CAMERON: SYLLABUS & COURSE OUTLINE
MiCROECONOMICS FALL 2011
REGULAR START {16 weeks Lecture}
Econ 2302
I. Instructor's Name: PAMELA CAMERON, B.S., M.A., PhD.
II. Brief instructor bio: Welcome to the class! Dr. Cameron is a highly experienced professor,
having taught undergraduate and graduate economics (and statistics) at the University of
Oklahoma, the University of Phoenix and here at HCC. She is also an experienced business person.
She was the President of, and partner in, a well-known Economics consulting firm in the
Washington, D.C. area. She has chosen to teach because of a desire to share that experience, and
help her students compete in the market for the best, and highest paying, jobs. She is only too glad
to answer any and all of your questions. So, please, pull up your chair and enjoy learning about
how markets operate, and how those markets affect you.
Office Location and hours:
8am-11:00 am TTH
WL CLASSROOM TBD
3-3:30 pm
HUB Stafford room 208
TTH
OR 5-8:30 pm TTH
WL CLASSROOM TBD
Please fill free to ask and I will try my best to accommodate you. It has been my experience
that most students will try to see their instructor either before or after class and this is fine,
as long as I am not rushing off to another class. Otherwise, please stop by Room 208 in the
Learning Hub between 2 and 3 pm on TTH. Or email and we will set up a time.
Preferred contact method:E-mail: Pamela.cameron@hccs.edu AND
Alternate contact method: pjcameron@comcast.net
My students and their success are very important to me. I am almost always available to
answer your questions. Feel free to come by Room 208 of the HUB or any of the West Loop
classrooms anytime . If I am there I will happily address your concerns. If not, email me,
and we will find a time to meet. More importantly, feel free to ask any question at any time
during your class.
III. Course Meeting Days, Times and Location:
CRN
54884
Course Number and Name
ECON 2302
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Day
TT
Times
9:30 am @WL
Room
TBD
ECON 2302 Principles of Microeconomics
ECON 2302 Principles of Microeconomics
TT
TT
12:30-2pm@ HUB TBD
5:30-7pm @ WL
TBD
IV. Course's Catalog Description and Prerequisites:
ECON 2302 Principles of Microeconomics
Prerequisites: Must be placed into
college-level reading and be placed
into MATH 0308 (or higher) and be
placed into ENGL 0310/0349 (or
higher) in writing.
Credit: 3 (3 lecture)
Microeconomics examines the fundamentals of
the American economy as it relates to business
and individual welfare. Emphasis is on basic
concepts and theories as they affect domestic
and international markets. Microeconomics
includes cost and production decisions and
discusses the role of competition, monopolies
and oligopolies. Core Curriculum Course.
Textbook: Arnold, Roger A. ECONOMICS 10E ISBN-13: 978-0-538-45285-4; ISBN-10: 0-53845285-4, SOUTH-WESTERN Cengage Learning [ (you can use a3 hole punch version if available at
the bookstore or the hardbound full edition-which covers macro and micro-- or the paperback splits as
long as you also purchase the Aplia). Online purchase from the publisher [South-Western Cengage
Learning, www.cengagebrain.com ] is likely to be more affordable than the same purchase from the
bookstore. ]
On Line Subscription: -APLIA www.cengagebrain.com. This is necessary to complete homework
assignments and to help you, the student, better understand the course material . You are given a code to
register when you buy the APLIA. You would then use the link provided by the Instructor to get into the
class where you do your homework. Remember this homework system is designed to force students to
read the material BEFORE they come to class and hear the lecture. Please check the website weekly for
homeworks that are due, as they will expire and cannot be brought back. Repeat: once the homework has
expired, it will not be made available again .
V. CATE none apply to this course
Course format is mostly lecture, with the
objectives given below. The instructor will, through lectures from the text, discussion of
examples from the news, by working problems on the whiteboard, and other digital and nondigital techniques convey the theory and its application. We will discuss current events in class
and you will be responsible for anything which we cover in class.
VI. Format of course, objectives and methods:
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Main Course Objectives: Student should be able to achieve the following by the end of the
class.
