The cover of
Economics Today: The Macro View is almost identical to the
cover of
Economics Today: The Micro View.
NOTE: This syllabus may undergo minor changes up to the first day of the semester. The syllabus as it stands on the first day of the semester will be the final arbiter of all questions about the course, its assignments, its due dates, and its grading methodology. Small changes to the syllabus as it now stands might be made before the first of the semester. If you download this syllabus a substantial time before the beginning of the semester, I encourage you to check back to see if there have been any changes, such as deadline changes or grading changes, the first few days of class.
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Instructor: |
JAMES SONDGEROTH |
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Office: |
Rio
Grande Campus(RGC)/ |
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RGC Phone: 512-223-3390 |
Messages: Please feel free to leave messages on Mr. Sondgeroth's voice mail at 512-223-3390. He will return the calls within 24 hours on M,T,W, and Th.
E-mail: jason@austincc.edu, Subject line must contain ECON 2301.00288.005.
Blackboard is the Learning Management System (LMS) ACC uses for all its courses. You will learn more about Blackboard below.
Blackboard Collaborate is a tool within Blackboard that will be used to hold virtual office hours now that face-to-face meetings in instructors' offices has been forbidden because of the Coronavirus pandemic. It is similar to Google Hangouts and Zoom. You will find a link to Blackboard Collaborate in the left navigation bar of Blackboard along with instructions on how to use it.
Virtual meetings with the instructor will be by appointment only. These appointments will be arranged and agreed to via email requests to the instructors email account: jason@austincc.edu--please include ECON 2301.00288.005 in the subject line.
This course is a competency based distance learning course. More can be found about what it means to be "competency based" can be found below under the heading Grading and The Competency Based Education Model. Here I want to focus more on the "distant learning" nature of the course.
A distant learning course is similar but not identical to a self-paced course. It is similar in the sense that there will be not scheduled lectures in which an instructor will explain the material you are attempting to learn. Your understanding of the material will come mostly from reading the assigned readings and doing the assigned homework and quizzes on your own as would be done in a self-paced or correspondence course. The instructor will always be there to help explain difficult concepts and theories, and there are very helpful videos explaining the material embeded in the course, but this does not make the course equivalent to a regularly scheduled lecture course which offers easy accessibility to the instructor and fellow students.
A distant learning course is different from a self-paced course in that it must be completed in a given time period. In this course's case, it must be completed during this semester. Becuase of this there are deadlines for the homework assignments, quizzes, and exams. These are set to help ensure that students can complete the work in the time designated. However, it is like a self-paced course in that students can accelerate their pace and complete the course well before the end of the semester if they wish to do so. Students just cannot stretch the course out to last longer than a regular college semester.
In addition to not being able to listen to an instructor's explanation of the material and the lack of easy access to fellow students, time management problems can also make a distanct learning course more difficult to complete than a traditional college lecture course. Not having to attend a regularly scheduled lecture can lead to procrastination problems. Setting a firm schedule for reading and studying is a must in distant learning courses. For more on how to study for this course, see the sections entitled Recommended Study Method and Reading found below in this syllabus.
For all the difficulties noted above, there are compensating benefits to taking a distant learning course. The most important one for most students is the flexibilty it gives them in putting together a course schedule when they are faced with other obligations such as family and work but also with putting together a full load if they are a full time college student.. As such, distant learning courses can shorten the time it takes to complete a course of study and to get a degree. It can also save on transportaion expenses, and it can spare students from having to listen to the unrelated personal stories and political opinions of the professor.
If you are uncertain if a distant learning course is for you, the College provides a couple of on-line quizzes that might help you decide if it is. You can take the Learning Style Survey and review the Technical Skills Checklist to find out if you’re ready for learning online.
The College also provides a very helpful FAQ page that answers many questions about distant learning courses at https://online.austincc.edu/faq/. Among the questions answered that are relevant to this course are:
The purpose of this course is to familiarize the student with the generally accepted principles of macroeconomics. Though ultimately based on the actions of individual households and business firms, macroeconomics deals with aggregates--i.e., consumers as a whole, producers as a whole, exporters and importers as a whole, the effects of government spending and taxation, and the monetary policy of the central bank. Macroeconomics is concerned with such things as unemployment, inflation, and the business cycle.
Credit Hours: 31. Common Course Objectives/Student Outcomes.
Students who complete this course will be able to:
- critically evaluate GDP, unemployment, and inflation data;
- explain the business cycle and its phases;
- manipulate the basic Aggregate Supply, Aggregate Demand model of the macro economy;
- and to manipulate the basic Aggregate Supply, Aggregate Demand model of the macro economy;
- explain fiscal policy tools and defend and criticize the usage fiscal policy;
- describe how a fractional reserve banking system works;
- explain monetary policy tools and defend and criticize the usage monetary policy.
2. Discipline Program Student Learning Outcomes.
- PSLO 1: Socially Optimal Market Outcomes- Model and explain under what circumstances are capable of creating socially optimal outcomes.
- PSLO 2: Socially Suboptimal Market Outcomes- Model and explain under what circumstances markets are capable of creating outcomes that are not socially optimal.
- PSLO 3: Economic Policy -Defend and criticize the role of economic policy in a mixed market economy.
- PSLO 4: Economic Data -Critically evaluate economic data.
3. General Education Competencies.
- Civic and Cultural Awareness - Analyzing and critiquing competing perspectives in a democratic society; comparing, contrasting, and interpreting differences and commonalities among peoples, ideas, aesthetic traditions, and cultural practices.
- Critical Thinking - Gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating and applying information.
- Quantitative and Empirical Reasoning - Applying mathematical, logical and scientific principles and methods.
- Written, Oral and Visual Communication - Communicating effectively, adapting to purpose, structure, audience, and medium.
