The E.J. Ourso College of Business Administration will begin offering Accounting 2000 again in the fall semester.
Accounting 2000 was designed to be an accounting alternative for non-business majors, while Accounting 2001 was designed for business majors and is an intensive course.
“This course has been developed specifically for non-business majors, that it is a true survey course more appropriate for students not majoring in business,” said Jodi Thorp, adviser in the College of Business Administration, in an e-mail to college advisers.
Accounting 2001 is required for business majors and business minors. Many majors, including mass communication and agriculture, also require either Accounting 2000 or Accounting 2001.
The University General Catalog advises students in non-business curricula to enroll in Accounting 2000 if they are given the option of Accounting 2000 or Accounting 2001, unless they plan to pursue a business degree later.
There are no prerequisites for Accounting 2000 and credit will not be offered for both it and Accounting 2001.
Non-business majors currently enrolled in Accounting 2001 will not benefit from this change.
“There is no criteria that we have that would allow a retroactive drop,” said Helen Taylor, assistant dean in the Manship School of Mass Communication.
A retroactive drop usually is granted in cases where a student has never attended a class in which he or she is enrolled or is incapacitated on the drop date and unable to drop a particular class. All students who drop Accounting 2001 will receive a ‘W’ until April 12, when they will be forced to keep their grade in the course. The final day to drop a class without receiving a “W” was Jan. 27.
Taylor said she cannot recall a situation similar to this in the past and said Accounting 2001 offers more information than mass communication majors need. She said these factors should be considered, but the office of Academic Affairs had to approve changes in the criteria.
Karen Denby, assistant vice chancellor of Academic Affairs, said it was a non-issue for students currently enrolled in Accounting 2001 because the class will still count toward their major.
She said retroactively dropping the course will not be an option and students who are no longer interested in taking Accounting 2001 can drop the class with a “W.”
Many students enrolled in Accounting 2001 were apathetic to the situation, as they already are enrolled in the class and do not stand to benefit from the reintroduction of Accounting 2000.
“I’m planning to get a business minor anyway,” said Brad Richard, a mechanical engineering sophomore. “It’s not a total loss.”
Kelly Nicolini, a chemical engineering senior, said compared to her other classes, Accounting 2001 was the least of her worries.
“This is easy,” Nicolini said.
Some students were not as happy.
“It’s upsetting that they did not tell us before the semester started,” said Daci Spielberger, a mass communication sophomore.
Currently, one large section of the course is planned. Information regarding the time and location of that section is pending.
Robert Sumichrast, Dean of the College of Business Administration, and Skip Hughes, Chairman of the Accounting department, were unavailable for comment before press time.