1.Since scarcity is the problem, and price is the mechanism by
which any society’s limited resources are allocated among
competing uses, the overall objective is for the student to
understand how price gets determined in market economies.
2. Student will understand and be able to apply the concepts of
supply and demand and market equilibrium, what causes a
change in supply or demand or equilibrium, and be able to
show all this graphically. Be able to draw the supply/demand
graphs and use them to explain what happens to price and
output when there is a change in either supply or demand.
Similarly, the student must understand and be able to use such
concepts/tools ( in the Supply and Demand analyses) as
Opportunity Costs or the Production Possibilities Frontier.
3. Student will describe and be able to calculate and apply the
concept of elasticity, particularly the price elasticity of demand.
Be able to use the formulas to calculate elasticity and use the
calculated values to analyze the impact of elasticity on
variables such as revenue and explain the role of elasticity in
the supply and demand analysis.
4. Student must understand the theory of the firm and the
theory of the consumer. This includes, but is not limited to,
drawing and interpreting graphs, changes in graphs,
equilibriums, how firms maximize profits, how consumers
maximize their wellbeing and which conditions are needed for
firm or consumer maximizations to occur. Since you are a
consumer and you interact with firms regularly, this is really a
matter of simply describing your behavior (and firm’s behavior)
in graphical form.
`5. The student, by the end of the course, will be able to define
the four market structures, identify their similarities and
differences, and relate market structure to the ‘outcome’ or
equilibrium price and quantity differences.
VII. Associated websites and textbook:
Arnold 10E OFFICE HOUR VIDEOS. If you miss a lecture or, if you find that you simply did not
understand a particular lecture or chapter in the book, you have the opportunity to go to an online video
of the textbook author, Arnold, giving a lecture on that topic . This is part of your Aplia, and is available
free.
On Line Subscription: -APLIA www.cengagebrain.com. This is necessary to complete homework
assignments and to help you, the student, better understand the course . You will be given information on
how to register in class.
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Department website:http://learning.swc.hccs.edu/courses/social-behavioral-sciences/economicshomepage/
Please look at the department website for additional useful and fun economics related websites.
VIII. Required Textbook
Textbook: Arnold, Roger A. ECONOMICS 10E ISBN-13: 978-0-538-45285-4; ISBN-10: 0-53845285-4, SOUTH-WESTERN Cengage Learning
IX. Lab times- This course has no lab, but the APLIA assignments are practical problems similar
to test questions that give the student practice with applications of economics. You, the student
will find them to be very useful.
X. ADA Statement-Any student with a DOCUMENTED disability (e.g. physical, learning,
psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact
the Disability Services Office at the respective college at the beginning of each semester. Faculty are
authorized to provide ONLY the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services
Office. If you have any questions please contact the counselor, Becky Hauri at 713-718-7909
(Southwest campus) as soon as possible to make the necessary accommodations. The counselor will
inform instructors on the recommended accommodations. If you still have questions contact Donna
Price at 713-718-5165.
XI. BEHAVIOR IN THE CLASSROOM Your Instructor welcomes classroom participation. This
includes attendance as well as verbal participation in class including, but not limited to:
Answering the instructor‘s questions, being alert and awake for each class period and refraining
from inappropriate classroom behavior. The Department and your instructor cordially ask that
you refrain from inappropriate classroom behavior which includes, but is not limited to: Talking
in class, touching or attempting to touch another student, throwing any object at any time,
interrupting the instructor or another student, being unprepared for class, not bringing necessary
materials to class and snoring.
As a student active in the learning community of this course, it is your responsibility to
be respectful of the learning atmosphere in your classroom. To show respect of your fellow
students and instructor, you will turn off your phone and other electronic devices, and will not
use these devices in the classroom unless you receive permission from the instructor.
XII.
XIII. Academic Honesty: A student who is academically dishonest is, by definition, showing
that the coursework has NOT been learned. And that student is claiming an advantage not
available to other students. The instructor is responsible for measuring each student's individual
achievements and also for ensuring that all students compete on a level playing field. Thus, in
our system, the instructor has teaching, grading, and enforcement roles. You are expected to be
familiar with the University's Policy on Academic Honesty, found in the catalog. What that
means is: If you are charged with an offense, pleading ignorance of the rules won’t help you.
