Murniz allen coson

East Los Angeles College (ELAC)
ECON 001 – Online Microeconomics
*SYLLABUS*
Professor Murniz Allen Coson, Ph.D.

Fall 2017

Meeting Times: Online via Canvas

Office Hours: MTWTH 10:30 am – 12:00 pm

Office Location: F7 307R (323) 415-5434

E-mail: cosonm@elac.edu

Course Description: This course is an introduction to Microeconomics and the different formal and informal institutions that affect our society today. We will discuss what is economics and the three questions that are closely associated with it: what, how and who. In addition, a substantial amount of class discussion will be devoted to the principles of economics, namely opportunity cost, marginal principle, voluntary exchange, diminishing returns, and real-nominal principle. This course will also provide insights with the issue of exchange and markets and how government plays a role. Finally, we will compare and contrast elasticity and inelasticity along with the utility theory and how consumers make decisions on what goods and services to purchase. Moreover, we will discuss as to why markets can be considered perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition, and oligopoly.

Student Learning Outcomes: In this course, students develop a core set of skills useful in analysis of economic issues from a microeconomics perspective while maintaining a commitment to a liberal arts education. This course in microeconomics also focuses on how markets allocate resources, goods and services, and incomes throughout the economy. It analyzes the implications of government's involvement in particular markets and in the economy as a whole via policies to improve economic performance or distributional equity. Topics include fundamentals of economic thinking, economic systems, particularly the market system, how markets operate and how the concept of elasticity relates to them, production costs, various market structures, including pure competition, pure monopoly, monopolistic competition, oligopoly, and resource markets.

Course Expectations: I expect you to actively participate in class discussions, and to submit the assignments on time. Please be prepared by reading the chapters and PowerPoints well ahead of the assignments. When reading, ask yourself how the topics being discussed relate to today’s socio-political-economic structures.

Grading: Your grades will be based on the following items:

Discussion Board Posts and Responses (15): worth 20% of your grade. You will be responsible for answering every even week’s questions via Canvas, and replying to at least two of your classmates’ posts. Please provide substance and refrain from simply saying, “I agree/disagree with you,” and/or “Good job.” Please respect the opinions of others as we live in a highly diverse environment (race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, physical and/or mental challenges, age, lifestyles, height and weight). Each discussion board forum will be available on Monday (12:00 am PST) until Sunday (11:59 pm PST). Please plan accordingly.

Assignments (7): worth 20% of your grade. You will be responsible for submitting seven assignments via Canvas. Each assignment will cover a chapter covered in class. Please see the due dates in the course outline.

Quizzes (7): worth 20% of your grade. There will be a total of seven quizzes. Quizzes will consist of multiple-choice questions from the textbook, and will be accessible via Canvas starting Monday morning (12:00 am PST) and ending Sunday night (11:55 pm PST). Once you start the quiz, you will have one hour (60 minutes) to complete it, and you will only have one attempt, so give yourself an ample amount of time to compete the quiz. There will be no make-up quizzes if you miss a quiz.

Mid-term and Final Exams : worth 40% of your grade. There will be a total of two exams worth 100 points each. Exams will consist of multiple-choice questions from the textbook, and will be accessible via Canvas. Please check my announcements when the exams will take place. Once you start the exam, you will have two hours (120 minutes) to complete it, and you will only have one attempt, so give yourself an ample amount of time to compete the exam. There will be no make-up exams if you miss a exam.

Classroom Policies: Here is a list of items to remember:

Biases: Grades will not reflect the ideologies of the students or the professor. All perspectives, ideas, and opinions are welcome.

Drop/Withdrawal Policy: It is your responsibility to drop or withdraw this course if necessary. Once again, you are responsible for your actions.

Plagiarism: Grading will be in accordance with the ELAC Student Handbook. ACADEMIC HONESTY is always required, i.e., submitting original work, and NOT copying from others during the quizzes and exams. Failure to follow the academic honesty policy may result in being dropped from the course, and possibly disqualified from the university.

Common Courtesy: Lastly, you are all adults, so please be respectful to one another.

Additional Assistance: Students can access the Writing Center to improve their overall student capability. Lastly, students can access the Disabled Student Programs and Services for special needs.