Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory I (ECON 282 B1) Winter 2019 Course Outline University of Alberta - Department of Economics
Instructor: Alexander Gainer
Class Schedule: Monday/Wednesday/Friday 9:00-9:50 Lecture Room: Tory 1 103
Office Hours: Monday, 12:00-12:50, and Wednesday, 10:00-10:50, or by appointment.
Office: Tory 7-14
Email: [email protected] (Please have “ECON 282” in the subject line)
Course Websites: this course makes extensive use of eclass. The following course material will be posted on the e-class course website: past exams, marks, lecture notes, links to the
MyEconLab assignments, and videos of the lectures.
Course Description: Models of the labor market, goods market and asset market; general equilibrium models; fiscal and monetary policies; open economy macroeconomics with fixed and flexible exchange rates, as well as international capital mobility.
Course Objectives: The purpose of ECON 282 is to familiarize students with the basic
structure and manipulation of macroeconomic models. By the end of the course, it is hoped that students should be able to understand, as well as explain and manipulate (algebraically and/or graphically) a macroeconomic model that endogenizes prices, output, employment and, in an open economy variant, the exchange rate.
Prerequisites: ECON 101 and 102. Note that the department strictly enforces the prerequisites.
This course is more advanced and theoretical than ECON 101 and 102 and the lectures will assume some understanding of the terminology and concepts that were covered in ECON 101 and 102. The lecture will also assume a basic understanding of algebra.
Required Textbook: Macroeconomics, Hubbard, O’Brien, Rafferty and Konieczny (Custom Edition for University of Alberta). You may also use the “Canadian Edition.”
Other resources:
Top Hat: this software is how students will answer questions in class for bonus marks.
MyEconLab: students will use MyEconLab to complete the online homework assignments; it can be accessed through our eclass page.
Instructions on how to purchase and use Top Hat and MyEconLab are at the end of this document. Please contact me if you are interested in the no-cost alternative for the online assignments.
Make sure you sign up for Top Hat and MyEconLab with your “@ualberta.ca” email.
Outline of Topics and Required Readings
Topics Textbook Chapters Tentative Class Schedule
Introduction Chapter 1 Jan. 9 - 14
Chapter 2 Jan. 14 - 18
Understanding the Financial System
Chapter 3 Jan. 21 - 30
Chapter 4 Feb. 1 - 8
Chapter 5 Feb. 11 - Mar. 1
Using a macroeconomic model to understand short-run economic fluctuations
Chapter 9 Mar. 4 - 11
Chapter 10 Mar. 13 - Mar. 27
Chapter 11 Mar. 29 - Apr. 10
Exams and Assignments
Date and Time Location Weight First midterm exam
(Chapters 1-4)
Wed., Feb. 13 Tory 1 103 25%
Second midterm exam (Chapters 5 and 9)
Wed., Mar. 20 Tory 1 103 25%
Final exam
(Chapters 1-5 and 9-11)
Thurs., Apr. 18, 9-11
TBD 45%
MyEconLab assignments (eight) Sundays, 10pm Completed online 5%
Top Hat questions N/A Completed during class 4% (bonus)
Missed Exams: 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 27. 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. More information is available at this link. The deferred final is tentatively scheduled for April 29.
Assignments and Top Hat: The assignments are done online with MyEconLab which can be accessed through eclass. There are eight assignments, the schedule is in the below table. At the end of the semester I will drop your lowest assignment and use your seven best
assignments. Every assignment must be submitted by 10:00PM on it’s due date.
Top Hat questions: you will use the Top Hat platform to answer questions in class using an internet connected device, e.x., smartphone, tablet, or laptop. When you answer a question, half the grade will be participation and half will be for correctness.
Assignment Schedule:
Textbook Chapter Due Date (Sundays)
Assignment 1 1 January 20, 10pm
Assignment 2 2 January 27, 10pm
Assignment 3 3 February 3, 10pm
Assignment 4 4 February 10, 10pm
Assignment 5 5 March 10, 10pm
Assignment 6 9 March 17, 10pm
Assignment 7 10 April 7, 10pm
Assignment 8 11 April 14, 10pm
Grading: Students will be ranked according to the weighted sum of their assignments and 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.”
The following table will give a rough idea of how the grading system works in this class; the actual percentage cut-offs may be higher or lower.
Letter Grade Percentage Grade Point Value
A+ 95-100 4.0
A 90-95 4.0
A- 87-90 3.7
B+ 84-87 3.3
B 80-84 3.0
B- 75-80 2.7
C+ 70-75 2.3
C 65-70 2.0
C- 60-65 1.7
D+ 55-60 1.3
D 50-55 1.0
F 0-50 0.0
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: Accessibility Resources (AR), formerly known as 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 AR 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 AR, 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 AR. In administering exams, AR 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
https://www.ualberta.ca/current-students/academic-resources/academic-integrity) 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).
Lecture Recording
Audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, 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. Student or instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course 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).
Territorial Statement
“The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages, and cultures of the First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.”
(from the beginning of the Calendar).
Learning and working environment: The Faculty of Arts is committed to ensuring that all students, faculty and staff are able to work and study in an environment that is safe and free from discrimination and harassment. It does not tolerate behaviour that undermines that environment.
Resources for Students
The University of Alberta offers many resources to help students with academic and
non-academic challenges. The best all-purpose website for student services on campus is here:
https://www.ualberta.ca/current-students. Top Hat Information
We will be using the Top Hat (www.tophat.com) classroom response system in class. You will be able to submit answers to in-class questions using Apple or Android smartphones and tablets, laptops, or through text message. You can visit the Top Hat Overview website for answers to most questions:
(https://success.tophat.com/s/article/Student-Top-Hat-Overview-and-Getting-Started-Guide)
An invitation will be sent to you by email, but if you don’t receive this email, you can register by visiting the course website: https://app.tophat.com/e/770098. Note our course join code:
770098. Top Hat will require a paid subscription, and a full breakdown of all subscription options available can be found here: https://tophat.com/educational-technology/pricing/
Should you require assistance with Top Hat at any time, due to the fact that they require specific user information to troubleshoot these issues, please contact their Support Team directly by way of email ([email protected]), the in app support button, or by calling 1-888-663-5491.
MyEconLab (online homework)
The MyEconlab homework software is integrated into our eClass page. Follow the below steps to access your MyEconLab:
1. Log-in to your eclass account (https://eclass.srv.ualberta.ca/portal/) using your CCID username and password.
2. Select our ECON 282 course from the list.
3. Clicking on one of the Pearson links in the MyEconLab section (see below image) will take you to their website.
4. The first time you visit the MyEconLab website you will be prompted to read the End-User License and Privacy Agreement. Click the “I Accept” button once you have read and agree with the terms of use.
5. You will now be prompted to enter your access code or pay for MyEconLab.
A. If you have already bought your access code from the bookstore (either bundled with the textbook or ebook), click the access code option.
B. Otherwise select the “Buy Now” option. The $90 option includes the e-text and the
$50 option does not include the e-text.
If you have any problems or issues with MyEconLab you can view their support page or contact their support team: here.
