This is the standard introductory course in macroeconomics. Topics covered include long-run economic growth, inflation, unemployment, interest rates, exchange rates, financial markets, business cycles, fiscal policy, and monetary policy.
Mankiw, Kneebone, and McKenzie, Principles of Macroeconomics (bundled with Aplia), Nelson 2011.
For this course, you are required to have access to both the textbook and the Aplia website. You have several options:
Instructions for accessing Aplia are available at http:/www.sfu.ca/~bkrauth/econ105/restricted/aplia_registration_instructions.pdf (registered students only). If you are not yet registered for the course but need the instructions please email me.
Lectures are Monday from 10:30-11:20 in Images Theatre (in Robert C. Brown Hall) and on Thursday from 10:30-12:20 in Saywell Hall 10081. Attendance at lecture is expected, but does not count directly in your grade. Printed lecture notes will not be supplied.
Laptops, tablets and other devices can be used in class, but I will disallow them if they create a disruption. Please be conscientious.
There will be weekly readings from the textbook. The reading schedule is provided in Aplia.
There will be weekly assignments in Aplia. They will usually be due on Monday by 11:00 pm, and will count for 20% of your grade. It is your responsibility to keep up with assignment due dates.
There will be weekly tutorials. As with the lecture, attendance is expected but does not directly count in your grade.
The TAs and I will each hold 2 hours per week of office hours. Office hours and contact information are available at http://www.sfu.ca/~bkrauth/econ105/contact.htm. Please feel free to go to anyone's office hours, regardless of which tutorial you are in.
The TAs will answer brief questions by email. Please send questions to the TA whose tutorial you are registered for. Please contact your TA first rather than me - if he or she doesn't know the answer he or she will forward the email to me.
There will be two in-class midterms, one on Thursday February 7, and the other on Thursday April 4. Each will count for 20% of your final grade. The final exam will be on Wednesday, April 17, and will count for 40% of your final grade. Please check go.sfu.ca to find the location of the final exam and to verify its time and date.
You are responsible for ensuring that you will be able to attend the final exam. As a general rule, it is not possible to reschedule your final exam. There are some cases described at http://students.sfu.ca/exams.html in which special arrangements can be made to deal with cases where exams are scheduled very closely together. Please be aware that you must inform me of any such issues at least one month before the exam date.
If you miss one of the midterms for any reason (no doctor's note or explanation is required), then the weight will be transferred to the final exam. If you miss both midterms, or if you miss the final, you will not receive a passing grade in the course.
I don't grade on a curve. Sometimes you get an above-average group of students, and sometimes you get a below-average group of students. I will not pass students that aren't ready for the next level (or fail students that are) just to meet some predetermined curve. So my grading is based on an absolute standard. However, the absolute standard can adjust to the circumstances.
Here's how it works. I will guarantee the following cutoffs on each of the four grades (Aplia average, Midterm 1, Midterm 2, Final):
I may choose to lower the cutoffs below these guaranteed levels, but I will never raise them. If I choose to lower the cutoffs for any grade, I will announce it (when I return each midterm, and at the end of the term for Aplia). For example, suppose (like last time I taught the course) I announce when I return midterm #2 that the cutoff for an A on that exam has been reduced to 85. Then in order to get an A in the course you would need to have an overall average of 90*.20 + 90*.20 + 85*.20 + 90*.40 = 89.
Q: Is the final exam cumulative?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I attend a different tutorial from the one I am registered in?
A: No.
Q: I missed the midterm because I was sick. Do I need to bring you a doctor's note?
A: No.
Q: Can I get a copy of the lecture notes?
A: No.
Q: I did poorly on my midterm. Can I get the weight transferred to the final if I do better on it?
A: No. I view the course outline as a binding contract with my students. I do not deviate from the grading scheme in the outline.
Q: I did poorly in the course. Is there any extra work I can do to improve my grade?
A: No.
Q: I did poorly in the course. Can you please raise my grade? I really need a higher grade in order to (fill in the blank).
A: No.