ECON 110 Syllabus

St. Charles Community College
ECON 110 -80, Principles of Macroeconomics
Spring Semester, 2012
Tuesdays  6:00-9:30 PM, SSB 1206

SYLLABUS

George W. Bowling 
Office: Tech 205 
Classroom: SSB 1206 
Home Phone:  (636) 537-3292
Office Phone:  (636) 922-8419
E-mail (Home):  cgb@socket.net
E-mail (College):  gbowling@stchas.edu

Office Hours: 5:00 -6:00 pm, Tuesdays, in SSB 1206 or by appointment.                    

Mission Statement:  The Economics Department of SCCC is committed to enhancing the student’s level of economic literacy with the goal of making the student a better decision-maker.

Required Text: 

Case, K. & Fair, R., Oster S.,Principles of Economics , 10th Edition (Created for SCCC), Prentice Hall, Inc., 2011 OR 
Case, K. & Fair, R., Principles of Economics, 9th Edition, Prentice Hall, Inc., 2009

Required Readings Book:  

 Miller, R. L., and Benjamin, D. K.. The Economics of Macro Issues, Pearson Addison Wesley, 2010

Class Handouts:  Students will be given numerous handouts related to the course material that is being discussed.

Dates to Note: February 10 is the last day to change from credit to audit or audit to credit.  March 30is the last day to drop a class and receive a “W” grade.  You must fill out a drop slip to officially withdraw in order to receive a “W” grade.  If you simply stop attending class you will be given an “F” grade.

Evaluation:  Your course grade will be determined on the basis of your performance on three in-class examinations and a comprehensive final examination.

                                                           Raw Score Points             % of Final Grade 
 In-Class Examinations                                150                                   60 
 Final Examination                                      100                                  40

The comprehensive final is mandatory.  The following cut-offs, subject to modification, establish the letter grades:  90-100=A; 80-89=B; 70-79=C; 60-69=D.

Make-up examinations will be given upon agreement with the Instructor if the student has served notice that he/she can not sit for the scheduled exam.  Those make-up tests will be given at the Assessment Center in the Student Center Building, room 133.  The make-up examinations may not be the same as the examination that was missed.

There will be optional, written, take-home assignments handed out as the course progresses.  These assignments are in lieu of a term paper, and are designed to enhance the student’s understanding of the subject matter.  Successful completion of these assignments can only help the student’s final grade.

It is the Instructor’s policy to return graded test papers during the next scheduled class after the test is taken.  Take-home assignments will normally be returned during the next class after they are turned in. 

Course Objectives:  Upon completion of this course, the student will: 

• recognize and know the meaning of basic economic terminology.
• know what the major macroeconomic indicators are and how they are measured.
• be able to manipulate commonly used analytical models.
• be familiar with the various schools of macroeconomic thought and their influence on macroeconomic debates.
• know what constitutes monetary policy and fiscal policy and understand how they can influence the major indicators.
• be aware of macroeconomic issues currently in the news and be able to analyze opposing viewpoints on them.

General Comments: 

• You should attend all class meetings for classes in which you are registered.  The instructor is required to keep records of student classroom attendance.  Absences due to personal business, job-related activities, illness, or death in the family will be recorded as absences.
• The College has an Office of Accessibility Services that guides, counsels, and assists students with disabilities.  It is located in Room 133 of the Student Center Building.  It is the student’s responsibility, during the first week of class, to discuss with the Instructor anything needed to help him/her succeed.   If a student has special needs, that student  should call Pam Bova (922-8247) in the Office of Accessibility Services so that the eligibility for services can be determined.
• St. Charles Community College has instructional goals of improving the writing and critical analysis skill levels of all students.  With this in mind, all examinations will primarily contain essay questions which stress those two skills, and the take-home assignments will be short essays.
• Even though there will be a review during the first lecture, it is assumed that the student has a working knowledge of basic algebra and the reading and interpretation of graphs.
• This syllabus, as well as the take-home assignments and most of the handouts are listed on the instructor's home page on the college web site in case you misplaced one of them.
• As a courtesy to the instructor and to your classmates, please turn off all cell phones, beepers, and pagers before you enter the classroom.
• The use of calculators is permitted during the three tests and the final exam.  However, text-messaging (programmable) calculators  are not permitted during these tests.

COURSE OUTLINE

The following should be regarded as a provisional outline of the content and chronology of the course, and is subject to modification as the semester progresses.   The test chapters shown in standard font are for those students using the ninth edition of the text.  The text chapters shown in italics are for those student using the eighth edition of the text.

The text chapter(s) should be read before you come to class.  Although you are responsible for all assigned readings, the examinations will be heavily based on the material discussed in the lectures.  Attendance should be thought of as a necessary condition for academic success. 

------COMPREHENSIVE FINAL------

(Mandatory)

May 8, 2012