The AACSB accredited Marilyn Davies College of Business provides reality-based education that
enables a diverse student body to advance intellectually, professionally, and financially. We create
student-focused learning environments and engage in predominantly applied research that
contributes to educational excellence, and business and industry practices.
ECO 2301: Principles of Economics I-Macroeconomics hybrid
Semester: Spring 2022
Instructor Contact Information:
Course Coordinator: Dr. Anisul Islam
Email: islama@uhd.edu
Office Suite: B-489
Office Phone: 713-221-8914
Section Instructor: Shuang Xu
Email: xus@uhd.edu
Office: B316
Office Phone: virtually by appointment
Zoom Hours: Monday Tuesday 5-5:30
Role of Section Instructor (Your Primary Contact):
The course section instructor will be in charge of the course delivery and course management.
However, s/he will work closely with the course coordinator (see below) to ensure consistent
delivery of the course across all sections of this course and will follow some common assessment
methods in order to maintain consistency across different sections of this course. The section
instructor will manage the day-to-day classroom operations and monitor and assess your progress
in the course. The section instructor will also serve as the main point of contact for queries about
the course and will be the one to set the deadlines and other policies governing the course and to
grant any exceptions to those deadlines and policies.
Role of Course Coordinator (In case further contact needed beyond Primary Contact):
Besides Course Instructor, there will be a course coordinator covering all sections of this course in
order to ensure that the course is delivered in a consistent and standardized manner across different
sections of this course. The Section Instructors will work closely with the Course Coordinator to
ensure such consistency in the course materials covered and course delivery to the students.
Communication with the Instructor: The best way to contact me is through BB Message/Mail tab.
I will always do my best to answer you within 48 hours.
Important Note for the Fully Online Course Only:
This is a fully online course. However, please note that you will be required to take the final exam
through the UHD Testing Center – a proctored testing environment. Pay attention to the
announcements that will be made about registering and taking the final exam. It is your
responsibility to register and take the final at the specified date, time and location at the UHD
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testing center.
Course Description-Principles of Macroeconomics: Topics include structure of the U.S.
economy, national income determination and the application of monetary and fiscal policies. Also
includes analysis of international trade and finance. (ECON 2301)
Course Prerequisites: None
Course Learning Objectives (CLO’s): By the end of this course, students are expected to be
able to:
1. Explain the role of scarcity, specialization, opportunity cost, and cost/benefit
analysis in economic decision making.
2. Identify determinants of demand and supply; demonstrate the impact of shifts in
both market demand and supply curves on equilibrium price and output; and
examine the impact of price controls through an examination of shortages and
surpluses.
3. Define and measure macroeconomic concepts, variables, and macroeconomic
indicators involving national income accounting, unemployment, inflation and
interest rates.
4. Identify the phases of the business cycle and the problems caused by cyclical
fluctuations in the market economy.
5. 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.
6. Describe and list the role and limitations of government fiscal policy in stabilizing the
macro-economy over business cycles and their implications for government budget
deficits/surpluses and public debts.
7. Define money and money supply; describe the process of money creation by the banking
system, and the role of the central bank and financial institutions, and the purpose and
limitation in stabilizing the economy over business cycles.
8. Define economic growth and identify sources of economic growth.
9. Identify the elements of international finance including exchange rate determination.
Assurance of Learning:
The following tools will be utilized to evaluate student proficiencies of learning outcomes for the
learning objectives listed above: (1) 3 tests and a final exam; (2) Weekly homework assignments;
and (3) Discussions.
The learning objectives of this course reflect the competencies covered in the major Business
Core Field Test for the Bachelor’s Degree in Business. You will take this test during your final
year of study as part of BA 4302 to demonstrate your level of achievement and growth on business
related knowledge and skills that any student graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Business
should be able to know and apply. This test contains multiple-choice questions (some may
involve calculations and problem-solving skills) and covers nine sub-domains of businessrelated knowledge and skills, including accounting, economics, management, quantitative
business analysis, information systems, finance, marketing, legal and social environment, and
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international issues. This course helps you prepare for any economics-related questions that
may appear on the above-mentioned Field test. The more involved you are in this course
(participate, keep up with the readings and lectures, take notes conscientiously, ask questions),
the less information you will have to cram the day before the exam.
