Barstow Community College-Econ 2
Microeconomics Syllabus
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You must use a user name and password after the first week of class. The format of your username and password are clearly posted on the main page of your course. If you still need assistance with your username and password please go to this page and read the instructions: http://www.bcconline.com/orient/password.htm, to receive further assistance.
In the box below please type, I understand that after the first week of class I must use my assigned user name and password to access all ECON 2 course materials including lecture notes and discussions. Furthermore, I understand that the format of your username and password are clearly posted on the main page of your course.
Instructor: Ramon Vasconcellos MA, MBA
Email: rvasconcellos@bcconline.com
Office Hours –On Line: Instructor will hold on line office hours Monday- Wednesday-Friday from 10AM-12PM During this time all dialogue will be conducted via email.
In the box below please confirm that you understand when your instructor is available and how he can be reached.
Course Description: This course studies the economics of the firm and resource allocation. Market structure encompassing Supply and Demand analysis, elasticity, consumer choice theory; cost of production, perfect competition, pure monopoly, monopolistic competition, oligopoly, and wage determination are discussed in detail.
Text: Principles of Microeconomics, 3rd Edition, Robert H. Frank and Ben S. Bernanke, McGraw-Hill Irwin. 2007
In the box below type: I have the textbook for ECON 2 or I will have it by ________.
Email Updates
One of the primary methods of contact in an online course is email. Your college is capable of extracting student names and email addresses from our registration system. The purpose of extracting this information is two fold. The information will be used by the instructor to remain in contact with the class in order to provide information necessary for the students' academic success. The information will also be used to send emails to the students from the college administration. The emails sent by the college administration will consist of links to course surveys which will be used to improve our online courses, important announcements for students, and links to college surveys, which will be used to satisfy requirements placed on the college by the California Community College Chancellor's Office. The college will not use this information to advertise any products and will not share student email addresses with any other organization. In the box below type the following information: As a student I understand it is my responsibility to ensure my email address is up to date in the registration system, and that failure to do so can seriously impact my ability to successfully complete my courses. Further, I consent to receive email communication from my instructor and from the college administration. This consent will remain in force until it is revoked in writing or I am no longer taking classes with the college. Upon submitting the syllabus, I agree to enter the registration system, check my email address and change it if necessary. I understand a tutorial is available to assist me with this procedure. I also understand I can contact 760-252-2411 x7236 to receive additional assistance if I encounter any difficulties when attempting to change my email address.
The course is delivered on line. Therefore, students should check the instructors "posting" page at least three times per week for lecture notes, reading assignments, and discussion questions.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this course students should have some working knowledge of the following:
An in depth study of Supply and Demand functions.
Markets: Their behavior and Optimum outcome levels.
Elasticity; Consumer and Producer surplus.
Consumer Choice Theory and its applicability in budgeting and finance decisions at both the individual and corporate level.
Production cost and economies of scale.
Competitive markets and monopolies: their efficiencies and optimum output levels.
Wage determination and Externalities.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of Microeconomics students will be able to understand and develop the following critical assessment skills needed in private sector analysis:
The importance of the competitive marketplace in bringing efficiency to society
A thorough understanding of the labor component in the means of production from a free market, marginal productivity viewpoint in comparison to the constraints placed on labor in command economies
The significance of private property rights and how- when strictly enforced- it affords individuals and businesses optimum levels of production
Consumer Choice Theory and how it acts as an important arbiter in resource allocation
Differentiate between "perfectly competitive" markets where information, substitutes, and consumer choice effects price and leads to optimum outcome levels. In comparison to monopolies, whereby prices are not set based on the marginal cost of production and output is often restricted.
How the privatization of some natural resources has lead to marginal societal benefits at minimum costs.
The private justification for cartels and oligopolies; their efficiencies and lack thereof.
In the box below type the course learning objective AND the student learning outcome that interest you most from the lists above as well as one reason why you took this course.
Assignments and Grading
Homework: Each week questions pertaining to both chapters and lecture notes will be assigned. There will be 8 of these assignments worth 20 points each for a total of 160 homework points. Please email your essays to the instructor.
On Line Discussions: Our weekly discussion board will have a contemporary event relating to economics, finance, global economics, etc. posted for discussion. Students are encouraged to read ONE the following publications at least once a week: The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, The Economist, Fortune, Business Week, Investors Business Daily, The Financial Times, Smart Money: The Wall St. Journals Guide to Personal Finance. Students will contribute to these online forums so as to both provide and gain varying perspectives on different issues. The instructor will post a "question for the week" no later than Sunday evening. Discussion board participation will receive a maximum of 10 points for each weekly response. Points are assigned by week’s end thus allowing enough time for "dialogue" between students regarding the topic.
