Forensic Accounting Expert W=
itness
Testimony & Computer Litigation Support (FAEWTCLS) Course Syllabus
Instructor: Avi Rushin= ek &= nbsp; arushine@aol.com (305)666-7890
= ; = Office Hours: M,W, 4:00-5:25 and by appt.
Course Overview
This course will provide s= tudents with an overview of the field of Forensic Accounting. Specifically this course will cove= r the following areas:
The objective of the course is to impart a detailed understanding of forensic accounting with particular emphasis on the methodologies of financial statement fraud. The course is designed to demonstr= ate the various aspects of fraud, i.e., fraudulent financial reporting, identif= ying fraud schemes, including computer fraud and methods of concealment, as well= as the analytical techniques in uncovering fraud and its prevention through effective internal control systems. The course also includes an analysis of the general techniques used = in working in litigation support services.&nb= sp; The course is of particular interest to the accounting profession, t= he world of finance and to business in general. The course content has also become= of critical interest to regulators and lawmakers because of the notoriety of a series of recent financial scandals which have affected the entire business community.
Certain high-profile fraudul= ent cases have heightened the public’s awareness of fraud. Everyone invol= ved in a company—from top management, to audit committees, to the internal and external audit teams—has been put on notice that the public deman= ds increased accountability and vigilance in corporate governance. In audits conducted according to generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS), or the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), audit t= eams are charged with the duty of giving reasonable assurance that their client’s financial statements are free of material misstatement (whet= her caused by error or fraud). The forensic accountant, with the proper educati= on, training, and experience, can provide additional support to financial state= ment audit teams in this endeavor.
In this program, Forensic Accounting, we will focus on the basic elements of forensic accounting. The program will define forensic accounting and how it differs from traditional accounting. Through real cases, it will illustrate how fraud can occur undetected for a period of time, as well as identify key elements in prevention, detection and deterrence of fraud.
The course will review the new institutional struct= ures that have been put in place recently by lawmakers and the accounting profes= sion to deal with fraud and its prevention, i.e., the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and self-regulating measures adopted by the accounting profession.
Forensic Accounting encomp= asses the process of auditing to recognize and investigate financial fraud occurr= ing in an organization. There is a growing need among law enforcement professionals, small business owners, and department managers to better understand basic forensic accounting principles, how different types of fra= ud occur, and how to investigate a fraud that is detected in a way that maximizes the chances of successful prosecution of the perpetrator. T= his book is broken down into 2 parts to provide a thorough grounding in all pha= ses of forensic accounting and fraud investigation: Part One: Fraud and Forensic Accounting Overview Part Two: Financial Crime Investigation
· &nb= sp; The roles, responsibilities, and requirement= s of a forensic accountant in both litigation and fraud engagements
· Basic litigation and fraud examination theor= y
· Identification of financial fraud schemes
· The legal framework for damages and fraud
· Damage Assessments and Methodologies
· Earnings Management and Financial Reporting Fraud
· Computer Forensics
· Corporate Governance & Ethics
Actual litigation and frau= d cases will be discussed to highlight the evolving roles of forensic accountants.<= /p>
Required Materials:
Silverstone, "Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigation for Non-Experts", 2 Ed, 294 Pages, $49.95 Wiley, LC card number 2006015452, 11-Oct-06, ISBN10 0471784877 ISBN13 9780471784876
Optional Materials:
§
Financial Investigation and Forensic Accounting<=
/span>, George =
A.
Manning, CRC Press, Bacon Raton FL, 2000. ISBN: 0-8493-0435-0
§
The New Forensics: Investigating Corporate Fraud=
and
the Theft of Intellectual Property, Joe Anastasi, New York, John
Wiley, 2003. ISBN: 0-471-2699=
4-8
§
Harvard Business School Case Numbers HBS-1, HBS-=
2,
HBS-3 available via the world wide web
§
Fraud Examination W. Steve Albrecht, et. al Thomson South-Wester=
n, March
2008, ISBN-13: 9780324560848, Sales Rank: 133,185, 671pp, Edition Number: 3=
§
Forensic Accounting, Jan Colbert, Bisk Education, Inc 800-404-7438
§
Access to items placed on reserve in the Library
drawn from the popular press
- Method of Instruction:
- This course will use a variety of teaching methods including lectures, readings, case assignments and discussion, and statement analysis.
