Spring 2025 Course Syllabus
Course: ECON-2302 (Section: 71, CRN: 10396)
Principles of Microeconomics 		LSCPA Logo Image
Instructor Information
Instructor Brian Lynch
Email lynchb@lamarpa.edu
Phone (409) 984-6015
Office Student Center - Room: 425
Office Hours M-F 9.30 to 11.30 am

Virtual Office Hours Wed and Sun 7 to 9 pm
Additional Contact Information
Course Information
Description Analysis of the behavior of individual economic agents, including consumer behavior and demand, producer behavior and supply, price and output decisions by firms under various market structures, factor markets, market failures, and international trade.
Required Textbooks Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer.

If you do not have a hard copy of this book, do not be alarmed. The E-book is integrated with Blackboard. The E-book has the relevant chapters to read. It has SmartWorks assignments, and assigned chapter problems
Principles of Microeconomics- 4th Edition-  Dirk Mateer ISBN: 9781324034155
Additional Materials/Resources
A functioning computer with a webcam is required.  It is the student's responsibility to have both.
 
Required Software (available free of charge)
 
Microsoft Office
This software package contains MSWord which you’ll need in this course & other useful programs.  Office 365 suite is available to students Free of Charge. 
The URL for the instruction page and link to download Office 365 is::  
 
https://lamarsupportservices.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/320/Portal-LSCPA/KB/ArticleDet?ID=16454
 
Respondus Lockdown Browser
This is required to be installed on any computer/tablet used to take an exam or quiz.  
Link to download Respondus Lockdown Browser:  https://www.respondus.com/lockdown/download.php?id=139113547   
The link to download Respondus Lockdown Browser is also next to the “Online LSCPA support” section of the Institution homepage. (Look at the bottom) 
Corequisites/Prerequisites
  • ENGL-0302 College Reading Skills
  • ENGL-0327 Integrated Reading and Writing
Learning Outcomes

Course Learning Outcome 1		 Core Objective Associated Course Activities/Assignments/Projects
Explain the role of scarcity, specialization, opportunity cost and cost/benefit analysis in economic decision-making. Critical Thinking Students will be tested on these foundational concepts.
Identify the determinants of supply and demand; demonstrate the impact of shifts in both market supply and demand curves on equilibrium price and output. Empirical and Quantitative Skills Students will complete adaptive assignments requiring them to apply these concepts to various scenarios and manipulate graphs to reflect the scenarios.
Summarize the law of diminishing marginal utility; describe the process of utility maximization. Critical Thinking Students will complete tables and graphs that show marginal utility at different levels of consumption and that indicate the point of maximum utility.
Calculate supply and demand elasticities, identify the determinants of price elasticity of demand and supply, and demonstrate the relationship between elasticity and total revenue. Empirical and Quantitative Skills Students will calculate elasticities in practice and graded assignments.
Describe the production function and the Law of Diminishing Marginal Productivity; calculate and graph short-run and long-run costs of production. Empirical and Quantitative Skills Students will complete a writing assignment from the perspective of a business that will include analysis on production level and costs of production.
Identify the four market structures by characteristics; calculate and graph the profit maximizing price and quantity in the output markets by use of marginal analysis. Empirical and Quantitative Skills Students will discuss the different market structures in short answers/discussion posts.
Determine the profit maximizing price and quantity of resources in factor markets under perfect and imperfect competition by use of marginal analysis. Empirical and Quantitative Skills Students will complete adaptive assignments allowing them to identify the profit maximizing price and quantity.
Describe governmental efforts to address market failure such as monopoly power, externalities, and public goods. Critical Thinking Students will write short answer responses on the provision of public goods.
Identify the benefits of free trade using the concept of comparative advantage. Critical Thinking Students will read and comment on articles regarding free trade.
 
Core Objectives
Communication skills: Students will demonstrate effective written, oral and/or visual communication.
* Critical Thinking Skills: Students will engage in creative and/or innovative thinking, and/or inquiry, analysis, evaluation, synthesis of information, organizing concepts and constructing solutions.
* Empirical and Quantitative Skills: Students will demonstrate applications of scientific and mathematical concepts.
* Teamwork: Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal and consider different points of view.
* Social Responsibility: Students will demonstrate intercultural competency and civic knowledge by engaging effectively in local, regional, national and/or global communities.
* Personal Responsibility: Students will demonstrate the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making.

