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: 032
Synonym:
37329
Class
Hours: MW 6:00-9:40 pm, [Part I 6:00-7:40pm, Part II:
7:55-9:40pm]
Break Time: MW 7:41-7:54pm
Office
Hours: MW 5:30-6:00pm
Office
Number: Room 708 Main Bldg, Leander High School
Special
Office Hours*: Room 1104, Adjunct Faculty Offices, Bldg 1000,
Austin Community College, Cypress Creek, 1555
Cypress Creek Rd, Cedar Park, Texas, 78613. Only by
appointment*.
Office
Phone: 223-1790 Ext 26443. To leave an urgent message for me
call Rachel at 223-8132.
Email: smurrass@austincc.edu
Website: http://www.austincc.edu/smurrass/
Course
Description:
Principles
of Macroeconomics deals with consumers as a whole, producers as a whole, the
effects of Fiscal Policy (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
Study Guide (Optional)
Back Ground Requirements for Students:
Microeconomics or
Economics knowledge regarding demand/Supply, Resources, Scarcity, Opportunity
Cost, Production Possibilities Frontier is a plus for this class. If you do not
have prior economics knowledge then read Chapter 1, Appendix A
of Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3 on your own. This will enable you to
understand topics taught in the class better.
Required MS Word Knowledge to type your research
paper. MS Excel to make graphs for your research
paper/group presentation. (Knowledge of copy and paste
graph or table from Excel to Word). Basic Math and statistics
understanding is a plus for this class. (Simple algebraic equation and how
variables sign changes when they change side. Understanding
the concept of percentage.)
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.
Instructional
Methodology:
The
instructional methodology involves lectures and discussion. I will use Power
Point slides white board and internet for instructions. Please read your
assigned chapter before each class. There will be in class work (2 person team
work). 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. Class participation is highly
encouraged. Feel free to ask questions in class. If you have questions outside
of class and office hours, please email me with your problem. I will schedule a
time to meet with you at Cypress Creek Adjunct Faculty Offices, Room 1104.
Student Requirements:
Calculator,
Textbook, Pen, Pencil, Eraser for In Class assignments, and Exams. Students are required to submit
homework in a separate handwritten/typed sheet. Research paper should be typed.
Homework, and Research Paper should be submitted on
the dates assigned in the class schedule. You are responsible to collect your
homework assignments on the given date in class. If you miss a class, please
collect it from either your class mates or email me that you did not get it and
I will forward you the homework assignment. Don’t miss submitting homework(s),
in class(es), exam(s), and
research paper as there is no makeup. You are responsible for turning your In class, Homework, Exam and Research paper to me. You will
sign in a “sign in sheet” for each in my class list when you turn in these
things to me in class.
Course
Evaluation/Grading System:
There will be three Exams, three Homeworks, three In Class works and a Research paper during
the semester. Besides, the research paper everything else will be based on the
lectures, text book, in class work and other handouts given in the class.
Research paper will be based on the concepts discussed in the class, research
papers at the library research, excel spreadsheet and additional research by
the students. In class work will be done in a group of two students in class.
One group needs to submit one in class work with their names listed on
top. There will be no makeup homework, in class work, research paper or
exam. Only present student in class will form groups of three to work together
on in class work. There will not be
any make up in class works. 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 “doctor’s 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 next two class 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”.
Cypress
Creek Library: Check Cypress Creek Library Reserve for articles: either
*
search by instructor- Murrassa-I-Khuda, Shirin
http://alicat.austincc.edu/search/p
*
search by course: Econ 2301
http://alicat.austincc.edu/search/r
Library
Location: 1555 Cypress Creek Rd Cedar Park, TX 78613 Phone: 223-2030
Library
Hours: http://library.austincc.edu/loc/
4
categories in Reserve: 2 hours checkout/copier
Grading
Points Distribution Tables
Grade on |
Numbers |
Points Each |
Total Possible Points |
Average |
Grade Percentage |
Exams |
3 |
100 |
300 |
300/3 = 100 |
75% |
Homework |
3 |
25 |
75 |
75/3=25 |
10% |
In Class work |
3* |
10 |
30 |
30/3=10 |
10% |
Research Paper |
1 |
10 |
10 |
10/1=10 |
5% |
Exams
will be mixture of multiple choice, True/False and Fill
in the Gaps, Questions with short answers, graphs, and math problems. Exam
questions are based on Lectures-Class Handouts of the Chapters, In Class Works,
Homeworks, and relevant chapters from the Textbook
for each exam.
