UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI - CLERMONT

COURSE SYLLABUS AND SCHEDULE OUTLINE FOR

 

PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS (34-ECON-141-004)

AUTUMN QUARTER 2003

T, Th 8:00A – 9:15A

EDUCATIONAL SERVICES BULIDING ROOM 115

 

 

Instructor Information

 

Instructor:            Dr. Jeff Bauer, Assistant Professor of Business

Office:                 Snyder Building 272C

Phone:                 Office:  732-5257   24-HR Voicemail

                           Fax:  732-5304

                           Division Office:  732-5255

                           Home:  753-9081

E-Mail:                Jeff.Bauer@UC.Edu

Website:              http://www.ucclermont.edu/~bauerj               

Office Hours:       W 1:00P – 3:30P, Th 2:00P – 3:30P, or by appointment

 

Required Text(s)

 

Economics, McConnell & Brue, 15th Edition, Irwin McGraw-Hill. ISBN:  0-07-249850-1.

 

Course Description

 

An analysis of the economics of the business firm including such topics as: supply and demand; price determination under different competitive situations; and resource use rules for individual firms.

 

Course Objectives

 

1.   Recognize the basic economic principles/theories and discuss their application to current problems and events in the American economy.

2.   Discuss the consequences of scarcity.

3.   Analyze supply and demand curves/schedule and interpret the results of intersecting and shifting curves.

4.   Calculate elasticity coefficients and evaluate their impact on the individual firm.

5.   Calculate marginal utility and determine the optimal combination of consumption to maximize total satisfaction.

6.   Calculate the cost of production and apply the market structure price to select the profit maximizing output.

 

 

 

Course Requirements

 

Reading Assignments:  The student is expected to read all assignments prior to the class in which they will be discussed.  He/she should be ready to participate in class discussions and activities.  See http://www.mhhe.com/economics/mcconnell15 for text support materials.

 

Exams:  There will be three (3) exams during the quarter.  Exam formats will be true/false, fill-in-the-blank and multiple choice.  Exams will be given as indicted on the Course Schedule.

 

Individual Application Assignments:  There will be five (5) application assignments during the term.  Application assignments are designed to provide the student the opportunity to demonstrate competence with the material though application of the concepts presented in class.  Assignments will come from the textbook and outside sources and will be assigned throughout the term.

 

Group Pricing Project: Each student will be assigned to a group and each group will be responsible for planning, producing, and selling a commodity.  Additional details and an outline for this project will be supplied during the term.

 

Grading:

 

The final grade will be determined as follows:

 

Exam One (Chapters 1, 2, 3)…………………..…     100 points

Exam Two (Chapters 4, 7 (20), 8 (21))………….      100 points

Final Exam (Chapters 9 (22), 10 (23), 11 (24))……     100 points

Application Assignments (5 @ 20 Points)………          100 points

Pricing Project……………………………………      100 points

 

                                    Total Points                              500 points

 

 

The numerical average will be calculated by dividing total points by 5.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


GENERAL COURSE POLICIES

 

Attendance and Make-Up Work

 

Attendance is a requirement of the course.  If for some reason you cannot attend a class, please let me know by using one of the phone numbers (or other means) listed above.

 

Assignments

 

Any assignments are due at the beginning of the class period as indicated on the Course Schedule.  Late assignments will be reduced at least one letter grade per class day at the discretion of the instructor.  Assignments will not be accepted one week after the due date has passed.

 

Cell Phones, Pagers, etc.

 

Consider this class to be a call-free, beep-free, vibrate mode-free zone of silence.

 

Make-Up Exams

 

Make-up exams will be given at the discretion of the instructor.  The student must notify the instructor of the absence before the exam begins. If proper notification is given, a make-up exam will be administered which may be significantly more challenging than the examination given on the scheduled date.

 

Cheating and Plagiarism

 

The policy as stated in the University of Cincinnati Student Handbook will be strictly enforced.  A copy of the Student Handbook is available in the Student Development Office.

 

Withdrawals

 

The current withdrawal policy of Clermont College will apply.  The withdrawal policy for this term is available in the Registration Office.

 

ADA

 

Students with Disabilities:  The policy of the University of Cincinnati Clermont College requires students to self-identify and provide proper documentation to the Academic Director of Disability Services, Student Services Building for appropriate academic assistance.

 

Grading Scale

 

The following plus/minus grading system will apply:

92 - 100% = A     91 -  89% = A-     88 -  87% = B+     86 -  82% = B     81 - 79% = B-
78 – 77% = C+    76 – 72% = C       71 –  69% = C-     68 – 67% = D+   66 – 62% = D

61 – 59% = D -   58% and Under = F

 

Note:  The course schedule and procedures are tentative and subject to change depending upon the progress of the class.

COURSE SCHEDULE – PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS

 

 

 

Week 1    Chapter 1               The Nature and Methods of Economics

09/25

 

Week 2    Chapter 2               The Economizing Problem

09/30                                       Introduction to Group Pricing Project

 

Week 3    Chapter 3               Individual Markets:  Demand and Supply

10/07                                      

 

Week 4    Exam One              Chapters 1 - 3

10/14        Chapter 4               The Market System

                                               

Week 5    Chapter 4               The Market System (Continued)

10/21        Chapter 7 (20)        Supply and Demand:  Elasticities and Government Set

                                                Prices

 

Week 6    Chapter 7 (20)        Supply and Demand:  Elasticities and Government Set

10/28                                       Prices (Continued)

 

Week 7    Chapter 8 (21)        Consumer Behavior and Utility Maximization

11/04       

 

Week 8    Exam Two              Chapters 4, 7, and 8 (Chapters 4, 20, 21 in hard bound)

11/13        Chapter 9 (22)        The Costs of Production

 

Week 9    Chapter 10 (23)      Pure Competition

11/18                                       

 

Week 10  Chapter 10 (23)      Pure Competition (Continued)

11/25       

 

Week 11  Chapter 11 (24)      Pure Monopoly

12/02       

 

Week 12  Final Exam             Tuesday, December 9th from 8:00a – 10:00a and covering

                                                Chapters 9, 10, and 11 (Chapters 22 – 24 in hard bound)