Course Syllabus

Department of Math/Science/Business & Technology

ECO 2023 Principles of Microeconomics

Fall 2015

Assistant Professor: Kristen L. Zaborski

Office Number:  609

Office Hours:10-11am and 2-3pm Monday-Thursday (or by appointment only made via email) in my Venice office.

Note: I will also be available to meet with students in the Business & Technology department on the Bradenton campus on Fridays from 9am-1pm. 

Telephone: 941-408-1483

Email Address: zaborsk@scf.edu

Course Description: The objective of this course is to present the natures of economics and tools for economic analysis for an industry or an individual firm. The market system, price theory, theory of the firm, and theories of production and distribution are also presented.

Student Learning Outcomes (formerly referred to as Course Performance Standards):

Students may access course performance standards by clicking on the “Course Performances Standards” link at the following web address:  http://scf.edu/Academics/CoursePerformanceStandards.asp .  A hard copy may be obtained from the instructor or from the Department Office.

Textbook: The textbook for this course is Economics (second or third edition) in Modules by Krugman & Wells. Published by Worth. The purchase of the textbook is optional, and at the discretion of the student. The textbook is available in both the Bradenton and Venice campus bookstores or online through Amazon. ISBN-10: 1429287314, ISBN-13: 9781429287319 or ISBN: 9781464139031. Note: The textbook is on reserve at the ARC (Academic Resource Center, Venice campus) and the library (Venice campus).

Attendance Policy:  You will be graded on your attendance record throughout the semester, and attendance will be taken every class. Do not miss this class unless absolutely necessary. Students are expected to be present and on time to every class meeting. If you must miss a class or leave early, please notify me ahead of time via email or before class starts. If you need to leave class early, then leave quietly. Students who miss two consecutive weeks of class will be cut from the course and receive a WF (Withdraw Fail) per college policy.

Withdrawal Policy:  In accordance with the State College of Florida policy as stated in the college catalog, a student may withdraw from any or all courses without the academic penalty of a "WF" grade by the withdrawal deadline as listed in the academic calendar, Catalog or on the SCF website. A student in an accelerated or short-term course may withdraw without the academic penalty of a "WF" grade any time before the withdrawal deadline specific for the course. When a "WF" is entered, it is recorded in the student's permanent record and calculated as an "F" in the grade point average. SCF encourages the student to discuss a withdrawal with the instructor prior to withdrawing. A student who withdraws from any or all courses can withdraw online. Students should consult with the Financial Aid Services office prior to any course withdrawal.

Course withdrawals, after the deadline for the term or accelerated or short term course as published in the academic calendar, will result in a grade of "WF" which is computed in the term and cumulative GPA. Appeal request forms, accompanied by an explanation and documentation detailing major extenuating and documented circumstances, should be directed to the Vice President of Academic Affairs, who has the final approval/dis-approval authority. If the appeal is granted, the "WF" grade would be changed to a "W" without GPA consequences. Forms can be obtained from the respective campus advising centers.

Effective Fall 1997, the state mandates a student will be permitted a maximum of three attempts per course. An "attempt" is defined as registration in a class after the end of the registration period.

A student must take responsibility for initiating the withdrawal procedure. If this procedure is not followed, a grade of "WF" may be recorded for the student and "F" calculated in the grade point average.

If a "WF" is entered, it will be recorded on the permanent record and calculated as "F" in the grade point average.

All withdrawal policy statements apply to part-time as well as full-time degree credit and developmental credit students.

In accordance with the State College of Florida policy as stated in the college catalog, students may withdraw from any course or all courses without academic penalty of a WF by the withdrawal deadline as listed in the State College of Florida academic calendar. This semester this date is November 1st.  The student must take responsibility for initiating the withdrawal procedure. Students are strongly encouraged to talk with their instructors first before taking any withdrawal action.

In addition, students should note that faculty may also withdraw students for violating policies, procedures, or conditions of the class, as outlined in individual class syllabi, and such action could affect financial aid eligibility.

Grading Policy: Test will consist of: true/false questions, and graphical analysis. A study guide will be provided at least one week prior to taking the test, available on Canvas. Other grades include in-class assignments/reading about current events and providing a summary. In addition, a business report will be due at the end of the semester. You will also be graded on attendance and class participation. There will be no make-up tests given. Please make every attempt to be present for every test. Please arrange to take the test early if you know you will not be present for the actual test day. If you happen to miss a test, your lowest test grade will replace the test you missed at the end of the semester excluding the final exam.

1. Three regular exams- worth 45% of final grade
2. Final exam- worth 20% of final grade
3. Attendance and class participation- worth 20% of final grade
4. In-class assignments/current events/business report- worth 15% of final grade

Grading Scale: A (90-100, excellent) B (80-89, good) C (70-79, average) D (60-69, poor) F (Below 60, failure)

Email: Students are required to communicate with their professor using their official SCF email address or within the Canvas system. For immediate response please email me at zaborsk@scf.edu. I will check my email daily, and will make every effort to respond within a 24-hour time period, excluding weekends. Please make sure that all email sent to me include both a proper greeting and closing. Sending email is different than sending text messages.

