Syllabus (Preliminary)
Economics 2610
Microeconomics
St. Catherine University
Spring Semester 2011
Instructor: Barry Schwabe
Office Phone: TBA
Office: None
Admin. Asst.: TBA
Office Hours: By Appointment
E-mail: agfaman1@aol.com
Course Description and Objectives:
This course offers a broad overview of microeconomic theory, history, and
development. It also introduces the fundamentals of economics. At the completion
of this course, students will have a basic understanding of microeconomic ideas and
terms so as to knowledgeably be able to use information related to the economy in
their careers and lives.
This will be an interactive class in which it is recognized that students will have
many ideas and questions relating to course topics.
Textbook: Microeconomics by R. Glenn Hubbard and Anthony Patrick O’Brien, 2nd
Edition, which needs to be brought to every class session; Microeconomics
Companion Website -- http://wps.prenhall.com/bp_hubbard_micro_2/
Additional Material (Required): Ruler; 5 Colored pens; Graph paper
Additional Material (Not required): MyEconLab companion software for
Economics; Economics for Dummies by Sean Flynn;
Grading and Class Policies:
There will be four exams throughout the semester. Except for those with a
university-approved and documentable excuse, taking exams at times other than
scheduled will not be allowed so your grade for that assessment will be zero unless
otherwise agreed upon. Bring a No. 2 pencil with you to every exam. Scantron cards
will be provided to students. Do not erase your answers on the Scantron card
because the card reader may not pick it up; rather, get a new card from the
instructor and rewrite your answers. You may not get credit for correct answers if
you don’t follow this instruction.
Your grade for the semester will be calculated from the following:
Exam #1
Exam #2
Exam #3
Final Exam (not cumulative)
20%
25%
25%
30%
The final exam’s time and place are to be determined by the registrar’s office.
THERE IS NO EXTRA CREDIT SO MAKE SURE YOU DO WELL ON ALL TESTS.
Scantron cards with students’ test scores will be provided to students two weeks
after each exam at the end of class. Students must return their cards immediately
after review. Students should record their scores and keep track of them
throughout the semester. It is not the responsibility of the instructor to inform
students of their grade status after they have been given their test scores. Scores
will not be posted on Blackboard.
The following grading system will be used to determine your final grade:
95 – 100% A+
90 – 94%
A
85 – 89%
B+
80 – 84%
B
75 – 79%
C+
70 – 74%
C
65 – 69%
D+
60 – 64%
D
Below 60% F
On occasion, class averages can sometimes fall 10 to 15 percentage points lower
than the scale students are accustomed to. In that event, circumstances will be
reviewed to determine whether adjustments to letter grades should be made. This
is not the norm, so don’t count on it. However, if adjustments are made to letter
grades, only students with near perfect attendance -- which is defined as having one
absence or less -- will be eligible to benefit because absenteeism can contribute to
lower overall grade point averages. Exceptions to this rule will be considered for
students dealing with extreme situations such as a death in the family, hospital
admission, etc.
Class attendance is required. Attendance will be taken on a regular basis at the end
of class, but not necessarily every week depending upon time. Students with one
absence or less – except for circumstances that the instructor may view as excusable
-- will be rewarded with an extra point to their final grade. Thus, a student with a
79% grade would be upped to an 80%, and, therefore, receive a “B”. It is the
student's responsibility to makes sure that the instructor recognizes and records
correctly the student's presence when that student’s name is called. The instructor
will have the attendance roster on screen so that students can monitor this. It is not
the responsibility of the instructor to inform students of their attendance status so
they should keep their own record if desired.
Do not schedule other activities during class time. It is believed that you made a
commitment to attend class when you registered for this course. Previously,
students who missed class for other commitments such as advisor meetings, ROTC,
clubs, and athletics suffered in their grades.
Some material in class may be in addition to text readings and find its way onto
tests. Participation in classroom exercises will help learning and provide
opportunities to develop critical thinking, which will be helpful come test time.
It is the student’s responsibility to obtain all information from a missed class. A
“buddy” system is recommended whereby students have a dependable colleague to
provide support and reinforce learning throughout the semester.
If you’re having trouble, don’t wait to ask for help and CHANGE the way that you
study immediately.
Study Suggestions:
(1.) Spend a minimum of 6 hours per week studying for this course.
Another university’s guideline is that student’s spend two hours studying for every
one hour spent in the classroom. Don’t take this lightly! You need to do this! Many
students fall behind when they do not do this, and are not able to catch up.
