Austin Community College
Department of Economics
ECON 2301
Principles of Macroeconomics
Name: Shirin Murrassa-I-Khuda
Course Name: Principles of Macroeconomics
Course Number: ECON 2301
Section Number: 054
Synonym: 33055
Office
Hours: MW 5:20-5:50 pm
Office
Number: AW 205 at Cedar Park High School
Office
Phone: to be announced later. Please call 223-8132, leave a message with Rachel
and she will contact me.
Email: shirin_khuda@yahoo.com
Course
Description:
Principles of Macroeconomics deals
with consumers as a whole, producers as a whole, the effects of government
spending and taxation policies and the effects of the monetary policy carried
out by the Federal Reserve Bank. Macroeconomics is concerned with unemployment,
inflation and the business cycle.
This course will teach you
macroeconomics, problems in an economy and tools to manipulate the economy.
This class will help you to develop and improve your analytical, problem
solving, writing skills and team work.
Textbook:
Required: Macroeconomics, by Roger A. Arnold, 8th Edition (South-Western College Publishing, 2008). ISBN 0324538030
Instructional
Methodology:
The instructional methodology involves
lectures and discussion. I will use overhead, white board and power point
slides for instructions. Please read your assigned chapter before each class.
There will be class work, quizzes in class. Reading the assigned chapter prior
to the class will help greatly in understanding, grasping well the concepts, issues
as well as solving problems both in and out of the class room for the course. I will assign homework from Questions and Problems and Working
with numbers and graphs section. Quizzes
to be announced. Class participation is highly encouraged. Feel free to ask
questions in class. If you have questions outside of class and office hours,
please email or call me with your problem. I will schedule a time to meet with
you.
Course
Rationale:
This course is meant to give students insights
into the dynamics of our national economy.
The knowledge gained in the course will make students better informed
citizen and allow them to follow the debates over national economic policy
reported in the news media. This course is also a foundation course that will
prepare students to be successful in upper division finance, marketing,
business administration, economics, government and social work courses.
Common
Course Objectives/Student Outcomes as established by the economics department.
Students who complete this course will
be able to understand:
-the meaning of unemployment and
inflation data and how the data is collected and computed;
-the meaning and components of the
Nation Income Accounts, especially GDP;
-the meaning of Business Cycle and its
phases;
-and to manipulate the basic Aggregate
Supply, Aggregate Demand model of the macro economy;
-how fiscal policy operates, its
tools, and its advantages and drawbacks;
-how a fractional reserve banking
systems works;
-how monetary policy operates, its
tools, and its advantages and drawbacks.
Course
Evaluation/Grading System:
There
will be three exams, six homeworks, three quizzes, six in class work and a
research paper during the semester.
Besides, the research paper everything else will be based on the
lectures, text book and other transparencies or handouts given in the class.
Research paper will be based on the concepts discussed in the class and
additional research by the students. There
will be no makeup quizzes, class work, or research paper. Only under special circumstances makeup
exams can be taken later or before than the specified exam day. Special
arrangements have to be made with me depending on the time of the issue's
occurrence. If you are sick and cannot take the exam on the day of the exam,
you would need a doctors note
and receipt of the visit as documentation. I will arrange for a
makeup test for you at a later date that works for you (late exam have to be taken
within 7 days of the previous exam). However, the questions on the exam might
be different than one taken on the exam day by other students. If you want to
take the exam earlier then contact me and tell me the reason and document it
and I will arrange an earlier exam for you. If you are planning on taking an
exam earlier, please let me know at least two weeks before your early exam day
so I can prepare a special test for you.
Late homework assignment will not be accepted.
Every student in the class earns 1% extra credit point for their overall
academic good behaviors during the semester. Only if they are having behavioral issues I will not assign
them the extra credit 1% with their grades.
Research paper topic---
Compare current
economic crisis of the United States of America with Great Depression
(similarities and dissimilarities in cause and solution). Please give arguments
for/against the solution provided by the current government and state your
solution to the problem.
Grading Points Distribution Tables
|
Grade on |
Numbers |
Points Each |
Total
Possible Points |
Average |
Grade
Percentage |
|
Exams |
3 |
100 |
300 |
300/3 = 100 |
75% |
|
Homework |
6 |
25 |
150 |
150/6=25 |
10% |
|
Quiz |
3 |
20 |
60 |
60/3=20 |
5% |
|
In class
work |
6* |
10 |
60 |
60/6=10 |
5% |
|
Research
Paper |
1 |
10 |
10 |
10/1=10 |
5% |
In class work might be more or less depending on our progress and classes
needed.