Learning Objectives for Course as Specified by the Instructor:
The UNIT EXAMS in this course are based on learning objectives composed by the instructor that you can find by clicking HERE. The learning objectives for each chapter assigned and for each UNIT EXAM and for the Final Exam can be found in UNIT and Final Exam folders on the course's ACC Blackboard site. Read these objectives carefully before you read the corresponding chapter in the textbook. The learning objectives are correlated exactly with the questions on the UNIT EXAMS.
In general, after studying each chapter, you should be able to:
The learning objectives are there to help you focus your mind on the important concepts and theories discussed in the unit. The exams will test your knowledge of and ability to apply these learning objectives. Knowing this will help you efficiently allocate your mental energies.
Orientation for this course is done by taking a quiz over the course's syllabus. The document you are reading right now.
This Orientation Quiz must be taken and submitted before you can take any of the exams. The quiz consists of 20 questions. Students must make an 80% or better on it in order to gain access to the UNIT I EXAM. This exam also has a corequistie of a 65% or better grade on the Chapter 4 MyEconLab Quiz.
The learning objectives for this quiz can be found by clicking on Mandatory Orientation Quiz on the course's ACC Blackboard site.
Your courses' ACC Blackboard site can be found at http://acconline.austincc.edu.
Blackboard:
Blackboard
is an on-line classroom management tool. It includes a gradebook, an announcements
page, and a facility for administering on-line tests and quizzes.
Course Announcements will be posted to Blackboard; midterm exams will be administered through Blackboard; and your course grades can be accessed through Blackboard. In addition to the email address given above (subject line--ECON 2301.00288.005), communication will be done through the Discussion Board that is part of the course's Blackboard site.
Blackboard's URL is http://acconline.austincc.edu. This is the URL for ACC's Blackboard site. Do not go to blackboard.com, the company's own site.
DON’T HAVE A USERNAME AND PASSWORD YET?
If you have not created your new ACC Username or Password through ACCeID Manager, then please go to this link: https://acceid.austincc.edu/idm/user/login.jsp.
Do not fill in your Username and Password on this page, since you do not have either yet. DO CLICK on “First-Time Login.”
Your ACCeID will be the first letter of your legal, given, first name and your seven digit ACC ID number. For example, fictional student John Keynes might have this Username j0067701.
Once you submit this Username, just follow the instructions.
The first day students can access Blackboard is typically the day after regular registration ends.
Helpful Hint: Once you are logged into ACC's Blackboard site, the easiest way to navigate this course's Blackboard content is accessed by first clicking on the "Courses" tab in the upper right hand corner of the first Blackboard page that comes up. Then click on the name of the course: Course ID: 220U-00288-ECON 2301-005: Principles of Macroeconomics. You are then taken to the course's main Blackboard page. It is much easier to find the "Start Here" button, the "Course Content" button, and the "MyEconLab" button by doing this than if you try to navigate from the very first page that comes up when you log onto Blackboard
| Required:
|
1. Economics
Today: The Macro View plus MyEconLab plus eBook 1-semester Student Access
Kit, 19/E, by Roger LeRoy Miller (Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2017).
You have already paid for the eText of this textbook when you paid your tuition. You may access it and the Pearson MyEconLab site as soon as you log into the course's ACC Blackboard site.
The cover of
Economics Today: The Macro View is almost identical to the
cover of
Economics Today: The Micro View. |
Economics Today: The Macro View plus MyEconLab plus eBook 1-semester Student Access Kit, 19/E:
REQUIRED TEXT:
Economics Today: The Macro View with
MyLab Economics, 19th edition, Miller
A discounted charge of only $105.54 (includes tax) has been added to your tuition and fee bill for the cost of the course materials used in this course.
By participating in the First Day Access program, you will gain access to the eText and MyLab Economics through your instructor’s Blackboard site.
You will also be eligible to purchase a low cost print upgrade in the bookstore for only $26.70 + tax in the ACC Bookstore at Highland Learning Center.
Registration Instructions:
Need help? For help with MyLab & Modified Mastering with Blackboard, go to:
http://help.pearsoncmg.com/mylabmastering/bbi/student/en/index.html.
For First Day questions, go to:
https://customercare.bncollege.com/hc/en-us/categories/360000142447-First-Day-Inclusive-Access-FAQs.
If you do not wish to participate in the program you have until June 5 to "Opt Out". If you "Opt Out" of receiving and paying for your materials via this program, you will be responsible for obtaining those on your own. These are required materials for the course.
The textbook mentioned at the beginning of this section is a traditional introduction to macroeconomics college textbook. If you buy this text new, an access kit granting students access to the on-line homework site, MyEconLab, and the associated eBook has been added.
Some version of the textbook, new, used, or eBook, is required. So is access to the course's MyEconLab site.
You can buy the eBook and MyEconLab together as a package without the hardcopy of the textbook if you so desire. Instructions on how to do so can be found below.
You can buy used copies of this text also. In fact, I see no reason why you couldn't use the 17th edition if you can find it. (Hint: Search engines. I have posted the table of contents for the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th editions on the course's ACC Blackboard site.) However, you need to be careful here, because in all probability you will not receive an access kit that has not been used, even if you buy a used 18th edition. So, if you do buy used, you will most likely still need to buy access to MyEconLab. Instructions on how to do this can also be found below.
WHERE TO PURCHASE:
Students benefit when they start an exam confident and prepared. MyEconLab is the only online assessment system that gives students the tools they need to learn from their mistakes right at the moment they are struggling.
Personalized Study Plan
A Study Plan is generated from each student's results on answering Study Plan questions, by taking the Sample Tests, and by completing the instructor's assignments. Students can clearly see which topics they have mastered-and, more importantly, which they need to work on. The Study Plan links to additional practice problems and tutorial exercises to help on those topics. (When you click on the "Study Plan" link in the left control column, it only opens up to a tutorial on how to use MyEconLab. Look for the link "View all chapters" to find access to all the Study Plan questions.)
