Respect

Almost all students act respectfully toward their classmates, the teaching assistants, and me. However, there are extremely rare instances when students, for example, are disruptive during class or rude to me or the teaching assistants. In these instances, I reserve the right to deduct points from your grade.

Honor Code

Your behavior is governed by the Spartan Code of Honor. If you do not yet understand your responsibilities under this code, I urge you to go to http://splife.studentlife.msu.edu/spartan-code-of-honor-academic-pledge to learn more. I will do my best to discourage cheating by actively proctoring exams, but there is a limit to what I can do. Ultimately, you should recognize that nothing we do in this class Is worth jeopardizing your integrity over.

Diversity Statement

Economics provides a set of tools, using cost-benefit analyses, that helps us understand decision making in every part of life. I view the diversity that students bring to this class as a benefit. We can make better decisions, big and small, by embracing and learning from diverse experiences and perspectives.

In this class I intend to create a learning environment that supports a diversity of thoughts, perspectives and experiences, and honors your identities (including race, color, gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, political persuasion, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, height, weight, veteran status, age or familial status). I am still in the process of learning about diverse perspectives and identities and will strive to create an inclusive environment and expect you to do the same.

As part of the process of creating an inclusive environment:

· Please let me know the name you prefer to be called and, if you choose, the pronouns with which you would like to be addressed.

· Please let me know if your experiences outside of the class are affecting your experience in the class. You can submit anonymous feedback or see me in person.

· If anyone, including me or your classmates, says something in class that made you feel uncomfortable, please talk to me (anonymous feedback is always an option) about it.

I also encourage you to get involved and seek out the many resources supporting diversity, equity and inclusion we have in our department [Info.Econ (series of short videos that highlight breadth of economics), Women and Minorities in Economics (WAMIE) (RSO in the economics department) or Stacy Dickert-Conlin (Director of Diversity Matters)]; and on campus [Academic Support and Students Services for Underrepresented Populations, MSU Inclusive Resources Office for Civil Rights and Title IX Education and Compliance].

I will be using iClicker to make our class more engaging. This will help me understand what you know, give everyone a chance to participate, and increase how much you learn in class. This will also provide you with feedback on how well you are comprehending the course content.

An iClicker subscription is provided by the university. In order to participate in my iClicker activities and ensure that your grades are properly reflected in the gradebook, follow the steps below:

1. If you do not already have an iClicker student account, create one

   • If you already have an iClicker account, sign in. DO NOT create a new account. You can only receive credit from one account.

2. Add my course to your iClicker account.

   • In your iClicker account, use the + sign to search for my course.

   • In the "Find Your Institution" field, enter "Michigan State University"

   • In the "Find Your Course" field, enter "EC202"

   • Find the course with my name attached and select "Add This Course" and it will be added to your main screen.

3. Set up the device(s) you'll use to participate in class.

   • You can download the iClicker student mobile app from the App Store or Google Play, or you can use the iClicker web app by signing In as a student at http://iclicker.com/

There will be three exams in this course - two midterm exams and one final exam. Only your two highest exam scores will count toward your course grade. This formulation is intended to address issues such as illness or other emergencies, as well as if you just have a bad test day. Moreover, this allows students who have shown their comprehension on both midterm exams and are satisfied with their grade to skip the final exam.

Exams are administered during class and are proctored by my teaching assistants. Each exam is multiple choice taken on a Scantron. This means you must bring a pencil on exam days. You are allowed to use a calculator during the exam, but you are not allowed notes or any other course materials. Exams are roughly 30 questions, and you will have 60 minutes to complete the test.

Make Up Exams

If you must miss an exam for reasons that can be anticipated (university-sponsored activities, religious observances, and other valid issues), an alternative exam time will be offered for the days before an exam. Reasons that can be anticipated must be conveyed to the instructor at least one week before the scheduled exam. No make-up exams will be given after an exam. If you do not take an exam, that will be the exam that is dropped when I calculate your final course grade. If you believe you have had issues with multiple exams that require special consideration, you must fully document the multiple issues and schedule an appointment with me to discuss. Unless there were legitimate and documented excuses that have kept you from multiple exams (a situation that will be rare), further accommodations will not be provided.

Requests for Accommodations

If you are eligible for an accommodation, please contact the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) as soon as possible. Once RCPD has certified that you are eligible for an accommodation, please bring the VISA form to me as soon as possible so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Visit the RCPD website here: https://www.rcpd.msu.edu/