NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Course Title:	Principles of Macroeconomics
Course Prefix & Number:		ECON2301	Section Number:	0844	Semester/Year:	Fall /2020
Semester Credit Hours:		3	Lecture Hours:	3	Lab Hours:	0
Course Description (NCTC Catalog): An analysis of the economy as a whole including measurement and determination of Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply, national income, inflation, and unemployment.  Other topics include international trade, economic growth, business cycles, and fiscal policy and monetary policy.
Course Prerequisite(s): None
Required Course Materials: McConnell, Brue & Flynn.  Macroeconomics:  Principles, Problems & Policies (Connect Access) McGraw-Hill 22nd edition ISBN:  9781264112470   Connect Access may be purchased at the time students register for Connect through Canvas.  A temporary 14-day free access is available if students are not prepared to pay for access on the first day of class.   Connect Access:  The textbook, SmartBook, and Connect activities are all maintained within the McGraw-Hill Connect System.  Students will need to complete their registration in Connect through Canvas on the first day of class, as assignments are due immediately.  . CANVAS/CONNECT ACCESS: All students must have complete access to Canvas for the entire semester. It is the student’s responsibility to have access to the internet at all times, as well as having all needed programs to complete an online course. Students are not to give any other person access to his/her Canvas account. Students can be removed from the online course immediately up violating this rule. Once a student has given another person access to his/her Canvas account, the credibility of any work completed becomes questionable.   CANVAS WEBSITE: Students can access Canvas indirectly by going to the NCTC homepage (www.nctc.edu) and clicking on the “Canvas” icon/logo. Or, students can access Canvas directly by going straight to the website for Canvas (https://nctc.instructure.com).   Connect Technical Requirements and Support Please review the following information from McGraw-Hill Higher Education before you begin any assignments in Connect. Run a system check: To have a successful experience in Connect, you will need to ensure that your computer's system meets the requirements needed to access and run your assignments (e.g.: operating system, browsers, plug-ins). It is strongly recommended that you troubleshoot your computer at least once a week, and before every test, to be sure that you will be able to complete the required exercises. Click on the following link to learn how to troubleshoot Connect and what the computer requirements are: http://connect.mheducation.com/connect/troubleshoot.do Get support: Connect has a Customer Experience Group (CXG) Support Center where you can connect with a tech specialist via chat, phone, or email. Click on this link to access the online support center: https://mhedu.force.com/CXG/s/ContactUs   If you have problems with registration or technical difficulties while completing assignments, contact CXG. I am not tech support! Every time you speak with a representative, you will receive a case/ticket number for reference. Be sure to keep this number so that you can easily check up on the status of any unresolved problems and also to share with me if required.   Here is the direct toll-free phone number for the Customer Experience Group (CXG) Support Center: 800-331-5094   Here are the hours of operation for the Customer Experience Group (CXG) Support Center: Sun: 12pm - 12am Mon-Thurs: 24 hours Fri: 12 am - 9pm                                          Sat: 10am - 8pm (All in US Eastern Time) ***CONNECT TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES / ISSUES*** If you experience any technical difficulties / issues while working on assignments in Connect, it is your responsibility as the student to take the following actions:   (1) Contact the Connect Customer Experience Group (CXG) immediately to report the issue at the time the issue occurs, prior to the assignment due date, so that the issue can be documented and resolved   AND   (2) Contact your Course Instructor (me) immediately to notify me of the issue.   Technical Problem Resolution Procedure If you experience technical difficulties while completing an online assignment, follow the procedures as outlined below. 1. Take a screen shot: Take a screen shot/Print Screen of the monitor when the problem occurs. Save as a .pdf or .jpg file. 2. Contact technical support: Make sure you give a complete description of your problem so the Help Desk staff will have the pertinent information in order to assist you properly. This may include: o course name/reference number and/or instructor name o operating system, Internet browser, and/or Internet service provider (ISP) information o Print Screen file o your contact information 3. Send a message to your instructor to notify him of the problem: Include all pertinent information of the incident (as listed above).You must provide the ticket/case number that you receive from technical support. This ticket provides proof of the time and date you tried to submit an online assignment. Any notifications that do not include this ticket/case number will be invalid. 4. Follow up: If you do not hear back from the technical support within a timely manner (less than 48 hours), it is your responsibility to follow up with the appropriate person until a resolution is obtained.