Mid Term and Final
Both the Mid term and Final exams are open book/open note. It is important to remember that an open book test is not an invitation to begin your review process when taking the exam! Prepare ahead of time by working problems, practicing essays questions, and communicating with your instructor J.
The exams are structured in the format of a "case" requiring your "Microeconomic" analysis skills. For instance given the data available, you may be asked to develop a small business requiring you to define maximum production levels, determine employee productivity, recognize and calculate costs associated with production, etc. So…it’s not the kind of "open book test" you can take lightly! A good way to prepare: do all the homework and participate in discussion board questions.
The Mid Term will have a total point value of 250; the Final, 500.
Summary of Grading:
Homework: 160 possible
On Line discussion : 90 possible
Mid Term: 250 "points"
Final: 500 "points"
Maximum points: 1,000
Final grades awarded based on the following point totals:
1000-900: A
899 -600: B
599 -350: C
225-349: D
224 <: F
In the box below type, "I understand and agree to abide by the grading scale listed above and I agree to complete all work required in this course."
ON-LINE INSTRUCTIONS:
YOU MUST FILL OUT THIS SYLLABUS IF YOU INTEND TO TAKE THE COURSE!
It is your responsibility to make sure the instructor has the all the contact information stated at the top of this syllabus by the start of classes!! It is your responsibility to email the instructor if you have any problems or do not understand this syllabus.
It is your responsibility to confirm your enrollment either via the Internet at https://bcregweb.barstow.edu or by calling (760)252-2411 x7236 if you are having problems accessing the course material. After you have confirmed your enrollment go to http://www.bcconline.com/orient/ and read the password link. Following this procedure will ensure you are helped in the fastest manner possible.
By enrolling for this class, the assumption is that you possess the necessary skills to read at the college level, to enter and perform research on the internet, to email using proper email etiquette and to post to the discussions.
When emailing your instructor: (rvasconcellos@bcconline.com) include your full name. Send all email with the name of the course in the subject line and Lesson No. or the words: problem, question or comment. Many times I receive email with no name in the body of the email. Sign all email with your name as registered at school, or else you will not receive a reply and your assignment will not be graded.
You must explain the problem in the subject line, i.e., ECON 2, Research 1 -- no research available. Email without an appropriate subject line will be deleted and will not be read. With the current high incidence of viruses and unsolicited email I automatically delete all email without appropriate subject lines.
Remember I do not answer email on the weekends, so 48 hours response time do not include Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. If an email stating problem, help, or question in the subject line is sent on Monday through Thursday you can expect a response within 24-48 hours. If an email stating problem, help, or question in the subject line is sent on the weekends there will be a longer turn around time, but the email will be answered by Tuesday of the following week.
Email assignments will have a one week turnaround time, and you should not expect an answer to a successfully submitted and completed assignment before the end of the one week turnaround time period. Receiving graded assignments or answers to your questions before the above stated timelines have passed does not guarantee that you will receive replies that quickly in the future.
Online classes are NOT conducted via instantaneous transmission. Just as I am giving you an EIGHT day period to complete your work, I am to be given SEVEN days to reply to your assignments. In addition, the above stated timelines apply to ALL students and ALL responses to your questions and concerns.
I appreciate your understanding of the above stated timelines and will respond to ALL questions and concerns about this class within the timeframes stated above.
A posting place at the top of the discussion page indicates the instructor’s message board to you. Be sure to check this each week so that you don’t miss messages and clarifications; remember that sometimes no instructor posting will have been made. Students are not to post in the instructor's posting area. Should you have a concern with your class please email me your question. It is not appropriate for students to post their concerns in the instructor's posting area. Students who post in the instructor's posting area will receive a warning and their posting will be deleted unanswered. Students who ignore the warning and post again to the instructor's posting area will be dropped from the class.
At the conclusion of the class students may find out their grades by calling (760) 252-6868 (local or out of state) and (877) 336-6868 (toll free within California). You may also find out your grade by going on the Internet at https://bcregweb.barstow.edu. I do not email or post student grades and will not respond to inquiries about grades at the conclusion of the course.
In the box below type, I understand and agree to abide by the online instructions written above.
IMPORTANT:
You will not officially start this course until after you have completed the orientation sessions at http://www.bcconline.com/orient/. No work should be completed until AFTER the you have reviewed the orientation area. The orientation area will answer many frequently asked questions about online instruction and also provides tutorials on common problems students encounter while doing online courses. If you are experiencing technical difficulties and/or need to learn how to use our courseware you should first check the orientation area to see if it answers your technical question. If your technical question is not answered on the website you may then email the webmaster@bcconline.com with your question.
