Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Microeconomic Principles; Fall 2015 Syllabus (TUES HYBRID)

Course Information:

Section: ECN 212 (#29597)

Meeting Date and Time: Tuesdays 11:30am 12:45pm
Classroom location: Cholla Hall (CHO) Rm 303

Instructor information:

Instructor: Mitch Fisher

e-mail address: mitchell.fisher@cgc.edu
Office phone: (480) 732-7005
Office location:
Estrella (EST) 235
Office hours:
Monday and Wednesday: 8:30 10:00am
Tuesday and Thursday: 8:30 - 9:45am and 1:00 1:45pm
Friday: 10:30am noon
Also available by appointment if you cannot come during office hours

Course description: Microeconomic analysis including the theory of consumer choice, price
determination, resource allocation and income distribution. Includes non-competitive market
structures such as monopoly and oligopoly; and the effects of government regulation.

HYBRID format: This course is a hybrid version of ECN 212. In a hybrid version, the course
is taught 50% in the classroom and 50% is online. This does NOT mean that this course is 50%
of the workload of a traditional class. It just provides more flexibility for students, but will take a
considerable amount of individual effort outside the classroom by the student. Course lecture
notes, videos, assignments, and all other materials will be posted online in our course
management system, Canvas. Each week, students will be required to complete specific
readings and assignments online outside of scheduled class time and complete them prior to our
meeting day. As this is a hybrid class, you should ensure you have regular, reliable access to a
computer (see next page for information about the campus computer lab).

Prerequisite: None required

Textbook & materials (required):

Title: Foundations of Microeconomics, 6th edition

Author: Bade and Parkin; ISBN#: 9780132830881
Publisher: Pearson/Addison Wesley (2013)

MCCCD Official Course Competencies - Upon successful completion of the course

the student should be able to:

1. Define the major concepts in economics, and describe and analyze major economic systems. (I, II)
2. Describe the determinants of supply and demand and their effect on equilibrium price. (III)
3. Describe utility theory and the underpinnings of demand. (III, V)
4. Describe the relation of price elasticity to revenue. (IV)
5. Define market structures and business organization and provide examples. (VI)
6. Define the production function, marginal and average product, and their relationship to costs. (VI)
7. Describe the relation between short-run cost and supply. (VI)
8. Describe the determinants of scale economics. (VI)
9. Describe the relation between long-run cost and supply. (VI)
10. Describe the nature of supply and demand in competitive markets. (VII)
11. Describe monopoly behavior and why it has resulted in regulation and antitrust legislation. (VII, VIII)
12. Describe other forms of imperfect competition including oligopoly, monopolistic competition, and price
discrimination. (VII)

Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Microeconomic Principles; Fall 2015 Syllabus (TUES HYBRID)
13. Compare perfectly and imperfectly competitive industries from the buyer`s and seller`s perspectives.
(VII)
14. Describe the unique features of resource markets. (IX)

CGCC Technology Canvas, CGCC computer lab, and student email:

1) Canvas: CGCCs course management system: CGCCs course management system is called
Canvas. This class has a course folder set up within the Canvas system. It is in Canvas where
materials for this course are posted. This includes the course syllabus, online lecture notes,
assignments, etc. You can access Canvas by going to: learn.maricopa.edu and then using your MEID
and password to login. You can also find the login link for Canvas under Quick Links or Inside from
the CGCC homepage (www.cgc.edu). For 24/7 help with Canvas, contact the student helpdesk at 1888-994-4433.
2) Student email accounts: The Maricopa District provides every student with Google-powered
Maricopa Student Email upon
enrollment. CGCC uses this official student email to send information concerning class enrollment,
financial aid, tuition, and other important student information. Students must activate this email
account in order to receive these messages. Activate your Maricopa Student Email now at
maricopa.edu/google. It is your responsibility to check your student email frequently (i.e. daily) and to
make sure that your student email account is correct and working. When you contact me via email,
please use your CGCC student email account.
3) CGCC computer lab: As this is a hybrid class, you should ensure you have regular, reliable

access to a computer. All registered CGCC students have access to the campuss computer
lab in Bradshaw (BRD) 123. It is the students responsibility to be aware of hours that the
computer lab is open and available for your use.

