Paul Harvell
Econ 1B, Summer 2014
Introduction to Microeconomics — Course Syllabus
Office: 432C. Office hours: M-Th 11:15-12:30. Phone: (831) 477-5218.
Email address is paul.harvell@cabrillo.edu. Begin your subject line with “ECON:”.
Class webpage(s): www.cabrillo.edu/~pharvell Click on Econ 1B for this class
Books: required text: Hubbard and O’Brien (HO), Microeconomics, 2nd Edition. This is available in a custom printed version
in the bookstore. Since the text is custom published, chapters titled but not numbered.
 Students must sign-in on the class roster to reserve their space in this class
 No prior knowledge of economics is required for this class.
 Grading will be primarily determined by four exams (including the final)
 Midterms are equally weighted and not comprehensive.
 The final will have an comprehensive component
 Exams are closed notes and closed book
 Each midterm is 60 multiple choice questions and 2 written questions of 5 points each
 The final will have 90 multiple choice questions, 30 of which are comprehensive, and 2 written questions.
 There are three out-of-class assignments all currently posted on the class website.
o The combined scores can be used to replace a low midterm score.
o Or, they can be individually factored into the overall score if they raise one’s grade
o Assignments are due at the start of class on the due date. I do not accept late assignments. No exceptions.
 There is a small bonus for properly following the instructions printed on the exam.
 Must bring Apperson test form to each exam. Also, get yourself a good eraser.
 Calculators are allowed (and recommended) in class and on exams. No other electronic devices are allowed on during
an exam, this includes cell phones, smart phones, iPods, iPads, laptops, blenders, guitar amps and PSPs.
 Showing up late to an exam can result in a penalty (of over 10% of exam) to the student
 Written questions can receive negative scores (up to the point value of the question)
 Graphs are important in this class. A good portion of the grading of the written answers will be on demonstrating the
answer using the appropriate graphs.
 Points may be awarded for other assignments, though none are planned.
 No audio or video recording of lectures is allowed without prior permission (I don’t want to be on YouTube)
 No Extra Credit. No make-up exams
 Grading Policy: Grade: A: 90%
B: 75%
C: 60%
D: 45%
 All who are allowed to add, whether on the waitlist or not, must process the add on WebAdvisor using an Add Code
Students should retain all tests until official notification of course grade. Students wanting pass/no pass grading option need to
submit a written statement requesting that by the official deadline. Form is available on class website. Students are responsible
for dropping the class. Students are responsible for knowing hours of operation of the bookstore in order to obtain materials
necessary for taking the exams.
Any corrections or changes to this syllabus will be announced in class. Any cheating will be punished with at least a score of
minus the number of points possible (for example, -70 for an exam) and the score can not be dropped. Allowing or creating the
opportunity for another student to cheat is also a form of cheating. Further action can be taken by school administration.
Students automatically consent to re-take an exam if the instructor has any question about the integrity of the results.
All students needing accommodations should inform the instructor ASAP. Veterans may qualify for accommodations. Wounded
Warriors may have acquired injuries which through the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) entitles the use of
accommodations to ensure equal opportunity for students with verified disabilities. To determine if you qualify or need
assistance with an accommodation, please contact Disabled Student Services, Room 810, 479-6379, or the Learning Skills
Program, Room 1073, 479-6220.
Cabrillo College – Breakthroughs Happen Here™
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Analyze and predict changes, both qualitatively and quantitatively, in a microeconomic market.
2. Analyze a microeconomic market for potential sources of inefficiency and propose or evaluate possible strategies to improve
economic efficiency.
3. Analyze an industry, describing typical behavior based on standard market structures, identifying possible inefficiencies, and
describing pricing and competitive behavior in both the short and long run.
Course Outline
I Supply and Demand
A) Theory of Supply and Demand; HO: Where Prices Come From
B) Consumer & Producer Surplus, Efficiency; HO: Economic Efficiency
Note: skip objective 4 in the above chapter on “Economic Impact of Taxes”
C) Elasticity; HO: Elasticity
EXAM #1 covering Section I: June 25 (class 7)
II Consumer Theory; HO: Consumer Choice including appendix
Take-home quiz covering Section II: due June 30
III Firms Part 1
A) Intro to Firms; HO: Firms, Stock Market, Corp. Governance, (Learning Objects 1, 2 & 3 only)
B) Cost of Production; HO: Technology, Production, and Costs
C) Monopoly; HO: Monopoly and Antitrust Policy
D) Pricing; HO: Pricing Strategy
EXAM #2 covering Section III: July 7 (class 13)
Industry Project, Part 1: due July 9
IV Firms Part 2
A) Monopolistic Competition; HO: Monopolistic Competition
B) Perfect Competition; HO: Firms in Perfectly Competitive Markets
C) Oligopoly & Game Theory; HO: Oligopoly
EXAM #3 covering Section IV: July 16 (class 19)
Industry Project, Part 2: due July 21
V Labor, Market Failures, Behavioral Econ
A) Labor Market; HO: The Markets for Labor (skip Objective 6)
B) Market Failures; HO: Externalities, Environmental Policy and Public Goods
C) Information Problems; HO: Economics of Information
D) Behavioral Economics; HO: Consumer Choice (Learning Objective 3 & 4 only)
EXAM #4 covering Section V & Comprehensive: July 24 (class 24)
Other Important Dates:
June 19, Last day to add a class
July 14, Deadline to withdraw from class
July 28, Grades should be available on WebAdvisor (they might be available as soon as July 25)
Travis McGee's still in Cedar Key,
That's what old John MacDonald said
My rendezvous so long over due
All of the things I've sung and read
They still apply to me, They all make sense in time
(J. Buffett)
Paperback novels make young girls dream and
Judy's spending quieter days in the stream
With Goodman, Giovinno, and John Mac D.
They were such good friends to me
(J. Buffett)
(J. Buffett)
Any writer who writes only when he "feels like it" is perhaps not only an unsuccessful writer, but quite possibly an unsuccessful human being. (I
am not using success in any strict monetary sense.)
(John D. MacDonald)
Cabrillo College – Breakthroughs Happen Here™