COURSE SYLLABUS

top    The Website

The website is designed to be self-contained. In the left-hand frame is the course menu, including About the Course, Code of Honor, Syllabus, Assignments, Discussion Questions, Readings, Course Projects, Communications Center, Transcripts, Bulletin Board, and Student Bios. Periodically, I will these pages with information. When an appears, be sure to access the menu site to obtain the important late-breaking information. You MUST check the website every day. Remember: It is YOUR responsibility to keep up with the classwork.

top    Course Requirements

The course grade consists of a series of Assignments that include readings, visits to other websites, Discussion Questions (essays/forecasts), two (2) Course Projects (term papers and oral presentations), and class participation. Readings and visits to other websites are to be completed before class. Written materials (essays, forecasts, and term papers) are to be submitted in class on the due date. The following points will be awarded for assignments:

Assignment
 Subject Matter
 Point Value
 Due Date
Discussion Question Dr. Monetarist or Dr. Keynesian?     5 30 Jan 2012
Discussion Question Paul Volcker or Alan Greenspan?     5 6 Feb 2012
Discussion Question Bill Clinton or George W. Bush?     5 13 Feb 2012
Discussion Question Current State of the U.S. Economy     5 5 Mar 2012
Discussion Question Forecasts for the U.S. Economy     5 12 Mar 2012
Discussion Question President or Federal Reserve Chair?     5 19 Mar 2012
Discussion Question Why a Central Bank?     5 26 Mar 2012
Discussion Question George W. Bush (TARP I) or Barack Obama (TARP II)?     5 2 Apr 2012
Discussion Question Alan Greenspan or Ben Bernanke?     5 11 Apr 2012
Course Project Monetary Policies Report   40 30 Apr 2012
Course Project FOMC Meeting Simulation   20 30 Apr 2012
Course Project Monetary Policies Report   40 7 May 2012
Course Project Fiscal Policy Debates   20 7 May 2012
Class Participation   35 Weekly
Total Points

200


All of the Readings for this course are online. Readings and Web-Based Exercises must be completed before you come to class. They are necessary for class participation.

Class participation is not merely class attendance. To get credit for class participation, you MUST participate in class — ASK QUESTIONS, ANSWER QUESTIONS, ENGAGE IN DISCUSSION AND DIALOGUE.

All work must be completed, on time, as assigned. Late assignments are dropped 10% for each late DAY. All work for the course must be completed and submitted by the end of the semester.

Important and urgent messages are posted on the Bulletin Board.

top    Course Grades

Based upon the "plus" and "minus" grading system at St. John's, Dr. Furfero's grading system is as follows:

Class Average Final Grade Point Value
90-100 A 4.0
87-89.99 A- 3.7
84-86.99 B+ 3.3
80-83.99 B 3.0
77-79.99 B- 2.7
74-76.99 C+ 2.3
70-73.99 C 2.0
0-69.99 F 0.0

top    Communications Center

The Communications Center is located in St. John's Central. It houses the Message Board and the Chat Room.

The Message Board is for answering asynchronous discussion questions and the Chat Room is for synchronous chats. This class does not have any discussions for the Message Board or regularly scheduled chats. However, this class may meet in the chatroom, if Dr. Furfero cannot get to the campus, in which case, it will meet on the assigned night at the assigned time, unless Dr. Furfero makes other arrangements with the class. Students must be present and chatting to get credit for participation.

Please familiarize yourself with Chat Room Etiquette.

top    Readings

Textbook: Macroeconomic Stabilization Policies: Goals, Institutions, and Theories, 11th ed. by A. Joyce Furfero (updated July 1, 2010). This text is online. Each Assignments webpage has hyperlinks to the textbook chapters as well as to all other reading materials for the course.

New York Times: Dr. Furfero reads the New York Times regularly. You should, too. You can read the New York Times online. Register now. It's free!!!

Other Readings: As assigned. Check the Assignments webpages every day.

top    Contact Information top    Bio Assignment

Each student MUST email to Dr. Furfero within the first week of the semester a short 1-2 paragraph autobiography, a picture of yourself in .jpg or .gif format, the URL for your personal website, and a permanent email address for the semester. The email address that you provide is the way that Dr. Furfero will communicate with you. Make sure that it is accurate and up-to-date. If your email address should change during the semester, please notify Dr. Furfero ASAP. If, at any time, you do not receive a response from Dr. Furfero to your email within two (2) days, please check the address you gave to her and resend your email. If you sent your email from an unknown email address, it may have been dumped into Dr. Furfero's spam file and deleted.

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