- Grading = Policy:
- Your course grade will reflect the following emphases:
- = ; &n= bsp; = ; Class assignments and participation &nb= sp; = 20%
- = ; &n= bsp; = ; Mid-term examination &nb= sp; = &n= bsp; 40%
- = ; &n= bsp; = ; Final examination &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; = 40%
§
There are no make up=
exams
and all briefing papers are due within 5 minutes of the start of the class =
in
which they are to be collected.
Electronically transmitted papers are not accepted.
Learning
Objectives
Ability to identify the role= s and responsibilities of a forensic accountant
§§§§ Understand
issues of ethics as related to corporate governance
§ of financial statements in search = of fraud and/or accounting abuse
§
Week #: Chapter #
Week 1 Chapter 1
Fraud in Society. What =
Is
Fraud? Types of Fraud.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> What The Numbers Tell Us Abo=
ut
Fraud. The Social Conse=
quences
of Economic Crime. Sugg=
ested
Readings.
Week 2 Chapter 2
Understanding The Basics Of Financial Accounting. Introduction. The Five Accounting Cycles.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Journals. Tying the Thread. Suggested Readings.
Week 3 Chapter 3
the Entities. Proprieto=
rships. Partnerships. Corporations. Business Enterprises in the =
Global
Environment. Suggested
Readings.
Week 4 Chapter 4
Fundamental Principles of Analysis. &=
nbsp;
Good Analysis =3D Due Diligence? Why Do It? Other Factors to Consider.
Week 5 Chapter 5
the Role of the Accounting Professional. The Importance of Accounting
Professionals in the Investigation. &=
nbsp;
The Audit Process.
Internal Controls.
Part Ii Financial Crime Investigation.
Week 6 Chapter 6
Business as A Victim.
Introduction. Em=
ployee
Thefts. Payroll Fraud.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Fraudulent Billing Schemes.<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Fraud Committed By Outsiders=
. Management Thefts. Corporate Thefts. Identity Theft. Suggested Readings.
Week 7 &=
nbsp; Midterm
Review & Exam
Week 8 Chapter 7
Business Villains.
Introduction.
Organized Crime and Business. =
Money Laundering.
Conclusion. Sugg=
ested
Readings.
Week 9 Chapter 8
the Investigative Process.
Introduction. Ca=
se
Initiation. Case Evalua=
tion. Goal Setting and Planning.
Week 10 &=
nbsp; Chapter 9 Interviewing Financially Sophisti=
cated
Witnesses. Introduction=
. The Interview. Interviewing Financially
Sophisticated Witnesses.
Conclusion.
Week 12 &=
nbsp;
Chapter 11 Analysis Tools for
Investigators.
Introduction. Wh=
y Use
Analysis Tools At All?
Associational Analysis.
Temporal Analysis.
Conclusion. Sugg=
ested
Readings.
Week 13 &=
nbsp;
Chapter 12 Inferential Analysis. Introduction. How Inferential Analysis
Helps. What Is An Infer=
ence
Network? Investigative
Inference Analysis. The=
Key
List. Constructing an
Investigative Inference Chart.
Plotting the Chart.
Some Tips for Charting Success. Applying the Chart to the
Investigative Process.
Conclusion. Sugg=
ested
Readings.
Week 14 &=
nbsp;
Chapter 13 Documenting And Presentin=
g the
Case. Introduction. Creating a System. The Casebook System. Report Writing. Testifying As a Financial Ex=
pert. Conclusion. Suggested Readings.