Homework will be assigned from the textbook’s “Questions and Problems” and “Working
with numbers and graphs” section. I will
provide the homeworks in class. If you miss a class
and do not have the homework please email me so I can send you a copy of the
homework.
*In class
work might be more depending on our progress and per class need. In class work
will be done in groups of two students. Each group will turn in one in class
group work with the group members name listed at the top. Absent students will miss in class work.
Extra Credit
Points Distribution Tables
Grade on |
Points |
Points |
Points |
Points |
Points |
Grade Percentage |
||
Attendance |
4 for full attendance |
3 for one missed class |
2 for two classes missed |
1 for three classes missed |
0
for four or more missed classes |
4% |
||
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% |
|
||||
Group Presentation* |
5 |
Content (2), Well Researched (2),
Presentation Style (1) |
3% |
|
||||
Group Presentation will be done in Groups of 2 Persons. Topic and Groups
need to be finalized by 6/22/09.
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 |
6/1/2009 |
M |
Syllabus, Course overview and Background evaluation, Lecture on
Chapter 6 |
Macroeconomic Measurements Part II: GDP and Read GDP |
6/3/2009 |
W |
Lecture on Chapter 5, Homework I on Chapter 5-6 |
Macroeconomic Measurements Part I: Prices and Unemployment |
6/8/2009 |
M |
Lecture on Chapter 7, Homework I due back, Homework I Review |
Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply |
6/10/2009 |
W |
Exam I on Chapter 5, 6, 7, Lecture on Chapter 8 |
Self Regulating Economy |
6/15/2009 |
M |
Lecture on Chapter 8-9, Homework II on Chapter 8, 9 |
Economic Instability: A Critique of Self Regulating Economy |
6/17/2009 |
W |
Lecture on Chapter 10, Homework II due back, Homework II Review,
Research Paper Discussion |
The Federal Budget and Fiscal Policy |
6/22/2009 |
M |
Exam II on Chapter 8, 9, 10, Lecture on Chapter 13 |
Money and the Economy |
6/24/2009 |
W |
Lecture on Chapter 13-14, Research Paper Discussion, Group
Presentation groups finalized* |
Monetary Policy |
6/29/2009 |
M |
Lecture on Chapter 15-16, Homework III on Chap 13,14 |
Expectation theory and Economy |
7/1/2009 |
W |
Lecture on Chapter 16/20, Homework III due back, Research Paper
due, Homework III Review, |
Economic Growth/Stocks, Bonds and Options |
7/6/2009 |
M |
Exam III on Chapter 13,14,15,16/20, Group Presentation* |
Exam Schedule
EXAM
I: June 10, 2009
EXAM
II: June 22, 2009
EXAM
III: July 6, 2009
Course Policies--
Class
Policy:
No electronic
device allowed in class. No texting, ipod, iphone, or playing video games or any other kind of games or
watching movies during normal class hour. 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. 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.
No food or drink is allowed in classrooms per ACC Policy. 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 will need to visit
library to read economic articles that I put on reserve for the class. Paul Krugman’s “Return of
Depression Economics” is recommended
for the paper and available at library reserve.
All the
policies applicable to the course, class and grading are college level.
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, Room1104. (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 4% 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 get
3%, two classes you will get 2% and three classes you will get 1%. If you miss
4 or more classes, you will have no extra credit from attendance.
Incomplete
I will not
give you an incomplete grade. So if you are having problems please withdraw
before the withdrawal date 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 June 30,2009.
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.
Class
Communication Tool
At the end of the first class, please provide me with your valid email
address. I will send you MS Excel data file via email attachment. Email will be
class communication tool. You are encouraged to provide your telephone number
so that you can be informed in case of class cancellation.
Class
Handouts
I will provide you all with copies of class lecture at the beginning of
each class. In Class work and Exams and Homework I will also distribute in
class.
Grades
Your letter grades will be posted in blackboard after completion of the
classes. If you need to check your grades earlier, please check with me in
class or send me an email.