ECON 100B – Intermediate Microeconomics, Syllabus Winter 2022
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ECON 100B – Intermediate Microeconomics, Syllabus
** Various aspects of the course may change. Checkhttps://canvas.ucsd.edu/courses/32626for updates** Updated Jan 9th – see new exam schedule on page 2
Course Information
• Location
o Per campus policy, all course meetings will be online for the first 2 weeks (Zoom LTI Proon Canvas)
o I plan to hold class in person as soon as allowed, but some discussions may remain remote.
o Regardless of location, lectures and discussions will be recorded and posted on Canvas.
• Lecture schedule: Mon/Wed/Fri, 1-1:50pm (Galbraith Hall 242 or on Zoom)
• Course description:
o This is the second class in the Intermediate Microeconomics sequence, so you need to have taken Econ 100A. We will introduce the theory of the firm and markets when there is price taking behavior. Topics include the theory of production, modeling costs, commodity supply in competitive markets, competitive market equilibrium, and general equilibrium analysis.
• TA-led discussion sessions: there are 3 back-to-back sessions, usually going over the same problems. You can attend any you wish, regardless of the section you are enrolled in.
o Friday, 4-4:50pm, 5-5:50pm, 6-6:50pm in Center Hall 113 or on Zoom
• Office hours:
o Dr T: Mondays, 2-3pm
o TA office hours: Tue 10-11am, Wed 2:30-3:30pm
• Supplemental Instruction (SI) study group sessions: Mon 2:30-3:50pm (In-Person), Thu 9:30-10:50am (Virtual) – more info athttps://canvas.ucsd.edu/courses/32004
Teaching team:
• Dr. Oana Tocoian
o Email for all class-related questions:[email protected](also monitored by TAs)
o For personal matters and for after the end of the quarter:[email protected]
o Avoid sending messages through Canvas, and always email us from your UCSD account.
• Teaching Assistants: Amanda Bauer, Steven Brownstone, Parker Rogers, Jordi Martinez Munoz (best way to contact is at[email protected])
• Readers: Yu-Chang Chen (no direct contact outside of exam proctoring)
• Supplemental Instruction (SI) leader: Shane Nordquist (contact directly at[email protected])
Webpage and Materials
• The class webpage is on Canvas:https://canvas.ucsd.edu/courses/32626- check it often
o All relevant info, resources, and updates will be posted on or linked through here.
• Textbook: Intermediate Microeconomics with Calculus: A Modern Approach: 1st Edition by Hal Varian
o I strongly recommend getting the textbook if you don’t have it yet (and I may assign some problems from it), but you can use any format you like, including on paper, as we will not be using an online textbook portal. (Just make sure you get the “with calculus” edition.)
• Additional resources are on (or linked through) the Canvas page. These include:
o Intermediate Microeconomics Video Handbook (IMVH)
o Mark Machina’s Math Handout
• The discussion board will be on Discord (invite link:https://discord.gg/86gahEJpnb). It’s okay to use a non- UCSD email for this, and remember you can set server-specific nicknames. If you don’t appear with your real name but want to be considered for potential extra credit, send an email from your school account to [email protected]with the subject line “Discord name” .
Grade Composition
Course grades will be assigned based on the total score at the end of the quarter, and they will be curved up if this seems appropriate (it usually is).
Your total score will be the highest of the following 3 options:
• Problem sets (lowest one dropped)
• Online quiz (Wed, Jan 26)
• Midterm1 (Fri, Feb 4)
• Midterm 2 (Fri, Feb 25)
• Final (cumulative – Fri, Mar 18)
(You don’t need to request A, B, or C.)
A B C__
15% 10% 20% 20% 35% |
15% 10% -- 20% 55% |
15% 10% 20% -- 55% |
Individual exams are not assigned a grade, and I typically use the raw exam scores to calculate the total. However, I may adjust the score of individual exams if the average is significantly below target, or below the average on other exams. (The goal is to make scores comparable across exams.)
Exams
• NEW: we’ve added an online quiz worth 10% of the grade on Jan 26th (the day midterm 1 was
originally scheduled) – in order to still have some form of assessment before the drop/grade change
deadline. The quiz will be taken during class time. Remote proctoring method will be announced –
most likely you will take the test in a recorded individual Zoom meeting.
