Syllabus

The course deals with the nature and overall understanding and analysis of our aggregate economy and its applications, which includes a general framework for macroeconomic analysis; the measurement and structure of the national economy; productivity, output and employment; equilibrium of saving and investment and issues which relate to money and business cycles; Keynesian economic model that relates to wage and price rigidity; unemployment and inflation; and finally, monetary policy and central banking.

Please review the FIU's Policies webpage. The policies webpage contains essential information regarding guidelines relevant to all courses at FIU, as well as additional information about acceptable netiquette for online courses.

As a member of the FIU community you are expected to be knowledgeable about the behavioral expectations set forth in the FIU Student Code of Conduct.

One of the greatest barriers to taking an online course is a lack of basic computer literacy. By computer literacy we mean being able to manage and organize computer files efficiently, and learning to use your computer's operating system and software quickly and easily. Keep in mind that this is not a computer literacy course; but students enrolled in online courses are expected to have moderate proficiency using a computer. Please go to the "What's Required" webpage to find out more information on this subject.

Please visit our Technical Requirements webpage for additional information.

The Disability Resource Center collaborates with students, faculty, staff, and community members to create diverse learning environments that are usable, equitable, inclusive and sustainable. The DRC provides FIU students with disabilities the necessary support to successfully complete their education and participate in activities available to all students. If you have a diagnosed disability and plan to utilize academic accommodations, please contact the Center at 305-348-3532 or visit them at the Graham Center GC 190.

Please visit our ADA Compliance webpage for information about accessibility involving the tools used in this course.

Please visit Blackboard's Commitment Accessibility webpage for more information. 

For additional assistance please contact FIU's Disability Resource Center.

Florida International University is a community dedicated to generating and imparting knowledge through excellent teaching and research, the rigorous and respectful exchange of ideas and community service. All students should respect the right of others to have an equitable opportunity to learn and honestly to demonstrate the quality of their learning. Therefore, all students are expected to adhere to a standard of academic conduct, which demonstrates respect for themselves, their fellow students, and the educational mission of the University. All students are deemed by the University to understand that if they are found responsible for academic misconduct, they will be subject to the Academic Misconduct procedures and sanctions, as outlined in the Student Handbook.

Academic Misconduct includes: Cheating – The unauthorized use of books, notes, aids, electronic sources; or assistance from another person with respect to examinations, course assignments, field service reports, class recitations; or the unauthorized possession of examination papers or course materials, whether originally authorized or not. Plagiarism – The use and appropriation of another’s work without any indication of the source and the representation of such work as the student’s own. Any student who fails to give credit for ideas, expressions or materials taken from another source, including internet sources, is responsible for plagiarism.

Learn more about the academic integrity policies and procedures as well as student resources that can help you prepare for a successful semester.

This course has a prerequisite(s): ECO2013 or equivalent.

Review the Course Catalog webpage for prerequisites information.

This is an online course, which means most (if not all) of the course work will be conducted online. Expectations for performance in an online course are the same for a traditional course. In fact, online courses require a degree of self-motivation, self-discipline, and technology skills which can make these courses more demanding for some students.

Students are expected to:

• Review the how to get started information located in the course content
• Introduce yourself to the class during the first week by posting a self introduction in the appropriate discussion forum
• Take the practice quiz to ensure that your computer is compatible with Blackboard
• Interact online with instructor and peers
• Review and follow the course calendar
• Log in to the course daily
• Respond to discussion boards by the deadline
• Respond to messages within daily

The instructor will:

• Log in to the course daily per week
• Respond to discussion boards during and after the deadline
• Respond to messages within daily, otherwise students will be notified
• Grade assignments within 3-7 days of the assignment deadline, based on the number of enrollees

Communication in this course will take place via Messages.

Messages is a private and secure text-based communication system which occurs within a course among its Course members. Users must log on to Blackboard to send, receive, or read messages. The Messages tool is located on the Course Menu, on the left side of the course webpage. It is recommended that students check their messages routinely to ensure up-to-date communication.

