ECON 100 B Introduction to Business Microeconomics Fall 2014 INSTRUCTOR Office Phone E-mail Dr. Dustin Quirk 418 403-343-4022 dustin.quirk@rdc.ab.ca or via Blackboard messages CLASS TIMES Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:30 AM - 12:50 PM Downtown Room 310 OFFICE HOURS Wednesdays 5:00 PM - 5:50 PM or by appointment Tuesdays and Thursdays 1:00 PM - 1:50 PM ACADEMIC CALENDAR ENTRY Terminology, concepts, theory, methods, and limitations of current mircoeconomic analysis. Analyzing and understanding economics as it relates to individuals and businesses. How political, social, and market forces determine and affect the Canadian economy. Credit will not be granted for both ECON 100 and ECON 201. ACADEMIC CREDIT (HOURS) 3.0 PREREQUISITES This is a first year introductory business economics course with no prerequisites. LEARNING OUTCOMES Upon successfully completing this course, you should be able to interpret and apply basic microeconomic principles to various contemporary problems facing individuals and businesses in the local, provincial, national and international economies. In addition, you should be able to apply various economic concepts and theories to decision making and problem solving processes in a business organization and in your daily life. The learning outcomes for this course include: describe how economics is used to study what decisions people make and why list and explain the key questions in economics and understand the scientific process of decision making explain consumer behavior graphically and using appropriate economic terminology explain producer behavior graphically and using appropriate terminology identify what type of market a company is in demonstrate professional behaviour. COURSE TOPICS See Tentative Timetable on last page. ECON 100 B Course Outline Red Deer College Page 1 of 5
LEARNING ACTIVITIES Learning activities in this course include lectures, in-class and on-line discussions, small group work, and written and on-line assignments. REQUIRED TEXTBOOK Exploring Microeconomics (Third Canadian Edition) By Robert Sexton, Peter Fortura, and Colin Kovacs Nelson. 2013. COURSE REQUIREMENTS 1) Professionalism 2) Attendance Students are expected to demonstrate business professional behaviors. Assessment of student performance includes an individual grade for professionalism that consists of a combination of attendance, preparedness, appropriate participation in class and on-line discussions, conduct in class, and presentation of work. Regular attendance is expected. Students who miss a class are responsible for the material they have missed. 3) Class Participation Students are expected to participate in class and on-line discussions throughout the course. 4) Homework and Assignments Students are expected to have read in advance the materials to be taken up in class. Assignments are due at the start of class on the specified date. Blackboard assignments are due by the posted due date and time. Late assignments will not be accepted. 5) Examination 6) General Any student missing an exam without having made arrangements with the instructor prior to the exam will receive a grade of zero for that exam. Students who are encountering difficulty with the course are urged to contact the instructor. In the case of a grade discrepancy between a posted grade and the grade recorded on the returned assignment/exam the student must produce the exam/assignment with the correct grade in order for the posted grade to be changed. Do not throw out old assignments or exams until you are sure that your posted grade is correct. ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT Please become familiar with what constitutes academic misconduct, as well as the consequences. Plagiarism involves submitting work in a course as if it were the student s own work. Plagiarism may involve the act of submitting work in which some or all of the phrasing, ideas, or line of reasoning are alleged to be the submitter s own but in fact were created by someone else. The complete RDC policy is available at: http://rdc.ab.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/documents/2132/student-misconduct-academic-non-academicpolicy_0.pdf ECON 100 B Course Outline Red Deer College Page 2 of 5