If your question pertains to class materials you should email rvasconcellos@bcconline.com. The webmaster cannot answer course related questions, and Mr. Vasconcellos does not answer technical questions. Remember that you must state your full name, problem, question or concern and your class name in the subject line when asking a question.
In the box below type, I understand there is one meeting for this course (the final). If I am unable to take the final on the main campus, or at Barstow College's Ft. Irwin or Miramar sites, I understand it is my responsibility to find a proctor and completely fill out the proctor from. I understand I must fill out the syllabus in order to complete this course and that completing the online orientation before beginning my course work is mandatory, if I am a first time online student. I realize that I should email the instructor with any class related questions. I also understand that I should first check the orientation area for answers to my technical questions and can email the webmaster@bcconline.com my technical questions ONLY after checking the orientation area for the answer to my question first.
Requirements:
There is no prerequisite for this course. However there are several requirements in order to take the class:
An Internet browser to access web pages. Netscape 3.0, Internet Explorer 3.0 or the equivalent is the minimum.
An email address to receive class materials. A free email account such as Yahoo is acceptable.
The ability to structure your own time to do the readings, weekly assignments and be prompt. There are no make-ups. Be sure to schedule the midterm and the final in your personal scheduler. Do not plan to move, get married, go on vacation or any other such activity during these times. The midterms and the final are a significant portion of your grade.
The ability to create and submit college level written materials.
Facility with using email, the discussion groups, the web, and word processing.
If you do not have Internet access you may use the computer lab on campus; be sure to check times available for each lab to coordinate with your schedule.
In the box below type, I understand and have the ability to meet the requirements listed above. Further I have the necessary materials to complete this course
Resources for you
Online classes are administered under the Distance Education division and as such there are no regular class meetings. Sometimes the terminology and/or the breadth of the class may seem to be daunting or overwhelming to you. If so, you may also attend on campus classes when possible for extra reinforcement. Check the spring schedule for time and place. Please identify yourself to the instructor prior to the start of class so that extra credit can be assigned.
In the box below type, I understand I can attend class courses if I need additional help, or that I may contact bctutorial@bcconline.com if I need to have a tutor for this course.
Presentation of Material
There will be weekly online "discussion" sessions. These sessions are required and must be conducted within the time frame provided and noted on the home page of the course (see web page). At the end of the time frame, the instructor will comment; no postings to the discussion group will be permitted after the instructor comments are posted. There will be on-line homework pertinent to each lesson/assignment/chapter which you will complete during the one week period allocated to each lesson.
In the box below type, I understand how the materials will be presented and agree to turn in all of my assignments on time. I further realize late postings receive no grade.
Proctor Statement:
There will be one on campus meeting for the final exam. If you cannot attend the exam meeting you will have to find a proctor approved by the instructor, for example, a librarian or education officer, and an approved site, such as a library or an education center, to take the exam. Send the instructor the name, location and fax number of the proctor. The computer labs at Barstow College will be proctoring your exam if you come to campus. The Barstow College Library does not proctor exams. Proctor information must be received by the end of the third week of class!
You must fill out the student syllabus prior to starting the class materials. Failure to fill out the syllabus form for this class will result in your failing the class, as you will not be able to access the course materials after week one!
You must complete the student orientation requirements, which are located at http://www.bcconline.com/orient/ prior to starting the class materials, if you are a first time instructor. This area was created to help students move through the course website more effectively.
In the box below type, I understand there is one meeting for this course (the final). If I am unable to take the final on the main campus, or at Barstow College's Ft. Irwin or Miramar sites, I understand it is my responsibility to find a proctor with Internet access. I understand I must fill out the syllabus in order to complete this course.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is unacceptable and will result in failure of this course. Plagiarism is claiming the published work, speech, notes, etc. of someone else. When citing materials be sure to footnote.
Generally direct quotations, statistical information, quotations within quotations, require footnoting. Students might want to consult A Manual For Theses, Dissertations…by Kate Turabian for proper footnote techniques.
You may always stop by my office and we can go over how to reference -footnote- essays in detail.J
In the box below type, I understand that plagiarism is unacceptable and will result in failure of this course. Plagiarism is claiming the published work, speech, notes, etc. of someone else. When citing materials I will be sure to footnote.
Syllabus Disclaimer:
A syllabus is not a contract between instructor and student but rather a guide to course procedures on attendance, requirements, grading and objectives. The instructor reserves the right to amend the syllabus when conflicts, emergencies or situations arise that necessitate a change. Students will be notified of any changes.
In the box below, I understand a syllabus is a general guideline for students to use in planning their time for a particular class. The instructor reserves the right to make modifications to the syllabus with reasonable time allowances for students to adjust to the changes.
Disability Statement:
