ECON 2301
Instructor: James Sondgeroth
FALL 2020
August 24 - December 13
| Incompletes | |
| Withdrawals | |
| ACC Safty Statement | ACC email |
| Extra Credit | ACC Safty Statement Handgun Policy |
Office:
Rio Grande Campus(RGC)/
3000 Building at 1218 West Ave. 78701
Rm. 3342RGC Phone: 512-223-3390
The purpose of this course is to familiarize the student with the generally accepted principles of macroeconomics. Macroeconomics is concerned with such things as, economic growth, unemployment, inflation, and the business cycle. Though ultimately based on the actions of individual households and business firms (microeconomics), macroeconomics deals with aggregates--i.e., consumers as a whole, producers as a whole, exporters and importers as a whole, fiscal policy --the effects of government spending and taxation, and the monetary policy of the central bank.
The course is subdivided into several major areas as follows: (1) microeconomic foundation; (2) national income accounting; (3) growth; (4) inflation; (5) unemployment; (6) money and banking; (7) international trade and the exchange rate; (8) the business cycle; (9) national income determination with the effects of fiscal and monetary policy included; (10) an explanation of our current situation.
Course Description, Rationale, and Common Course Objectives/Student Outcomes as established by the economics department:
1. 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.
2. Course Rationale- This course is meant to give students insight into the dynamics of our national economy. The knowledge gained in the course will make students better informed citizens 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
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Macroeconomics,
(with Videos, eText, & Printed Access Card), 13th Edition, by Roger
A. Arnold (South-Western College Publishing, 2017)
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The lecture topics/questions upon which the exams will be based will function as broad learning objectives for this course.
These lecture topics/learning objectives can be found by clicking here.
All of the multiple-choice questions found on the on-line exams will center about the same list of topical questions. The instructor will make available the list of questions at the beginning of each unit of the course. Each unit will cover 14 to 18 of these questions. The instructor has composed a pool of 10 to 40 questions over each topic/ learning objective/question. The on-line exams will randomly draw from 1 to 3 questions from each of these pools. Because of this, these topics will constitute learning objectives of this course.
Regular attendance is expected. Frequent exposure to an instructor's explanations is an important factor in a student's ability to master the material covered. (Here is a scatter graph of the correlation between attendance and grades: http://www.austincc.edu/sondg/images/graphs/attendance.PNG.) On Saturday, August 22, I was told that I could not take attendance in any way that would impact the grade. Usually I would explain how I give extra credit here, but given the addendance directive, I will just keep close tabs on how studnts are progressing in the course and how ofter student join me at the appointed times on MW.
Blackboard is an on-line classroom management tool. It includes a grade book, a discussion board, ways to communicate between students and between students and professor, and a testing facility.
Instructions on how to log into this course's Blackboard site can be found at http://itdl.austincc.edu/blackboard/stlogin.htm.
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 Adam Smith might have this Username a0067701.
Once you submit this Username, just follow the instructions.
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 meet witht he class on Mondays and Wednesdays during class hours and to hold virtual office hours now that face-to-face meetings for lectures and 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 2301.06543.043 in the subject line.
In a normal semester, I would administer three essays exams in class and three multiple-choic exams on Blackboard. If I could administer the essay exams in a classroom at Vista Ridge High School during the stated meeting times, then I would require the essay exams. I have been told this is not possible. Even if I were to use a proctoring software program like Respondus Lock Down Brownser and Respondus Monitor, I couldn't make the essay exams secure. Since this is not a typical semester, I am only going to require multiple-choice exams. These exams will be supplemented with a written project and five written homework assignments.
Three Midterm Multiple-Choice Exams:There will be three cumulative, midterm, multiple choice exams, and also three cumulative essay exams. There will be no comprehensive final exam. This is because the cumulative nature of the objective mid-term and essay exams will go some way toward meeting the objective of a comprehensive final exam.
The three midterm multiple-choice exams will consist of between 30 and 50 questions. These exams will be administered on-line through the course's Blackboard site. They will not be administered during class. Students may take them at home if they like. These exams will be timed. The multiple choice questions on these exams will be directly correlated to the lecture topics/learning objectives made available on Blackboard and on the Internet.
The first on-line midterm objective/multiple-choice exam will consist of 30 questions worth 6 points apiece for a total of 180 possible points. The time limit on this exam will be 45 minutes.
The second on-line midterm objective/multiple-choice exam will consist of 40 questions. The first 10 questions will cover the material from the first unit of the course and be worth 5 points apiece; the remaining 30 will cover the material we have gone over in class, and in the recorded lectures over those topics, since the first exam, and they will be worth 7 points apiece. In total there the second exam will be worth 260 points. The time limit on this exam will be 60 minutes.