Standards of Conduct: Students are expected to abide by all SCF Student Handbook guidelines.

Statement of Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the use of ideas, facts, opinions, illustrative material, data, direct wording of another scholar and/or writer-professional or student-without giving proper credit. Expulsion, suspension, or any lesser penalty may be imposed for plagiarism. In addition, any student caught cheating will receive an automatic ‘F’ for the course.

Prohibiting Recording Device: The use of recording devices during class is prohibited, except when the use of such devices is approved as an accommodation through the college Disability Resource Center.  In such cases the student must provide a copy of their Memo of Accommodation and meet with the instructor to discuss how best to provide the approved accommodation.

Classroom Rules: Please refrain from bringing food or drinks into the classroom. Do not leave any trash behind you. Children are not allowed in the classroom. Cell phones should be silenced and put away while in the classroom at all times. You may be asked to leave class should you get caught texting on your cell phone. Texting during class is extremely disrespectful to the professor, and will not be tolerated. Laptops/tablets are only permitted for note-taking purposes; bring a notebook to every class because you will need paper for in-class assignments, and drawing graphs. Outside reading material is not permitted. Hats or caps are allowed except on test days. Students are expected to stay in their seats during class. Please use the restroom prior to coming to class. You may be given a short break during class on occasion. Excessive talking is not allowed in class, except during class discussion initiated by the professor. The professor reserves the right to ask any student who is being disruptive to leave, which includes excessive talking or texting during class.

Statement of Nondiscrimination: State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) is an equal opportunity and access institution that does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, religion, age, national origin/ethnicity, color, marital status, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation and any other factor prohibited under applicable federal, state, and local civil rights laws, rules and regulations in any of its educational programs, services or activities, including admission and employment.

Religious Observances: Students who expect to be absent due to religious observances must provide their instructor with advance notification, in writing, of the purpose and anticipated length of any absence by the end of the second week of classes.

Disability Resource Center Information: SCF has a Disability Resource Center (DRC) to assist students. To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact the DRC at 408-1448 in Venice, or by email at DRC@scf.edu. If you have already requested academic accommodations through the DRC for this course please meet with me to discuss your specific needs.

Department Chair information: If a student encounters a problem in the course, they should work with the professor to resolve it. If the student needs help and the professor is unable to help or is unavailable, contact John Waters, Venice Department Chair Math/Science/Business & Technology by email at watersj@scf.edu.

Course Outline

Week of (begins on Monday)	Week	Modules covered		Tests
Aug. 24		Welcome to the course! (Please review Module 1, Module 5, Module 6, and Module 7 on your own.) These are located under the Lessons tab in Canvas for you to review as needed.
Aug. 24	1	Module 46 Income Effects, Substitution Effects, and Elasticity Module 47 Interpreting Price Elasticity of Demand
Aug. 29		Last day for students to add/drop classes.
Aug. 31	2	Module 48 Other Elasticities Module 49 Consumer and Producer Surplus
Sept. 7 Labor Day Holiday (college closed)	3	Module 50 Efficiency and Deadweight Loss Module 51 Utility Maximization
Sept. 14	4	Module 52 Defining Profit Module 53 Profit Maximization		Test 1 will be taken at the beginning of the first class of that week (covers Modules 46, 47,48,49,50,51) Study guide located in Canvas one week prior to test.
Sept. 21	5	(Module 52 Defining Profit and Module 53 Profit Maximization) Module 54 The Production Function Module 55 Firm Costs
Sept. 28	6	Module 56 Long-Run Costs and Economies of Scale Module 57 Introduction to Market Structure
Oct. 5	7	Module 58 Introduction to Perfect Competition Module 59 Graphing Perfect Competition
Oct. 12	8	Module 60 Long-Run Outcomes in Perfect Competition Module 61 Introduction to Monopoly		Test 2 will be taken at the beginning of the first class of that week (covers Modules 52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59) Study guide located in Canvas one week prior to test.
Oct. 19	9	Module 62 Monopoly and Public Policy Module 63 Price Discrimination
		Business progress report one page summary due on Wednesday, Oct. 21
Oct. 26	10	Module 64 Introduction to Oligopoly Module 65 Game Theory
Nov. 1		Last day to withdraw from a course and receive no academic grade penalty.
Nov. 2	11	Module 66 Oligopoly in Practice Module 67 Introduction to Monopolistic Competition
Nov. 9           Nov. 11 Veterans Day. College closed.	12			Test 3 will be taken at the beginning of the first class of that week (covers Modules 60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67) Study guide located in Canvas one week prior to test.
Nov. 16         Nov. 23       No class on Wed. 25	13         14	Module 68 Product Differentiation and Advertising. Module 71 The Market for Labor     Module 73 Theories of Income Distribution Module 77 Public Policy to Promote Competition   Thanksgiving Holidays
Nov. 30	15	Module 78 Income Inequality and Income Distribution Module 79 The Economics of Information
Dec. 7	16	Business reports due on Monday! Final Exam Review on Wednesday!   Dec. 14-17 Final Exams		Final Exam (covers Modules 68,71,73,77,78,79)  Date TBA Study guide located in Canvas.

 

Note: The course syllabus is subject to change.