Austin Community College
Department of Economics
Course Number: ECON 2301
Principles of Macroeconomics
Name: Shirin Murrassa-I-Khuda
Course Name: Principles of Macroeconomics
Section Number: 031
Synonym: 10845
Class Hours: MTWTh 12:00 - 1:50
pm
Class Room: 312, Campus: RRH, Building: AVRY, Texas
State Campus.
Office Hours: TTh 11:30 am -12:00 pm, Room 312, Building Avry.
Office Phone: 223-1790 Ext 26443. Please call 223-8132, leave
a message with Rachel and she will contact me if you need to leave me an urgent
message.
Email: smurrass@austincc.edu.
Email is the best way to reach me.
Website: http://www.austincc.edu/smurrass/
Blackboard: Go to http://www.austincc.edu/ and click on
blackboard option on the left of the screen to login to blackboard.
Username is first letter of your first name and your ACCeID
after that. Password and ACC email is listed in the registration
documents for this class. Check http://www.austincc.edu/acceid/faq.php for ACCeID
and Password related questions. If you need additional help with
login to Blackboard call help desk at 223-4357 during regular office
hours. At any point in time, if you have problem in accessing blackboard
contact help desk and get it fixed. If it does not get fixed, please
bring it to my attention in class or email me about the issue.
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 skills and team work.
Textbook: Required: Macroeconomics, by
Roger A. Arnold, 9th Edition (South-Western College Publishing,
2008). ISBN 032478550X, Study Guide (Optional) 0324785534
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 discussions. I will use Power Point slides, white board, Blackboard
academic software and internet sites, videos and tutorials for instructions.
Recommendation to students: Please read the assigned chapter before each class. Reading
ahead 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. Class
participation is highly encouraged. 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 Adjunct Faculty
Offices, Room 456, Bldg Avry, Texas state campus of
Austin Community College.
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. Homework should
be submitted on the dates assigned in the class schedule. You are
responsible to collect your homework assignments from blackboard. If you
cannot access it please email me at:smurrass@austincc.edu. Don’t miss
submitting homework(s), in class(es),
exam(s), as there is NO MAKEUP.
You are responsible for turning your In class,
Homework, and Exam 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 3 Exams, 3 Homeworks, 3 In
Class works. There will be no makeup homework, in class work, or
exams. Only under special circumstances makeup
exams can be taken later or earlier 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” 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 with the exception of
the final exam. Final exams can only be taken earlier. No late finals
accepted). 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. For early exams, please let me know at least two
weeks before you plan to take the exam so I can prepare a special exam for you.
Homework and exam will have extra credit point
section at the end. Students who have
full attendance in my roster will earn 5 extra credit points automatically at the end
of the semester. Optional group presentation is worth 3 extra credit
points. Do not miss out these extra credit points
as they help to push up your grade level.
Grading Points
Distribution Table
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 |
15% |
Exams will be mixture of multiple choice, True/False and Fill in the Gaps, Questions with
short answers, graphs, and math problems. Exams will take up 1 hour and 20
minutes. Exam closed book and notes. Exams will be based on lectures,
textbook, and in class works, homeworks, and other
handouts given in the class.
Homework will be assigned from the textbook’s
“Questions and Problems” and “Working with numbers and graphs” section or on
concepts from the textbook. I will provide the homeworks
at blackboard. If you have problems accessing it please email me
at: smurrass@austincc.edu.
In class work will be done in groups of two students in
the class unannounced. 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. There will be three in
class work during the semester.
Extra Credit Points
Distribution Table
Grade on |
Points |
Points |
Points |
Points |
Points |
Points |
Grade Percentage |
Attendance |
5 for full attendance |
4 for one missed class |
3 for two classes missed |
2 for three classes missed |
1 for fourth missed class |
0 for fifth missed class |
5% |
Group Presentation |
5 |
Content (2), Well Researched (2), Presentation Style(1),
Points = 5 |
3% |
Group Presentation will
be done in Groups of 2 Persons. Topic and Groups need to be finalized by 7/1/10.
