Students will earn official letter grades calculated from the percentage basis, based on the following components:
Assignments (10%)
Midterm and Final Exams (60%)
Public Policy Debates (10%)
Group Term Paper (20%)
Computer-Aided Assignments. Problem sets will be assigned every two to three weeks on McGraw-Hill Connect Portal (see a separate sheet for registration). Assignment deadlines are firm; do not wait until the last minute to submit the assignment. Students may submit answers up to three times and the highest grade will be counted. Recognizing that students may face unusual circumstances, one late assignment is allowed and will not be penalized.
Midterm and Final Exam. There will be two take-home online exams. Each accounts for 30%. Exams will not be rescheduled because of travel arrangements. In the case of a documented emergency on the scheduled exam date, a make-up exam will be given, or the weight of the missed midterm will be shifted to the final exam, given the proof is received within 48 hours of the exam.
Public Policy Debates. Registered students are required to form groups and participate into one policy debate. Topics include minimum wage law, immigration policy, labor unions, artificial intelligence. Details and instructions please follow course website Projects page.
Group Term Paper. This paper shall extend the policy debate research or address labor market issues that are new, interesting and with policy implications. It is expected to meet academic publication standards. Recommend less than 10 pages. Refer to course website Projects page for guidelines.
Extra Credit Policy. A maximum of 5 points will be offered to students who are willing and able to show extra efforts in their course work (e.g., in-class quizzes, participation, compiling and sharing lecture notes).
Academic Honor Code
All exams and assignments in this class are to be completed in accordance with the Barnard Honor Code. Columbia students commit themselves to the Honor Code upon registering for a Barnard course. “We, the students of Barnard College, resolve to uphold the honor of the College by refraining from every form of dishonesty in our academic life. We consider it dishonest to ask for, give, or receive help in examinations or quizzes, to use any papers or books not authorized by the instructor in examinations, or to present oral work or written work which is not entirely our own, unless otherwise approved by the instructor. We consider it dishonest to remove without authorization, alter, or deface library and other academic materials. We pledge to do all that is in our power to create a spirit of honesty and honor for its own sake.”