Visit our Writing Resources webpage for more information on professional writing and technical communication skills.

Adobe Connect is an online meeting room where you can interact with your professor and fellow students by sharing screens or files, chat, broadcast live audio, and take part in other interactive online activities. We will be utilizing this tool to conduct office hours.

Meetings will be available by appointment.

Requirements for using Adobe Connect:

• Disable any window pop-up blocker.
• Adobe Flash Player is required to successfully run your Adobe Connect meeting. You can test your computer to make sure your computer and network connections are properly configured to provide you with the best possible Adobe Connect meeting experience.
• Use of a combination headset and microphone with USB connection is recommended to ensure quality sound and reduce technical difficulties.
  
  Reference Adobe Connect (Tutorials & Help) for additional information.

Student Bio Activity
During the first week of class, every student should create his/her own student bio using the course's Discussion Forum, which can be accessed from the left-hand navigation menu.

You are encouraged to include the following in your bio: name, status in your current program, educational background to date, the reason you are taking this course, your expectations of this course, your experience with any aspect of online learning, work experience, career plans (No longer than 500 words). You all have a choice of attaching your digital picture (optional).

Successful Online Student Activity
Think about important factors that contribute to being successful in an online course. List five most important factors from your perspective and explain how those factors can help you to be successful in this course.
The following articles can help you decide:

• What Makes a Successful Online Student?
• Tips for Online Success
• 89 Things Students Need to Know in the First 10 Days of an Online Course

This activity should be posted in the Discussion Forum in the "Successful Online Students" category.

Keep in mind that your discussion forum postings will likely be seen by other members of the course. Care should be taken when determining what to post.

Find due dates in the Course Calendar below.

Keep in mind that your discussion forum postings will likely be seen by other members of the course. Care should be taken when determining what to post.

There will be a total of four (4) exams (they can be found on the Assessments page in Blackboard). All exams consist of 50 multiple-choice questions, and each question will be worth 2 points. You will accumulate 400 points (if all exams are perfect), and your final grade will be the average of the four exams. Once you open the exam, you will have 75 minutes to complete it.

Find exam availability dates in the Course Calendar below.

Exams are not cumulative. You need to do the exams by yourself. Any interaction of any form with others will constitute cheating, and will have serious repercussions. The only way to successfully complete the exam is to know the material. You can make an appointment with me to discuss any problems you might have, before the exam, and I will be very glad to help you out.

Your course requires the use of the Respondus LockDown Browser to take assessments.

• Review the Respondus LockDown Browser Instructions on how to install, access your assessments and view your grades.
• After installing the browser, please take the Practice Quiz to familiarize yourself with the testing environment and to ensure that you have downloaded the Respondus Lockdown Browser correctly.

In order to mitigate any issues with your computer and online assessments, it is very important that you take the "Practice Quiz" from each computer you will be using to take your graded quizzes and exams. It is your responsibility to make sure your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements.

Assessments in this course are not compatible with mobile devices and should not be taken through a mobile phone or a tablet. If you need further assistance please contact FIU Online Support Services.

You can make an appointment with me to discuss any problem that you might have before the exam, and I will be very glad to answer your questions and help you as much as I can.

A missed exam must have a documented excuse. It will be up to the professor to grant a make-up exam based on the excuse. 

• If you miss an exam due to medical reasons (documentation needed), you will be allowed to take the missed exam online as usual.
• Other legitimate excuses (beside Medical), will have the option of making up the test:
  • Students may be given the option to make up the exam on-campus.
  • Students who live outside of a 75 mile-radius from campus, who can provide proof of address, may be given the option to make up the exam via an approved proctoring center or an approved virtual proctoring center, such as ProctorU.

If a student does not have a legitimate excuse for missing an exam, it will be up to the professor to determine whether or not a make-up exam will be allowed, and the manner and location in which the exam will be administered.

Please visit our Proctored Exam Resources webpage for important information concerning proctored exams, proctoring centers, and important forms. Please note that since only the make-up exam might be proctored, some of the stated proctored exam policies do not apply.