ECO 303: Intermediate Macroeconomics
Course Syllabus
Spring 2022
Department of Economics
Stonehill College
Professor: Mohammed AlMehdar Meeting Days: TR
Meeting Times: sA: 8:30-9:45 am ET
sB: 10:00-11:15 am EST
Student Hours: TR 11:30 am - 12:45 pm ET and by appointment
Email: malmehdar@stonehill.edu
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Introduction
At its core, macroeconomics is the study of economic performance in the long and short
run. ECO 303 provides an in-depth overview of the standard models macroeconomists use
to analyze how savings rates, technological progress, population growth, climate change,
and systemic immigration will contribute to future living standards, as well as how aggregate spending, economic policy, and input prices contribute to business cycle fluctuations.
Prerequisites: ECO 176 and ECO 178.
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Required Course Materials
Please ensure that you have access to the following resource by our first class meeting:
Achieve Essentials for Macroeconomics 11th Edition. Access to Achieve Essentials provides
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an electronic copy of the course textbook and your online homework assignments. It also
has other features, such as adaptive practice tests, that are important study aids. You must
purchase access to Achieve Essentials to complete this course.
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Grading Policy
I will base your letter grades on your numeric scores according to the following table:
A
A−
B+
B
B−
C+
C
C−
D+
D
F
93-100
90-92
87-89
84-86
80-83
77-79
74-76
70-73
65-69
60-64
0-59
I will calculate your course grade using the following weighting scheme:
Achieve Assessments 20%
Group Presentation
10%
Midterm
25%
Final Exam
35%
Class Participation
10%
The following sections provide expectations and policies for each category.
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Achieve Assessments
Achieve Essentials is an online platform that provides you with an eBook version of Macroeconomics 11th Edition, adaptive learning exercises, and procedurally generated assignments.
You must complete Achieve Assessments (End of Chapter Problems) related to the textbook
material we cover in class. Expect to complete one to two chapters worth of assignments
roughly every week. I will announce due dates by email and eLearn announcements.
Achieve Assessment questions come in a variety of forms: multiple choice, shifting
graphs and identifying equilibrium points, numerical answers, etc. You have three attempts
at each question, after which you will receive no credit for that question. Do not blow through
your attempts: A wrong answer reduces your maximum score for a particular question by
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25%. Please take your time, read questions carefully, and complete them with care.
V
Exams
You must complete two take-home timed exams with different weights. These weights reflect
the fact that each exam is cumulative and will cover a growing body of material.
Please mark these exam dates in your calendar ASAP:
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Midterm
March 15th-21st
Final Exam TBD
The final exam date has yet to be set, but I will inform the class and update the syllabus as
soon as the Registrar provides the final exam schedule. Completing exams is a crucial part of
your grade.
VI
Class Participation
Participation in class discussions is an important part of the learning process. To achieve a full
participation grade, please aim to contribute at least twice every session.
One of the main aims of the course is to facilitate transference of the theoretical knowledge
learned from the material to real world applications. I therefore encourage everyone to contribute
to the discussions in class in order to explore how the concepts can be applied to their experiences
and interests.
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You have three free absences, and you do not need to notify me ahead of time, nor provide
documentation, when you use one of your allotted absences. If you are marked absent four
or more times, you will receive a zero class participation grade. Use your absences wisely.
Achieve Learning Curve is an adaptive assessment that tracks your progress in the
course. Learning Curve requires you to accumulate a certain number of points by answering
questions correctly to complete the assignment. There is no penalty for wrong answers, and
you are awarded full credit once you earn the required number of points. These assignments
are included in your homework grade. You must complete 70 percent of all Learning
Curve assignments, otherwise you will receive a zero class participation grade.
VII
Student Hours, Communication, and Zoom
I will strive to provide ample appointment times in my calendar to book office hours. Please feel
free to communicate freely with me about any issues you have.
Please also feel free to reach out to me via email. I only respond to emails during
normal business hours on non-holiday weekdays. To save you time and as a courtesy to
me, You should also consistently check your Stonehill email account and eLearn
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announcements for correspondence from me. I will use these platforms to post assignment
due date and exam date reminders, exam procedures, and other important information. I
may also reach out to you directly if I am concerned about your course performance.
All classes are designated as live-stream classes.
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Course Topics (note: dates are preliminary)
1. Introduction
ˆ Chapter 1: The Science of Macroeconomics
ˆ Chapter 2: The Data of Macroeconomics
2. Overview of the Modern Economy
ˆ Chapter 3: The Distribution of National Income
ˆ Chapter 4: The Monetary System (Feb 15)
ˆ Chapter 5: Inflation and its Causes (Feb 17)
ˆ Chapter 6: The Open Economy (Feb 22)
ˆ Chapter 7: Unemployment and Labor Markets (Feb 24)
3. Economics of the Long Run
ˆ Chapter 8: Capital Accumulation and Living Standards (March 1)
ˆ Chapter 9: Population Growth, Technological Progress, and Living Standards (March 3)
4. Economics of the Short Run
ˆ Chapter 11: The U.S. Business Cycle (March 8)
ˆ Chapter 12: Aggregate Demand (March 10)
ˆ Midterm Review (March 15)
ˆ Chapter 13: Aggregate Demand (March 17)
Chapter 14: The Open Economy (March 22/24)
Chapter 15: Aggregate Supply (March 29)
Chapter 16: The Dynamic AS/AD Model (March 31)
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Chapter 17: Perspectives on Monetary Policy (April 5)
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Academic Integrity
My expectation is that you will adhere to the Stonehill Academic Honor Code and Academic
Integrity Policy found in the Hillbook under Academic Policies and Procedures.