Textbook (Required):
Principles of Economics by Carlos J. Asarta and Roger B. Butters, 3rd Edition, McGraw-Hill,
U.S., 2021. ISBN: 9781260678994.
McGraw-Hill Connect (Required):
The course will require you to utilize the McGraw-Hill’s “Connect” platform that comes with
the purchase of the textbook. You may purchase the access code from the UHD bookstore or directly
from McGraw-Hill via the UHD BB “Connect Tab”. McGraw-Hill provides students with free
access for two weeks from when BB is opened. You do not have to purchase the access code
immediately. You may create an account and log in to start the work, but you must purchase
access before the trial period ends. If you want a physical text, you can order one from McGrawHill for an additional fee. The UHD bookstore only sells the access code. Please note that a
student of this institution is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from a universityaffiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be purchased from an independent retailer,
including an online retailer, but make sure that it comes with the publisher’s access code to
Connect. You must access Connect through Blackboard to receive credit for assignments.
For more information see the Getting Started folder under Course Information.
Additional Readings:
Beyond the textbook materials, the Section Instructor may assign additional readings on current
topics and issues from different sources such as magazines, newspapers and journal articles and
will put them in a BB folder named “Additional Resources” for your use. These articles talk about
the latest in economics, business, finance and politics. Students are encouraged to consult these
articles to read on their own and attempt to understand and apply principles which have been
discussed in the course. The Section Instructor, at their choice and discretion, may assign any of
those articles and readings as part of course grading as part of the “Other Activities” involving
10% of the course grade as discussed under “Grading Scheme” section below.
Additional Videos:
Beyond the textbook materials, the Section Instructor may assign additional videos on relevant
topics and issues from different sources may put them in a BB folder named “Additional Videos”
for your use. These videos will be related to topics in economics, business, finance and
politics. Students are encouraged to consult these videos to on their own and attempt to understand
principles which have been discussed in the course. The Section Instructor, at their choice and
discretion, may also assign any of those videos as part of “Other Activities” involving 10% of the
course grade as discussed under “Grading Scheme” section below.
Course Format:
This fully online course is delivered via Blackboard (BB), the UHD web-based learning
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management system. Blackboard is accessed via myUHD (or https://bb.uhd.edu/). Course
materials are located on Blackboard. Grades are also maintained in Blackboard. Besides BB, the
other online component will be the McGraw Hill’s Connect learning management platform. As
such, High Speed Internet access is required to complete the course requirements.
Course Modules: On Blackboard you will find bi-weekly/weekly activity Modules. Within each
Module, there will be a list of activities to do throughout the week including Lecture ppts, topics
for tests, reading materials, quiz, test, etc., for that Module and time frame. Your weekly
assignments will be made available through Connect platform and the grades for those assignments
will be maintained in that platform (not BB). Please pay close attention to the assignment due dates
posted in Connect. Plan to spend about 9 hours per week on this course.
Two Required Software Downloads (Free)
In this course you will need the following two free software downloads in your laptop/computer
to successfully complete the course. For any technical issues, please contact the UHD Tech
support:
1. Respondus Lockdown Browser (Free Download):
This software will be required to take the standardized and comprehensive final examination for
the F2F and Hybrid Courses (For fully online courses, you will be required to take the proctored
final exam through the UHD Testing Center). Use the link below to install LockDown Browser at
the weblink below:
http://www.respondus.com/lockdown/information.pl?ID=354814027
Note: Your system information will be detected, ensuring that the LockDown Browser installation
file is the right one for your system. Mac users will therefore automatically be given the
appropriate install file.
2. Zoom software (Free Download): This software will be needed to have any online chat or
video conferencing related to the course: You can login to ZOOM website using your UHD
network ID and password. You will need to download & install a ZOOM client on your PC, tablet
or phone at the following link:
https://uhd.zoom.us
Student Responsibilities
It is your responsibility to complete the assigned readings, videos, and all assignments/exams on
time; to generate specific questions to be addressed in ZOOM sessions, if you are struggling with
the class material; to seek help from the Tutoring Center, fellow classmates and instructors if there
are any recurring problems; to be respectful of instructors and fellow students.
