Economics 102: Principles of Microeconomics (ONLINE)

Summer Session II 2008

Instructor: Supriya Sarnikar

Office Room: Wilson 415B

Office Hours:  Monday to Thursday 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM online

Phone: 413-572-5434; E-mail: ssarnikar@wsc.ma.edu

Textbook: ‘Microeconomics’ by R. Glenn Hubbard and Anthony Patrick O’Brien; ISBN: 9780138132774

Other Requirements: (1) Students will be required to purchase access to Aplia® (price $35) for online homework and quizzes; (2) Online lectures and some (but not all) office hours will be conducted through Elluminate®. Students will need speakers to listen to the lectures and a microphone if they wish to speak with me during online office hours; (3) Students will need Microsoft Word®, Excel® and PowerPoint® to view course materials and to submit online assignments. MS-Office® 2003 version is available for download from Resnet or MS-Office® 2007 can be purchased at a discount from the WSC website.

Course Description

This is an introductory course in economics with emphasis on economics of the firm and resource allocation. Topics to be discussed include the price and output determination under pure competition, pure monopoly, monopolistic competition and oligopoly, the resource market, international trade and an evaluation of American Capitalism.

(Source: WSC Course Catalog)

Course Objectives

After taking this course students should

(1) know the basic terminology of economics and be able to use them correctly;

(2) understand basic economic concepts and be able to describe them in their own words;

(3) be able to identify the economic principles needed to solve a practical problem and apply the principles to solve the problem;

(4) be able to interpret economic data and identify cause-effect relationships;

Graded Requirements

Participation in periodic online Discussions                      20%

Aplia Homework and Quizzes assigned periodically                           20%

Online Test 1 (July 18)                                             20%

Online Test 2 (August 1)                                        20%

Online Test 3 (August 15)                                      20%

Total                                                                           100%

Course Policy

Participation

Students must complete all assignments and participate in periodic online discussions. Failure to complete assignments for two consecutive weeks without a valid excuse will result in an administrative drop from the course. Late submissions of assignments, quizzes and exams will not be accepted. Students will automatically receive a zero on any missed assignments unless they have a valid excuse.

Readings

Readings from the textbook and outside sources will be assigned periodically. Students must complete the reading prior to attempting the online homework and quizzes. Students must also be prepared to discuss textbook examples and cases in class discussion forums. Participation grades will depend heavily on student’s familiarity with assigned reading.

Communication

I will be available for live communication Monday through Thursday only during online office hours from 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm through the Who's Online tool on the course webpage. Students should allow 48 hours for responses to any inquiries sent via e-mail.

Academic Integrity

The penalties for cheating are high. Please review the academic honesty policy available in the student handbook and at this URL on WSC’s website: http://www.wsc.ma.edu/Current_Students/Student_Handbook/Academic_Life/Academic_Honesty_Policy.html

Grade Appeals

Appeals of grades on exams must be submitted within one class period of receiving the exam score. Appeals must be submitted in written form, listing the question number and a clear explanation of why the student feels the question was mis-graded.

Special Accommodation

Students with disabilities who wish to request special accommodation are encouraged to contact me during office hours or by appointment.