KENT STATE UNIVERSITY
COURSE SYLLABUS - SPRING, 2001
ECON 22060, SECTION 4 - PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS
Instructor:
Office:
Office Phone:
Email:
Office Hours:
Web Page:
Dr. Kathryn Wilson
464 Business Administration Building
672-1093
kwilson@bsa3.kent.edu
Monday 2:00 - 4:00; Tuesday and Thursday 10:30 – 12:00 (and by appointment)
http://www.personal.kent.edu/~kwilson3
Course Description: Every person, regardless of major or occupation, makes economic decisions every
day. Economics is the study of choices or more specifically the allocation of resources. The purpose of
this course is to provide a basic understanding of economic reasoning (including marginal analysis, the
concept of opportunity cost, supply and demand, market structures, and economic efficiency). These tools
will be used to assist students in understanding the world around them and in their own decision-making.
Course Prerequisite: MATH 10005 or equivalent placement (see catalog).
Text: Tregarthen & Rittenberg, Microeconomics, 2nd Edition, Worth Publishing, 2000. It is expected that
students will have read the appropriate chapters in the text when they come to lecture.
Exams: There are three multiple-choice midterm exams and one final exam. The final exam is
cumulative with equal weight given to the material covered by each midterm. Three hundred total points
are available for the class (plus extra credit). I will calculate grades in two ways and use the method that
gives the student the higher final course grade. Under the first method, the three midterms all receive equal
weight of 100 and the final exam is dropped (weight of 0). Under the second method the lowest midterm
grade is dropped. The two remaining midterms are each worth 90 (30% of grade) and the final exam is
worth 120 (40%). Make-up exams are only given if notification is presented, in advance, of a universitydefined legitimate absence. If a student is ill on exam day, a phone message must be left at 672-1093
before the time of the exam, and health services or a doctor must give verification of the illness. If I am not
informed prior to the exam, no make-up exam will be given. Make-up exams may include some short
answer questions.
Extra Credit Homeworks: Six extra-credit homework assignments will be given. Each assignment
will be worth two points. If all six assignments are completed, an additional three points of extra credit
will be given. This results in a maximum of 15 points available, which is the equivalent of increasing your
final grade by 5%. No late homeworks will be accepted.
Web Page: I will put copies of all homework assignments and homework answer keys as well old exams
on my web page. These can be found at http://www.personal.kent.edu/~kwilson3
Grading Scale:
90% +
80-89%
65-79%
55-64%
less 55%
A
B
C
D
F
Drop Date: Consistent with the catalog, the last date to withdraw from the class is March 23.
Tutoring: Free tutoring will be available from the economics department in room 451 of the Business
School. The schedule will be posted on the door of room 451 early in the semester.
Students with Disabilities: In accordance with University policy, if you have a documented disability
and require accommodations to obtain equal access in this course, please contact the professor at the
beginning of the semester or when given an assignment for which an accommodation is required. Students
with disabilities must verify their eligibility through the Office of Student Disability Services in the Michael
Schwartz Student Center (672-3391).
Academic Honesty: Cheating will not be tolerated. Cheating includes looking at someone else’s exam,
looking at notes or other materials during exams, or copying someone else’s homework. You can work
together on the homework assignments, but each person must write up their own answers in their own
words. Both the person copying and the person being copied from will be subject to disciplinary action.
Course Enrollment: It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that you are properly enrolled for this
course. No grade will be given to students who are not properly enrolled in this section.
Course Schedule: The course schedule is subject to change. However, ample notice will be given in
class if the date of any of the midterm exams changes.
Week
Jan. 16-18
Jan. 23-25
Jan. 30-Feb. 1
Feb. 6-8
Feb. 13
Subject
BASIC TOOLS
Chapter(s)
in Text
intro. to Economics; opportunity costs;
production possibilities
specialization and trade; supply and demand;
price supports, elasticity
efficiency; consumer choice
review for midterm 1
1, 2
2, 17, 3
4, 5
6, 7
MIDTERM 1: Thursday, February 15
MARKET STRUCTURES
Feb. 20-22
Feb. 27
Mar. 1
Mar. 6-8
Mar. 13-15
Mar. 20
a closer look at supply: production and costs;
profit maximizing
perfect competition
No class
perfect competition; monopoly
monopolistic comp.; oligopoly; regulation; application
review for midterm 2
8, 9
9
9, 10
11, 16
MIDTERM 2: Thursday, March 22
RESOURCE MARKETS/GOVERNMENT
Apr. 3-5
Apr. 10-12
Apr. 17-19
Apr. 24-26
resource markets; wages; unions; labor
investment; income distribution; discrimination
government programs; public finance and public choice
public finance and public choice; review for midterm 3
12, 14
13, 19
19, 15, 18
15, 18
MIDTERM 3: Tuesday, May 1
May 3
Review for the Final Exam
FINAL EXAM: Thursday, May 10, 12:45-3:00 p.m.