When you submit work in this class, you certify that it is your own work and that you
are not submitting the work of others or doing any of the following: 1. Looking on another student's
paper, 2. copying another student's work, 3. plagiarism in any form, 4. talking during any graded
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assignment, 5. receiving or giving unauthorized information before or during a graded assignment.
Cheating includes, but is not limited to the aforementioned items. To better facilitate academic
honesty, YOU MUST TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES DURING ALL TESTS. THAT MEANS YOU
CANNOT USE THE PHONE FOR A CALCULATOR DURING A TEST.
Basic rule: Avoid the very appearance of evil. This means avoid those things that even appear
to be cheating, Remember, cheating will get you a zero on the assignment or test. .
XIV. Attendance Policy: Student success is enhanced by regular class attendance. Each day
in the class in important and being in class on time is critical to achieving success. I want you to
succeed in this class and it is important to me, but it must be important to you as well. It is
requested that students first contact the instructor should any extraordinary problem occur. An
extraordinary problem is one that causes you to miss 2 or more consecutive classes or 3 or more
hours of class. Your in-class grade may suffer as a result of absences. An extraordinary problem
is NOT the flu or a wedding in the family or your car broke down.
The department takes the following position: “ It is essential that you do not take a casual
attitude toward course attendance and participation. Student absences are HIGHLY
correlated with LOW grades. Please come to each class prepared to thoughtfully discuss
the material for that day. Being unprepared will likely adversely affect your grade. “
HCC policy is that a student MAY be dropped from a course after 6 class hours have been
missed. The policy in this class is that you will be dropped if you miss 6 class hours (4 TTH
classes) or more. If you anticipate any major problems with attendance, see your instructor
immediately and get the situation resolved.
PLEASE CONTACT THE REGISTRAR’S OFFICE TO DROP ANY CLASS. After the
drop date, no W’s can be given. ALL STUDENTS WILL BE ASSIGNED THE GRADE OF
A, B, C, D, F or I. The grade of I will only be assigned to a student under extraordinary
circumstances. A grade of FX may be introduced by HCC and, if so, will be explained at that
time.
XV. NOTICE: Please be aware that students who take a course for the third time or more must
now pay significant tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas public colleges and
universities. At HCC it is an additional $50 per credit hour. Also, the state of Texas has passed a
new law limiting students to no more than six withdrawals throughout their academic career in
obtaining a baccalaureate degree. If you are considering course withdrawal because you are not
earning passing grades, confer with your instructor/counselor as early as possible about your
study habits, reading and writing homework, test-taking skills, attendance, course participation,
and opportunities for tutoring or other assistance that might be available. If you are earning a B
or C, and are considering withdrawal so as not to lower an “A” average, it is even more
important to confer as described above. Your success depends on you, but we are here to help
you if we can.
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XVI. Grading policy- Computation of Final Course Grade:
If your average is: 900- 1000 points your grade will be A; 800-899 B; 700-799 C; 600-699 D; Below 600
will be an F.
Tests and Final Exam: 600 points There are 3 equally weighted exams (200 pts.), no ‘final’, but the
third test is comprehensive. The last test, test 3, will be given on the final day of class.
APLIA: 200 points 200 points will come from your Aplia homework. There will be 12 assignments,
and I will take the best 10 of 12. This is an online program which provides sample questions (practice)
for the student to work.
Outside Articles : 200 points You will also be asked to submit 10 news article summaries . These will
be written in your own words, typed and worth 20 points each. No summaries will be accepted after
April 1. Period. See directions at the end of this syllabus.
XVII. Course requirements: Other than the basic mathematics and the ability to use the
computer for research and Aplia, there are no additional course requirements. See section IV.
.XVIII. Student Learning Outcomes: As stated also in section VI.
Main Course Objectives
1.Since scarcity is the problem, and price is the mechanism by
which any society’s limited resources are allocated among
competing uses, the overall objective is for the student to
understand how price gets determined in market economies.