Instructor Help:
Your instructors are very well-trained and knowledgeable resources for you to rely upon. So,
consult with them for any issues or questions you may have. They are willing and ready to provide
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help for you to succeed in the course.
Complete the Math and Graph Refresher on Connect. This is a required assignment that should
be taken seriously because it is a good review of basic math and graphing concepts. Economists
develop theories and models to explain economic behavior and levels of economic activity. Math
and graphs are used extensively to illustrate these theories and models.
Stay engaged in the course. Although many of you work full- or part-time, have families, take
other courses and have social lives it is important to stay committed to studying and completing
assignments. Experience shows that Economics can’t be learned by a last-minute effort.
Engagement also entails interfacing in a respectful way with your Instructors – asking thoughtful
questions and explaining absences from class. Keep up with reading the Lecture PPTs, e-textbook
chapters, and LSA Homework assignments in Connect each week that support each week’s
learning objectives. Reading on the identified topic should be completed regularly with each topic.
Take Connect Homework (HW) assignments seriously and Complete them on time: Don’t
take shortcuts to completing your Connect assignments. Within Connect, the HW assignments are
adaptive learning tools that determine precisely which learning objectives a student has grasped
and those with which he/she struggles. Through various interactive resources, students will see
their challenge areas and build stronger connections. Homework assignments are created at the
concept level and reinforce each week’s content through a variety of question types, including
questions that make use of the graphing tool. Please note that these assignments are graded that
affect your semester grade. Further, doing these assignments help you understand the course
materials better, which in turn, are expected to be very helpful in improving your knowledge about
the course materials that will improve test scores and overall course performance.
Take Practice Tests seriously. A Practice Test with a set of questions will be made available
prior to each actual test. These will not be a part of your grade, but feedback will be readily
available after your attempt. That should prove very helpful in preparing for the actual graded
tests.
Form study groups: Forming study groups is a good way to learn the material. Even if you are
a top student, you will increase your understanding of the material as you help to explain concepts
to others.
Course Assessment Activities and Grading Scheme:
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Weekly Chapter Quizzes and Graded Discussions (50 points that will be converted to
10.0% of the course grade)
There are end of chapter quizzes on Connect for each chapter. There are three tries
for each quiz and the highest attempt will be recorded. Chapter quizzes are due at end
of each Sunday night. There will be no extension for missed chapter quizzes.
Interaction is a critical part of this course. Throughout the course, there will be 4
discussion activities, there are no right or wrong answers for the discussion. However,
students need to demonstrate what they have learned in classes in the discussion post.
Each discussion will be on topic over current events. In order to receive full credit,
student’s initial post must be at least 300 words, and at least ONE reply to classmate’s
post for at least 100 words. Please keep the interaction and communication on the
discussion board professional. Any violation of university rules will be reported to
the Dean’s office and handled accordingly.
Chapter Connect LSA homework Assignments (50 points that will be converted to 10.0% of the
course grade)
Connect homework assignments consist of LearnSmart Achieve (LSA) orientation
assignment (Graded) and also Math and Graphing assignments (Graded). Beyond those
two, there will be LSA assignments for each chapter covered in this course. These are
intended to help you relate to textbook readings and learning objectives for the week.
Assignments consist of multiple choice, calculation and graphical questions. You must
complete these assignments on their respective due dates to get credit.
Tests (300 points that will be converted to 60% of the course grade)
There are 3 tests (not including the final), 20% each test and collectively worth 60% of the
course). Term tests will have 40-50 multiple choice, True/False, Fill-in-the- blanks, and
problem solving type questions. They will be closed book and there will be a time limit of 75
minutes for each term exam. There are NO Makeup exams for any missing test. A student
who misses one of these tests gets a zero. In extenuating (documented) circumstances, you
may have the weight of the missed test put towards the final examination. This must be
agreed to by your Section Instructor.
Final Examination (100 points that will be converted to 20% of the course grade)
The final exam covers all chapters taught during the semester. The final exam is
compulsory and comprehensive and will be worth 20% of the course grade. The final exam
will have 100 questions for 100 points (20% of the course grade) and you will get 2.5 hours
(150 minutes) to complete the final exam. The final exam will also be a standardized exam
that will be same test administered across all sections of this course.
