Syllabus for Economics 110 Winter 2019 Economics 110 Survey of Economics Hybrid Class: Winter 2019 5 Credit Course; Item # 4102 Instructor: Office: Office Hours: Phone & Email: Textbook: Osei K. Bonsu, Ph.D. Cascade 348 (Fort Steilacoom Campus) Monday and Wednesday 7:30 am 8am Please use email within our canvas Class Classroom: OLY Building # 328; 8-9:20am Mon. & Wed. Principles of Economics, Taylor, Openstax College, Rice University, 2014, ISBN 978-1-938168-23-9. This is a free, online book. You have a number of options for getting access to the book, most of which are found online at Openstax College: https://www.openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/principles-of- economics/get https://cnx.org/contents/bc498e1f-efe9-43a0-8dea-d3569ad09a82 economics/get Download the book for free to your computer as a PDF. Read the book free online on the web. Get a premium interactive version of the book for ipad or iphone for $4.99. Get a low cost hard copy of the book at our bookstore or through Amazon. (Even cheaper are used books and book for rent.) Read the book on 2-hour reserve at the library at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom of Puyallup. Course Description and Objectives: This course is intended to provide an introduction to a general understanding of economics. Topics include economic systems, demand and supply, competition, monopoly, inflation, unemployment, and the role of government in market economy like the United States of America. The aim of this class is introduce the economist way of thought; as to how in the face of scarcity economic decisions are made by both individuals and firms.
Upon completion, successful students would become familiar with basic tools used in economics; explain how market based economies work; explain the role of competition and the role of government in market based economies. More importantly students should be able to use basic economic tools to analyze hypothetical economic situations to make better economic decisions for their lives. Grades: 8 Online Homework Assignments 80 points (10 points each) 4 Online Quizzes 40 points (10 points each) 3 Online Exams 300 points (100 points each) Class Participation and Attendance 50 points Total 470 points Homework Assignments: There will be eight homework assignments that will be worth 10 points each. The homework will be on canvas and will be timed. Due dates and times are strict deadlines. Late assignments will not be accepted. It is okay if you find the assignments challenging or hard; look at them as learning exercises. Quizzes: There will be four quizzes during the quarter. The quizzes will be either in multiple choice and short answers formats. Each quiz will be worth 10 points. The homework and the quizzes will help you to learn for our class exams. Exams: There will be three exams throughout the quarter. One of them will be your final exam. They will consist mainly of multiple choice and short answer questions. The 3 exams will be closed book and closed notes. You will not be allowed to use the internet, such as Googling for an answer. The reason for this is that students learn much more of the material when they know that they cannot look up for answers during exams. The exams will be timed and you will not be given more than 120 minutes to complete each exam once you start the exam. Each exam will be worth 100 points. Most of the exams and quizzes will be on canvas, but some could be taken in class if time permits. Percent Grade Percent Grade 95-100 A (4.0 ) 65-69 C- (1.7) 90-94 A- (3.7) 60-64 D+ (1.4) 85-89 B+ (3.3) 55-59 D (1.0) 80-84 B (3.0) 50-54 D- (0.7) 75-79 C+ (2.7) < 50 F (0.0) 70-74 C (2.0)
Late Assignment Policy: It will be very important to meet deadlines in this class because late assignments will not be accepted. The reason is that I will grade all assignments at the same time and post the grades at the same time on canvas. I strongly recommend that you meet all deadlines so that you do not loose points towards your grade. Make-up Exams: I do not give make-up exams, therefore there will no make-up exams in this class. I do not recommend missing exam deadlines. In Class Telephone Policy: No talking on phones in class; No text massaging in class; and NO internet computer usage in class, unless it is for your class work. Finally, no receiving incoming phone calls in class. Please Turn all phones OFF while we are in class. Dropping the Course: You, the student, are completely responsible for dropping this class. If you are not doing well in the class; I will not drop you late in the quarter nor will give you an incomplete or NC to avoid getting a poor grade. Therefore it will be your decision to drop the class whenever you are experiencing outside problem that may affect your school work and grades. Participation and Attendance: It is very easy to fall behind in a hybrid class because you have to be disciplined to do half of the work on your own time schedule. You have a lot of flexibility regarding when to do your part of the work in canvas; and there is high probability that you will keep putting off the work in favor of other things. Do not fall behind this class. It very important that you attend classes and keep up with the class reading and assignments. Your participation in class and online (online canvas) assignments will go towards your grade and so take both seriously. Extra Credit: Students who will be interested in doing extra credit can do one of the following projects. Whichever you decide to do could earn you 15 extra points that will be added to your final score in the class. Option #1: History of an Industry or Business: For this project you will need to investigate the history of an industry or a specific business enterprise. You are expected to submit a 3-page summary report of your findings. A well prepared report will include the origin of the industry /firm, explanation of the degree of competition within the industry since its
