Colorado State University Spring 2017 Econ 204-003 Principles of Macroeconomics Lecture: Behavioral Sciences Building 131, 3.00-3:50pm Mon and Wed. Course Instructor: Prof. Elisa Belfiori Office: C320A Clark Office Hours: 4.00-5.30pm on Mondays, and by appointment. E-mail: 204belfiori@gmail.com (Do not email to my CSU email account). E-mail is the best way to contact me; please allow up to 24 hours for e-mail responses Course Teaching Assistant: Christopher Keyes Office: C309.C Office hours: Monday 10-12pm and Friday 10-11am Email: Keyes@rams.colostate.edu Course Teaching Assistant: Yeva Aleksanyan Office: Clark C309H Office hours: Monday 10.00-1.00pm Email: Yeva.Aleksanyan@colostate.edu Class Website. Website: http://info.canvas.colostate.edu/login.aspx 1. Course Description and Learning Objectives ECON 204 Principles of Macroeconomics is an introductory course in macroeconomics. The course will expose students to basic macroeconomics concepts such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), money, inflation, unemployment, role of central banks, saving and investment, trade deficits, exchange rates and fiscal and monetary policies. The course will teach students how to measure aggregate macroeconomic data. In addition, the course will expose students to basic growth theory, an aggregate supply and demand model and the effects of monetary and fiscal policies. Upon completion of the course, students should be able to: Measure aggregate macroeconomic data such as National Income, GDP and inflation. Discuss the effects of monetary and fiscal policies Explain the determinants of aggregate demand and supply Identify the economic difference between the short run and the long run Understand the causes of short run fluctuations. 2. Prerequisites: Principles of Microeconomics (AREC 202 or ECON 202) and Algebra [MATH 117 (College Algebra in Context I) or MATH 118 (College Algebra in Context II) or MATH 141 (Calculus in Management Sciences) or MATH 155 (Calculus for Biological Scientists I) or MATH 160 (Calculus for Physical Scientists I)]
3. Required Web platform and Textbook: The book we will be using is Principles of Macroeconomics by N. Gregory Mankiw (7 th edition). In addition, we will be using the portal called MindTap. You are required to get access to MindTap. You can purchase the book through the CSU bookstore or online. There are two purchase options available to you: 1. (MindTap+book) Mankiw - Bundle: Principles of Macroeconomics, 7th + LMS Integrated for MindTap Economics, 1 term (6 months). ISBN: 9781305416130 2. (MindTap stand-alone) Mankiw - LMS Integrated for MindTap Economics, 1 term (6 months). ISBN: 9781305096578 An ebook version of the book is available through MindTap. You are not required to have the hardcopy of the book. It is up to you if you feel comfortable with the ebook or you would prefer to purchase the printed copy too. MindTap also provides you with a free mobile app that allows you to read the book offline. You will have a 2 weeks free trial at beginning of the class. 4. Class Website and Announcements: All assignments and handouts will be posted on the class web site in Canvas. There will also be a list of current announcements. Therefore, please check the website regularly. The links in Canvas will refer you to the MindTap platform. Here are some tutorials on how to access MindTap through Canvas: Registration video: https://www.cengage.com/services/resource/7348 Registration quick guide: http://assets.cengage.com/pdf/gui_mt-canvas-stu-quick-guide.pdf 5. Course requirements 5.1 Class participation Class attendance is not mandatory but is expected and recommended. There will be a Class Discussion Board in the course website in Canvas. I ask that you do not email me any question about the material we are covering in the class or about the assignments. I will not respond to these emails. Instead, please post your question in the Class Discussion Board in Canvas. In that way, everybody will benefit from your question and everybody will hear my response to it. You can of course email me if you have questions or concerns not related to the class material. I reserve the right to assign bonus points on homework and/or exams to students who participate and collaborate in class and online in the Class Discussion Board. 5.2 Lectures and Recitations Lectures: This class meets twice a week for lecture. Attendance is recommended and participation is strongly encouraged.