Withdrawal policy (W): The deadline for the student to withdraw from this course with a

grade of W is October 12th. If you wish to withdraw, you must do so online, or you must
initiate an official withdrawal by submitting a course withdrawal form with the required
signatures to the Office of Admissions and Records. After October 12th, no withdrawals will be
allowed except for special cases such as health or family emergencies, call to active duty, or
sudden, verified illness. Students are required to provide appropriate documentation for all
requests for late withdrawal after October 12th. If you stop coming to class without officially
withdrawing, you will receive a grade of F.

Academic integrity/plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as presenting the work of another as

ones own. More than four consecutive words from a source other than the writer constitute
plagiarism when the source is not clearly identified in appropriate documentation format. From
the CGCC handbook: Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the use of paraphrase or direct
quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear
acknowledgement. It also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another
person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials. Violations
of academic integrity are serious offenses and are subject to an appropriate disciplinary
response. I reserve the right to give a student suspected of academic dishonesty an F
for the course.

Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Microeconomic Principles; Fall 2015 Syllabus (TUES HYBRID)
Students with special needs: Students with disabilities are required to register for

services in the Disability Resources and Services (DRS) office. It is suggested that students
register at the beginning of the semester, but students may register at any time for support
with any CGCC classes. The DRS office will meet with you to determine accommodations
based on appropriate documentation. It is the students responsibility to contact the Office
of Disability Resources and Services directly at 480-857-5188, or,
http://www.cgc.maricopa.edu/Students/DisabilityServices/Pages/Home.aspx, or the
office at Pecos Campus in BRD101, if there are any concerns or assistance that will be
required. Documentation and advance notification are required for most accommodations to
be made.

Information on Learning Center: The Learning Center provides free tutoring, workshops,
and other resources for many CGCC courses at both Pecos (Library 2nd floor) and Williams
(Bridget Hall). For more information, please visit www.cgc.edu/lc or call 480-732-7231.

Counseling Services: Counseling Services at CGC offers free, confidential individual

counseling for academic, career, and personal goals. Connections with community resources
and referrals are also available. Please see http://www.cgc.edu/counselingservices

Classroom groundrules:
1.
Attend every class and be on time.
2.
Please make sure that all cell phones, pagers and beepers are turned of before class begins.
3.
Come prepared and actively participate.
4.
Please be respectful of your instructor and your peers dont disrupt the classroom.
5.
It is the students responsibility to be aware and understand all information, policies and
expectations contained in this syllabus. Please let me know if you have any questions or need
further clarification.
6.
It is the students responsibility to keep track of all assignments, what assignments are due,
and when they are due. Please let me know if you have any questions or need further clarification.

Tips for success:

Before coming to class:
1.Read, and then re-read the chapters of the text, paying particular attention to the learning objectives
of each chapter (found on the first page of each chapter).
2.Outline/take notes on each chapter and make note of any questions you may have about any of the
topics.
3.Read through any additional materials assigned to supplement the text readings (e.g. articles,
videos, etc).
4.Try the practice quiz found at the end of each text chapter. Come see me during office hours to
check your results.

After class:
1.Read through your class notes again and then re-write your notes. Make a note of any questions
you may have about any of the topics discussed in class.
2.Go back through any activities from class, re-do them, and make note of any questions you have.
Questions? Please contact me as soon as possible! If you ever have any questions about the
material, please feel free to contact me as soon as possible. Come see me in person during office hours,
email me, or call me. If you are emailing, be sure to email from your student CGCC email and be sure to
indicate 1) your name, 2) which course you are enrolled in (e.g. ECN211 M/W or ECN212 Tues HYBRID), and
3) your specific question(s) within the email. Please be as specific as possible--that will help me to answer
your question in a more efficient and effective manner.