Unlimited Practice
Many Study Plan and instructor-assigned exercises contain algorithmically generated values, ensuring students get as much practice as they need. Every problem links students to learning resources that further reinforce concepts they need to master. The Study Plan questions can be taken over and over again; the instructor assigned Homework Assignment can be retaken as many times as a student wants right up to the deadline for taking it. The Chapter Quizzes can be taken three times before the deadline. The highest score is used for grading the Chapter Quizzes.
Learning Resources
In the upper-right corner of each practice problem is a link to the eText section discussing the very concept being applied. Students also have access to guided solutions ("Help Me Solve This"), animated graphs, audio narratives, and flashcards on many of the problems. MyEconLab has a suite of graphing tools for practice and current news articles that tie chapter topics to everyday issues.
Test and Other Assignments
MyEconLab comes with two pre-loaded Sample Tests for each chapter so students can self-assess their understanding of the material. Instructors can assign these Sample Tests or create assignments using a mix of publisher-supplied content and their own custom exercises.
As a student you should:
Reading the textbook thoroughly is the key to doing well in this Distance Learning course. Distance Learning courses have no lectures to help you understand the material being covered. You must rely almost completely on the textbook to help you understand the material. This is why reading, and re-reading the text is so essential.
I recommend that you take these steps in reading each chapter.
Step One: Skim the chapter. Spend three to five seconds looking over each page of the chapter.
Step Two: Quickly read over the chapter again reading only the title of the chapter, the learning objectives, all the headings and sub-headings in the chapter, all the words in bold print, and all the words in the left column of each page in the chapter.
Step Three: Read the introduction of the chapter, the first paragraph of each section or subsection in the chapter and the first sentence of all of the other paragraphs in the section or subsection. Finally read the summary of the chapter.
Step Four: Without referring back to the chapter make a list of all the important concepts, terms, ideas, theories, and laws that you can remember.
Step Five: Read the introduction, the learning objectives, and the summary of the chapter in the "What You Should Know" section at the end of the chapter.
Step Six: Revise and improve your list and then use it to make the outline/map of the chapter.
Step Seven: Read the chapter in the text completely and thoroughly.
Step Eight: Revise and improve your outline/map once again. This time add the key terms to the appropriate places in your outline/map if they had been included before this time.
Step Nine: Complete a Study Plan for the chapter in MyEconLab.
Step Ten: Revise your outline/map one more time.
Step Eleven: Review your outline/map every four or five days until the exam and then use it to prepare for the exam.
If you read your textbook in this structured and disciplined way, you will learn much more than if you approach your reading task in an unorganized manner, and you will do much better on the exams than you would otherwise do.
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UNIT I |
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Chapter 1: The Nature of Economics |
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Chapter 2: Scarcity and the World of Trade-Offs |
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Chapter 3: Demand and Supply |
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Chapter 4: Extensions of Demand and Supply Analysis |
Test over UNIT
I due by June 9 for extra credit points.
Learning Objectives for Exam 1
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UNIT II |
| Chapter 5: Public Spending and Public Choice | |
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Chapter 6: Funding the Public Sector |
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Chapter 7: The Macroeconomy: Unemployment, Inflation, and Deflation |
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Chapter 8: Measuring the Economy’s Performance |
Test
over UNIT II due by June 17 for extra credit points.
Learning Objectives for Exam 2
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UNIT III |
| Chapter 10: Real GDP and the Price Level in the Long Run | |
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Chapter 11: Classical and Keynesian Macro Analyses |
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Chapter 12: Consumption, Real GDP, and the Multiplier |
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Chapter 13: Fiscal Policy |
Test
over UNIT III due by June 25 for extra credit points.
Learning Objectives for Exam 3
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UNIT IV |
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Chapter 14: Deficit Spending and the Public Debt |
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Chapter 15: Money, Banking, and Central Banking |
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Chapter 16: Domestic and International Dimensions of Monetary Policy |
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Chapter 17: Stabilization in an Integrated World Economy |
Test
over UNIT IV due by July 3 for extra credit points.
Learning Objectives for Exam 4
FINAL EXAM
due by July 5 for extra credit points. This is the last day of class in summer sessions.
All ACC Testing Centers are closed because of the Coronavirus this summer.
Students will be allowed to take the FINAL EXAM at home using free proctoring software entitled Respondus LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor.
| •All midterm exams will be available on Blackboard
for re-testing purposes through July 5. •Beware though! Since Exam 4 is a prerequisite for taking the Final Exam, a student couldn't take the initial attempt on Exam 4 at any time after 9 p.m. on Sunday, July 5, and have any hope of taking the Final Exam the same day. •There is no re-test for the final exam. |
Important Note: If you take these tests on time you will receive extra credit points that will improve your grade. See "Extra Credit Points" under "Grading" for details. The total value of these extra credit points is equal to 2% of the course grade. You can earn additional extra credit points by doing the two Extra Credit Assignments. more than the required MyEconLab Homework & Quizzes. Details about all the extra credit points available can be found under "Extra Credit Points" below.
This is a Competency Based Education course. That means that the grades assigned will be based on the mastering the UNITS (Competencies) in the course. Once students have shown mastery of one UNIT (or competency), they may move on to the next UNIT. UNIT Challenge Exams are available in the Challenge Exam folder on the course's Blackboard site for each of the four UNITS (Competencies). They are optional; students can ignore them and start the MyEconLab assignments in each UNIT if they so desire. One attempt will be allowed for each UNIT Challenge Exam AND it must be taken in a secure setting using Respondus Lock Down Browser and Respondus Monitor (you will find more details about this in the course's ACC Blackboard site. From the left navigation column in Blackboard, follow this sequence of links: Course Content/Challenge Exams/Instructions on how to use Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor).
