Yesterday the U.S. Senate passed some major reforms to the U.S. patent laws that President Obama has said he will sign next week. Among the major changes are that “first to file” will replace the current “first to invent” recognition. CNN has a report about the revisons; many other news sources are reporting on it too.
Author: rormsby
AAA-FASB Codification now working
Access to the FASB Codification from the AAA and FASB, available to Baruch accountancy students and faculty, is working again. Students should receive the passwords and login information from their professors. If for some reason they don’t have this information, the Codification is available through CCH Accounting Research Manager. CCH Accounting Research Manager is available to all Baruch faculty, students and staff.
Problem with FASB Codification access–suggest CCH Accounting Research Manager
There seems to be a problem with the password and login information for accounting students logging into the FASB Codification. I have contacted the accountancy professor about this. (I did a workshop Tuesday for the class that has an assignment.)
While this special access is being resolved, students have access to the FASB Codification through CCH Accounting Research Manager. They can learn more through this LibGuide: http://guides.newman.baruch.cuny.edu/fasbcodification.
Additional information: to citation for an article assigned for a POL 2001 or 2240 class
I tried to help a student find an article with the following title, which her syllabus said
was in Scientific American, Nov./Dec. 2009, and by Stanovic. I learned it was published in Scientific American Mind, and the author is Stanovich. It is available full text through several Newman databases–Academic Search Complete and Masterfile Premier.
Here’s the citation information from Academic Search Complete
RATIONAL AND IRRATIONAL THOUGHT: THE THINKING THAT IQ TESTS MISS.Full Text Available By: Stanovich, Keith E.. Scientific American Mind, Nov/Dec2009, Vol. 20 Issue 6, p34-39, 6p, 5 Color Photographs
Graphing calculators have been distributed
We learned a few minutes ago that the 400 graphing calculators have been distributed.
Graduate Students computers now on 2nd floor
While I was on the reference desk 4-6 BCTC told me that they had completed their work on relocating the graduate student computers to the second floor. I appears that they are on in the tables located at 4A. BCTC put up a sign,Graduate Computer Workstations, which apparently was used previously because it refers to the computers being located on the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors. Early in my reference desk shift some grad students wondered about the removal of the computers from the floors.
Accounting assignment involving revenue recognition
I’ve learned that there have been several inquiries at the reference desk relating to a revenue recognition assignment (2 pages) for an accounting class. Apparently they need to locate three companies in the same industry and make some comparisons.
Based on this limited information, and a student’s comment that he had an hour to locate the information, I would make the following suggestions:
Revenue recognition is a very broad topic.
The SEC has a topical index of revenue recognition issues at:
http://www.sec.gov/interps/account/sabcodet13.htm
To quickly identify three companies in the same industry with some revenue recognition problems (which would likely provide something to write about), I would suggest:
Go to the Audit Analytics Database
Select restatements in the right column and a text search.
Then, select an industry from choices available in the Industry box.
(If a company has had to restate their earnings, it’s usually a news making event.)
Restatements can occur for many reasons. All four of these options in Audit Analytics
include revenue recognition as a choice, so the student can select the choice(s) the student wants. The results can be downloaded and the three companies selected.
Databases such as Factiva, Business Source Complete, ABI Inform Global may have specific articles about the companies identified. Edgar Online I-Metrix, Metrix, and other resources can be selected for keyword searching of SEC filings relating to revenue recognition by the companies.
Another possible search is on Factiva, limiting the search to specific industries, geographically to the the U.S. and the subject Commodities, Financial Market news, and a specific time period and doing a keyword search like (revenue recognition) and (FASB or SEC), and news articles for companies in the same industry will be retrieved.
The “gift card” assignment that some students have had in the past would be an example of a revenue recognition issue. Searching ABI Inform Global for “gift cards” and “revenue recognition” brings up 14 articles, some which mention specific companies.
Since most retail companies have some form of gift cards, or customer loyalty programs, it would be easy to identify three retail companies and search their SEC filings as to how they account for them.
I hope that this information is helpful.
PAF 9318 problems with e-reserve readings
Two students complained that two readings on e-reserve are too small to read. The articles were reduced to 75% and the students also said they are older and don’t have young eyes. I am going to ask Access services to redo the readings. The first, by Jonathan Kozol, from the Dec. 2005 issue of Phi Delta Kappan, Confections of Apartheid, is available through JSTOR and some of our other databases. The second, a chapter in Deborah Stone’s book, Policy Paradox: The art of political decision making, may be available in the 1997 edition of the book, of which we have two copies. The 2002 edition is currently in transit.
Rita
Re: New wireless network
Randy asked that this message from Arthur Downing be posted:
The new wireless network is now operational in both the Newman Vertical Campus and the Library/Technology Building.
Please direct students, faculty, and staff to use only the service named “Baruch WiFi” in these 2 buildings. This is important because a device may default to one of the former wireless network names.
To help with the transition, the service named “Baruch – Student” will not be removed until July 15, but students can already start to use “Baruch WiFi”.
Guest accounts that are issued in the library will allow guests to log into “Baruch WiFi”. Please do not refer library users to the “Baruch – Guest” network at this time.
Wireless project page: http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/bctc/wireless_upgrade.htm
vendor printer needs toner
I have reported that the vendor printer needs toner. A user said it was low on Thursday and asked that something be done.