ECON 102 850: Introduction to Macroeconomics
Department of Economics | University of Alberta
Course Dates: January 8, 2024 – April 12, 2024
Location/Format: Online Asynchronous
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Course instructor(s) and contact information: |
Andrew Wong
780-492-2049 or email [email protected]
Email preferred - answered within 24 hours
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Date of last syllabus revision: |
Winter 2024
Copyright © [2024]. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the University of Alberta. Note: Should there be a discrepancy between printed and online course materials, online copies will be considered the correct and up-to-date version. No part of these notes constitutes legal advice.
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The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages, and cultures of First Nations, Metis, Inuit, and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.
ABOUT THE COURSE
Course Description
Employment, inflation, international payments, monetary policy, and fiscal policy, all in the Canadian economy.
Course Prerequisites
ECON 101 or consent of the Department of Economics. It is your responsibility as a student to ensure that you have the appropriate prerequisite for the course.
Course Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will have:
• An understanding of how GDP and CPI are defined and calculated and their applications in the study of economics.
• An appreciation of how economists approach the analysis of the monetary, fiscal policies, and macro-management.
• An ability to apply the model of aggregate demand and aggregate supply to questions of recession and economic expansion.
Course Materials
Karlan, Morduch, Alam and Wong (2023) Macroeconomics, Third Canadian Edition & Connect, McGraw Hill Education. The access code for Connect is included free of charge in the textbook package.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Key Course Dates
All assignment submission deadlines follow Mountain Time (MT), listed below.
DUE DATES FOR GRADED ASSESSMENTS AS FOLLOWS:
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Component |
Weighting |
Date |
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Practice test on eClass SEM
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2% |
Before February 12, 2024 |
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Midterm Exam (1 hour) |
18% |
February 15-16, 2024 (9am-5pm)* |
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CONNECT Assignments (9) |
18% |
Due every Sunday (see below for schedule) |
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Quizzes on eClass (9) |
18% |
Due every Monday (see schedule on eClass) |
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Cumulative Final Exam (2 hours) |
44% |
April 16-17, 2024 (9am- 5pm)* |
* The midterm exam and the final exam will be written remotely proctored online via eClass.
SCHEDULE & ASSIGNED READINGS:
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Review |
Welcome and Pre-readings |
Chapters 1 to 4* |
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Module 1 |
Measuring GDP |
Chapter 7 |
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Module 2 |
Monitoring Inflation and Jobs |
Chapter 8/9 |
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Module 3 |
Economic Growth |
Chapter 10 |
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Module 4 |
Aggregate Expenditure |
Chapter 11 |
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Module 5 |
Aggregate Supply and Aggregate Demand |
Chapter 12 |
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Module 6 |
Fiscal Policy |
Chapter 13 |
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Module 7 |
The Basics of Finance |
Chapter 14 |
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Module 8 |
Money, the Monetary System and Inflation |
Chapter 15/16 |
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Module 9 |
Open-Market Macroeconomics |
Chapter 18 |
COURSE-SPECIFIC POLICY STATEMENTS
Understanding Your Grades
Grades reflect judgements of student achievement made by instructors and must correspond to the associated descriptor. These judgements are based on a combination of absolute achievement and relative performance in a class. Faculties may define acceptable grading practices in their disciplines. Such grading practices must align with the University of Alberta Assessment and Grading Policy and its procedures, which are available online at the University of Alberta Policies and Procedures Online (UAPPOL) website (https://policiesonline.ualberta.ca)". See Calendar §23.4(4). The official grading system at the University is the 4-point letter grade system. While instructors may use percentages to aid in their grade development, percentages are not part of the University's official grading system.
Representative Evaluative Materials
Sample examination questions can be found on eClass website. These questions provide a fair representation of the length, nature, and level of difficulty of an actual examination for the course (GFC 52.8.1).
Quizzes in eClass
There are nine quizzes, one per module. Each quiz is worth 2% for a total of 18% of your final grade. Each quiz is made up of 15 multiple-choice questions. You are to do all nine quizzes online through eClass. They are all timed and open books.
1. These module quizzes are released (available) by the dates indicated on your calendar and must be completed and submitted by the deadline date. See the online calendar for quiz release and deadline dates. Try to complete the quizzes before their due datesto avoid missing them! If you submit your quiz answers after 10:00 pm, your entire quizwill be considered late and will not be accepted, and you will receive a zero.2. You have only one opportunity to take each module quiz. You have 30 minutes to answer 15 multiple-choice questions. The quizzes are open-book, but due to the time limit, it is best to study as you would for any other quiz.3. Complete your quiz in one sitting in case you encounter technical difficulties and may not be able to get back to it.4. Each student gets a different quiz for each module, with items randomly generated from the test bank. Thus, the chances for quiz questions to be duplicated, given the size of the test bank, are slim.5. Having someone take the quiz for you, or having someone help you, is cheating (see below for more information on Academic Integrity). This will result in a zero for the quiz and possible failure of the course.6. All quizzes will be sent to the instructor automatically. Results will be immediately available to you after you have submitted the quiz. Your quiz grade will be posted to the "Grades" area of the course on eClass.7. If you have a specific question about a quiz question, contact the instructor as soon as possible, noting the unit number and quiz question, as well as the specific concerns you have about the question.