Evaluation of Students: A breakdown of requirements and the grading scale are as

follows:
Exams:

300 points

Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Microeconomic Principles; Fall 2015 Syllabus (TUES HYBRID)
Homework-discussion questions:
Participation / In-class activities:
Critical thinking research Assignments:
Grading scale:
405-450 points
360-404 points
315-359 points
270-314 points
< 270

=
=
=
=

70
30
50
450

points
points
points
points total

A
B
C
D
=F

1. Exams (3 exams, 100 points each = 300 points total): There will be three (3)

exams given in class during the semester. Each exam will be given equal weight (i.e. 100
points each). The exams are not cumulative. Exam 1 will be given on Tuesday, September
29th; Exam 2 will be given on Tuesday, November 3rd; Exam 3 will be given during the week
of December 14th in accordance with CGCCs official final exam schedule.
Make-up Exams: In case of an illness or valid conflict, you may request a make-up exam.
However, if you miss an exam, it is your responsibility to notify me of your absence and schedule
a make-up exam as soon as possible.
NOTE: In order to be eligible to take a make-up exam, you must contact me within
24-hours of missing the regularly scheduled exam.
NOTE: Make up exams must be taken before the next scheduled exam date,
otherwise, the student will receive a score of zero for the exam.

2. Homework - Weekly discussion questions (14 assignments, 5 points each =

70 points total): There will be homework assignments (discussion questions) assigned in

Canvas each week during the semester. These discussion questions will require you to read and
critically think about a topic ahead of time before we cover it in the classroom. All homework
assignments must be submitted online in Canvas (see Canvas and the last 2 pages of the
syllabus for specific deadlines). It is the students responsibility to be aware of all homework
assignments and deadlines. Students will receive a score of 0 for late or missed
homework. Late homework will not be accepted unless you have notified me of an
emergency situation (hospitalization, death in family) ahead of time. Proper
documentation is required.

3. Participation in class activities (30 points total): During class time, we will

frequently be working in small groups on activities and having class discussions. Therefore,
attendance and preparation are critical for successful participation. A lower participation grade
will be given for: 1) failure to attend class (i.e. you dont attend, you cant participate!) or 2)
attending class but failing to participate in class activities and discussions. Points will be earned
as follows:
0-1 absences / non-participation
= 30 points
2 absences / non-participation
= 20 points
3 absences / non-participation
= 10 points
4 or more absences / non-participation = 0

4. Critical thinking/information literacy research assignments (25 points each

= 50 points total): There will be two (2) critical thinking/information literacy research
assignments related to specific topics in our course assigned during the semester. Research
Assignment #1 will be due on Tuesday, October 13th; Research Assignment #2 will be due on
Tuesday, December 1st. Separate handouts with detailed instructions for these research

Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Microeconomic Principles; Fall 2015 Syllabus (TUES HYBRID)
projects will be distributed during the first few weeks of class. These research projects must be
returned, in person, at the beginning of class on the due date. Research assignments may not
be emailed unless you have made arrangements with me to do so ahead of time. Late
research assignments will receive a 5 point deduction each calendar day it is late
(more than 15 minutes after the beginning of class) unless you have notified me of an
emergency situation (hospitalization, death in family) ahead of time.
NOTE: You will need to access readings from the CGCC librarys databases for these
assignments. You must have a valid MEID and password to access the CGCC librarys electronic
indexes and databases from off-campus.

Timely submission of work and policy regarding late work - summary:

Homework, Research assignments, and exams have specific due dates and times.
It is the students responsibility to keep track of all due dates and deadlines.
Late homework: Students will receive a score of 0 for late or missed homework. Late
homework will not be accepted unless you have notified me of an emergency situation
(hospitalization, death in family) ahead of time. Proper documentation is required.
Missed in-class activities: A lower participation grade will be given for: 1) failure to
attend class (i.e. you dont attend, you cant participate!) or 2) attending class but failing
to participate in class activities and discussions (points earned as noted above). It is not
possible to make up points lost from in-class activities.
Late research assignments: Late research assignments will receive a 5 point deduction
each calendar day it is late (more than 15 minutes after the beginning of class) unless you
have notified me of an emergency situation (hospitalization, death in family) ahead of
time. Proper documentation is required.
Make up exams: In order to be eligible to take a make-up exam, you must contact me
within 24-hours of the regularly scheduled exam. Make up exams must be taken before
the next scheduled exam date, otherwise, the student will receive a score of zero for that
exam.