If a grade of 80% or better is made on a UNIT Challenge Exam, then a student may move on to the next UNIT without completing the MyEconLab assignments in the UNIT for which the UNIT Challenge Exam was taken. If a grade of less than 80% is made on a UNIT Challenge Exam, then students will have to move through each the MyEconLab assignments in the UNIT in the order they are assigned. After students have completed these assignments with a 65% or better grade on them, they will be able to take the UNIT Exam. Three attempts will be allowed on each UNIT Exam without the instructor's permission--an initial test and two re-tests. These exam are "take home exams" in that they can be taken without using Respondus Lock Down Browser and Monitor on your Internet connected compter at home.
Students must make a 65% or better on a UNIT Exam to move on to the next UNIT Challenge Exam OR the next UNIT MyEconLab assignments and UNIT EXAM. If more than three attempts are needed to make a 65%, students must set up an appointment with the professor to discuss the difficulties they are having with the UNIT Exam. Once a UNIT Exam has been passed with a 65% or better, the process will repeat itself on the next UNIT/Competency.
A student has completed the course when the student completes the Final Exam. The prerequiste for being able to take the Final Exam is that a student must have made an 80% or better on the UNIT/Competency IV Challenge Exam OR 65% or better on the UNIT IV Exam . The letter grade a student will be assigned will be determined by the weighted average of the grades on the four UNIT/Competency Challenge Exams OR UNIT Exams, as the case may be, and the grade on the Final Exam. Each UNIT/Competency Challenge Exam OR the associated UNIT Exam will have a weight of 15%, or 150 points. That is UNIT I will have a weight of 15%; UNIT II, 15%; UNIT III, 15%: and UNIT IV will have a weight of 15%; in the point system used this is equivalent to 600 points or 60% of the grade. And the Final Exam will have a weight of 40% or 400 points.
A flow chart of the three distinct paths through this course can be found here: http://www.austincc.edu/sondg/CBE-QM/MacroCBE-DL-Flowchart.svg. The path on the righthand side of this page is the traditional path that I offered in this course up until the Fall 2018 semester. I think most students will travel this path. However, due to encouragement from the college's administrators, I have added the other two paths. The lefthand path is basically a chanllenge exam for credit in the whole course; if you make over an 80% on the Course Challenge Exam, then you do not have to complete the MyEconLab assignments or take the UNIT Exams. The center pathway, allows students to challenge individual UNITS of the course.
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Letter Grade
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Weighted Average
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Points
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A
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90 to 100%
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900 to 1000+
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B
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80 to 89.9%
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800 to 899
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C
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65 to 79.9%
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650 to 799
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D
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55 to 64.9%
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550 to 649
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F
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0 to 54.9%
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0 to 549
|
NOTE #1: Because of the Extra Credit Points discussed later in this syllabus, the total points shown in the Blackboard gradebook might be 1200. However, the letter grades will be based on points accumulated as shown in the above table.
NOTE #2: Finally there are several
important pieces of information that students need to keep in mind when preparing
for the final exam.
1) If a student makes an F on the final, (that is, makes less than 55% or 220
points out of 400 on the final exam), then the student can make no higher than
a C in the course.
In other words, a student cannot make an A or a B in the course if he makes
an F on the final.
2) If a student makes a D on the final, (that is, makes at least 55% but less
than 65% on the final exam), then the student can make no higher than a B in
the course.
In other words, a student cannot make an A in the course if he makes an D on
the final.
3) If a student makes a 90% ( 360 points--not counting extra credit points) or above on the final exam, the student
will earn an A in the course regardless of his total points.
The first two items are why a Practice Final is being provided to students in
this course. It is hoped that this Practice Final will help students better
prepare for the final and take away some of the anxiety that students normally
feel when approaching a final exam.
NOTE #3:To complete the logic of a Competency Based Education course, a Course Challenge Exam will be available at the beginning of the course. This Course Challenge Exam will be just like the comprehensive Final Exam, AND, like the Final Exam, it must be taken using the Respondus LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor.. It will consist of 100 questions. The questions will all be correlated with specific learning objectives which will be listed on Blackboard. If a student makes an 80% or better on this Course Challenge Exam, then the student will have demonstrated mastery of the material in this Principles of Macroeconomics survey course and the grade the student will be assigned will be deterermined as follows:
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Letter Grade
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(Grade on Course Challenge Exam)
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A
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90 to 100% |
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B
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80 to 89.9%
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If a student scores less than a 80% on the Course Competency Exam, then the student will need to show mastery in the four UNITS mentioned above. If a student makes a B on the Course Challenge Exam and wants to raise his grade to an A, then the student will need to proceed through the four UNITS as outlined above.
Incompletes are discouraged. They will be given only when extraordinary events intervene so as to make completion of the course impossible. If you want an incomplete, these events must be documented. To receive an incomplete the student must have completed two exams with a grade of C or better. The student must also come by my office to fill out an incomplete grade form. If the form is not filled out, an incomplete grade will not be given.
Incompletes will not be given to students who are behind schedule when the semester nears its end. Nor will incompletes be given to students who need just a few more points to make the next higher letter grade. Plenty of opportunity exists during the semester to accomplish your goals.
If you find yourself way behind or many points short toward the end of the semester, you may withdraw without a grade penalty up to three weeks before the end of the semester. Please read the following note about withdrawals.
Students are responsible for withdrawing themselves from this course if that is what their personal situation requires. This means that if you have taken only two of the tests and the semester ends without your having withdrawn yourself, then you will receive an F in the course. The instructor makes no promise either implicit or explicit to withdraw students from the course. The instructor does reserve the right to withdraw students who have fallen behind on taking the exams and completing the MyEconLab assignments.
In addition, students should be aware of a change in the law regarding Withdrawals passed by the Texas Legislature in the spring of 2007. Starting in the Fall of 2007, entering freshman will be restricted to six non-punitive withdrawals for the whole of their undergraduate careers while attending state colleges.
Important information about the consequences of
withdrawing from a course are discussed at this ACC site:
http://www.austincc.edu/apply-and-register/registration-steps/drop-or-withdraw-from-a-class.