2. Student will understand and be able to apply the concepts of
supply and demand and market equilibrium, what causes a
change in supply or demand or equilibrium, and be able to
show all this graphically. Be able to draw the supply/demand
graphs and use them to explain what happens to price and
output when there is a change in either supply or demand.
Similarly, the student must understand and be able to use such
concepts/tools ( in the Supply and Demand analyses) as
Opportunity Costs or the Production Possibilities Frontier.
3. Student will describe and be able to calculate and apply the
concept of elasticity, particularly the price elasticity of demand.
Be able to use the formulas to calculate elasticity and use the
calculated values to analyze the impact of elasticity on
variables such as revenue and explain the role of elasticity in
the supply and demand analysis.
4. Student must understand the theory of the firm and the
theory of the consumer. This includes, but is not limited to,
drawing and interpreting graphs, changes in graphs,
equilibriums, how firms maximize profits, how consumers
maximize their wellbeing and which conditions are needed for
firm or consumer maximizations to occur. Since you are a
consumer and you interact with firms regularly, this is really a
matter of simply describing your behavior (and firm’s behavior)
in graphical form.
Page 6 of 10
`5. The student, by the end of the course, will be able to define
the four market structures, identify their similarities and
differences, and relate market structure to the ‘outcome’ or
equilibrium price and quantity differences.
`
XIX. Instructional Objectives:
Instructional Objectives : enable my students to meet all of the Objectives described in
Section VI and XVIII above. This includes, lecturing, providing good feedback, using
alternative methods to gain understanding and working directly with students to help them
achieve success by tutoring, mentoring and providing clear lectures and assignments that are
productive.
XX. Make up policy:
Late work is not acceptable. As a dedicated college student, it is your
responsibility to complete your assignments on time. As discussion concerning
your assignments will be ongoing during the class, you may ask questions about the projects
any time during the semester. Your questions are welcomed, and as you are probably not the
only student wanting the information, your questions may help others as well. So, please, ask
questions in class!
Make-ups are not allowed: No make-ups will be given for class assignments or tests.
Students missing exams one or two will have exam three count twice. There is no makeup
for exam 3, given on the last day of class. No extra credit will be available for any reason.
No late assignments and no late Aplia homeworks will be accepted.
XXI. Course Calendar: remaining date for test 2 will be provided within the first month. Due
dates for your Aplia homework will be posted with the homeworks. Go to Aplia at least 2-3 times
per week. You article summary directions are given below
Instructional Topics/Tentative Schedule: (see textbook for specific chapter topics)(Note: Instructor
reserves the right to alter this schedule to meet optimal teaching rates for student comprehension,
for Force Majeure or other reasons as deemed necessary.) It is expected that the chapters be read prior
to the class meeting to which those chapters correspond. A key purpose of Aplia is to force students to
read the material before they come to class and hear the lecture on a given topic, as well as to provide
sample or practice questions in preparation of the tests. Always check to see if you have a homework
due.
Ch denotes ‘chapter.’
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Week/Dates
Topics
Assignment(s)
Week/Dates
Topics
Overview & Read chapters 1-2
Ch 1&2
and check Aplia for
9
10/25
Production Homework
8/30 9//1 Possibilities,
10/27
Opportunity cost
Read chapters,
10
2
Ch 3
articles for paper,
11/1
11/3
9/6 9/8
Supply and
and do Homework
Demand
Assignment(s)
1
Ch 3
Supply and
Demand,
equilibrium
3
9/13 9/15
4
9/20 9/22
Read chapters
and do Homework
Review and
TEST 2
.
11
1
11/8 11/10
Read chapter and
12
Ch 3 Price
11/15
11/17
Homework
floors, price
ceilings and non
equilibrium,
elasticity
Study for TEST 1
tests for TT classes
5
Review & TEST will be on Thursday
9/27 9/29
unless otherwise
1
stated
6
10/4 10/6
7
10/11
10/13
8
10/18
10/20
13
11/22
14
REVIEW FOR
11/29 12/1 TEST 3,
15
12/6 12/8
TEST 3
COMPREH
ENSIVE
Review for and
take
comprehensive
test 3.