 

(Next page)

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:	Mike McCoy
Campus/Office Location:	Corinth/ Room 313 Cubicle 9
Telephone Number:	Office: (940) 498-6282 x 6256  Google Voice: (940) 217-5966
E-mail Address:	mimccoy@nctc.edu

 

OFFICE HOURS

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Online 5:00 – 7:00 pm	Online 8:00–9:00 a.m. 2:00-4:00 p.m.	Online 5:00 – 7:00 pm	Online 8:00–9:00 a.m. 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Other hours by appointment. Note: The instructor is generally available from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday – Friday. The instructor makes every effort to answer emails within 24 hours during normal business days. If you do not receive a reply within that timeframe, it is possible that you incorrectly input the instructor’s email address. Therefore, it is best to use the Inbox in Canvas to email the instructor   If you wish, WebEx web conference virtual office hour visits are also available. Contact the instructor for more information about virtual office hour visits.

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (From Academic Course Guide Manual/Workforce Education Course Manual/NCTC Catalog

At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
	Explain the role of scarcity, specialization, opportunity cost, and cost/benefit analysis in economic decision-making.
	Identify the determinants of supply and demand; demonstrate the impact of shifts in both market supply and demand curves on equilibrium price and output.
	Define and measure national income and rates of unemployment and inflation.
	Identify the phases of the business cycle and the problems caused by cyclical fluctuations in the market economy.
	Define money and the money supply; describe the process of money creation by the banking system and the role of the central bank.
	Construct the aggregate demand and aggregate supply model of the macro economy and use it to illustrate macroeconomic problems and potential monetary and fiscal policy solutions.
	Explain the mechanics and institutions of international trade and their impact on the macro economy.
	Define economic growth and identify sources of economic growth.

 

GRADING CRITERIA

# of Graded Course Elements	Graded Course Elements	Percentage
16	McGraw-Hill Connect (MHC) SmartBook Activities	15%*
14	Quizzes	15%*
14	Discussions & General Class Participation	10%*
4	In-semester Exams	40%*
1	Final Exam	20%*
1	Mandatory Assessment Quiz	**
Total		100%

* The lowest grade from each of the rows where there is an asterisk by the percentage value will be dropped.

**While the mandatory Assessment Quiz does not carry a separate percentage weight, be aware that failure to submit the Assessment Quiz by the due date and time will result in a decrease in the semester grade by 10 percentage points. For example, if a student’s semester grade is 85, but the student does not turn in the Assessment Quiz, then the final semester grade will be a 75.

 

COURSE SUBJECT OUTLINE (Major Assignments, Due Dates, and Grading Criteria)

 

SmartBook 2.0 : The SmartBook 2.0 (SB) assignments are directly over textbook content and will be completed in McGraw-Hill Hill Connect (MHC) via the “Assignments” Tab in our Canvas course. SmartBook uses adaptive technology to tailor the assignment and learning experience to each individual student’s needs. SmartBook starts by identifying the topics a student knows and does not know. As the student progresses, SmartBook adapts and adjusts the content and questions on the assignment based on the individual student’s strengths, weaknesses, and confidence. Each SmartBook assignment is set to take 30 – 50 minutes to complete on average. However, it may take some students more than 50 minutes to complete and some students less than 50 minutes to complete.

 **How quickly a student completes the assignment depends on (1) how many questions the student answers correctly and (2) how confident the student is that their answer is correct, prior to viewing the correct answer and their score for each question. So, if you are confident that the answer you have chosen is correct, make sure to click “I know it” when you are asked “Do you know the answer?” after having answered the question. If you are confident that your answer is correct , but instead you click on “Think so,” “Unsure,” or “No idea,” then SmartBook will keep on giving you additional questions covering those same concepts until you (1) do answer all of the questions correctly and (2) are confident that you answered all of the questions correctly. Therefore, as there is no limit on the number of times that a student can attempt and work through each SmartBook assignment, if a student continues answering all of the questions that SmartBook presents him/her with in the assignment, the student will eventually achieve a perfect score and earn a “100” on the assignment.

 

Please be aware of the opening and closing dates for the SmartBook assignments, as no assignment will be re-opened once it has closed and no late assignments will be accepted. Again, you have no limit on the number of attempts on the SmartBook questions to get the correct answer and state that you are confident the answer is correct, and there is no time limit. Think of this as practice!

 

Quizzes: The quizzes are generally over textbook content and will consist of objective (multiple choice, true false, fill-in-the-blank, matching, etc.) questions. Quizzes are completed in Connect via the “Assignments” Tab in our Canvas course. Please be aware of the opening and closing dates for the quizzes, as no quiz will be re-opened once it has closed and no late assignments will be accepted. For the quizzes, you have 3 attempts to get the correct answer, and each quiz attempt is timed for a maximum of 45 minutes. **Note, you cannot pause the time on the quiz once you have started the attempt. If you click “save & exit” on the quiz and close the page, the time still keeps running and your attempt will be submitted automatically once the time has run out.

 

Discussions: After the first Introduce Yourself Discussion (D1), the remaining are designed to give students the opportunity to express their knowledge about topics related to the class in an open discussion setting. Students are expected to also comment on other students’ posts. These will be submitted in Canvas, not McGraw-Hill Connect.

