The University of Alberta Department of Economics
Winter 2020
ECON 281. Intermediate Microeconomic Theory I
Instructor: Valentina Kozlova
email: [email protected]
(Please have “Econ 281” in the subject line) office: Tory 7-15,phone: 492-3873
Class Schedule: MWF 12:00 - 12:50 Lecture Room: T 1 103 Office Hours: Monday and Thursday 2:00 - 3:00 pm, or by appointment
Class website: https://eclass.srv.ualberta.ca/portal/ - Sample exams, grades and lecture notes will be posted here.
Prerequisites: ECON 101 or equivalent. Registration in the class will be cancelled if you have not taken (and passed) the prerequisites.
Course Description:
This course discusses the theory of consumer behavior; theory of production and cost;
price and output determination under competition and monopoly.
Textbook:
Varian: “Intermediate Microeconomics”, 9thedition, 2014. Other editions are acceptable.
Optional Resources:
Smartwork5 - https://digital.wwnorton.com/intermicro9media - digital resource that contains a lot of practice with feedback and comes with an eBook. It should be available for purchase through the bookstore. Student set ID is 205705. You can sign up for 21 days free trial.
Varian and Bergstrom: “Workouts in Intermediate Microeconomics”, a supplemental book of problems and exercises keyed to the text.
Grade Policy:
Homeworks 10% 4-5 homeworks throughout the semester
Midterm 1 25% Covers up to and including chapter 16, takes place in class Midterm 2 25% Covers chapters 19 - 24, takes place in class
Final 40% Final exam is two hours long and is cumulative In-class quizzes 4% Bonus performance marks
MobLab games 2% Bonus participation marks
Grades will be collected and aggregated in percentage form and letter grades will be assigned at the conclusion of the course. There is no pre-set distribution of grades for this course. Both absolute performance and relative performance to the rest of the class will be considered in assigning letter grades. Improvement and class participation will be taken into account for rare borderline cases.
In class activities:
You will participate in a number of games using MobLab app (free with class code, see in- structions on eClass). Participating in 80% or more MobLab activities (games and surveys) during the semester will earn you 2 additional bonus marks. You will also participate in quizzes using Poll Everywhere (free with class code, see instructions in your email). Answer- ing quizzes will earn you up to another 4 bonus marks, depending on how many you answer correctly. Grading for the quizzes works as follows. Answering wrong is 1 point, answering correctly is 2 points, not answering is 0 points. Your overall grade will be calculated as a percentage of your accumulated points out of the total points possible.
Course Outline∗:
I strongly encourage you to read each chapter before it is discussed in class.
Chapter 2. Budget Constraint . . . Jan 8 Chapter 3. Preferences . . . Jan 13 Chapter 4. Utility . . . Jan 17 Chapter 5. Choice . . . Jan 22 Chapter 6. Demand . . . Jan 27 Chapter 8. Slutsky Equation . . . Jan 31 Chapter 14. Consumer’s Surplus . . . Feb 5 Chapter 15. Market Demand . . . Feb 7 Chapter 16. Equilibrium . . . Feb 10 Midterm 1 . . . Feb 24 Chapter 19. Technology . . . Feb 26 Chapter 21. Cost Minimization . . . Feb 28 Chapter 22. Cost Curves . . . Mar 6 Chapter 23. Firm Supply . . . Mar 11 Chapter 24. Industry Supply . . . Mar 18 Midterm 2 . . . Mar 23 Chapter 25. Monopoly . . . Mar 25 Chapter 26. Monopoly Behavior . . . Mar 27 Chapter 27. Factor Markets . . . Apr 3 Final Exam . . . Apr 17
Exams:
You are required to have your student ID for all your exams. Random checks may be made during the midterm exams. Every ID is checked during the final exam.
The use of programmable (graphing) calculators and/or electronic communication devices is not permitted during exams. You may however use a regular calculator.
∗Note that the outline is tentative and is subject to change. All changes will be announced in class.
Missed exams: There will be no make-ups for missed midterm exams. If you are not able to take your midterm exam you must notify me immediately. The weight of that midterm will be transferred to the final exam. If you miss a midterm and do not contact me within 2 business days you will receive zero marks for that exam. If you miss a final exam, you may apply to the undergraduate office of your own faculty for a deferred exam. I do not have the authority to approve such applications.
Tutor Center:
There is a tutor specifically assigned to our class. The tutor’s office hours, held in Tory 8-25, are TBA. Students are welcome to ask the tutor questions about the lecture material, additional practice, but especially about homeworks. This tutor will be marking your homeworks.
Other Policies:
Policy about course outlines can be found in the Evaluation Procedures and Grading System section of the University Calendar.
Academic integrity: The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect.
Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspi- cions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence.
Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University. Online resources can be found at www.ualberta.ca/current-students/
academic-resources/academic-integrity.
Recording: Audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as part of an approved accommodation plan. Student or instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).
Accessibility Resources: If you have a condition that may require some classroom or exam modifications, please contact AR office (https://www.ualberta.ca/current-students/
accessibility-resources/index.html) to obtain a determination as to what accommo- dations should be made.
Territorial Statement: “The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages, and cultures of the First Nations, M´etis, Inuit, and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.” (from the beginning of the Calendar).
Learning and working environment: The Faculty of Arts is committed to ensuring that all students, faculty and staff are able to work and study in an environment that is safe and free from discrimination and harassment. It does not tolerate behaviour that undermines that
environment.
Sexual Violence Policy: It is the policy of the University of Alberta that sexual violence committed by any member of the University community is prohibited and constitutes mis- conduct. Resources and more information can be found atwww.ualberta.ca/campus-life/
sexual-violence.
