Course Syllabus

College of the Desert – Course Guide/Syllabus

Course Info

ECON-001, Section 0904
Principles of Macroeconomics – Online
Prerequisites: ENG-050 and MATH-054
Units: 3

Instructor Contact

Name: Catherine E. Levitt

Phone: 760-836 9339 message phone

Communication and Office Hours:

I am only teaching online classes this semester, so I do not have office hours on campus. I will be holding live online office hours for this course throughout the semester. If I am online, feel free to message me and ask questions. If you have general questions or need to communicate about personal matters, email me. Don’t forget to include your name and what class you are in. Please don’t expect immediate responses especially on the day assignments are due. I will attempt to answer all questions within 48-hours.

Course Materials

Textbook and Homework Access

Professor	Catherine Levitt
Institution	College Of The Desert
Course Name	Principles of Macroeconomics
Course Number	ECON 001
Section Number
Course Start Date	2023-08-28

Textbook Details:

Title	Principles of Macroeconomics v9.1
Author	John B. Taylor and Akila Weerapana
ISBN (Digital)	978-1-4533-3499-7

For questions, please contact FlatWorld Customer Service at support@flatworld.com or call 877.257.9243.

Online Materials

As noted above, you will need digital Flatworld access in order to complete the HW assignments for this course. In addition, COD has adopted the use of Canvas as its new online learning platform. While there are bound to be hiccups along the way, each student needs to have basic computer knowledge as outlined in the Assumptions section below.

Use your myCOD login on COD’s homepage to access Canvas for students. There, you will also find instructions to follow if this is your first time logging in.

Course Description and Learning Outcomes

Macroeconomics deals with the overall performance of the economy. It focuses on aggregate economic concepts such as the gross domestic product, employment, unemployment, price stability, inflation, ups and downs of the economy, economic growth, the role of money, and the impact of international trade. The course also covers different theories and views that explain an economic system, and addresses a range of policy options that can be considered for improving the performance of the economy.

Upon successful completion of the course you will be able to:

Define and explain different economic terms and concepts.
Identify the core macroeconomic problems of an economy.
Demonstrate an understanding of the current domestic and international economic event and economic news.
Discuss the macroeconomic issues intelligently and identify the pros and cons of an economic policy based on established economic theories and principles.
Apply macroeconomics knowledge to decision-making relevant to own personal economic issues as well as those relevant to your social/ macroeconomic policy concerns.
Communicate and articulate their understanding of economics verbally and in writing.
Present the economic models using simple mathematical approach.

Grading/Evaluation

Course Items	Percentage of Class	Overall Letter Grade
Class Participation - Forums	20%	90%-100% = A
Weekly Assignments	50%	80%-89% = B
Quizzes	20%	70%-79% = C
Final Exam	10%	60%-69% = D
		0%-59% = F

Tutoring

Tutoring for economics students is available on campus. I will make myself available as much as possible to answer questions, but if you feel that tutoring would be helpful, please contact the Academic Skills Center or myself ASAP.

Expectations

Online courses require a higher level of dedication and self-management than face-to-face courses. You will be dedicating as much time, hours, to this class as you would if you were completing it on campus. There is an expectation that you realize this and are willing to put in the work. It is expected that within the first week of class you familiarize yourself with the course structure, obtain your textbook, and acquaint yourself with the online technologies being used.

Assumptions

Given this is an online course; your instructor assumes you know the following:

Understand how to work a computer and how to find files and folders
Navigate the Internet comfortably including using different web browsers
Send email with attachments and upload files via a web browser
Download plugins and software
Troubleshoot basic computer problems
You completed the course orientation

Important Policies

Late Assignments

Students are allowed one late assignment for the entire semester. Given that we are using technology for this course it is understandable that certain issues will arise, however consistent computer problems are not an excuse. I have found that most computer issues can be resolved by using a different web browser. Google Chrome and Firefox tend to present the least amount of issues.

Drop Policy

It is up to each individual student to manage his or her enrollment of the course. This includes knowing important drop or deadline dates. I may drop students from the course for two consecutive weeks of non-participation.

Cheating/Plagiarism

Students are expected to be honest and ethical at all times in the pursuit of academic goals. Students who are found to be in violation of the Student Conduct Standards and Procedures (found in the COD catalog) will receive a grade of zero on the assignment, quiz, or exam in question and may be referred for disciplinary action in accordance with Student Disciplinary Procedures.

Disability Statement

College of the Desert abides by the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that prohibits federal and state agencies or programs from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities. Students in this course who have a documented disability that limits a major life activity, which may have, some impact on your work in this class and for which you may require accommodations, should meet with a counselor from Disabled Students Programs and Services.

Course Structure

The course is structured by the week and each week’s materials and links can be accessed in the Modules by using the “Modules” link in the left navigation panel of Canvas. The assignments for each week are organized in the order in which they should be completed. Ultimately, this is an online class and allows for flexibility in how you navigate your week. However, I do recommend completing them in the presented order. All weeks will begin on Monday and end on Sunday at 11:59 PM PST. A typical week will include the following:

Discussion Forum Posts

Every student is required to post twice each week. The first post is an original response to the instructors question or comment. This original response is due Thursday by 11:59 PM PST of each week. Students will not be able to see their classmate’s posts until they post this original response. In addition, at least one response to at least 2 fellow classmates’ posts is due Sunday by 11:59 PM PST of each week.

Discussion Example – Week 2 Discussion Post:

Original post as a response to the instructor prompt – Due Thursday 02/06 by 11:59 PM.
Follow-up posts as a comments to a classmates – Due Sunday 02/09 by 11:59 PM.

Assignments

There will be weekly assignments using McGraw Hill Connect. All weekly problem sets will be completed using this technology. In addition, there may be an assignment that requires watching a video or listening to a podcast. These assignments will be turned in using the Canvas assignments feature. All assignments are due Sunday by 11:59 PM PST of each week.

Exams

We will have 10 quizzes throughout the course and a final exam. The quizzes include material from the weekly Module. The Final Exam is cumulative and comprehensive.

Course Outline

The following is a list of topics we are likely to cover. We may not go in this exact order and may not have the time to cover all chapters listed. This is just a reference, not an exact schedule.

What is economics?
Economic reasoning.
The production possibilities frontier.
Supply, demand, the market economy, and its efficiencies.
Deficiencies of the market and the role of government.
Gross national product: measurement, uses, and limitations.
Economic fluctuations and business cycles.
Unemployment and inflation: measurement, causes and effects.
Aggregate supply and aggregate demand analysis.
Aggregate supply and economic growth.
Keynesian aggregate demand analysis.
The role of money in the economy.
Banking and the creation of money.
The structure and role of the central bank.
Stabilization policies: fiscal and monetary policies.
Budget deficits and national debt: pros and cons
The Keynesian-Monetarist debate.
The unemployment-inflation trade-off.
International trade and foreign exchange.
The international monetary system.