Assignments & Grading

Three components will comprise your grade.

1. Class Participation 25% This will include participation in the class "labs." There will be four such labs that take place in addition to the Tuesday-Thursday, regularly scheduled class meeting times. Students need to attend all of them. Lab Session Dates: The presenters will provide a significant amount of information in their presentations. In addition, we will be hearing from a wide range of scholars with diverse expertise. While there will certainly be discussion, labs are required occasions for students to be able to fully digest the presentations and connect themes among the presenters. These sessions will also be out of the glare of the cameras and so may provide a more relaxed opportunity for discussion.
   • March 21, 2012, 6:00 PM - 6:50 PM Duques Room 356
   • April 4, 2012, 6:00 PM - 6:50 PM Duques Room 356
   • April 18, 2012, 6:00 PM - 6:50 PM Duques Room 356
   • May 2, 2012, 6:00 PM - 6:50 PM Duques Room 356
   My objective in class participation is not for you to attempt to impress the speakers. Instead, the criterion I use for evaluating effective class participation is whether your contributions advance the learning of your fellow classmates. Sometimes, a point is made by a classmate in a way that is better understood than one coming from a speaker. For example, when I started teaching 26 years ago, I was only a few years older than the students. I listened to the same songs; watched the same television shows and, generally, was part of the same generation and its culture. It was pretty easy to use examples that were part of the everyday language of my students. The hair on my head is proof that I no longer share students generation and so students may be able to make a point in ways more helpful than myself or one of the other formal class presenters. This is a real opportunity, then, for students to lead in the classroom and help its educational content. Please give thought to whether your questions and comments do, in fact, advance the learning of your classmates when contributing;
2. Individual Reflection Paper 25% There will be an individual reflection paper on the lectures of Dr. Bernanke and the two discussions following it. More details will follow on this 3-5 page assignment; and
3. Group Research Paper 50% The group research paper will look at the FRS and its connections to at least one of the other topics of the class. That is, there will be several presentations on issues pertaining to the Federal Reserve in the second half of the course. The group paper will address the Fed in context and connection with these others institutions and issues. More details will follow on this 8-10 page paper.

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Special Considerations

Obviously, this is a unique class. With live streaming of all the classes, media presence, security, and other issues, it is crucial that you be on class and in your seats no later than 12:45. Frankly, you should plan to be in your seats by 12:40 so you have a margin of error. The doors will close by 12:45 and if you arrive later than this, you will be directed to a room where you can watch a live stream feed. This is not meant to be draconian; it is simply that others wanting to benefit from the class - both inside the classroom and via the streaming - will be disrupted if you are late. Also, please plan on being in your seats until five minutes after the class ends to allow for film feed shutoff. Similarly shut off your cell phones and any other devices that can make noise. So please take extra care to be respectful of others' opportunity to benefit from the course. There is no formal dress code. You do not need to be in business attire; dress as you would for other classes, but please dress respectfully as well. We'll talk about this more in class.

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