The last day to withdraw from this course without penalty is Friday, June 26.
A Course Challenge Exam is offered to all students who want to see if they can pass the course without working through all the Pearson MyEconLab assignments and taking all the UNIT Exams. If students make an 80% or better on this Challenge Exam they will have passed the course an need do nothing more in it. As the professor of the course, I will give a letter grade of A or B to anyone who can do this.
The prerequistite for taking the Course Challenge Exam is to have compelted the Mandatory Orientation Quiz with a grade of 80% or better.
This Challenge Exam is exactly like the final exam described below. By "exactly like," I mean all its questions will be randomly drawn for 100 pools of questions just like the Final Exam.
To learn more about the nature if this exam, please read the information given below about the final exam.
Like the Final Exam, the Challenge Exam must be taken using Respondus LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor.
You must show your student ID and a photo ID when using Respondus.
If you make over an 80%, you are finished with the course. If you make less than 80%, you will need to proceed through the normal assignments and exams required of the course.
Good luck if you want to try taking it. If you don't succeed, it will not damage your grade in the rest of the course in the least.
If you don't want to attempt taking it, you can proceed to the UNIT I Challenge Exam, or you can start working on the UNIT I MyEconLab assignments.
All UNIT Challenge Exams, the Course Challenge Exam, regular UNIT EXAMS, and the Final Exam are objective, multiple-choice question exams.
All UNIT Challenge Exams, the Course Challenge Exam, UNIT EXAMS, and the Final Exam are based on the learning objectives students are expected to master. For more information on learning objectives, please see the section on "Learning Objectives" in this syllabus above or in Blackboard. Furthermore all exam questions will be drawn exclusively from the textbook, Economics Today: The Macro View. The exams over each UNIT will include ten questions over each chapter assigned for each UNIT, so each UNIT Challenge Exam and the corresponding UNIT EXAM will cover four chapters and consist of 40 questions. The questions will appear on the EXAMS in the order in which the chapters were assigned for the UNIT. For example, on the UNIT I EXAM the first ten questions will cover Chapter 1, next ten will cover Chapter 2, questions 21-30 will cover Chapter 3, and questions 31-40 will cover Chapter 4.. Indeed the questions will be numbered in exactly the same way as the learning objectives the questions are associated with are numbered.
The regular EXAMS for each of the four UNITS will be administered over the Internet through the course's ACC Blackboard site. Each regular UNIT EXAM over a UNIT will be found in the corresponding UNIT Module folder in the left navigation column of Blackboard.
Each UNIT CHALLENGE EXAM will be found in the Challenge Exam folder. These CHALLENGE EXAMS are not required; they are available to students who think they grasp the material in a UNIT well enough to pass a test over it with an 80% or better grade and thereby skip the MyEconLab assignments associated with the UNIT,
There will be ten learning objectives listed for each chapter. Each learning objective will have 10 or more questions connected to it by the testing program used in this course. That program will randomly choose one question from each group of ten for the exam. For example, if a UNIT EXAM is 40 questions long, then there will be 10 ways to select the first question, ten ways to select the second question, and so on to the fortieth question. The number of different exams this program can generate for one midterm/unit exam is 1040. One billion is 1 followed by 9 zeros. 1040 is 1 followed by 40 zeros, or 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 different exams will be possible for each UNIT EXAM.
These EXAMS will also be timed. You will have 60 minutes to answer 40 questions.
Once again, the UNIT EXAMS will be given on the Blackboard Internet course platform used by ACC, so students will need to sign on to Blackboard in order to take these exams.
If students make an 80% or better on the UNIT Challenge Exams, they may move on to the next UNIT Challenge Exam without working through all the EconLab assignemnts. If a student makes an 80% or better on the UNIT IV Challenge Exam, he may move on directly to take the Final Exam without working through the MyEconLab assignments in UNIT IV.
Students will have the opportunity to re-take each UNIT EXAM twice (there are no re-tests on Challange Exams). The highest grade will be used in determing grades. Students do not have to re-take these exams if they make over 65% on them. A 65% grade on a UNIT EXAM will allow the student to move on to the next UNIT or the Final Exam if it is the UNIT IV EXAM. If a student does not make an 65% or better on a UNIT EXAM after three attempts, then the student will need to meet with the Professor of the course before he or she can re-test it again.
NOTE: All UNIT Challenge Exams, UNIT EXAMS, and the FINAL Exam have prerequisites that have to be met before they can be taken.
UNIT I Challenge Exam: to take
this exam you must have taken and passed the Mandatory Orientation Quiz with
an 80% grade or better grade.
UNIT I EXAM: to take this exam you must
have taken and passed the Mandatory Orientation Quiz with an 80% or better grade
AND the Chapter 4 MyEconLab Quiz with a 65% or better grade.
UNIT II Challenge Exam: to take
this exam you must have taken and passd the UNIT I Challenge EXAM with a grade
of 80% or better OR the UNIT I EXAM with a 65%
or better grade.
UNIT II EXAM: to take this exam you must
have taken and passd the UNIT I EXAM AND the Chapter 8 MyEconLab Quiz with a
65% or better grade.
UNIT III Challenge Exam: to
take this exam you must have taken and passd the UNIT II Challenge EXAM with
a grade of 80% or better OR the UNIT II EXAM with
a 65% or better grade.
UNIT III EXAM: to take this exam you must
have taken and passd the UNIT II EXAM AND the Chapter 13 MyEconLab Quiz with
a 65% or better grade.
UNIT IV Challenge Exam: to take
this exam you must have taken and passd the UNIT III Challenge EXAM with a grade
of 80% or better OR the UNIT III EXAM with a 65%
or better grade.
UNIT IV EXAM: to take this exam you must
have taken and passd the UNIT III EXAM AND the Chapter 17 MyEconLab Quiz with
a 65% or better grade.