inception until present, and summary of how the firm or industry makes its profits (identify its various cost and source of revenues); lastly, offer suggestions as to how the firm or the industry can increase its profitability. Option #2: Evaluate any Stimulus Package in the United States: For this project, you will need to investigate or research any recent fiscal stimulus package endorsed and passed by the United States Congress and signed into effect/law by the president of the United States of America. You are expected to submit a 3-page summary report of your findings. A well prepared report will outline the goals of the package; explain how the package intends to accomplish those goals; and identify winners and losers due to the stimulus. Finally, in your report, state what you think the economic benefits the stimulus will have for our country. [You will have to submit your extra credit project report in word document online in canvas in the 9 th week of the quarter]. Cheating: Cheating is not allowed in this hybrid class. In particular, this means that you need to do your own work on all quizzes and exams. You are not allowed to take the exams and quizzes with another person or discuss them with another person when you are doing it. You are not allowed to use your book or notes. You can only use a standard calculator if need be. You are definitely not allowed to look up for answers on the internet. For example, if you are asked to define an economic concept like what is demand for a short answer question; you cannot just Google it and write down the answer. If you do, you will most likely flunk the test. The reason why this will be taken seriously is that students who rely on looking up answers during exams and quizzes tend to learn much less in the class. Note that the penalty for cheating is usually an F for the class. Hybrid Course Schedule for /Winter 2019 Week Chapter (s) Topics & Activities. Week 1 Jan. 07 Jan. 09 1 Review of the syllabus. Introduction of the class. Discussion on Assignments Welcome to Economics! Week 2 2 & 3 Demand and Supply Jan.14 Jan. 16 Week 3 Jan. 21 Jan. 23 Homework 1 due on canvas. 19 The Macroeconomics Perspectives Quiz #1. Homework 2 due Week 4 8 Perfect Competition
Jan. 28 Jan 30 Exam # 1 Homework 3 due Week 5 Feb. 04 Feb. 06 9 Monopoly (Market Structure) Week 6 Feb. 11 Feb.13 Week 7 Feb. 18- Feb. 20 Week 8 Feb. 25- Feb. 27 Week 9 Mar. 04- Mar. 06 Week 10 Mar. 11- Mar.13 Week 11 Mar. 18- Mar. 20 Homework 4 due 27 Money and Banking. Quiz # 2 Homework 5 due 30 Government Spending & Fiscal Policy Exam # 2 Homework 6 due 28 Monetary Policy and Bank Regulations. Federal Reserve Homework 7 due 21 Unemployment Quiz # 3 Extra Credit due 11 Monopoly and Antitrust policy Homework 8 due 13 Positive Externalities and Public Goods Quiz # 4 Week 12 Finals Week Review for Mar. 22, 25, 26 Final Exam # 3 20 Hybrid School Days Grades Due Mar. 29 Students with Disabilities: You experience in this class is important to me, and it is the policy of Pierce College to create an inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state laws. If you experience any barriers based on disability, please seek a meeting with the Access and Disability Service (ADS) manager to discuss and address them. If you have already established accommodations with the ADS manager, please bring your approval accommodations (green sheet) to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this class.
ADS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you and the ADS manager, and I am available to help facilitate them in this class. If you have not yet established services through ADS, but have a temporary or permanent disability that requires accommodations (this can include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are encouraged to contact ADS at 253-964-6526 (Fort Steilacoom) or 253-840-8335 (Puyallup). `` No classes on: January 21, 2019 MLK Day; February 18 (Presidents Day); (RPD days); March 22 is the Last Instruction day for the Winter quarter. March 26 is the last day for the Winter quarter. Finals Exams Days: March 22, 25, 26 2019. Final Exams for our class will be on canvas too!! My hope is for you to enjoy this economics class. Do you best to learn as much as you can because economics is important. Most importantly, you as well as the rest of us are all economic actors. All the decisions we make in our lives are economic decisions. This course schedule is subject to change if deemed necessary. You will be informed of any changes. I am available for questions and suggestions any time.