16
12/13 12/15
FINALS
WEEK
XXII. Other important information:
1 You will be graded on your demonstrated understanding of the the material. Showing up and
taking the tests is not enough. You must understand the material and be able to apply the theory to
real life situations and hypothetical situations .
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2 Start reading articles about the economy now. Bring your questions in to the class and we
will discuss them. Please.
3 You may bring one notebook sized piece of paper to each test. You can write on both sides,
and put anything you want on that paper. What you can’t do is use your neighbor or your phone.
Any question about it, and I will pick up the paper and it will automatically be assigned a zero
grade.
4 LATE POLICY: To avoid being counted absent, see me after class if you come in late.
IMPORTANT : If you must arrive late, please enter quietly and take the nearest seat available so
as to minimize the disruption to the class. Continued disruptions and you will be withdrawn from
the course.
5 As regards the Summaries of the news, there is no late policy. I will not accept a late paper,
and I will not accept more than two summaries in any one week. That means you cannot leave it to
last minute. Each summary is 20 points. Those points add up. So take your assignments seriously.
XXIII. HCC Core Curriculum Statement: "For information regarding HCC's Core Curriculum,
see P. 46 of the HCC Catalog. For information about HCC's Social Sciences Exemplary
Educational Objectives, see P. 59-60 of the HCC Catalog."
XXIV. EGLS3 -- Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System
At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary
to improve teaching and learning. During a designated time, you will be asked to answer a short
online survey of research-based questions related to instruction. The anonymous results of the
survey will be made available to your professors and division chairs for continual improvement
of instruction. Look for the survey as part of the Houston Community College Student System
online near the end of the term.
OTHER INFORMATION AND DIRECTIONS
ASSIGNMENT: Summary of news articles INTRUCTIONS : THESE ARE NOT
RECOMMENDATIONS, THEY ARE REQUIREMENTS:
1. Each summary must be in your own words. If you quote, you must put is in
quotation marks [ “ “ ] AND you must cite it, or it is PLAGIARISM!!
2. Start each by giving the Source, the Article name and the Date.
3. Each must have at least one paragraph summarizing the content of the
article, and at least one paragraph explaining how the article relates to the
economic theory which we are discussing or have discussed in class [and
which you are reading in your text.]
4. Each summary must be typed and double spaced .
5. Each summary must be at least two pages and no more than three.
6. No more than 2 summaries will be accepted per week.
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7. Each must be on a topic relevant to the economic theory we are discussing in
class or it will be assigned a zero grade.
8. No summaries will be accepted after the week which includes April 1.
9. Each is worth 20 points, and there are 10 required.
XXV.
FREE SERVICES! FREE!
*FREE TUTORING on campus will begin with second start.
*FREE PLAGIARISM CHECKS are available online – at HCC askonline, and online
generally (just use your search engine to find one._Finally,
*FREE PROOFING of papers is also available at askonline. So, there is no excuse for a
bad paper.
OTHER HELPFUL SOURCES:
You can find current articles in the Houston Chronicle by going to www.chron.com .
This is FREE!. You may not access the archives, however, without a subscription.
You can use your parents subscription number, if they subscribe. Or, go to any other
major paper. CNN also provides free articles as does the Wall Street Journal. The
business section of any major news paper is a good source.
Some good websites for finding data series, and government releases on GDP,
Unemployment Rates, INFLATION, business cycles and other economic variables:
. http://www.econlib.org/library/sourcesUS.html#now
. http://www.usa.gov/
www.BLS.gov
www.FED.gov
www.hccs.askonline.edu
http://swc2.hccs.edu/e-tutor/
Try googling for any industry data put out by the auto manufacturers
themselves. There is usually an association of manufacturers in every industry.
.In general, Your Textbook is where you should start for information. Use it to find
information on Fiscal Policy and how it works (the Theory section of your paper) as well
as to find out what your text says about the Great Depression. Remember to source
any data used. And, remember to discuss the data and its significance to your topic.
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