FINAL EXAM: to take this exam you must have taken and passd the UNIT IV Challenge EXAM with a grade of 80% or better OR the UNIT IV EXAM with a 65% or better grade.
TO SEE ALL PREREQUISITES FOR ALL MYECONLAB ASSIGNMENTS AND ALL BLACKBOARD EXAMS, CLICK HERE.
YOU SHOULD MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO TAKE THE UNIT EXAMS NO LATER THAN THE LISTED DATE.
For all deadlines click here.
However, all UNIT EXAMS will be available through the last day of the semester
for re-testing purposes.
Contact the instructor if you are unable to take any of the exams by the listed date.
Contact the instructor if you have fallen behind schedule so that you can work with the instructor to put together a plan to catch up.
The Final Exam must be taken in a Testing Center. Students can not pass the course without taking the final exam.
You MUST show your student ID and a photo ID in order to take an exam at a Testing Center.
The Final Exam must be taken using Respondus LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor. More information about the Respondus software will be given in the section immediately below this sectioin of the syllabus.
The final exam will be comprehensive. There will be 100 questions on it drawn from the 160 Learning Objective pools used in this course. So each question will be drawn form one or two pools. The quesitions will be arranged in the order the chapters were assigned. Questions over Chapter 1 will be the first ones encountered and questions over Chapter 17 (Chapter 9 is skipped) will be the last ones encountered.
Students will be allowed to use two 8.5x11 inch pieces of paper with notes written on both sides. These crib sheets must be hand written -- not typed, and it must not be a photocopy. This crib sheet must be shown on the Respondus Monitor camera before the start of the exam..
More information about the Final Exam will be posted on the Announcements page on this course's Blackboard site about three weeks before the end of the semester. (If you complete the course early, please email me, and I will supply you with that information.)
There is no retesting on the final exam, though there is a Practice Final available on Blackboard.This Practice Final is a copy of the actual final you will be taking in a Testing Center in the sense that it draws examination questions from the same test pools. It is not an exact copy because it will most likely draw a different question from each pool. Nevertheless, it will give you an excellent sense of what the final exam will be like when you take it in the Testing Center. As such, it should help you understand how much you will need to prepare for the actual final exam.
All ACC Testing Centers will be closed during the Summer of 2020 because of the social distancing requirements that have been mandated by the state government due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
As a result, all exams that students would have had to take in an ACC Testing Center before the pandemic will now be offered at home on Blackboard using a free proctoring software program.
That software is entitled Respondus LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor. Instructions on how to download this software to your computer and how to use it can be found on this course's ACC Blackboard site. A link in the left navigation bar entitled "Respondus" will open a folder on Blackboard which contains all the needed links to download the software and videos on how to use it.
This software can be used at your home or anywhere in the world that has an Internet connection.
My guess is that around 99% of students will use Respondus only to take the regular FINAL EXAM for this course. However, if you want to take the Course Challenge Exam or any of the UNIT Challenge Exams, then you will have to use this software to take those exams also.
The regular UNIT Exams DO NOT HAVE to use the Respondus software. They can be taken with a regular browser and no monitor or proctor. They are completely open book, open note, open Internet exams.
MyEconLab.com is the online study guide which accompanies our Miller text. MyEconLab is required, not optional.
While the grades made on MyEconLab assignments are not part of the course grade, students cannot move on to the UNIT EXAMS without making at least and 65% on the assigned Chapter Homework Assignments and Chapter Quizzes that are part of the assignments for each chapter. More details about how this works will be found in the Grading section. A link to a list of all prerequisites for MyEconLab assignments and UNIT EXAMS can be found HERE.
MyEconLab has three types of assignments:
Each question will have a drop down window of Learning Aids at the top and to the right of the question or problem. These Learning Aids include
The Results page will give you your scores
on each assignment, as well as your overall average.
Chapter Quizzes and Chapter Homework Assignments will have due dates.
You will be able to do the assignments for credit after their deadlines have
passed with a penalty being exacted for every day they are late.
Deadlines for Homework Assignments and Quizzes on MyEconLab can be found here: http://www.austincc.edu/sondg/homework/macro/2019-2020/1st5wSummerMEL.htm.
There are two ways for students to improve their grades by earning extra credit. The total amount of extra credit available is equal to 20% of the course grade.
Extra Credit Type 1: Take the tests on time:
You can earn extra credit by taking your exams on or before the initial testing deadlines.
You will earn extra credit equal to 10 points on each UNIT EXAM (or UNIT CHALLENGE Exam on which you make an 80% or better) taken on or before its extra credit deadline. You will not lose this extra credit if you take the re-test for that UNIT after the deadline for regular UNIT EXAMS.
For regular UNIT EXAMS you can earn another 10 points extra credit by completing the MyEconLab assignments that are a prerequisite to taking the regular UNIT EXAM for each UNIT as long as the UNIT EXAM is taken by the extra credit deadline. These extra credit points are not avaialble to those who take and pass the UNIT CHALLENGE EXAMS.
This means there are a total of 80 points, or 8% of the course grade, available as extra credit just by taking the UNIT EXAMS on or before their deadlines.
If you take the Final on or before its deadline, you will earn 20 points extra credit or 2% of the course grade. This extra credit is available to those who take the COURSE CHALLENGE EXAM also.
So the total extra credit avialble by taking all exams by their due date is 10% of the total number of points available in the course.
Extra Credit Type 2: Taking Extra Credit Assignment Exams over the unassigned chapters of the textbook.:
Chapters 9, 18, 32, and 33 are not assigned and
will not be covered on any UNIT EXAM on Blackboard or on the Final Exam.
However small tests over these chapters will be made available on Blackboard.
Each of these exams is worth up to 5% of the course grade--10% in total.
If students are looking for another way to improve their grade, then they are
encouraged to read these chapters and take the exams connected to Extra Credi
Assignment 1 and Extra Credit Assignment 2.