Extra
Credit Points Distribution Tables
|
Grade on |
Points |
Points |
Points |
Points |
Points |
Points |
Points |
Grade
Percentage |
|
|
Attendance |
5 for full
attendance |
4 for one
missed class |
2 for two
classes missed |
0 for three
classes missed |
-1 for
fourth missed class |
-3 for fifth
missed class |
-5 for sixth
missed class |
5% |
|
|
Class
Participation |
1 |
|
Ask
questions, participates in class discussion/ in class work |
1% |
|||||
|
Overall
Behavior |
1 |
|
No
misbehavior for the course reported during the semester |
1% |
|||||
Grading
System
A 90 - 100
B 80 - 89
C 70 - 79
D 60 - 69
F Below 60
Course
outline/Calendar:
Tentative Class Schedule
|
Date |
Day |
Lecture |
Chapter Titles |
|
1/21/2009 |
W |
Syllabus, Course
overview and Background evaluation |
|
|
1/26/2009 |
M |
Chapter 6 |
Macroeconomic
Measurements Part II: GDP and Read GDP |
|
1/28/2009 |
W |
Chapter 5, Homework I
on Chapter 5-6 |
Macroeconomic
Measurements Part I: Prices and Unemployment |
|
2/2/2009 |
M |
Chapter 7, Homework I
due back, Homework I Review |
Aggregate Demand and
Aggregate Supply |
|
2/4/2009 |
W |
Chapter 8 |
Self Regulating
Economy |
|
2/9/2009 |
M |
Chapter 9, Homework II
on Chapter 7, 8, 9 |
Economic Instability:
A Critique of Self Regulating Economy |
|
2/11/2009 |
W |
Homework II Review,
Chapter Reviews, Quiz, Example Exam I Review, Class discussion, Questions and
Answers on student problems |
|
|
2/16/2009 |
M |
Homework II Review,
Chapter Reviews, Quiz, Example Exam I Review, Class discussion, Questions and
Answers on student problems |
|
|
2/18/2009 |
W |
Exam I |
Chapter 5-9 |
|
2/23/2009 |
M |
Exam I Review, Chapter 10 |
The Federal Budget and
Fiscal Policy |
|
2/25/2009 |
W |
Chapter 10, Chapter 11 |
The Federal Budget and
Fiscal Policy, Money and Banking |
|
3/2/2009 |
M |
Chapter 11, Chapter 12 |
Money and Banking, The
Federal Reserve System |
|
3/4/2009 |
W |
Chapter 12, Homework III |
The Federal Reserve
System |
|
3/9/2009 |
M |
Home work III Review,
Chapter 13 |
Money and Economy |
|
3/11/2009 |
W |
Chapter 14, Homework
IV |
Monetary Policy |
|
3/16/2009 |
M |
Spring break. Read for
Exam II. Finish Homework IV |
|
|
3/18/2009 |
W |
Spring break. Read for
Exam II. Finish Homework IV |
|
|
3/23/2009 |
M |
Homework IV Review,
Quiz, Example Exam II Review. Chapter Reviews, Quiz, Class discussion,
Questions and Answers on student problems. |
|
|
3/25/2009 |
W |
Homework IV Review,
Quiz, Example Exam II Review. Chapter Reviews, Quiz, Class discussion,
Questions and Answers on student problems. |
|
|
3/30/2009 |
M |
Exam II |
Chapter 10-14 |
|
4/1/2009 |
W |
Exam II Review,
Chapter 15 |
Expectation theory and
Economy |
|
4/6/2009 |
M |
Chapter 15, Chapter 16 |
Expectation theory and
Economy, Economic Growth |
|
4/8/2009 |
W |
Chapter 16, Home V |
Economic Growth |
|
4/13/2009 |
M |
Home V due back,
Homework V Review, Chapter 20 |
Stocks, Bonds, Futures
and Options |
|
4/15/2009 |
W |
Chapter 20, Chapter 18 |
Stocks, Bonds, Futures
and Options, Globalization |
|
4/20/2009 |
M |
Chapter 18, Chapter 19 |
Globalization,
International Finance |
|
4/22/2009 |
W |
Chapter 19, Research
Paper Discussion, Homework VI |
International Finance |
|
4/27/2009 |
M |
Homework VI Review,
Chapter Reviews, Class discussion, Questions and Answers on student problems. |
|
|
4/29/2009 |
W |
Quiz, Chapter Reviews |
|
|
5/4/2009 |
M |
EXAM III Review |
|
|
5/6/2009 |
W |
Research paper due,
Chapter Reviews |
|
|
5/11/2009 |
M |
Exam III |
Chapter 15-16, 20,
18-19 |
|
5/13/2009 |
W |
No Class |
|
Exam Schedule
EXAM
I: FEBRUARY 18
EXAM II: MARCH 30
EXAM
III: MAY 11
Course
Policies:
Class
Policy:
No electronic
device allowed in class. No texting, ipod, playing video games or any other kind of games during
normal class hour. Please finish your food before entering class. Please turn
your cell phones on vibration mode and if you need to take the call, please go
outside and take the call. If you are late, try not to disturb the class when
you enter. Before you leave make sure you have signed in my class attendance
sheet. If you are chewing gums, please make sure that you are not disturbing