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 |
6/1/2010 |
T |
Syllabus, Course overview and Background evaluation, Chapter1,
Chapter 3 |
What
Economics is About, Demand and Supply |
6/2/2010 |
W |
Chapter
3, Chapter 6 |
Supply and Demand Theory, Macroeconomic Measurements Part II:
GDP and Real GDP |
6/3/2010 |
Th |
Chapter
6, Chapter 5 |
Macroeconomic Measurements Part II: GDP and Real GDP, GDP Macroeconomic Measurements Part I:
Prices and Unemployment |
6/7/2010 |
M |
Chapter
5,
Homework I due |
GDP Macroeconomic Measurements Part I: Prices and Unemployment |
6/8/2010 |
T |
Chapter
7, Homework I Solution and In class I solution available at Blackboard |
Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply |
6/9/2010 |
W |
Chapter
7, Exam I review and discussion in class/ on blackboard |
Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply |
6/10/2010 |
Th |
EXAM I, Chapter 8 |
CHAP
1, 3, 5, 6, 7, The Self-regulating Economy |
6/14/2010 |
M |
Chapter
8 |
The Self-regulating
Economy |
6/15/2010 |
T |
Chapter
8, Chapter 9 |
The Self-regulating Economy, Economic Instability: A Critique of Self
Regulating Economy |
6/16/2010 |
W |
Chapter
9, Chapter 10 |
Economic Instability: A Critique of Self Regulating Economy, The Federal Budget and Fiscal Policy |
6/17/2010 |
Th |
Chapter
10,
Homework II due |
The Federal Budget and Fiscal Policy |
6/21/2010 |
M |
Chapter
11, Chapter 12, Homework II Solution
and In class II solution available at Blackboard |
Money and Banking, The Federal Reserve System |
6/22/2010 |
T |
Chapter
12, Exam II review and discussion in class/on blackboard |
The Federal Reserve System |
6/23/2010 |
W |
Exam II, Chapter 13 |
Chapter
8, 9, 10, 11,12, Money and the Economy |
6/24/2010 |
Th |
Chapter
13 |
Money and the Economy |
6/28/2010 |
M |
Chapter
13, Chapter 14 |
Money and the Economy, Monetary Policy |
6/29/2010 |
T |
Chapter
14, Chapter 15 |
Monetary Policy, Expectation theory and Economy |
6/30/2010 |
W |
Chapter
15 |
Expectation theory and Economy |
7/1/2010 |
Th |
Chapter
16, Homework III due, Group presentation sign-up at the end of the
class |
Economic Growth |
7/5/2010 |
M |
Chapter 17, Homework
III Solution and In class III solution available at Blackboard, Presentation before class |
International
Trade |
7/6/2010 |
T |
Chapter
19/18, Exam III review and discussion in
class/on blackboard, Presentation
before class |
Globalization
and International Impacts on the Economy/International Finance |
7/7/2010 |
W |
Exam III, Presentation before
exam. |
Chapter
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19/18 |
Exam Schedule
EXAM I: JUNE 10 |
EXAM II: JUNE 23 |
EXAM III: JULY 7 |
Homework Schedule:
Homework I: JUNE 7 |
Homework II: JUNE 17 |
Homework III: JULY 1 |
Course Policies—
Class Policy
No electronic device
allowed in class. No texting, ipod or playing video
games or any other kind of games or watching movies or internet browsing 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; I do not allow cell phone calculators in the exams.
When signing in attendance sheet, only sign for yourself. Any violation to this rule will be considered
as misdemeanor act.
Teaching Assistance
If you are having
problems with the class, please see me at my designated office hours or email
me your concerns. Please get in touch
with me before it gets too late in the semester. I highly recommend that you stay focused on
the course and seek help to get you through the semester rather than getting a
“D”, “F” or have to withdraw in the semester.
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. Withdrawal date is June 30, 2010.
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.
Attendance
100% class attendance in
my roster will earn you 5 extra credit points to push up your grade. If
you miss one class you will get 4 points, two classes you will get 3 points and
three classes you will get 2 points and 4 classes you will get 1 point and 5
classes you will get 0 points as extra credit points. I will do the attendance
during the first 15 minutes of the class.
If you leave early, without documentation of your reason for leaving
early you will be counted as absent from the class. Students leaving early have to cross out
their own name from the attendance sheet, write the time and reason for leaving
early in the attendance sheet before leaving the class.
Incomplete
I will not give you an
incomplete grade. So if you are having problems please withdraw before
the withdrawal date yourself. Withdrawal
date is June 30, 2010.
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.
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, 2010.
Students who have missed 4 consecutive classes
without a doctors note or a
valid documented reason will be dropped from the course. If you think, you have attendance problem,
please talk to me before getting dropped.
Students with insufficient attendance missing 7 classes or
more/submitted no in class work and/or submitted no homework and/or missed one
or more exams will be dropped from the course.
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 Handouts
I will provide you all
with copies of chapter lectures at the beginning of each chapter
lectures. In Class work and Exams will be distributed in class. Homework
problems, Homework Solution and In class work Solution
will be available at Blackboard. I will announce the posting days in class,
generally it is one or two days after it is done in class. If you cannot access
it then email me.
Grades
Your class grades for
homework, In class, and exams will be available at
blackboard. I will assign you a letter grade for the class at the end of the
semester. Your 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.