Week 15 &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; Final
Review & Exam
This course can start as of = a single course in the undergraduate and graduate accounting program. It can further develop into a comp= lete major in an undergraduate program, as well as a concentration in a Master of Accountancy program and a certificate program at the graduate level. It can also be a CPE workshop. Attendees will have the opportunity= to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each approach with educators and practitioners who have been involved in the implementation of such programs= and practices.
Notes:
Forensic Account= ing Expert Witness Testimony & Computer Litigation Support
Level: &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Undergraduate and/or Graduate
Course
Name:
Credit
Hours: &=
nbsp; 3
Reason
for Offering This Course:
The increased complexity of<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> business coupled with advent of new technologies have created an environment where professionals need some background in forensic accounting to better understand their organizations = and themselves. Recent inte= rest has been fueled by well publicized scandals major corporations in the U.S. = and abroad. This course may= be included in a proposed credential in this important and growing area of interest to professionals.
Assessment
Procedure (how will the success of the learning objectives be assessed):
Class assignments, c=
ase
analysis, inclusion of examples from the students’ workplace, and exa=
ms.
Frequency
of offering the course:
Course will be offered once =
every year.
Suggested
maximum class size:
Consistent with other course=
s in the
School of Business, an expected minimum enrollment of 15 will be required to
justify offering the course; enrollment will be capped at 20 students per
section.
Staff
qualified to teach the course:
Full-time: Members of the accounting facu=
lty
have developed various sections of this proposed course based on their own
experience, training, and interest levels.=
While we don’t anticipate full-time faculty assigned this cour=
se
to teach, several have backgrounds adequate in this specialized area. A more likely outcome would =
be to
team teach the course pairing in some way a full-time faculty member with a
member of the local professional community.
Part-time:
Members of the accounting faculty have developed various sections of th=
is
proposed course based on their own experience, training, and interest
levels. While we don’t
anticipate full-time faculty assigned this course to teach, several have
backgrounds adequate in this specialized area. A more likely outcome would =
be to
team teach the course pairing in some way a full-time faculty member with a
member of the local professional community.
Prerequisites:
Introduction to ac=
counting
and computing or course equivalent, or permission of Chair, Dept. of Accoun=
ting
and Management Information Systems
Is
course required?
Course will exist =
as an
elective in the M.B.A. program open to all interested students meeting
prerequisites
Lab
Fees (if any, give amount):
None
Grading
Options:
Students permitted=
to
elect grading options open to all University students.
Can
the student repeat for credit?
No
Concurrent
Enrollment
Students permitted=
to
enroll in other courses, prior fulfillment of prerequisite requirement
necessary.
Materials
required for student purchase:
Equivalent to other courses = in M.B.A. program normally including textbooks, notebooks, cases.
Relationship
of course to other courses or departments, if applicable:
Conceptually, forensic accou= nting tools are applicable to other disciplines including management, finance, law and legal studies, and human resources.&nb= sp; Enrollment in these courses is open to any graduate or law student w= ho meets the prerequisites above.
The topics in Forensic Accou= nting are related to all graduate business courses with the exception of technica= lly oriented courses in finance and management information systems. While related, faculty in the other disciplines, via their approval of this course proposal, have been ma= de aware of this new course and relied on existing coverage of related topics = in their own courses in this subject area. Forensic Accounting may be taken as= a graduate level accounting elective by some students in the M.S. in Accounti= ng and by some students in the M.S. in Business/Finance program at the discretion = of their program advisors.
Relationship
to career of professional aspirations of the student:
Forensic Accounting, in conj= unction with other related courses, will provide for career advancement by encourag= ing the student to focus on a specialized niche. Additionally, Forensic Accounting = will fulfill continuing professional education requirements for practicing CPA’s who wish to maintain currency in their credential.
Library
consulted for adequacy of resources:
Faculty conducted searches o= f the library’s holdings and current subscriptions and determined that the resources currently available are adequate when supplemented with materials available online, provided by textbook publishers, available from professio= nal organizations, or created by faculty for instructional purposes.
Additional topics to be cove= red include:
http://aaahq.org/AM2008/cpe/= cpe02.htm
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