ECON 304: Intermediate Macroeconomic Analysis

3. Explain the performance of the U. S. economy since the 1970s, focusing on various slices of history along the way

Organization

This course is made up of 11 lessons.

For each lesson, you will complete the following activities and assignments:

Explore online course content.

Read a few assigned readings.

Complete a set of homework questions.

In addition, you will participate in discussion forums with your classmates, complete six quantitative problem sets throughout the semester and complete three small projects. You will also take two midterm exams and one comprehensive final exam. The grade breakdown for these assignments is provided in the Assignments section of this syllabus.

Online Learning & Attendance

This course has been developed to promote asynchronous learning. The instructor and students do NOT meet on a designated day and time each week. For each lesson, there is a timeframe to complete all activities and assignments, and you may work at your own pace within that timeframe. However, you must adhere to the deadlines outlined on the calendar. (Click the Calendar tab in Canvas. Or check the Orientation page under the Modules tab.) You should loginto the course daily to check for updates, review lessons, and participate in activities.

Texts & Other Materials

There is one required text.

1. Andrew B. Abel, Ben S. Bernanke, and Dean Croushore. Macroeconomics [10th edition]. Pearson/Prentice Hall (ISBN: 978-0134896571)

You will need to have regular access to a scanner for homework assignments and exams. You will submit these by completing your work on paper (such as drawing graphs) and then scanning your papers to create an electronic file and submitting the electronic file to the appropriate dropbox on the   course website. Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the submission procedure and the appropriate deadlines.

Library Services

Penn State Libraries provides a wide variety of services and resources. To learn how to take advantage, refer to the Online Student Library Guide (http://guides.libraries.psu.edu/onlinestudentlibraryguide)at http://guides.libraries.psu.edu/onlinestudentlibraryguide. This guide serves as your starting point for access to all that Penn State Libraries can offer you as an online student. Use this guide if you have questions on library services offered to you, how the library can help you, how to use the library, or what resources you can access via the library! The guide will connect you to important pages and resources   within Penn State Libraries and save time from you searching for the information you need.

All assignments are due by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the date indicated on the Calendar. (Due dates can be also be viewed under the Syllabus tab.) Assignments will be available for submission until 4:00 AM Eastern Time the following day, but any submissions made between 11:59 PM and 4:00 AM will be marked late and points may be deducted at the instructor's discretion, up to and including all points, resulting in a zero. As a general rule, you will NOT be able to go back and make up missed assignments. It is your responsibility to keep up with your assignments. Students with an excused absence (e.g., hospitalization, jury duty, family emergency, or military service) may be asked to produce proper documentation in order to make up graded work. All make-up work is at the discretion of the instructor.

Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g.,    upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special    arrangements need to be made.

Notes

To Do List: Some assignments may not appear in the To Do list under the Home tab. Use the Calendar or Syllabus to ensure that you are fully aware of assignment due dates.

Valid Excuses

A major advantage of an online course is the flexibility it affords students for doing assignments. All assignments are intended to be accessed and completed within a window of several days duration, and can be done from anywhere in the world. (The necessary technology, even if you are not at home, will frequently be available at internet cafes, copy shops, or libraries.) The dates of these assignments have been provided to you well ahead of time in the course calendar. Given this flexibility, an unexpected event that makes it impossible for a student to complete an assignment on time should be very rare. It is expected that students plan ahead and allocate their time accordingly

In general, there will be no extensions given on the weekly lesson assignments (quizzes and homework). This is because the course is already set up to accommodate occasional extenuating circumstances by dropping the lowest single homework grade. Early access to exams or extensions on exams will only be   given in the case of a valid conflict, and a student must inform the instructor as early as possible if they anticipate being unable to complete the exam within the assigned window. Valid conflicts are items that make it impossible for a student to complete the assignment at the scheduled time, primarily including illness,hospitalization, or family emergencies. Travel plans (except as required by university-sponsored  activities) DO NOT constitute a valid conflict. Students should plan to be available online until they finish the assignment. Encountering technical problems at the last minute is not a valid conflict. For more information on valid excuses, please see the Department of Economics policy on valid excuses, which is available at the Department website (http://econ.la.psu.edu/undergraduate/valid-excuses) .