Recitations: Once a week you will be required to attend a recitation section. Recitations are for: 1. Addressing any questions you might have about the material we cover in lecture. 2. Covering new material I may have not had enough time to cover in lecture. 3. Doing practice exercises. 4. Any combination of the above. Recitation class attendance is not mandatory but is expected and recommended. Make sure that you get to know your Teaching Assistant and you attend his office hours. 5.3 Homework There will be weekly homework during the course. Unless I indicate it otherwise, all homework is due on Mondays 11.59pm. Please always refer to MindTap (and not Canvas) to know the assignments due dates. All homework will be posted in Canvas and will have to be completed through MindTap (also called Aplia). You can always go to the course website in Canvas and the website will re-direct you to MindTap. Most of the Aplia homework will provide you with 3 attempts and you will be able to keep the highest score. Note that each attempt in Aplia will show you a different version of the same question but not exactly the same one. Homework s deadlines are included in MindTap. No late assignments will be accepted. Only documented special circumstances (i.e. illness, University sanctioned activities such as athletic events and religious observance) will exempt you from this rule. If you know in advance that you will not be able to hand in an assignment on time, you must speak to me before the assignment is due and hand it in early. Collaboration among students is allowed and encouraged; however, each student submit their own version of the solution, and everyone who collaborated must be acknowledged at the end of homework. 5.4 GT Pathways Writing Requirement This course is an approved GT Pathways course that allows students to transfer the credit of this course to another institution. To help eliminate the guesswork of transferring general education course credits, Colorado has developed a statewide guaranteed transfer (GT) program. To satisfy this requirement, 25% of students grades must be attributed to written work. This course satisfies this requirement through 2 written papers. To qualify for GT Pathways: At least one writing assignment must be an out-of-class piece of written work. In-class written work, such as on exams, must be in the form of essays. In addition, expectations of written work include students demonstrating: The ability to convey a theme or argument clearly and coherently. The ability to analyze critically and to synthesize the work of others. The ability to acquire and apply information from appropriate sources, and reference sources appropriately. Competence in standard written English. 5.5 Exams There will be three midterm exams and one final exam. The midterm exams are not cumulative and will only cover the most recent material we have gone through in class. Exam dates are given in the syllabus. There will be no makeup examination for the
midterms. However, your lowest grade in a midterm exam will be dropped and only your best two scores will be considered towards your overall grade. The final exam is cumulative, and covers all the material in the course. There will be no makeup examination for the final exam. If any special circumstance (a family or medical emergency) happens to you or you need to be absent due to religious observance or University sanctioned activities such as athletic events, make sure you talk to me before the finals week. 5.5 Hours per week Each week students are expected to: Activity Contact hours per week Attend class 3.0 Read the assigned textbook chapters and other readings 2.0 Review class notes 1.0 Complete homework 2.0 Study for exams 1.0 TOTAL = 9.0 6. Grading: The weights for the final score will be as follows: Average of Homework: 20% Average of Papers: 25% Midterm Exams (average of 2 (the lowest score is dropped)): 25% Final Exam: 30% The grading scale is: 92%-100% A 90%-91% A- 88%-89% B+ 82%-87% B 80%-81% B- 78%-79% C+ 70%-77% C 60%-69% D 0%-59% F I may apply some grade curving depending on the overall class performance. 6.1 Re-grading If you disagree with the grading of a problem set or a test, you may submit it for review. You must have a written argument for why you should be awarded more points. Assignments written in pencil will not be re-graded for any reason.
7. Exam dates: Midterm 1: February 8, 2017 Midterm 2: March 8, 2017 Midterm 3: April 12, 2017 Midterm exams are during lecture time in the same class we usually meet for lecture. Final Exam: May 8, 2017. From 7:30 to 9:30am Behavioral Sciences Building 131. 8. Academic Integrity This course will adhere to the Academic Integrity Policy of the Colorado State University General Catalog and the Student Conduct Code. Academic integrity lies at the core of our common goal: to create an intellectually honest and rigorous community. Because academic integrity, and the personal and social integrity of which academic integrity is an integral part, is so central to our mission as students, teachers, scholars, and citizens, I will ask that you affirm the CSU Honor Pledge as part of completing your work in this course. While you will not be required to affirm the honor pledge, you are expected to affirm the following statement for each assignment: "I have not given, received, or used any unauthorized assistance." Further information about Academic Integrity is available at CSU s Practicing Academic Integrity. Please refer to the Academic Integrity and Student Conduct policies in the General Catalog: http://www.catalog.colostate.edu/frontpdf/1.6policies1112f.pdf 9. Disabilities Students with disabilities may be eligible for accommodations in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is the student s responsibility to disclose any learning disabilities. Please contact the instructor if a special accommodation is required. To request accommodations, students should contact Resources for Disabled Students at (970) 491-6385 or go to http://rds.colostate.edu. Documentation of disability is required and the RDS office will assist in this process. 10. Free Tutoring Free tutoring is available for this course through the Arts & Sciences Tutoring Program. The program is located in the Russell George Great Hall in The Institute for Learning and Teaching (TILT), and runs 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., on select Sunday-Thursday evenings during the academic year. No appointment is necessary and all students are welcome. For more information and tutoring schedule, please visit: http://tilt.colostate.edu/learning/tutoring/artsciences.cfm