(2.) Read the chapters assigned to each classroom session before and after the
session. Then, plan to read each chapter several times after that. Learning
economics is a building process, and you will see things in later readings that aren’t
apparent early on. Don’t cram before tests because it’s often a strategy that fails.
(3.) Use the publisher’s companion website:
http://wps.prenhall.com/bp_hubbard_micro_2/. You can take quizzes to test your
comprehension of the material. You can read articles that elaborate on the
economic theories presented. Most important, you can download PowerPoint
presentations, which often makes noting-taking easier in class. I also advise that
you write your own notes for each slide as you read the textbook.
.
(4.) Buy Economics for Dummies. In many cases, it has simpler explanations than
the textbook and might make learning easier for you. You are not required to buy
this book; however, many students who use this book as a supplement to the
textbook achieve better grades.
(5.) Go to the library and look at other economics textbooks. Sometimes, another
author’s explanation of a concept might make more sense to you than the one from
the author of our textbook.
(5.) Find a mentor. One student last semester had an upperclassman help him with
his studies and achieved great results.
(6.) “Practice economics” because it won’t come to you naturally. Work through the
examples and problems that the book solves. Rework problems until you
understand them.
(7.) Synthesize the concepts by connecting the lectures and the textbook reading.
(8.) Study your lecture notes between classes. You need to know what you
understand and don’t understand immediately. And you always need to know what
was presented the week before in order to understand the material for the current
week.
(9.) Write a test for yourself. Your questions may very well be the same as mine.
For some students, reading by itself is a study strategy that is too passive; however,
writing questions, definitions, problems and answers, etc. may be more active which
can result in a better understanding of the material and better retention.
(10.) Find the best learning strategy for you and do it! This course requires lots of
work.
Communications:
Blackboard will be the primary tool for mass communicating with students.
Students should look at Blackboard daily for announcements and other postings.
Sometimes, PowerPoints or other material might be posted.
For individual communications, please email me at agfaman1@aol.com and not at
my address in the University’s email system. This is an address that I created
specifically for St. Catherine University students and will check it regularly. Only St.
Catherine University student emails go into this account, which makes it easier for
me to get back to you promptly.
All emails to the instructor must have the course name -- Econ 2610 -- on the
subject line in addition to your name and topic description – for instance,
“Question about Exam #1”. No course name, student name, and topic
description on the subject line could result in no response.
Academic Honesty:
Cheating will not be tolerated. Do not do anything that could be considered
suspicious. Any inappropriate matters will be referred to University officials for
handling.
Class Etiquette:
Cell phones must be on silent mode during class and are strictly prohibited during
exam time. Even looking at a cell phone during exam time can create a situation of
suspected cheating, so make sure that they are put away.
Laptops are permitted in the classroom. Upon request, however, there may be a nolaptop section in the front of the classroom for students who find them distracting.
Disabilities:
Every attempt will be made accommodate qualified students with disabilities. If you
are a student with a documented disability, please see me as early in the semester as
possible to discuss the necessary accommodations, and/or contact the Disability
Services Office at St. Catherine University.
Tentative Schedule (Changes can be made at any time and will only be
announced in class. A revised syllabus won’t be handed out.):
Date /
Week #
Topic
10-Apr
#1
What is Economics and Why Is It
Important?
The Role of Consumer Choice in Economics
17-Apr
#2
Chapter(s)
1
Ch. 9, p. 286-287, 305
Resources and Maximizing Consumer
Happiness
Introduction to Microeconomics -Understanding Supply and Demand
Ch. 2, p. 38-43
1-May
#3
Exam #1 (Through Resources)/ Elasticity/
The Utility Maximizing Consumer
Ch. 6
Ch. 9
15-May
#4
The Profit Maximizing Firm/ Free Markets
and Competition, Economic Efficiency
Ch. 10, 11, & 4
May 1622
Exam #2(Through Profit Maximizing Firm)
23-27
May
#5
Online
Session
Pricing Strategy
Ch. 15
5-June
#6
Monopolies/Oligopolies
Ch. 14, 13
19-June
#7
Exam #3 (Ch. 10, 11, 4, 14)/Monopolistic
Competition
Ch. 12
26-June
#8
Market Failure: Asymmetric Information &
Public Goods
Ch. 5, 17
w/o 27June
Final Exam (Ch. 12, 13, 5,17)
Ch. 3