I encourage you all to work together on Achieve Assessments and Learning Curve
assignments. Please keep in mind that these questions are procedurally generated, so you and
your peers will be prompted with different questions. This means that you must complete your
own individual Achieve assignments, and you cannot claim another person’s submission as
your own because you worked together.
Please keep in mind that lying is also a serious academic integrity violation. If you lie
about your COVID-19 status, health status, NCAA team travel schedule, etc. to be excused
from an exam or other class obligations, you will fail the course. You will also fail the course
if you lie on behalf of others.
Be aware that my lecture slides contain copyrighted material from various textbooks
and other sources. I will post them online so you can refer to them at any time, but do
not re-post my slides on the internet. Only students who are enrolled in this course may
access this content and you may not share or distribute it in any way. Doing so is a violation
of copyright law, and publishers may pursue legal action against you. Moreover, I own the
intellectual property rights to the course content that I develop. Students may not record any
part of class meetings without my explicit permission and the consent of all participating
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students. Students that receive permission to record class meetings may not share their
recordings with others and must delete them when the final exam period concludes.
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Classroom Accommodations
Stonehill College is committed to providing a welcoming, supportive and inclusive environment for students with disabilities. The Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) provides a
point of coordination, resources and support for students with disabilities and the campus
community. If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers based on disability,
please let me know so that we can discuss options. You are also welcome to contact OAR to
begin this conversation or to establish reasonable accommodations for this or other courses.
OAR is located within the Academic Services & Advising Suite in Duffy 104. For additional
information please call (508) 565-1306 or email accessibility-resources@stonehill.edu.
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Diversity and Inclusion
Stonehill College embraces the diversity of students, faculty, and staff, honors the inherent
dignity of each individual, and welcomes their unique cultural and religious experiences,
beliefs, and perspectives. We all benefit from a diverse living and learning environment, and
the sharing of differences in ideas, experiences, and beliefs help us shape our own perspectives.
Course content and campus discussions will heighten your awareness to these differences.
There are many resources for anyone seeking support or with questions about diversity
and inclusion at Stonehill. Resources are infused throughout the Mission Division, Academic
Affairs, and Student Affairs. If you’d like more information on how to get connected to
resources, the Office of Intercultural Affairs is a good first stop: Location: Duffy 149, Phone:
508-565-1409, Email: diversity@stonehill.edu.
If you are a witness to or experience an act of bias at Stonehill, you may submit a
bias incident report online or on the Stonehill App. If you would like to learn more on bias
incident prevention and response, or submit a report please click here.
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A personal note from your professor. . . I consider Stonehill College’s commitment to
honoring the inherent dignity of each individual as the school’s prime directive. While the
College and I encourage you all to respect a diverse set of views, certain views run contrary
to our founding principles by implicitly or explicitly calling for harm against Stonehill community members. In this spirit, I will intervene if students behave in such a manner or make
statements that run contrary to the belief in the inherent dignity of each individual. If I
must intervene because of your comments twice during the semester, you will fail the course.
Additionally, please contact me directly if you ever have a concern about my behavior or
that of another student in the class. I will commit to do whatever it takes to create an
inclusive remote classroom environment. Thank you!
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Resources for Academic Support
The Center for Writing and Academic Achievement (CWAA) provides academic support
services in a welcoming, professional environment that emphasizes collaborative learning
and peer tutoring, supplemented with professional-level support. The CWAA offers a variety of academic support services, including peer tutoring in writing, math, and foreign
languages. The CWAA is located in MacPháidı́n Library, Room 314. Drop-in hours are
offered Sunday through Thursday. Students can visit the CWAA website to view schedules,
make appointments, or request a tutor.
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Resources for Mental Health and Well-being
Your mental health and well-being is very important! We all experience emotional distress
and personal difficulties as a normal part of life. Sometimes, these struggles can interfere
with our day-to-day functioning. As your professor, I want to support your well-being and
success and encourage you to reach out if you are having difficulty with this course. However,
as I am not qualified to serve as your counselor, I want to share resources available should you
experience mental health distress and/or personal difficulties. Stonehill College Counselling
Services offers free and confidential mental health services that are not connected to your
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academic record in any way. For more information, please visit the Counseling Services
website here. Counseling Services, located in the Chapel of Mary building, is open Monday
to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Please call (508) 565-1331 or stop by the front desk
to schedule an intake appointment or to inquire about “urgent” appointment availability.
Additional resources:
ˆ Emergency numbers: Call SCPD at (508) 565-5555 if on campus or 911 if off campus.
ˆ 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-237-8255
ˆ 24/7 Crisis Text Line: Test “Start” to 741-741
ˆ A web resource on college mental health, including online screening.
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