Assignments and CONNECT
Assignments (a total of 9) will be done weekly, starting with the week of January 28, 2024. There
will be two exceptions to this: The week of February 18 and March 31. Assignments will count for
18% of the final grade and will be due according to the following schedule.
Sunday, January 28 by 10 pm
Sunday, February 4 by 10 pm
Sunday, February 11 by 10 pm
Sunday, March 3 by 10 pm
Sunday, March 10 by 10 pm
Sunday, March 17 by 10 pm
Sunday, March 24 by 10 pm
Sunday, April 7 by 10 pm
Friday, April 12 by 10 pm
You will notice that assignments are due Sunday nights by 10 pm (except the last one). The assignments are completed online in CONNECT. Late assignments are subjected to a 5% penalty per day until 10 pm on April 15, 2024.
Instructions to register at CONNECT are posted on eClass. Please contact me if you areinterested in the no-cost alternatives for CONNECT assignments.
Missed Exams and Assignments
Late assignments are subjected to a 5% penalty per day until 10 pm on April 15, 2024. If you miss the midterm exam, you will not receive a mark unless you provide me with a "Request for Excused Absence or Deferral of Term Work/Examinations Form" (available on the Faculty of Arts USS forms page). In that event, the deferred midterm will be rescheduled to March 14, 2024. For this course, the deferred final exam, should one be required, is on May 30, 2024. The instructor does not have the authority to approve the deferred final exam. Students must submit their applications to the undergraduate office of the applicants' own faculty.
Deferral of term work is a privilege and not a right; there is no guarantee that a deferral will be granted. Misrepresentation of Facts to gain a deferral is a serious breach of the Code of Student Behaviour.
Supplemental exercises are not permitted in this course. This policy is designed to prevent students from asking for a make-up assignment to compensate for poor performance on an exam.
Deferred Final Examination: For information on how to apply for a deferred exam, see "I Missed my Final Exam, Now What?"
DEPARTMENT-SPECIFIC POLICY STATEMENTS
Course Outline Policies
Policy about course outlines can be found in the Evaluation Procedures and Grading System section of the University Calendar.
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.governance.ualberta.ca) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in
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.
During exams, students will NOT be permitted to communicate with their colleagues. All students should consult the Academic Integrity website. If you have any questions, ask your instructor.
An instructor or coordinator who is convinced that a student has handed in work that he or she could not possibly reproduce without outside assistance is obliged, out of consideration of fairness to other students, to report the case to the Associate Dean of the Faculty. See the Academic Discipline Process .
Recording and/or Sharing of Course Materials
In this class, students may not make audio or video recordings of any course activity unless the student has an approved accommodation from the Academic Success Centre (Office of the Dean of Students) permitting the recording of class meetings. In such cases, the accommodation letter must be presented to the instructor in advance of any recording being done, and all students in the course will be notified whenever recording will be taking place. Students who are permitted to record classes are not permitted to redistribute audio or video recordings of statements or comments from the course to individuals who are not students in the course without the express permission of the faculty member and of any students who are
recorded.
Disclaimer
Any typographical errors in this syllabus are subject to change and will be announced in class and posted on eClass. The date of the final examination is set by the Registrar and takes precedence over the final examination date reported in this syllabus.
Student Resources
The best all-purpose website for student services is https://www.ualberta.ca/current-students.
Accessibility Resources: (1 – 80 SUB)
The University of Alberta is committed to creating work and learning communities that inspire and enable all people to reach their full potential. Accessibility Resources promote an accessible, inclusive, and universally designed environment. For general information to register for services, visit the Accessibility Resources webpage.
The Academic Success Centre: (1-80 SUB)
The Academic Success Centre offers a variety of workshops on effective study and exam strategies. There are in-person and online sessions available for a modest fee.
The Centre for Writers: (1-42 Assiniboia Hall)
The Centre for Writers offers free one-on-one writing support to students, faculty, and staff. Students can request a consultation for a writing project at any stage of development. Instructors can request class visits and presentations.
Health and Wellness Support: There are many health and community services available to current students. For more information, visit the Health and Wellness Support webpage.
Office of the Student Ombuds:
The Office of the Student Ombuds offers confidential interviews, advice, and support to students facing academic, discipline, interpersonal and financial difficulties.
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.
Copyright: Andrew Wong, Faculty of Arts, University of Alberta (2024)