ECON 2105 Macroeconomics Syllabus

Revised May 2012

Division of Aviation Management and Business
ECON 2105 Macroeconomics
Credit Hours: 3-0-3 semester
Prerequisites: DST ENGL 0099, DST MATH 0097
Co Requisites: none
Faculty: Dr. Thomas Halaska

• Office: Dillard Hall Room 150
• Office Phone: 478-934-5232
• Office Hours:
  • Fall and Spring: T 1045-1145 and 1330-1430 W 10:45-11:45 and 1300-1400 F 0900-1000 by appointment
  • Summer: T 1045-1145 and 1330-1430 and by appointment

  • MGC Email: thalaska@mgc.edu
    Vista Mail messages and Vista Discussion postings are read and replied to daily M-F

Course Description

Introduction to concepts that will enable students to understand and analyze economic aggregates and evaluate economic policies. In the classroom web-enhanced course approximately 50% of learning activities occur online. In the online course, 100% of the learning activities occur online.

Text Required

Required text: Hall, Robert and Lieberman, Marc. Macroeconomics: Principles and Applications, 5th edition. Cengage South-Western. 2010.
ISBN 1-4390-3898-8

Student Learning Outcomes

This is what you are expected to learn in this course. Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to: 

1. Explain the monetary system, including the elements of pricing and inflation
2. Describe the Classical Macroeconomics Model and its use in analyzing the long term economic performance of the economy
3. Describe the Keynesian Model and its use in analyzing the short term economic performance of the economy

Learning Activities

This course is divided into thirteen (13) chapters. Learning activities within each chapter include:

1. Reading the textbook and online class notes
2. Visiting suggested web sites, conducting recommended web searches
3. Completing chapter practice tests (required activity)
4. Preparing for and participating in discussions
5. Completing chapter tests - online, on your own
   Note: Each chapter's Practice test MUST be completed with a minimum grade of 60 on at least one attempt before the chapter Test will become available.

    Course Learning Activities

1. Preparing and presenting a Macroeconomics project
2. Completing the comprehensive final exam - online

A Word About Workload This course is designed to require a total of 90-135 hours of concentrated study and work to complete. Consider that each week has 168 hours. In a 15-week semester, this means 6-9 class/study hours each week or in a 5-week summer session, this means 18-27 class/study hours each week. The learning and grade you achieve in this course is a result of the effort you put into it. If you are unable to make this commitment, do not take this course. If you find you are consistently spending more than this amount of time, you may need:

• help with time management and study skills - visit the Academic Support Center
• assistance with identifying learning priorities - talk with your instructor
• pre-requisite content or technology skills - talk with your advisor to re-schedule this course

Assignments

Assignments are graded learning activities. Assignments, with their corresponding deadlines, are listed in your Course Schedule. Assignments include:

1. Discussion (Class Participation)

Participation in each chapter's discussion. This includes making posts online about the topic and replying to what classmates have already said about the topic. Discussions are due when that chapter is covered. See the Course Schedule for assigned dates/times. Participation in discussion is evaluated according to:

• Content Presents and/or responds to issues. Presents ideas that are relevant, well developed and supported by course and/or professional readings. Demonstrates clear evidence of critical thinking. Keeps to the point. Identifies resources used. Proper capitalization, grammar, punctuation, and spelling are essential
• Process Initiates discussion. Attentive and actively participates. Shows awareness and respect for divergent points of view.  Displays careful, critical analysis of the assigned topic. Responds without prompting

Discussion Grading: You begin the semester with zero discussion points. You earn 0-8 points for each of the 13 chapters' discussions (Zero points for a late discussion posting).  Even if a post is present, if you do not follow the Content and Process guidelines described above, you will lose points.  Proper capitalization, grammar, punctuation, and spelling are essential and are part of the grade.  The maximum discussion score is 100 for the semester.

** Discussion Topics are located online in each chapter's learning module **

Discussion topics close at their due date/time. Closed/locked topics allow reading but no further posting to that topic. Discussions must be posted in their respective chapter topic, according to the Course Schedule, in order to earn grade points.

2. Chapter Tests - 13  (one per chapter)

Each chapter's Practice Test must be completed with a passing grade of 60 or higher before the Chapter Test will become available. Chapter tests are open-book, completed online, on your own, during the available dates listed in your Schedule. Each chapter test consists of 20 multiple choice questions with a 30 minute time limit. Once you click Begin Assessment, your access is logged and timing starts. Timing continues until you Finish your test. Each test has an optional second attempt. Your grade is the higher of the two attempts. Tests must be completed according to the Course Schedule in order to earn grade points.

• Tests EARN 5 bonus points if completed at least 24 hours before due date/time listed
• For 15-week sessions, chapter tests completed 0-48 hours after the assigned deadline will lose 10 points per test. No test will be accepted more than 48 hours after the posted deadline. A grade of zero will be recorded.
• For 5-week summer sessions, tests completed 0-24 hours after the assigned deadline will lose 10 points per test. No test will be accepted more than 24 hours after the deadline posted in the Schedule. A grade of zero will be recorded
• There is NO late extension on the last chapter test.

