Introduction to Macroeconomics (ECON 102 X50) University of Alberta - Department of Economics
Winter 2016 Course Outline Instructor: Alexander Gainer
Class Schedule: Tuesdays 6:30PM - 9:30PM Lecture Room: Tory 1 93
Office Hours: Monday, 12-1PM, and Wednesday, 10-11AM, or by appointment.
Office: Tory 7-14
Email: [email protected] (Please have “ECON 102” in the subject line)
Course Websites: this course makes extensive use of e-class (Moodle). The following course material will be posted on the e-class course website: past exams, marks, lecture notes, and other material related to the course.
Class assignments will be completed on the FlipItEcon: website.
Exam information is on the LAC website.
Course Description: Employment, inflation, international payments, monetary policy, and fiscal policy, all in the Canadian economy.
Prerequisite: ECON 101 or consent of the Department of Economics. Not open to students with credit in ECON 204.
Required Textbook: Macroeconomics, by Krugman, Wells, Au, and Parkinson, Second Canadian Edition
Required Online Homework System:
FlipItEcon can be purchased as a bundle with the textbook (at the U of A bookstore) or separately (at this website). Instructions for signing up for FlipItEcon are on the last page of this outline; the course ID is “gainerx50”. The no-cost alternative for this homework system is to write two term papers. If you choose the no-cost option you must notify me by email by January 22.
Outline of Topics and Required Readings:
Grading:
Students will be ranked according to the weighted sum of their exams. When assigning letter grades I look for breaks between pools of students.
From Section 23.4(4) of the University Calendar, “Grades reflect judgements of student achievement made by instructors. These judgements are based on a combination of absolute achievement and relative performance in a class.”
Mark Distribution:
Assignments: 15%
First mid-term exam: 20%
Second mid-term exam: 20%
Final exam: 45%
Exams:
The two midterm exams and the final exam will be written at the Learning Assessment Centre (LAC) which is located at 3-106 Education North (map).
The questions on the exams will relate closely to the material covered in class. The final exam is cumulative, while the midterm exams are non-cumulative.
Exam Schedule:
First mid-term exam: February 9, 2016, 6:30pm Second mid-term exam: March 15, 2016, 6:30pm Final exam: April 5, 2016, 6:00pm
Topics Textbook Readings
Introduction to Economics (since ECON 101 is a prerequisite we will cover this topic only briefly)
Chapters 1, 2, and 3
Introduction to Macroeconomics Chapter 6, 7, and 8 The Economy in the Long-Run Chapters 9 and 10 Short-Run Economics Fluctuations Chapters 11 and 12
Stabilization Policy Chapters 13, 14, 15, and 16
The Open Economy Chapters 5 and 19
Current Events and Economic Issues Chapter 17 and 18
Assignments:
The assignments are done on-line with FlipItEcon. There are 8 assignments; at the end of the semester I will drop your 1 lowest assignment (week) and use your 7 best
assignments. Late assignments will not be graded.
Notes:
•If a student misses a midterm exam they must email me immediately to notify me and to apply to write the deferred midterm exam. The deferred midterm exam will be
cumulative and will be held on March 23. If you miss a midterm and do not contact me you will receive a mark of zero on that exam. You will not be able to have the
percentage weight of your missed exam added to the percentage weight allotted to the final exam
•A student who has missed a final exam because of incapacitating illness, severe domestic affliction or other compelling reasons (including religious conviction) may apply for a deferred exam. The application is to be submitted to the undergraduate office of the applicant’s own faculty. The instructor does not have the authority to approve such applications.
•For this course the deferred final exam, should one be required, is on April 25, 9AM.
•Audio or video recording of lecture, labs, seminars, or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as part of an approved accommodation plan. Recorded material is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).
Tutor Centre (Tory 8-28)
The tutor centre will tentatively begin operation the third week of classes, and will close the last day of classes. Hours of operation, once set, will be posted on the course website. The tutors are third and fourth-year honours economics students. You are encouraged to visit the tutor centre with content questions. The tutors will help you with questions about class/text/assignment material. Take your work with you so that the tutor can see what you have been doing and help you to identify problem areas. You must be able to demonstrate that you have been working on the problem in order for the tutor to help you. The tutors are not meant to be instructors. They will help you with something that you are having difficulty understanding. Tutors will NOT provide answers to assignments before they are due. Access to individual assignments are not available in the tutor centre. The tutors will help you to understand the concept so you can do your own assignment later.
You are also encouraged to visit the tutor centre if you would simply like to talk with an economics student about the department and its course and program offerings. Tutors will be happy to provide you with some personal insight. Program and course
information as well as a schedule of economics undergraduate advisors can be picked up in the tutor centre.
If you have any questions about, or encounter any problems with the tutor centre, please let me know immediately. The Economics Department is committed to a tutor
centre that offers the assistance that students need. We need your help to ensure that this happens. You are invited to please fill out an evaluation form when you visit the tutor centre. Tell us what you liked; tell us what we can do better.
Students with special needs (University Calendar §25.2):
Students with disabilities or special needs that might interfere with their performance should contact the professor at the beginning of the course with the appropriate documentation. Every effort will be made to accommodate such students, but in all cases prior arrangements must be made to ensure that any special needs can be met in a timely fashion and in such a way that the rest of the class is not put at an unfair disadvantage. Exam arrangements: SAS (Student Accessibility Services) and the student, with the approval of the course instructor, determine exam accommodations. Assessments and/or documentation of the need for accommodation are required. At the beginning of each term, the student meets with instructors to review the exam arrangements which will be used. The student provides a “Letter of Introduction” from SAS verifying the nature of the accommodations required due to the disability. A few weeks before each exam, the student completes an “Exam Schedule” form, for SAS, outlining scheduled exam dates, times, etc. The student then takes an “Exam Instructions and Authorization” form to the instructor. The instructor is asked to complete the form and enclose it with the exam and arrange to have it delivered or mailed to SAS. In administering exams, SAS follows university protocol and only makes accommodations as required due to the disability. Exams are usually set to overlap with the time the professor has set the in-class exams.
Academic Integrity
“The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at
www.ualberta.ca/secretariat/appeals.htm) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in the suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.” (General Faculties Council, 29 SEP 2003)
During exams you will NOT be permitted to communicate with your colleagues.
Note 1: Policy about course outlines can be found in §23.4(2) of the University Calendar. Note 2: The Code of Student Behaviour is published in the Calendar.
Note 3: Check out Section 30.3.2 in the General Faculties Council Policy Manual (is posted on the course WebCT site).