 

In-semester Exams: Exams 1, 2, and 3 generally contain around 50 objective (multiple choice, true false, fill-in-the-blank, matching, etc.) questions and will be related to the content covered up to the date of that particular exam. The exams might also include essay questions. A study guide will be posted in Canvas prior to the due date of the exam. Exams 1-3 will be taken in McGraw-Hill Connect. The fourth exam is the Challenge Exam. It is located in Canvas. See below for more information about the Challenge Exam.

 

Challenge Exam: The Challenge Exam is appropriately named. It is designed for two reasons.

1. If the student misses one of the exams from: Exam 1, Exam 2, or Exam 3 then the student has the right to challenge the zero grade from one missed exam by taking the Challenge Exam. If the student has taken Exam 1 through Exam 3 and believes that the In-semester Exam grade can be improved, then the student may elect to take the Challenge Exam.

The lowest grade from: Exam 1, Exam 2, Exam 3, and the Challenge Exam will be dropped. Therefore, if the student is satisfied with the In-semester Exams grade average after submitting Exam 3, then the student may elect not to take the Challenge Exam. In that case, the Challenge Exam will be the one dropped.

2. It is the instructor’s opinion that, if you wish to challenge your grade, that is admirable. However, the exam should also be very challenging. Therefore, the Challenge Exam is generally composed of all essay questions or may contain a few objective questions plus essay questions. The Challenge Exam is cumulative. A grading rubric will be provided for the essay questions.

 

A rubric will be provided so that the student will know how the essay questions will be graded. For any written assignments, including discussions and essay questions, students should look at the included rubrics before starting the assignment.

 

Final Exam: The final exam is cumulative. That means that the questions may cover any and all topics covered during the semester. It is located in McGraw-Hill Connect. A study guide will be provided prior to the due date.

 

**Note: All students MUST complete the “Assessment Quiz”. It is a mandatory assignment required by the department for completion of the course. If you do not complete the “Assessment Quiz”, your grade may be reduced by 10 percentage points.

.

The “Assessment Quiz” covers all of the student learning outcomes for the course and is used by the department to measure what students have learned and mastered after having completed the entire course.

 

**Details on when SmartBook Assignments, Quizzes, and Exams are open and due will be given in Connect and/or on Canvas. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of what is due and when it is due. Failure to regularly sign into Canvas and Connect could be the difference between passing and failing.

 

The final grade is out of 100 percent according to the following scale:

90 – 100 = A,  80 - 89    = B, 70 - 79    = C, 60 – 69   = D, 59 or below = F

Note: Grades will be rounded only from the tenth’s position. That means, for example, if the final average is 79.5, then that rounds to 80 for a “B” grade. However, if the final average is 79.4999, then that does not round to 80 and  therefore the grade is a “C” for the course. Do not ask for extra credit or for the grade to be “bumped -up” at the end of the semester.

 

SmartBook assignments, Quizzes, and Exams 1-3 & the Final Exam are located in McGraw-Hill Connect. Discussions are located in Canvas. The SAI assignment is located in Canvas.

                     By NCTC requirements, the Final Exam can only be taken on 12/7-  

                    12/11.  NO EXCEPTIONS

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered.  All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor.  It is the student responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgement by the faculty member.  Approved college sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence.  Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work prior to the due date.  Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor.  A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to take the exam early.  Student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives.  Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL)

Additional Instructor-specific Absence Policy: To repeat, regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students. For online classes, students should login to both Canvas and McGraw-Hill Connect as well as check NCTC email and Canvas announcements on a daily basis. Do not wait until the last day/minute to start assignments.

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is _November 2, 2020______________.

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides support services for students with disabilities, students enrolled in technical areas of study, and students who are classified as special populations (i.e. single parents).

Support services for students with disabilities might include appropriate and reasonable accommodations, or they may be in the form of personal counseling, academic counseling, career counseling, etc.  Furthermore, OSD Counselors work with students to encourage self-advocacy and promote empowerment. The Counselors also provides resource information, disability-related information, and adaptive technology for students who qualify.

For support, please contact the counselors at (940) 498-6207 or (940) 668-4321.  Alternatively, students may stop by Room 170 in Corinth or Room 110 in Gainesville.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CORE CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA (For classes in the Core)_______       

o         Communication

o         Mathematics              

o         Life and Physical Science

o         Language, Philosophy & Culture

o         Creative Arts

 

            Government/Political Science

X         Social and Behavioral Sciences

o         Component Area Option

o         American History

 

 

X             Critical Thinking

X              Communication

X              Empirical and Quantitative

 

o           Teamwork

                Personal Responsibility

X              Social Responsibilit