3. Project presentation

• Project will count as 25% of your final course grade. Each student must prepare his/her portion of the project, according to the Course Schedule, in order to earn grade points.
• The project can be done by an individual student or by a group of 2 to 5 students working together. All members of a group should contribute equally to the project, and all will receive the same grade for the project. The project will be posted online by the individual or by one of the group's members according to the course schedule (see the Course Schedule online).
• The project you choose from the list presented by the instructor will be of relatively major importance (compared with the more simple discussion questions used during the semester). Click on the "Syllabus, Schedule, Project" link. See "Project Description" in the Table of Contents.
• If the project relates to a controversial subject, your presentation should explore the two or more sides involved.
• While explaining the project itself, your presentation should explain the economic theories which underlie the major aspects of it. That is, you should
  • Explain the project itself
    • What is it about?
    • Why is it important?
  • Briefly explain any controversial aspects (the pros and cons, who is for it, who is against it), and explain each side's viewpoint in economic terms.
  • Explain the major parts of a complex project. Who are the major players, and explain in economic terms why they are involved and what you think they might expect to get (economically speaking) from the project.
  • See the course Project Guide for a more complete description of the process for preparing and presenting your project.
• You (and your team members, if any) may choose instead to do a self-designed project.  A project related to current economic events is encouraged.  Get the instructor's okay for what you're planning before you spend significant time on it.
• NOTE: If you are also taking Microeconomics, the same project cannot be used in both courses.  You must do a separate, distinct project in each course.

Grading the project (100 points total):

• 50 points for clearly explaining the project and its various aspects and/or the pros and cons if it is controversial.
• 50 points for clearly bringing out the economics theories involved in the aspects of your project.
• The use of correct English grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization is required, and the use of poor English will lose points.

** Project Topics - see the Macroeconomic Project Description page in the "Syllabus, Schedule, Project" module on the course home page. **

Course Evaluation Methods

• A minimum grade of D is necessary to pass this course
• A = 90.0 - 100  B = 80.0 - 89.9  C = 70.0 - 79.9  D = 60.0 - 69.9  F = < 60
• Grading
  • Discussion participation (averaged) = 25%
  • Chapter tests (averaged) = 25%
  • Microeconomics project presentation = 25%
  • Final exam = 25%
• If final exam is exempted, then the Discussion and the Chapter Test Average will each count 37.5%  and the project 25% of the final grade. (See "5. Exempting the Final Exam" below).

Policies

1. Communication with instructor and with any assigned peer groups is essential for you to be successful in this course. Your Vista Mail is your primary online person-to-person communication. Check it often - at least 3 times a week during 15-week sessions, daily during 5-week mini-semesters. Respond to messages as necessary. Send messages to your instructor as needed

2. Attendance
Attendance consists of attending class for web-enhanced class students and logging into your course for both the online and the web-enhanced class students, participating in assigned discussions, and completing graded assignments. Complete the chapter tests according to the Course Schedule. Absence jeopardizes success. Contact your instructor promptly if you experience difficulty with content or with online course access problems. If you have attendance problems and/or choose to withdraw from the course, it is YOUR responsibility to notify your Advisor in order to initiate the course withdrawal process.  Go to the FORMS link on the MGC home page and find the Add/Drop-Withdrawal form and fill it out.  Web-enhanced students will personally take the withdrawal slip to their advisor.  For online students, contact your Advisor to arrange getting his/her signature on the withdrawal form.

3. Honesty and Integrity

• Discussion assignments require both original work and sharing of thoughts and critical analysis.
• Chapter tests and the Final Exam require original work. Chapter tests, the final exam, and test/exam review materials may not be shared, printed or duplicated by mechanical, electronic, or any other process. Unauthorized work sharing or plagiarism will result in an assignment or test/exam grade of zero for all students involved. The college's Academic Dishonesty Policy will be followed.

4. Makeup exams
Makeup exams are not given for chapter tests. Rather, each chapter test has an automatic 2-day extension for 15-week terms and 1-day extension for 5-week terms, with a 10-point penalty. Missing this extension results in a test grade of zero. You are expected to take the final exam no later than the scheduled day. Make-up final exam may be given for excused absences. Excused absence requires notification to the instructor no later than 4:00 pm on the final exam day. Notification must include explanation for absence. A make-up final exam grade receives a 10-point penalty. Unexcused final exam absence results in a final exam grade of zero

5. Exempting the Final Exam
If your "Exempt Final" score is 90 or higher, and you have completed your Project, then you do not need to take the final exam. If your official Exempt Final score is 89 or lower, then you must take the final exam.  Your official Exempt Final score will be posted in Vista at My Grades after the last chapter is completed.  How your Exempt Final score is calculated: after the last chapter's discussion and test have been graded, multiply your Chapter Test Average by 50% (0.5) and multiply your Discussion grade by 50% (0.5). Add these two numbers.

6. Students With Disabilities
Any student with a physical or learning disability will be accommodated to the extent possible.  Students MUST be evaluated by Alan Chastain's office.  That office will direct the faculty as to the extent of needed accommodations.

7. Cell Phone and Laptop Policy
Inappropriate use of cell phones, or laptop computers, during class is disruptive and disrespectful of others. Use of cell phones, or cell phone-related devices, by students during class is prohibited at Middle Georgia College. Laptop computers may be used during class only for note-taking, or for other purposes specifically authorized by the instructor. Because these devices could be used for access to unauthorized information and to facilitate academic dishonesty, violations of this policy will constitute grounds for disciplinary actions which can range from warnings to grade reductions or even dismissal.

8. Dress Code
Students are expected to attend class dressed in normal street clothing and be wearing shoes. Pajamas, beachwear, any immodest or inappropriate dress, etc., will not be permitted.

Units/Parts of Study

1. Preliminaries
2. Macroeconomics: Basic Concepts
3. Long-Run Macroeconomics
4. Short-Run Model and Fiscal Policy
5. Money, Prices, and the Global Economy

This ends your Principles of Macroeconomics Syllabus