Extra Credit Assignment 1 Exam covers chapters 9 and 18. Students must complete
the associated MyEconLab assignments with at least a 65% score to be able to
take it.
Extra Credit Assignment 2 Exam covers chapters 32 and 33. Students must complete
the associated MyEconLab assignments with at least a 65% score to be able to
take it.
Students must make 65% or better on these exams to earn any points on them.
For example, if a student makes an 80% on one of these Extra Credit Assignment Exams, then he will receive 40 extra credit points: 80%*50=40. If a student makes a 64% on one, then he will earn no extra credit points.
The deadline for completing these extra credit tests is July 5.
|
EXAM |
Unit Covered |
Chapters Covered |
Exam Deadline for Extra Credit Points |
Location of Exam |
|
1 |
I |
1, 2, 3, 4 |
June 9 |
Blackboard |
|
2 |
II |
5, 6, 7, 8 |
June 17 |
Blackboard |
|
3 |
III |
10, 11, 12, 13 |
June 25 |
Blackboard |
|
4 |
IV |
14, 15, 16, 17 |
July 3 |
Blackboard |
|
Final |
ALL |
1-8 & 10-17 |
July 5 |
Respondus |
| All UNIT EXAMS will be available for re-testing on Blackboard
through the last day of the semester if a studnet has taken the intial test by its deadline or has met the prerequisites for taking it.
FINAL EXAM due by Sunday, July 5. •Beware though! Since Exam 4 is a prerequisite for taking the Final Exam, a student couldn't take the initial attempt on Exam 4 at any time after 9 p.m. on Sunday, July 5, and have any hope of taking the Final Exam the same day. •There is no re-test for the final exam. |
Statement on Academic Integrity
Austin Community College values academic integrity in the educational process. Acts of academic dishonesty/misconduct undermine the learning process, present a disadvantage to students who earn credit honestly, and subvert the academic mission of the institution. The potential consequences of fraudulent credentials raise additional concerns for individuals and communities beyond campus who rely on institutions of higher learning to certify students' academic achievements, and expect to benefit from the claimed knowledge and skills of their graduates. Students must follow all instructions given by faculty or designated college representatives when taking examinations, placement assessments, tests, quizzes, and evaluations. Actions constituting scholastic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, collusion, falsifying documents, or the inappropriate use of the college’s information technology resources. Further information is available at https://www.austincc.edu/about-acc/academic-integrity-and-disciplinary-process
Any course specific policies, expectations, or procedures could be included here.
Student Rights & Responsibilities
Academic freedom is a foundation and hallmark of higher education. In the context of college-level courses, it specifically refers to the rights of free expression and respect for others with differing opinions. Students at the college have the rights accorded by the U.S. Constitution to freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, petition, and association. This concept is accompanied by an equally demanding concept of responsibility on the part of the student. Just as you are expected to exercise these rights with respect for state and federal law in the larger world, you are expected to exercise these rights as a student with respect for the college’s standards of conduct. These rights carry with them the responsibility to accord the same rights to others in the college community and not to interfere with or disrupt the educational process. Students and faculty alike should enable a climate of mutual respect and civility while fostering the freedom to debate and discuss the merits of competing ideas.
Enrollment in the college indicates acceptance of the rules set forth in the student standards of conduct policy, which is administered through the office of the campus dean of student services. Due process, through an investigation and appeal process, is assured to any student involved in disciplinary action.
Student Complaints
A defined process applies to complaints about an instructor or other college employee. You are encouraged to discuss concerns and complaints with college personnel and should expect a timely and appropriate response. When possible, students should first address their concerns through informal conferences with those immediately involved; formal due process is available when informal resolution cannot be achieved.
Student complaints may include (but are not limited to) issues regarding classroom instruction, college services and offices on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or disability.
Further information about the complaints process, including the form used to submit complaints, is available at: http://www.austincc.edu/students/students-rights-and-responsibilities/student-complaint-procedures
Statement on Privacy
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects confidentiality of students’ educational records. Grades cannot be provided by faculty over the phone, by e-mail, or to a fellow student.
If class grades are posted in BlackBoard, this could be mentioned here.
Student Accessibiliity Services
Students with documented disabilities who need classroom, academic, or other accommodations must request them through the office Student Accessibility Services (SAS). SAS offices are located at each major campus. Students are encouraged to request accommodations when they register for courses or at least three weeks before the start of the semester; otherwise, the provision of accommodations may be delayed. Students who have received approval for accommodations from SAS for this course must provide the instructor with the document titled “Notice of Approved Accommodations” from SAS before accommodations will be provided. Accommodations will not be provided retroactively. Arrangements by the instructor for academic accommodations can only be made after he or she receives the “Notice of Approved Accommodations” from the student.
Additional information about Student Accessibility Services is available at https://www.austincc.edu/offices/student-accessibility-services-and-assistive-technology
Academic
Safety Statement
Health and safety are of paramount importance in classrooms, laboratories, and field activities. Students are expected to learn and comply with ACC environmental, health and safety procedures and agree to follow ACC safety policies. Emergency Procedures posters and Campus Safety Plans are posted in each classroom and should be reviewed at the beginning of each semester. All incidents (injuries/illness/fire/property damage/near miss) should be immediately reported to the course instructor. Additional information about safety procedures and how to sign up to be notified in case of an emergency can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/emergency
Everyone is expected to conduct themselves professionally with respect and courtesy to all. Anyone who thoughtlessly or intentionally jeopardizes the health or safety of another individual may be immediately dismissed from the day’s activity and will be referred to the Dean of Student Services for disciplinary action.
In the event of disruption of normal classroom activities due to an emergency situation or an illness outbreak, the format for this course may be modified to enable completion of the course. In that event, students will be provided an addendum to the class syllabus that will supersede the original version.
Use of ACC email
All College e-mail communication to students will be sent solely to the student’s ACCmail account, with the expectation that such communications will be read in a timely fashion. ACC will send important information and will notify you of any college related emergencies using this account. Students should only expect to receive email communication from their instructor using this account. Likewise, students should use their ACCmail account when communicating with instructors and staff. Information about ACC email accounts, including instructions for accessing it, are available at: http://www.austincc.edu/help/accmail/questions-and-answers
Campus Carry
The Austin Community College District concealed handgun policy ensures compliance with Section 411.2031 of the Texas Government Code (also known as the Campus Carry Law), while maintaining ACC’s commitment to provide a safe environment for its students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Beginning August 1, 2017, individuals who are licensed to carry (LTC) may do so on campus premises except in locations and at activities prohibited by state or federal law, or the college’s concealed handgun policy. In addition, concealed weapons are not allowed on ACC-sponsored field trips where the school owns or has chartered or leased vehicles for transportation.
It is the responsibility of license holders to conceal their handguns at all times. Persons who see a handgun on campus are asked to contact the ACC Police Department by dialing 222 from a campus phone or 512-223-7999. Please refer to the concealed handgun policy online at http://austincc.edu/campuscarry
Discrimination Prohibited
The College seeks to maintain an educational environment free from any form of discrimination or harassment including but not limited to discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.
Faculty at the College are required to report concerns regarding sexual misconduct (including all forms of sexual harassment and sex and gender-based discrimination) to the Manager of Title IX/Title VI/ADA Compliance. Licensed clinical counselors are available across the District and serve as confidential resources for students.
Additional information about Title VI, Title IX, and ADA compliance can be found in the ACC Compliance Resource Guide available at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o55xINAWNvTYgI-fs-JbDyuaMFDNvAjz/view
Use of the Testing Center
Under certain circumstances, examinations may have to be taken in a testing center. The ACC Testing Centers follow standard procedures so students know what to expect when they arrive to take their tests. Students should familiarize themselves with the student guidelines.
Students must present an ACC student ID card or government issued ID and know their ACC ID number before they can test.
It is necessary to check in at the Testing Center kiosk before taking a test. To check in, one must know the following information:
• Student ID number
• Course prefix and number
• Course synonym
• Course section number
• Test number
• Instructor’s name
Personal belongings such as backpacks, books, and electronic devices (including, but not limited to, cell phones and smart watches) are not allowed in the Testing Center. Possession of prohibited items or accessing unapproved resources in the testing room will result in the immediate termination of the exam and possible disciplinary action.
Please include here any course-specific details needed to use the testing center.
For additional information on using the Testing Center, please go to: http://www.austincc.edu/students/testing-services/instructional-testing
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
The success of our students is paramount, and ACC offers a variety of support services to help, as well as providing numerous opportunities for community engagement and personal growth.
Student Support
ACC strives to provide exemplary support to its students and offers a broad variety of opportunities and services. Information on these campus services and resources is available at http://www.austincc.edu/students.
Academic Support
ACC offers academic support services on all of its campuses. These services, which include face-to-face and online tutoring, academic coaching, and supplemental instruction, are free to enrolled ACC students. Tutors are available in a variety of subjects ranging from accounting to pharmacology. Students may receive these services on both a drop-in and referral basis. Tutoring schedules can be found at: https://www.austincc.edu/students/tutoring/tutoring-schedules
Library Services
ACC has a full-service library at each of its campuses to support ACC courses and programs and to provide students with research and assignment assistance from expert faculty librarians, computers, course reserves, laptop and tablet check out, study spaces, and copying, printing, and scanning services. In addition, ACC students have full rights and privileges to access Library Services online 24/7 via the ACC Library website and students can use their ACCeID logins to access all online materials, including ebooks, articles from library databases, and streaming videos. ACC Libraries also provide an “Ask a Librarian” service, which allows students to reach a librarian 24/7 through online chat. Faculty librarians are also available via email, phone, and in person seven days a week during hours of operation. Visit:
• Library Website: http://library.austincc.edu
• Ask a Librarian: https://library.austincc.edu/help/ask.php
• Library Hours of Operation by Location: https://library.austincc.edu/loc/
• Email: library@austincc.edu
In partnership with ACC’s Student Support Center, ACC Libraries also maintain a limited collection of textbooks for students to borrow. Priority access to the textbook collection is given to students receiving assistance. More information is available on the ACC website by searching “Student Support Center Textbook Collection.”
Student Organizations
ACC has over seventy student organizations, offering a variety of cultural, academic, vocational, and social opportunities. They provide a chance to meet with other students who have the same interests, engage in service-learning, participate in intramural sports, gain valuable field experience related to career goals, and much else. Student Life coordinates many of these activities, and additional information is available at http://sites.austincc.edu/sl/.
Personal Support
Resources to support students are available at every campus. To learn more, ask your professor or visit the campus Support Center. All resources and services are free and confidential. Some examples include, among others:
• Food pantries are located in all campus Student Life offices: https://sites.austincc.edu/sl/programs/foodpantry/.
• Assistance with childcare or utility bills is available at any campus Support Center: http://www.austincc.edu/students/support-center.
• The Student Emergency Fund can help with unexpected expenses that may cause you to withdraw from one or more classes: http://www.austincc.edu/SEF.
• Help with budgeting for college and family life is available through the Student Money Management Office: http://sites.austincc.edu/money/.
• Drop-in child care is available at Highland Campus: http://www.austincc.edu/students/child-care/child-watch-drop-in-center
Clinical Counseling services are available throughout the ACC Student Services District to address personal and or mental health concerns: http://www.austincc.edu/students/counseling .
If an emergency occurs during operational hours, please come to the Student Services Office and let the front intake staff know that you are experiencing a crisis. They will alert appropriate personnel. You may also contact the ACC District Police at 222 (on campus) or 223-7999 (off campus or cell phone).
After Hours:
If you are struggling with a mental health or personal crisis, call one of the following numbers to connect with resources for help. However if you are afraid that you might hurt yourself or someone else, call 911 immediately.