• Whenever campus guidelines allow, we will hold in-person exams. Midterms are planned for during
class, on Jan 26th Feb 4th and Feb 25th (see the “Calendar and lecture notes” page). The final exam is
fixed at the date and time listed in the schedule of classes (March 18, between 11:30am and
2:30pm). You will each be assigned a specific seat ahead of time and you will be given a paper test
to complete.
o For students who cannot attend in person (e.g. because they are prevented by travel
restrictions, or are required to quarantine at home), there will be a set of detailed instructions
for how to self-proctor remotely. Before you can take an exam remotely, you need to obtain
instructor approval: email the class account with the reason for your request and any pertinent
documentation.
o If you do not anticipate being able to return to campus at all during Winter quarter, you should
document the situation with your college (or the Office of Students with Disabilities). They will
then email all your instructors to let them know of the need to accommodate remote testing.
o If the online-instruction-only period is extended beyond week 4, one or both midterms may
need to be given remotely, without further changes to the dates.
o Each student is allowed to skip one midterm (not both) and shift its weight to the final with no
penalty. No prior approval or documentation is needed to take advantage of this
accommodation.
• There are no make-up exams.
Problem sets (about 6)
Homeworks will consist mainly of problem-solving, but you may also be assigned some videos or articles, and asked to answer some questions (either specific or open-ended).
Assignments will be scored generously, so if you attend class and put in an earnest effort (and show all your work), you should be able to get the full score.
Late assignments (usually accepted up to 24 hours late) will receive a 50% off penalty, but the lowest score will be dropped. This is intended to make up for the occasional mishap, like forgetting to turn in your answers, or your laptop crashing. We don’t give extensions, except in cases of significant multi-day disruptions that are outside your control, such as having to care for a sick family member.
If you are on the waitlist, you need to keep up with the class and submit assignments as if enrolled.
Participation and extra credit
Synchronous attendance is not required, but it is strongly recommended. Providing helpful answers or initiating relevant discussions on Discord will count towards extra credit, as will class participation (when in person, try to sit in the same spot, and introduce yourself during or after lecture). Extra credit is applied after total scores are computed and grade cutoffs have been established, so as not to affect the curve (otherwise it’s not “extra” anymore). Extra credit is usually 1-2%, so it only makes a difference in threshold cases. However, it can be up to 3% for top contributions.
Future opportunities:
• 100BH: If you earn an A/A- grade in my class this quarter, I recommend that you take the one-unit honors class 100BH (follow up with the Economics department to confirm when it will next be offered). Honors classes are capped at 20 students and you will get to know the faculty member well (important for getting informed letters of recommendation). These classes typically have you give a short presentation and write a short paper. Presenting and writing in the major are two valuable skills that are challenging for us to offer in large classes.
Accommodation for disabilities
If you have a disability, please register with the Office for Students with Disability and send your documentation to the undergraduate Econ advisors ASAP. More information:https://osd.ucsd.edu/resources/covid-19.html
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to do their own work, as outlined in the UCSD policy on Academic Integrity. Any
suspected violations will be reported to the Academic Integrity Office and can result in sanctions – including an F in this class, suspension or dismissal from the University. Examples of academic dishonesty include:
• Having another person complete an assignment or take an exam for you
• Having another person give you the answers to an assignment or an exam
- Working together on problem sets IS permitted, but it has to be a joint effort and you each have to write down the answers (including all the steps) in your own handwriting.
- Copying the answers from a classmate does not constitute “working together”
• Using unauthorized materials in an exam (e.g. electronics, lecture notes)
• Lying about having taken an exam or completed an assignment
If you are not sure whether something is permitted, ASK!
Schedule of topics
The broad topics we will cover are listed below.
For the detailed up-to-date schedule, with assigned IMVH videos and textbook chapters, follow the link on the course Canvas page, or go directly to:https://canvas.ucsd.edu/courses/32626/pages/topics-and-assigned-videos
Part I: Technology and Cost (~weeks 1-3)
Part II: Profit Maximization and Competitive Supply (~weeks 4-6)
Part III: Applications of Partial Equilibrium analysis (~weeks 7-8)
Part IV: General Equilibrium (~weeks 9-10)
2022-01-15