The final version of the syllabus will be the version made available during the first week of class, which might change in minor aspects before class starts. However, the book, grading policies, and class rules will not change significantly. 

A link to the latest version of the last semester's syllabus is below.

Please print or save your syllabus from the link below: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k_suIkmOETI26uVy0QPwsmXB6psqJSdp/view?usp=sharing

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to familiarize you with the generally accepted principles of microeconomics. Microeconomics deals with the interactions between and among households and business firms; it deals with the process by which we make our living under conditions of free-market capitalism. In studying this process, the concepts of supply and demand are introduced. You will learn what these concepts mean, how they operate, how prices are determined, and how scarce resources are allocated.

Grading

Points

Throughout the course you can earn 1000 points as follows:

Your grade is based on the points you earn on the four UNIT EXAMS, Book questions as well as InQuisitive and Smartwork assignments for all 16 regular chapters, and on the Final Exam. There are four UNIT Exams, each will be worth 80 points and you can attempt each up to three times.  All UNIT EXAMS combined are worth 320 points, or 32% of 1000 points. The Final Exam is worth 200 points or 20% of the course grade. All Norton (Tool) assignments combined earn 480 points or 48% of the course.

You must earn at least 65% on each UNIT exam to move forward to the next UNIT exam or to take the Final Exam. If you miss this mark, please talk to your professor ASAP about how to remedy your situation.

Extra Credit

There are more than  200 Extra Credit points available in this course.

NOTE #1: Because of the Extra Credit Points available in this course, the total points in the Blackboard gradebook might show closer to 1200. Regardless, the letter grades will be based on 1000 points, as shown in the table.

The grade cut offs are below

NOTE #2: There are three exceptions to the distribution of grades given above. They are:

1. If you make an F on the final, (earn less than 55% of points, on the final exam excluding the extra credit that might have been earned by taking the final exam on or before its deadline), then you can get no higher than a C in the course. In other words, you cannot earn an A or a B in the course if you make an F on the final exam.

1. If you make a D on the final, (that is, you earn at least 55% but less than 65% on the final exam excluding the extra credit that might have been earned by taking the final exam on or before its deadline) then you can make no higher than a B in the course. In other words, you cannot make an A in the course if you earned a D on the final exam.

1. If you make a 92% or above on the final exam, you will earn an A in the course regardless of your total points. 92% means points excluding the extra credit that you might have earned by taking the final exam on or before its deadline.

NOTE #3: You have three attempts at taking each UNIT exam. If you make your first attempt on or before the due date you earn extra credit which you get to keep, even if you make subsequent attempts later. The final exam has only one attempt, except if you make the first attempt on or before the due date, then you may retake the final exam one more time the next day or later. For all exams ONLY your last attempt counts. I advise you to study seriously since you have a 50% chance to earn a worse grade if you did not improve your economic knowledge between exam attempts.

NOTE #4: In order to complete a UNIT you must earn 65% on the UNIT exam. If you did not reach 65%, but have used up your three UNIT exam attempts, contact your instructor asap. It is even better if you contact your instructor BEFORE you used up all 3 attempts to perhaps get suggestions how to improve your grade in a more efficiently manner. You will not be able to take the UNIT exam in the following UNIT until you finished your current UNIT with a 65% or better exam.

Required Course Materials 

Principles of Microeconomics - With Access

By  Mateer, Dirk

Publisher: NORTON, Edition: 4TH 23

ISBN 13: 9781324034155

Cost:

Purchased directly Online (through Blackboard’s access to Norton)

$79.95 The eBook with 180-day access, including all other digital resources

Purchased through the Bookstore

Print

$222.86  (New Print)

$167.15  (Used Print)

Digital

$107.25  (Digital Rental)  - Expires in 180 Days

$136.50  (Digital Purchase) - Online access for 1825 Days, perpetual offline download access

Norton Tools

With the Principles of Microeconomics eBook you will also purchase access to a suite of Norton tools to help you learn the contents of the book. You can access these items from the links in the COURSE MATERIALS folder on Blackboard; You will need to register only once, before logging in for access. Norton offers students a 21-day free trial period.

Graded:

1.         Norton Illumine Ebook (due dates firm)

2.         InQuizitive (due dates firm)

3.         Smartwork (open after due date with 2% penalty per day)

Not Graded:

•           Videos

•           Flashcards

•           Interactive Scratch Paper

You should make every effort to turn in your assignments on time. Both the Illumine eBook and InQuizitive have firm due dates. After the due date you can still work on assignments for learning purposes, but you will NOT receive points for any work completed after the due date. For each chapter you can earn up to 2 points for answering eBook questions and up to 10 points for your work with InQuizitive.

Smartwork also has due dates, and you will be able to work on assignments after the due date, albeit with a 2% late penalty for each day you are late. You can earn up to 18 points for your Smartwork completed in each chapter.

Due dates for all assignments and exams can be found in monthly format, in the CALENDAR folder on your BlackBoard home page.

Departmental Course Description, Rationale, Common Course Objectives/Student Outcomes

1. Course Description- Principles of Microeconomics deals with the interactions between individual households and business firms. The concepts of supply and demand will be studied; students will learn what these concepts mean, how they operate, and how prices are determined. Market structure, market failure, and income distribution will also be considered.
    
2. Course Rationale- This course is meant to give students insight into the dynamics of a market-based economy and how through its mechanism scarce resources are allocated. The theoretical and actual role of the government in this market system will also be addressed. The knowledge gained in the course will make students better-informed citizens and allow them to follow the debates over various economic events and policies reported in the news media. This course is also a foundation course that will prepare students to be successful in upper division finance, marketing, business administration, economics, government, and social work courses.
    
3. Common Course Objectives/Student Outcomes as established by the economics department. 
   Students who complete this course will be able to understand:
   • the basic concepts of scarcity and opportunity cost;
   • the forces of demand and supply and how they interact to determine an equilibrium price;
   • how and why equilibrium prices might change and their impact on resource allocation;
   • the theory of consumer behavior;
   • the theory of the firm;
   • the theoretical market structures of perfect competition and monopoly.
      
4. Discipline Program Student Learning Outcomes.

• PSLO 1: Socially Optimal and Suboptimal Outcomes- Model and explain under what circumstances markets are capable of creating socially optimal and socially suboptimal outcomes.
• PSLO 2: Economic Policy -Defend and criticize the role of economic policy in a mixed market economy.
• PSLO 3: Economic Data -Critically evaluate economic data.

     5.  General Education Competencies.

• • Civic and Cultural Awareness - Analyzing and critiquing competing perspectives in a democratic society; comparing, contrasting, and interpreting differences and commonalities among peoples, ideas, aesthetic traditions, and cultural practices.
  • Critical Thinking - Gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating and applying information.
  • Quantitative and Empirical Reasoning - Applying mathematical, logical and scientific principles and methods.
  • Written, Oral and Visual Communication - Communicating effectively, adapting to purpose, structure, audience, and medium.