.
Grading Scheme: Your final grade will be based on:
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Points Weight
50
10%
Activity
Weekly Chapter Quizzes, Discussion Board participation (5 total)
50
10%
Connect Orientation Assignment, Connect Math and Graph Tutorial and
Connect Math and Graph Refresher Assignment, and weekly Connect LSA
Homework Assignments
300
60%
3 term tests: (20% Each)
100
20%
The standardized, comprehensive, and proctored final examination
administered through online
Grading Scale
Points
Grade
90-100
80-89
70-79
A
B
C
60-69
Below 60
D
Failing
Course Policies and Procedures:
Late work past due dates is not accepted for any gradable assigned work.
Feedback Policy:
The students will get an opportunity to review questions and get feedback after completion of
each assessment item (test, quizzes, etc) in Blackboard. Generally, the feedback and review will
be made available the day after the specific test date. For speci fi c and in -person f eedback,
students should visit the Instructor during posted office hours or make an appointment.
Participation Policy:
It is very critical to actively participate in the course and be continuously engaged in the course
for doing well in the course. Research shows that the students who do so generally
perform better than those who do not do so.
Important Note: Your failure to engage course material or contact faculty to adequately explain
your absence by the 10th class calendar day of the semester will result in your being
administratively dropped from this course. Being dropped from this course may affect your
enrollment status and/or your financial aid eligibility.
Grade Appeals:
If you have a question about your grade on a test, see your Section Instructor first as the primary
recourse. After that, you can contact the Course Coordinator.
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Absences, Class Cancellations, University Closures, and Disaster Planning:
In the advent of severe weather, your instructor will follow UHD guidelines and UHD
announcements through BB about how to proceed such as holding class via web conference
using UHD zoom. Always check U H D w e b s i t e o r blackboard notification before class
if adverse weather conditions are expected.
If the university is officially closed due to natural or manmade disaster, activities in the course
will be suspended until the university officially reopens or determines to move all university
courses to online. All decisions will be communicated through the same channels that the
university uses to communicate with students during disasters. Adjustments to the syllabus
may be made by the professor, as appropriate.
Tutorial Services:
Tutoring is available through the COB tutoring lab. The lab hours are posted at COB website at
www.uhd.edu/cobtutoring. Students also have access to an online tutoring service called Smart
Thinking. See Blackboard Resources tab for detailed information.
Technology:
Students are not required to have advanced technology training or skills to be successful in
the class. H o w e v e r , t h e y m u s t h a v e a c c e s s t o H i g h - s p e e d In t e r n e t c o n n e c t i o n s ,
a n d t hey m u s t feel confident about their ability to navigate through BB, Connect, and any
typical online websites and their ability to use common word processing software to submit
written assignments. Failure to submit coursework according to the due dates because of
technology difficulties will not be an appropriate excuse. It is the student’s responsibility to
maintain appropriate equipment and Internet connection always to fully participate in the class.
Blackboard Mobile:
Please Do Not Use Blackboard Mobile for any interactive course activities such as tests,
discussion board boasts, uploading or completing assignments, etc. There are issues with the
performance/reliability/compatibility etc. of BB Mobile. Also, as a practical matter, students
are generally encouraged to avoid using Internet Explorer with Blackboard.
University Policies:
Americans with Disabilities Act Statement of Reasonable Accommodations: The University
of Houston-Downtown complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and
the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, pertaining to the provision of reasonable
academic adjustments/auxiliary aids for students with a disability. In accordance with
Section 504 and ADA guidelines, UHD strives to provide reasonable academic
adjustments/auxiliary aids to students who request and require them. If you believe that you
have a documented disability requiring academic adjustments/auxiliary aids, please contact the
Office of Disability Services, One Main St., Suite 409-South, Houston, TX 77002.
Phone: (Office) 713-226-5227
Website: https://www.uhd.edu/student-life/disability/Pages/disability-index.aspx
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Email: disabilityservices@uhd.edu
It is important for students to understand that no accommodation can be made by an individual
instructor for a student without specific direction from the Office of Disability Services.