The third on-line midterm objective/multiple-choice exam will consist of 50 questions. The first 10 questions will again cover material from the first unit and be worth 4 points apiece. The next 10 questions will cover material from the second unit of the course and be worth 5 points apiece. The remaining 30 questions will cover the material we have gone over in class, and the recorded lectures over those topics, since the second exam, and they will be worth 8 points apiece. In total the third exam will be worth 330 points. The time limit on this exam will be 75 minutes.
In total, these three objective, multiple-choice exams will be worth 770 points or 77% of the course grade.
Students must take them by the deadlines set in the "Tentative Lecturing/Testing Schedule.
Resopondus Lock Down Browser and Respondus Monitor
The three multiple-choic exams mentioned immediately above will require that a proctoring software be used to take them.
This software is entitled Respondus LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor, it is provided free of charge to students by Austin Community College.
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.
SCHECULED DATES & Deadlines for On-Line Multiple Choice Exams:
On-line Multiple Choice Exams Exam 1 To be taken sometime between Monday, October 5, and Monday, October 12. Exam 2 To be taken sometime between Monday, November 9, and Monday, November 16. Exam 3 To be taken sometime between Tuesday, December 8, and Monday, December 14.
- Macro Data Project
This assignment is worth 100 points, or 10%, of course grade. Additional details will be provided by the end of September.
One of the program's broad learning objectives is to acquaint students to some of the more important measures of macroeconomic performance. Specifically the Consumer Price Index and its importance in measuring inflation, the Unemployment Rate, Employment-Population Ratio, Real GDP, and Real GDP per capita in measuring the performance of the national economy.
This assignment asks students to find data on these measures on government web sites and to show graphs of them along with the data. Finally the assignment asks students to interpret the data and graph they have produced by writing a short essay describing what you see in the data and graphs and explaining what is happening in the US economy.
Here are to statistical series you will be looking for to complete this assignment:
1) CPI with Inflation Rate from one year earlier (monthly-data and graph);
2) Unemployment rate (monthly-data and graph);
3) Employment-Population ratio (monthly- data and graph);
4) Nominal GDP and Real GDP(quarterly-- data and graph);
5) Real GDP per capita index value to 100 (just the graph);
6) Compound percentage change in Real GDP per capita from one year earlier.
Specifically you will need to find data on each going back nearly 70 years (from1945 or '48 to the present), to show this data in a table, and to show a graph of the data.
This assignment will require you to know:
--how to find the data on various government web sites:
--how to down load the data;
--how to graph the data you have found;
--and how to write a summary of what the graphs and data show.
The sets of data and their related graphs will be worth 50% of the grade, or 50 points.
The short essay will also be worth 50% of this grade, or 50 points.
Please use the textbook, handouts, PowerPoints, and lecture material to help you understand how to complete this assignment.
A detailed explanation on how to find the data and to use the St. Louis Federal Reserve Data (FRED) resourse for the graphs is included in the Discipline Assessment Cycle Statistical Series link in the left navigation column of this course's ACC Blackboard site.
The assignment will be due on Monday, November 23. Please use the Blackboard to submit the assignment: Go to Discipline Assessment Cycle Statistical Series Assignment and attach your documents there. (Late papers will be accepted, but they will be penalized 5 points (5%) for every day they are late.)
- Traditional Written Homework:
There will be five traditional homework assignments composed by the instructor. Altogether they will be worth 100 points or 10% of the course grade. These assignemnts will cover material gone over in lectures and are meant to reinforce the topics covered in those lectures. I will make them available on Blackboard. Students will submit them on Blackboard by a due date. Each of these assignments will be worth 2% of the course grade or 20 points.
- Graded Crib Sheets for the Exams:
You will be allowed to use one sheet of 8.5x11 inch paper with handwritten notes on the Multiple-Choice test for Exam 1. You may use another sheet for the new material covered on Exam 2. And still another sheet for the new material covered on Exam 3. An example of such a crib sheet from one of my Microeconomics courses from a previous semester will be provided to you, so you can see what I am looking for on them. You will be asked to make a pdf copy of each in turn and to submit them to me on Blackboard after you take each exam. You may use your crib sheet from Exam 1 on Exam 2. And you may use the crib sheets from Exams 1 and 2 on Exam 3. This means that on Exam 3 you may have three sheets available to you as you take the exam. Each crib sheet will be worth up to 10 points, or 1% of your grade. Altogether these crib sheets will be worth 30 points or 3% of the course grade.
There are 1000 points available all together. The three objective/multiple-choice midterm exams will be worth a total of 770 points. The traditional written homework assignments will be worth 100 points. Graded handwritten crib sheets will be worth 30 points. Finally the Macro Data Project will be worth 100 points.
