternative accounting methods and choose the methods which will best convey the financial information related to the above areas. The student should be able to apply appropriate generally accepted accounting principles and procedures to account for transactions related to the above asset areas. The student should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the transaction analysis, recording, classification, summarization, and reporting procedures in the accounting cycle, and an understanding of the information contained in the financial statements. Finally, student should be able to demonstrate written communication skills required of accountants.

ACCTG 404 – Managerial Acctg (33)
Accounting techniques as planning, control, and motivating devices in business and other organizations; accounting data for decision making and performance evaluation. ACCTG 404 Managerial Accounting (3) This course emphasizes the use of accounting information for internal purposes as opposed to the external disclosure focus of the financial accounting course. The cost covers the vocabulary and mechanics of cost accounting and the design of management accounting systems for planning and controlling operations, and for motivating personnel. The course integrates accounting with ideas from data analysis, decision analysis, finance, microeconomics, and operations management. The themes stressed throughout the course will be the notion that information is costly; the circumstances that necessitate cost allocation, the idea that different costs and different allocation schemes apply for different purposes; and fundamentals of incentive and compensation plans. Among the topics covered are cost behavior, cost-volume analysis, relevant costs, and the use of cost information for decision making. The course will rely on lectures and discussion of case studies.

ACCTG 472 – Int Fin Acctg II (3)
Off-balance-sheet financing; special issues in cost capitalization, liabilities, and equities; matching; funds flow statements; statement analysis; inflation accounting.

Honors and Awards