Tentative Course Outline:

Please note that the text chapter and discussion material are subject to change at the
professors discretion. You will be notified in class and on Canvas of any changes and you are
responsible for making note of these changes.
Meetin
g
Dates

Readings to
prepare for the
week (before
class)

Week
1:
(8/25)

Ch. 1
Ch. 2

Week
2: (9/1)

Ch. 1
Ch. 2
Ch. 3

Online
assignments (in
Canvas; due by
5pm Monday
before class):

In class Tuesday:

Introductions; syllabus; Canvas;

Lecture #1
Videos: #2, 3, 4, 5,
5A, 6

Activities: Scarcity; factors of

production; circular flow
Activities: Opportunity cost; the PPF;

Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Microeconomic Principles; Fall 2015 Syllabus (TUES HYBRID)
Lecture #2
Videos: #7, 8, 9, 10,
34
HW#1

Specialization, Trade and Comparative

Advantage

Week
3:
(9/8)

Ch. 4

Lecture #3
Videos: #11, 12, 13,
14
HW#2

Activities: Demand and Supply; Market

Equilibrium

Week
4:
(9/15)

Ch. 5

Lecture #4
Videos: #16
HW#3

Activities: Elasticities; price elasticity of

demand and supply; cross elasticity;
income elasticity

Week
5:
(9/22)

Ch. 6

Lecture #5
HW#4

Activities: Efficiency and fairness of

markets; consumer surplus (CS) and
producer surplus (PS)
EXAM #1: Tuesday, September 29th

Week
6:
(9/29)
Week
7:
(10/6)

Ch. 7

Lecture #6
Videos: #15
HW#5

Activities: Government Actions in

markets; price ceilings and price floors;
price supports in agricultural markets

Week
8:
(10/13)

Ch. 8

Lecture #7
HW#6

Research Assignment #1 due

Activities: Taxes; taxes on buyers and
sellers; types of taxes; fairness

Week
9:
(10/20)

Ch. 9

Lecture #8
Videos: #35, 36, 37,
38
HW#7

Activities: Global markets and

international trade; gains from trade;
barriers to trade (e.g. tariffs, quotas,
subsidies)

Week
10:
(10/27)

Ch. 10
Ch. 11 (pgs. 265-269
only):
Ch. 12 (pgs. 291-295
and 305-311 only):

Lecture #9
Videos: #31, 32, 33
HW#8

Activities: market failure; externalities;

public goods and common resources;
markets with private information; health
care markets

Meetin
g
Dates

Readings to
prepare for the
week (before
class):

Online
assignments (in
Canvas; due by
5pm Monday
before class):

In class Tuesday:

Week
11:
(11/3)

Ch. 13 (pgs. 315-333

only):

Lecture #10
Videos: #17, 18
HW#9

EXAM #2: Tuesday, November 3rd

Week
12:
(11/10)

Ch. 14

Lecture #11
Videos: #20, 20B,
21, 22, 23, 24
HW#10

Activities: Costs of production; profit;

short run production and costs; long run
costs

Week

Ch. 15

Lecture #12

Activities: perfect competition; output,

Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Microeconomic Principles; Fall 2015 Syllabus (TUES HYBRID)
13:
(11/17)

Videos: #25, 26, 26B

HW#11

price and profit in the short run and long

run

Week
14:
(11/24)

Ch. 16

Lecture #13
Videos: #27, 27B, 28
HW#12

Activities: monopoly; monopoly

regulation

Week
15:
(12/1)

Ch. 17
Ch. 18

Lecture #14
Videos: #29, 30,
30A, 30B, 30C
HW#13

Research Assignment #2 due

Activities: Monopolistic competition;
Activities: oligopoly; antitrust laws

Week
16:
(12/8)

Ch. 19
Ch. 20

Lecture #15
Lecture #16
HW#14

Activities: Markets for factors of

production (e.g. labor markets);
Activities: economic inequality

Week
17:
(12/1412/18)

Exam week: Exam #3