Final letter grades will be distributed according to the following scale:
| Letter Grade | Points | Percent |
| A | 1000-900 | [100-90%] |
| B | 899-800 | (90-80%] |
| C | 799-650 | (80-65%] |
| D | 649-550 | (65-55%] |
| F | 549-0 | (55-0%] |
EXTRA CREDIT: The assignments in the first week of class orienting students to the course can be worth up to 20 points: the information sheet is worth 10 points, and the Syllabus Quiz is worth up to 10 extra credit points if they are completed before midnight of the second class day of the semester. If needed, the exams will be curved to make the class average equal to 75%. If the class average is at or above 75%, then there will be no curve.
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 the first two exams with a C or better. The student must also come by my office to fill out an incomplete 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 four weeks before the end of the semester. Please read the following note about withdrawals.
The instructor will withdraw students who have four absences.
Outside that circumstance, students are responsible for withdrawing themselves from this course if that is what their personal situation requires. This means that if you have taken no tests or only a few of the tests and the semester ends without you 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 except for excessive absenses (four or more).
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 are 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 without penalty is Thursday, November 19.
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Week No. |
CHAPTER/ASSIGNMENTS |
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1 |
Introduction and Chapter 1 and Appendix A |
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2 |
Chapter 2 |
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3 |
Chapter 3 |
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4 |
Chapter 4 |
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5 |
Chapter 6 started |
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6 |
Chapter 6 continued |
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7 |
Chapter 7 |
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8 |
Chapter 8 |
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9 |
Chapter 6 |
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10 |
Chapter 10 |
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11 |
Chapter 10 continued |
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12 |
Chapter 11 |
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13 |
Chapter 12 |
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14 |
Chapter 13 |
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15 |
Chapter 14 |
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16 |
Chapter 14 continued |
| On-line Multiple Choice Exams | |
| Exam 1 | To be taken sometime between Monday, October 5, and Monday, October 12. |
| Exam 2 | To be taken sometime between Monday, November 9, and Monday, November 16. |
| Exam 3 | To be taken sometime between Tuesday, December 8, and Monday, December 14. |
Campus Operations
To limit the spread of COVID-19, ACC campuses remain closed to students and the public. There are no face-to-face classes or services.
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
Student Rights & Responsibilities
Students at ACC have the same rights and protections under the Constitution
of the United States. These rights include freedom of speech, peaceful assembly,
petition and association. As members of the community, students have the right
to express their own views, but must also take responsibility for according
the same rights to others and not interfere or disrupt the learning environment.
Students are entitled to fair treatment, are expected to act consistently
with the values of the college, and obey local, state and federal laws. www.austincc.edu/srr.
As
a student of Austin Community College you are expected to abide by the Student
Standards of Conduct. https://www.austincc.edu/students/students-rights-and-responsibilities/student-standards-of-conduct
Senate Bill 212 and Title IX Reporting Requirements
Under Senate Bill 212 (SB 212), the faculty and all College employees are required to report any information concerning incidents of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking committed by or against an ACC student or employee.
Federal Title IX law and College policy also require reporting incidents of sex- and gender-based discrimination and sexual misconduct.
This means faculty and non-clinical counseling staff cannot keep confidential information about any such incidents that you share with them.
If you would like to talk with someone confidentiality, please contact the District Clinical Counseling Team who can connect you with a clinical counselor on any ACC campus: (512) 223-2616,
or to schedule online: https://www.austincc.edu/students/counseling .
While students are not required to report, they are encouraged to contact the Compliance Office for resources and options: Charlene Buckley, District Title IX Officer, (512) 223-7964; compliance@austincc.edu .
If a student makes a report to a faculty member, the faculty member will contact the District Title IX Officer for follow-up.
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.
All grades in this course will be posted on Blackboard. Only the student and the instructor have access to these grades.
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
All testing is currently online. While campuses are closed, exams for courses will be online tests that students can take from home.
For more information about online testing at ACC, visit the Online Testing resource page: https://www.austincc.edu/academic-and-career-programs/acconline/testing.
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. A comprehensive array of student support services is available online at: https://www.austincc.edu/coronavirus/remote-student-support.
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
ACC offers academic support services on all of its campuses. These services, which include 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.
An online tutor request can be made here:
https://de.austincc.edu/bbsupport/online-tutoring-request/.
Additional tutoring information can be found here:
https://www.austincc.edu/onlinetutoring.
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. 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 "live." Faculty librarians are also available via email and phone seven days a week during hours of operation. Visit:
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/.
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:
Any ACC student or employee with symptoms or exposure to the COVID-19 virus should inform their professor(s) or supervisor and complete the college's self reporting form: https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?AustinCC&layout_id=124
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