the class and dispose it properly afterwards. You will need a calculator to
solve class problems; please do not use the cell phone calculator as I will not
allow that in test or to solve in class problems also. I expect you to know
Internet browsing, if not let me know in the first class. You will find
Internet to be a good resource for you research paper. You might need to visit
library to read on recent economic articles as published in journals like Economist. You can skim the paper back of Paul
Krugman Depression
Economics at Barnes and
Noble for your research paper too.
I want to
remind you that you will be taught, graded and assessed as a college Student
and not a High School Student. All the policies applicable to the course, class
and grading are college level. Even if
you are taking this course in a High School Class, you are actually in ACC's
Early College Program. This course will pave your way to college and give you a
better understanding of the teaching environment and policies.
Teaching
Assistance
If you are
having problems with the class, please see me with your concern before it gets
too late in the semester. You can see me during my office hours or email me or
leave a message at my voice mail or with Rachel. I will meet with you in the
Adjunct Faculty Offices of ACC located at Cypress Creek, Building 1000,
Room1103. (To park your car at ACC campus at Cypress Creek, you would need a Visitor
parking permit from campus police located on building 2000.) However, if you
are having problems with other things beyond my control, you need to withdraw
from the course rather than get an undesired grade at the end of the semester.
Academic
Freedom
Everyone is
encouraged to participate in class discussions. Differing viewpoints breathe
enrichment of knowledge and generate new learning experience and may result in
new theories for the future. Please participate in discussions and make the
class lively with your thoughts and ideas.
100% class
attendance will earn you 5% of the total grade for the class as extra credit to
push up your grade if you need the boost. If you miss one class you will loose
1%, two classes you will loose 2% and three classes
you will loose 2%. If you miss more than 6 classes I will deduct 5% from your
total grade. This rate of deduction will apply for next consecutive 3 days and
so on.
Incomplete
I will not
give you an incomplete grade. So if you are having problems please withdraw
before the withdrawal date (April 27, 2009) yourself. Please do not wait till
after the date is passed.
If any major
incidence happens after the withdrawal date and you cannot continue with the
class, please document the incidence and show me. To get an incomplete, you have to fill out an
incomplete form and give it to me. Without filling the form an incomplete
grades will not be given.
Please
read the following note about withdrawals.
Students
are responsible for withdrawing themselves from this course. I will assign you the grade you make in the
class including the extra credits, even if it is a
"F" grade.
Withdrawal Policy of Fall
2007 states that entering freshman is restricted to six non-punitive
withdrawals for the whole of their undergraduate careers (while attending state
colleges). The last day to withdraw from
this course is Monday, April 27, 2009.
Scholastic
Dishonesty
Acts prohibited by the college for which
discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not
limited to cheating on exam or quiz, plagiarizing, unauthorized collaboration
with another in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students
shall be the result of their thought, research or self-expression. Academic
work is defined as, but not limited to tests, quizzes, whether taken
electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom
presentations, and homework.
Students
with disabilities
Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented
physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request
reasonable accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities on
the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students
are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start
of the semester.