University Policies

Academic Integrity

According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity (https://undergrad.psu.edu/aappm/G-9- academic-integrity.html) , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted

violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or

disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must

complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your

instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from  Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source.   You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple    courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask

their instructor before submitting work.

Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected

course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity

(https://undergrad.psu.edu/aappm/G-9-academic-integrity.html)). Attempted drops will be prevented or     reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students

who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic sanctions, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes (see G-9: Academic Integrity

(https://undergrad.psu.edu/aappm/G-9-academic-integrity.html)).

Disability Access

Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources website

provides contact information for every Penn State campus (https://equity.psu.edu/offices/student - disability-resources/campus-offices)at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/campus-offices. For further information, please visit the Student Disability Resources website

(http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources)at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources.

In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate

disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake

interview, and provide documentation ( http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/applying- for-services)described at http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/applying-for-services. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and

discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.

Counseling and Psychological Services

Penn State's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) office offers residential and distance-based

Penn State students non-emergency mental health services in the form of case management, community resource referrals, supportive listening, care giver support, and much more.

Students may request assistance from CAPS regarding a variety of common mental health issues,

including anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, and stress. CAPS services are designed to

enhance students'ability to fully benefit from the University environment and academic experience. Call CAPS at 814-863-0395 (8 am-5 pm, Monday-Friday EST) or submit an inquiry online

(https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/form/caps-contact-form)at https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/form/caps-contact- form to schedule an appointment with a mental health advocate, who can help you address mental

health concerns that may interfere with your academic progress or social development. This appointment will include a one-on-one session that can be conducted via telephone, teleconference (Skype,

FaceTime, etc.), or locally at Penn State University Park. For more information on services provided

through CAPS, please visit the Penn State CAPS website (http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/counseling/) at http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/counseling/. Students enrolled at the World Campus are also encouraged to visit its Mental Health Services page (http://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/student-services/mental - health-services)at http://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/student-services/mental-health-services.

Reminder: These services are for non-emergencies only. If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis situation, please call your local crisis center or 911.

Nondiscrimination

Penn State is committed to equal access to programs, facilities, admission and employment for all

persons. It is the policy of the University to maintain an environment free of harassment and free of

discrimination against any person because of age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, service in the uniformed services (as defined in state and federal law), veteran status, sex, sexual

orientation, marital or family status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, physical or mental

disability, gender, perceived gender, gender identity, genetic information or political ideas. Discriminatory conduct and harassment, as well as sexual misconduct and relationship violence, violates the dignity of  individuals, impedes the realization of the University's educational mission, and will not be tolerated. For

further information, please visit the Affirmative Action Office website

(https://affirmativeaction.psu.edu/)at https://affirmativeaction.psu.edu/.

Reporting a Bias Incident

Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender    identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and     can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage

(http://equity.psu.edu/reportbias/)at http://equity.psu.edu/reportbias/.

TEACH Act

The materials on the course website are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course and may not be retained or further disseminated.

University Emergency Procedure

In the event of a University-wide emergency, the course may be subject to changes. Exigent

circumstances may require alternative delivery methods, class materials, and interactions with the

instructor and/or classmates. In addition, there may be revisions to grading policies and the Calendar, including assignments and their due dates.

In the event of a University-wide emergency, please refer to the Canvas website at

https://psu.instructure.com for specific information related to the course. For more general information about the emergency situation, please refer to the Penn State website (https://www.psu.edu) at

https://www.psu.edu or Penn State News website (https://news.psu.edu) at https://news.psu.edu.

To register with PSUAlert, a service designed to alert the Penn State community when situations arise that affect the ability of a campus to function normally, please go to the PSU Alert website

(https://psualert.psu.edu/)at https://psualert.psu.edu/. Subscribers can receive alerts by text message to cellphones, and also can elect to have alerts sent to an email address.