• Professor Elam

    Monday Feb 1 2016

    As I remarked in Ethics Class, Presidents come and go but Goldman is always a presenc e in teh White House.   

    Hank Paulson was from Goldman. Goldman bet big on JEB early in this race. It has not paid off with JEB trailing Trump Cruz Rubio Carson, and in single digits. If his last name was not Bush  he would have been in the lower tier last debate.

    It seems the era of political dynastys like Kennedy and Bush are ending, hmm, Hillary may be the last horse in that race.

  • Professor Elam

    Weekend Jan 30 2016

    Here is a link to the IIA Internal Audit magazine scholarship.

    Six $1,000 scholarships will be awarded.

  • Professor Elam

    Wed January 27, 2016

    Boeing beat expected 1.28 in e/s with a 1.60 number.

    So the average accounting student might think that BA rallied on the news.

    No way, BA dropped over 9% for the lowest close since Oct 2013 Why?

    The answer is to look forward not backwards. BA announced full year earnings between 8.45 and 8.65 rather than 9.41 which was the number.

    The lesson here is that markets move on social mood and what is anticipated, not what has happened.

    Note  Apple is down as well on reduced i Phone sales.

  • Professor Elam

    Wed January 27, 2016

     SA IIA is holding a day long seminar with multiple tracks

    on Wednesday February 24 at the La Cantera location across I 10 from the Rim Center. Cost to attend as a student is a mere $35. You can attend all the functions, the lunch, and network with probably 200 internal auditors working at companies like HEB, USAA, Valero, and others.

    Remember it's not what you know

    it's who you know.

  • Professor Elam

    TUesday Jan 26, 2016

    Calumet is right down the street and operates the nearby refinery. We had a student intern last summer.

    *Job ID: 7433
    *Job Title: Intern Accounting
    Organization Name: Calumet Specialty Products

    No of Openings: 1
    Work Schedule: M-F 7:30a-4:30p
    Hours per Week: 40
    Wage/Salary: tbd
    Employment Start Date: June
    Employment End Date: Aug
    *Job Description: Goals & Objectives:
    1. Compliance: Support the Accounting Team with compliance tasks to include month-end reporting as well as governmental compliance (EIA reporting).
    2. Audit: Assist in preparation and review of document requests for auditors, both internal and external
    3. Improvement: Recommend, plan and execute (if time allows) at least one improvement project as approved by Accounting Supervisor
    4. Orientation: Obtain an understanding of all primary responsibilities from each team member

    JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
    Compliance activities:
    • Understand the financial assertions which the AP reporting schedules are intended to support
    • Train and become the primary reviewer for one of the AP reporting schedules (RNV or Bottomline)
    • Prepare at least one of the monthly EIA reports
    Audit support:
    • Read narratives describing the control processes to reach a better understanding of auditor objectives and expectations.
    • Select one primary process and meet with process owners involved to confirm process accuracy and potential gaps, if any.
    • Assist in reviewing documentation obtained from process owners in advance of submitting to auditors.
    • Work with process owners to close gaps or make other corrections as necessary.
    Improvement:
    • Propose a project intended to improve accuracy, timeliness and/or efficiency for routine task (monthly/daily/weekly). The preference would be for one that affected parties outside of Accounting as well.
    • Document the improvement through flow chart diagrams (current state versus future state) making clear indications of impact (time, accuracy, reduced steps, other).
    • Develop a plan for executing the improvement plan.
    Orientation:
    • Obtain a general knowledge of responsibilities assigned to each person in Accounting.
    • Develop an outline of how everyone’s responsibilities meet one or several of the financial statement assertions
    *Qualifications: • Must be a current college student (Junior or Senior) pursuing an Accounting Degree
    *How to Apply: Apply on-line – search in Texas
    Online Application Address: http://www.calumetspecialty.com/careers

     

  • Professor Elam

    Monday January 25 2016

    Mandy Student is the designated Accounting Tutor.

    She is located in Room 1040 which is in the Education complex on the Northwest corner of BCBA. Her hours are as follows.

     

    Monday 3 30 – 5 30

    Tuesday  1 00 – 5 30

    Wednesday 10 00 – 2 00

    Thursday 11 00 – 5 30

     

     

  • Professor Elam

    Monday Jan 25 2016

    Mary O'grady's column on the Americas appears in the Monday WSJ.

    Today Today she interviews Antonio Rodiles who has been harassed, beaten, imprisoned, and possible injected by Castro goons.

    Tamusa's Education Dept is planning a trip to Cuba by the way.

    But the Cuban military controls all travel in Cuba and keeps the profits. Antonio reports that Obama has and the Pope have given the Castros the legitimacy they have always desired.

    Our US Embassy ignored legitimate dissent on its opening. Now other governments are doing the same. If anything this will only further cement the Castros' power.

    Is it ethical to travel to a repressive government knowing it will make it even harder for the Cuban people to ever regain control of their own country. Note the Castros have never held an honest election, and have imprisoned over 8,000 since Obama signed this deal.

    Your take?

     

     

  • Professor Elam

    Monday Jan 25 2016

    San Antonio cybersecurity firm Globalscape GSB will have its earnings conference call

    this Thursday at  3 30 CST Jan 28. Have you ever heard a conference call on earnings?  This would be an ideal time to start as an

    accounting student. I own shares in GSB and have taken students to the annual meeting. I expect the conference call to be upbeat reporting on better earnings.

  • Professor Elam

    Monday Jan 25, 2016

    IN the syllabus I suggest subscribing to the Wall Street journal .There are lots of reasons and today I spotted a review of A Passion for Leadership by Robert Gates. Gates served as Secretary of Defense for both Bush and Obama. He then served as President of A & M from 2002-2006 describing Rick Perry as  pain in the neck. Today he heads the Boy Scouts.

    This semester we offer Acct  5308 the ethics class. Gates is skeptical that leadership qualities such as devotion to duty, sincerity, fairness, and good cheer can be taught in a classroom.

    How can a training program inculcate personal character and honor he asks.

    Can we do the same in ethics, can we teach devotion to duty known in accounting as due professional care?

    Your thoughts?

  • Professor Elam

    Weekend January 24, 2016

    The podcast Pop Trends Price Culture features an interview with Professor Elam.