Academic Integrity (PS 03.A.19 and UHD Student Handbook):
The UHD Academic Honesty Policy states, "Students must be honest in all academic activities
and must not tolerate dishonesty." Students are responsible for doing their own work and
avoiding all forms of academic dishonesty. The most common academic honesty violations
are cheating and plagiarism. Cheating includes, but is not limited to: Submitting material
that is not one's own, using information or devices that are not allowed by the faculty member,
Obtaining and/or using unauthorized material, Fabricating information, Violating procedures
prescribed to protect the integrity of a test, or other evaluation exercise, Collaborating with
others on assignments without the faculty member's consent, Cooperating with or helping
another student to cheat, Having another person take an examination in the student's place,
Altering exam answers and requesting that the exam be re-graded, Communicating with any
person during an exam, other than the faculty member or exam proctor. Plagiarism includes
but is not limited to directly quoting the words of others without using quotation marks or
indented format to identify them, using sources of information (published or unpublished)
without identifying them, and/or paraphrasing materials or ideas of others without identifying
the sources.
Students entering the classroom for a test or final exam will leave all personal belongings
against the wall inside the classroom. No phones will be allowed. If a phone is visible, the
student will get an automatic zero and this will be noted on the student’s record as attempted
cheating on the test. You are expected to have a simple four function calculator, a scantron,
an eraser and a pencil for the test. We will not supply these items.
End-of-Course Student Course Evaluation (IDEA):
During the last one to two weeks of the course, you will be asked to complete an end of course
survey. The university uses a third party called IDEA (located in Manhattan, Kansas) to
administer these surveys. IDEA is used by more than 380 colleges and universities nationwide.
Your responses in the survey are anonymous.
The survey will ask you to rate your progress on 13 objectives. Sometimes students wonder “Why
am I asked to rate my progress on objectives that are not relevant to my course?” This is done
intentionally as IDEA focuses on what the course intends to achieve (what goals the instructor
targeted) and on what you learned. Items not relevant to this course are most likely not targeted
by your instructor, so you are not expected to do well on every item.
Your thoughtful and honest responses to the survey are extremely important. We learn best
what works, and what doesn’t, by listening to our students. The survey is your chance to “talk to
us” to help us improve.
Syllabus Subject to Change:
This syllabus is tentative and subject to change. Changes, if any, will be announced on
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Blackboard notifications ahead of time.
Course Schedule by Week (Tentative and subject to change due to any unavoidable and
emergency circumstances):
Course Schedule by Week (Tentative and subject to change due to any unavoidable and
emergency circumstances):
The Course calendar below contains only the general outline of the activities and assignments that
you are responsible for each week. Specific instructions for each week are provided in
Blackboard.
Week
Chapters
1
Fundamentals
2
S u p p l y, D e m a n d
3
Market
Equilibrium and
Policy
Market
Efficiency
Exam 1
N a t i o n a l In c o m e
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Economics
Growth
B u s i n e s s C yc l e
Aggregate
Expenditure
Aggregate
demand
Supply
and
11
Fiscal
Exam 2
Policy
12
Money
13
Monetary policy
14
In t e r n a t i o n a l
Finance
A s s i gn m e n t D u e
by Sunday Night
Connect chapter
Q u i z a n d LS A
Connect chapter
Q u i z a n d LS A
Connect chapter
Q u i z a n d LS A
Notes
Week
Discussion
Week
Discussion
1
Connect chapter
Q u i z a n d LS A
Using Respondus
Connect chapter
Q u i z a n d LS A
Connect chapter
Q u i z a n d LS A
Connect chapter
Q u i z a n d LS A
Connect chapter
Q u i z a n d LS A
Connect chapter
Q u i z a n d LS A
Week
Discussion
4
Week
Discussion
6
Week
Discussion
8
Week
Discussion
10
Week
Discussion
12
Week
Discussion
14
Connect chapter
Q u i z a n d LS A
Using respondus
Connect chapter
Q u i z a n d LS A
Connect chapter
Q u i z a n d LS A
Connect chapter
Q u i z a n d LS A
10
2
15
16
Exam 3
Final Exam
Using Respondus
Using Respondus
and webcam
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