IMPORTANT DATES September 10 September 10 October 7 October 13 October 24 November 10 November 10 November 11 December 3 December 3 December 8 to 13 December 22 Last day to register or add/drop Fall or Full year courses. Last day to have tuition refunded for Fall or Full year courses. Emergency Response Day Thanksgiving Day College closed Mid-term feedback date. Instructors give students formal feedback on their academic standing in Fall Term courses. Final examination schedule posted. College open. No classes. Remembrance Day College closed Last day to withdraw from Fall Term courses and receive a WD Last day of classes for Fall Term courses Students are expected to be available during this time period for the writing of final exams. Final grades available RDC FINAL EXAMINATION POLICY The RDC Final Examination Policy will be followed with respect to Final Examinations. Please review this document to ensure you understand the contents and implications of the policy at: http://rdc.ab.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/documents/2055/final-examinations-policy_0.pdf DEPARTMENT WEBSITE http://rdc.ab.ca/programs/academic-departments/donald-school-business/donald-school-business BLACKBOARD The course schedule and supplementary materials are available on the Blackboard site for this course. It is important to check this site frequently for updates. ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE METHODS OF EVALUATION Activity Description Weight Blackboard Assignments These are online individual assignments designed to check 15% students knowledge of course material covered in previous classes. Term Exam I covered in Chapters 1 to 4. Term Exam II covered in Chapters 5 to 7. Term Exam III covered in Chapters 8 to 11. Applied Media Assignments (2) The intention of these two written individual assignments is 20% to bridge the economic principles and theories discussed in class with application to current local, provincial, national and/or international events underlying a recent media report/article. Professionalism The component of the individual grade for professionalism 5% consists of a combination of attendance, preparedness, appropriate participation in class and on-line discussions, conduct in class, teamwork, and presentation of work. Total Final Grade 100% Note: Additional assignment guidelines and grading criteria will be provided in class. ECON 100 B Course Outline Red Deer College Page 3 of 5
GRADING SYSTEM Final grades in the course will be assigned based on the Alberta Education Grade Comparison letter grading system as described in the Red Deer College Calendar. The CAP Alberta Education Grade Comparison table can be found at: http://rdc.ab.ca/future-students/admissions-registration/admissions/requirements TRANSFER AGREEMENTS Formal transfer agreements between Red Deer College and other Alberta universities and colleges are found at www.acat.gov.ab.ca. CHANGES TO THE COURSE OUTLINE Changes to the course outline will be made with the consent of the course instructor and students. Changes will be reviewed by the Associate Dean for consistency with College policies. OTHER ITEMS This course may be eligible for Prior Learning Assessment. Students should refer to the RDC Course Calendar for a list of excluded courses. Classroom Learning Resources may be available to students in alternative formats. Students should be aware that Personal Counselling, Career, Learning and Disability Services are provided by RDC. Inquire about locations at Information Desk. It is the student s responsibility to discuss their specific learning needs with the appropriate service provider. It is the student s responsibility to be familiar with the information contained in the Course Outline and to clarify any areas of concern with the instructor. Students should refer to the Appeals: Formal Policy, Appeals: Informal Resolution Policy and Student Misconduct: Academic and Non-Academic Policy should they have questions or concerns about the Course Outline that cannot be resolved with the instructor. Associate Dean Date June 23, 2014 ECON 100 B Course Outline Red Deer College Page 4 of 5
TENTATIVE TIMETABLE Date Outline of Course Topics Activities/Readings Week 1 September 4 Week 2 September 9 and 11 Week 3 September 16 and 18 Week 4 September 23 and 25 Week 5 September 30 and October 2 Week 6 October 7 and 9 Week 7 October 14 and 16 Week 8 October 21 and 23 Week 9 October 28 and 30 Week 10 November 4 and 6 Week 11 November 11 and 13 Week 12 November 18 and 20 Week 13 November 25 and 27 Week 14 December 2 Course Introduction The Role and Method of Economics Chapter 1 Working with Graphs Chapter 1 Appendix Scarcity, Trade-Offs and Production Chapter 2 Possibilities Supply and Demand Chapter 3 Bringing Supply and Demand Together Chapter 4 Catch Up and Review Term Exam 1 Chapters 1 to 4 October 13 th Thanksgiving College closed Go over exam Tuesday Elasticity Chapter 5 Term Exam 1 Thursday October 9 th Applied Media Assignment 1 Due October 21 st Market Efficiency and Market Failure Chapter 6 Production and Costs Chapter 7 Term Exam 2 Chapters 5 to 7 Go over exam Thursday Perfect Competition November 11 th Remembrance Day College closed Perfect Competition continued Term Exam 2 Tuesday November 4 th Chapter 8 Chapter 8 continued Monopoly Chapter 9 Monopolistic Competition and Oligopoly Chapter 10 Labour Markets Chapter 11 Applied Media Assignment 2 Due December 2 nd Final Exam Week Term Exam 3 Chapters 8 to 11 Term Exam 3 Scheduled by the Registrar Note: Check the Blackboard site for this course to find out when Blackboard Assignments are due. ECON 100 B Course Outline Red Deer College Page 5 of 5