Lecture Topics Outline Demand and Supply- discussion of how markets work and why prices change
Price Controls- discussion of why the government intervenes in the marketplace and explore the minimum wage and price controls
Elasticity- Evaluate pricing decisions made by firms and how it affects their profits and revenue
Consumer Choices- Explore why consumers make decisions that are both rational and irrational
Production, Costs, and Industry Structure- Understand how production costs are affected by resource use and analyze why economists calculate profit in a different way than is done in accounting.
Perfect Competition - Explore how firms make decisions when they don't have a lot of control over the prices they can charge for their product
Monopoly- Evaluate the benefits and costs of having firms maintain control over selling their product
Monopolistic Competition and Oligopoly - Evaluate the effectiveness of using advertising to sell a product. Explore how firms will compete when they have to strategize on a consistent basis
Monopoly and Antitrust Policy -Evaluate the government's decision to ensure that firms are behaving in a competitive manner
Environmental Protection and Negative Externalities-Explore how firms make decisions that can negatively impact people who were not involved in the buying or producing of the product
Positive Externalities and Public Goods-Explore how decisions are made by the government with regards to what services they should provide. 
Major Assignments Schedule Week #    ASSIGNMENTS
Week 1    Discussion Board: Intro to Course
Week 2    Chapter 3 Supply and Demand: Assignments and Textbook Integration Homework. Analysis Paper due
Week 3    Chapter 6 Price Controls: Assignments, Discussion Board and Textbook Integration Homework
Week 4    Chapter 4: Elasticity Assignments, Discussion Board and Textbook Integration Homework, Exam 1-Chapters 3,4,6
Week 5    Chapter 16 Consumer Choice:  Assignments, Discussion Board and Textbook Integration Homework
Week 6    Chapter 17: Behavioral Economics: Assignments, Discussion Board and Textbook Integration Homework. Analysis                Paper due
Week 7    Chapter 8: Business Costs and Production:  Assignments, Discussion Board and Textbook Integration                                  Homework Exam 2, Chapters 16,17,8
Week 8    Chapter 9: Firms in a Competitive Environment: Assignments, Discussion Board and Textbook Integration                             Homework
Week 9    Chapter 9: Firms in a Competitive Environment: Assignments, Discussion Board and Textbook Integration                            Homework
Week 10   Chapter 10: Understanding Monopoly: Assignments, Discussion Board and Textbook Integration                                          Homework
Week 11   Chapter 10: Understanding Monopoly: Assignments, Discussion Board and Textbook Integration                                          Homework 
WEEK 12   Chapter 11: Price Discrimination: Assignments, Discussion Board and Textbook Integration                                                 Homework Exam 3- Chapters 9,10,11
Week 13   Chapter 12: Monopolistic Competition and Advertising: Assignments, Discussion Board and Textbook Integration                   Homework
Week 14   Chapter 13: Oligopoly and Strategic Behavior: Assignments, Discussion Board and Textbook Integration                                Homework Research Project: Final Project Due
Week 15   Chapter 7 Market Efficiencies: Public Goods & Externalities Assignments, Discussion Board and Textbook                               Integration
Week 16   Final Exam 12,13,7
Final Exam Date May 8, 2025 - 8:0 AM   Through  May 13, 2025 - 11:59 PM
Grading Scale  90 - 100=A 80 - 89=B  70 - 79=C   60 - 69=D  Below 59 = F
Determination of
Final Grade		 Please note that this can be subject to change based on class circumstances, coverage of the material and unforeseen circumstances

Tests           40%
Homework   25%
Discussions  15%
Smartwork Assignments
Writing Assignments 20%
Course Policies
Instructor Policies
  • All Email Communication must come from an @lamarpa.edu email address from the student enrolled in this course. I am unable to respond to any emails from outside parties.
  • I will respond to emails through official avenues only, this includes office phone, lamarpa.edu email and Bookings messages and meeting requests.
  • DO NOT add or message your instructor on ANY social media platform. 
  • DO NOT call or text your instructor on a personal line, this information is not readily available to the public and will be considered Stalking.
  • Emails Must contain the students name, class section, and a detailed description of their question written in complete sentences. Please include screenshots when appropriate.
  • I will not discuss your grade via email
  • I will respond to emails in the order they are received. Instructor will not be available to respond to emails outside of regular working hours (9am-4pm M-F). Emails sent outside of these hours may take up to two business days for a response. 
 
Make up work: Every student gets 2 graded assignment extensions. The student must notify me before the assignment is due. For example, if the assignment is due on a Monday, they can turn it in the following day, without incurring a zero. At the end of the  semester, the student will receive extra credit for any extensions they have not used.
Documented medical needs and emergencies are required if a student is unable to take an exam or complete a graded assignment outside of the grace period. 

Extra Credit: No extra credit will be offered in this class.

Any graded assignment in  this class must be written by the student enrolled in the class without any outside help. A first offense will result in a 0 grade for the assignment, and a second offence will result in failure of the course. Ignorance is not a defense
 
Do not copy from another student, or do you share your work with another student. The first offense will result in a 0 grade for the assignment, and a second offence will result in failure of the course. Ignorance is not a defense. 
 
If you have completed a test and share information with another student, you and that student will receive a zero on the test. A second offence will result in failure of the course. Ignorance is not a defense


Assignments and exam must be completed online by 11:59 PM on the due date listed
Attendance Policy Federal regulations require students who receive financial aid to have begun "attending" and participate substantially in each course for which they are enrolled on or before the official census reporting date outlined in  the Academic Calendar. Students documented as "not attending" a course upon the census date are assumed (for financial aid purposes) to have not begun attendance for that course, negatively affecting their financial aid eligibility and disbursement.

Attendance in an ONLINE course is verified by substantial participation in the course on or before the census date published in the  Academic Calendar. Substantial participation in this online course is defined as logging in and completing/participating in at least one requirement of the course. Note: Simply logging in to your online course does not constitute attendance.
Additional Information
Students should use AI technology responsibly and ethically. This includes refraining from using AI to engage in harmful or unethical activities, such as generating false information, spreading misinformation, or engaging in malicious behaviors. The use of AI should align with the principles of academic integrity, honesty, and respect for others. Students are responsible for adhering to the Academic Honesty policy found in the Student Handbook. 

Any graded assignment in this class must be written by the student enrolled in the class without any outside help. Plagiarism policy will be discussed in detail in class; a first offense will result in a 0 grade for the assignment, and a second offence will result in failure of the course. Ignorance is not a defense

Do not copy from another student, or do you share your work with another student. The first offense will result in a 0 grade for the assignment, and a second offence will result in failure of the course. Ignorance is not a defense.
If you have completed a test and share information with another student, you and that student will receive a zero on the test. Asecond offence will result in failure of the course. Ignorance is not a defense

All of your exams will be take online. You will be taking them using the proctoring feature- Respondus Lockdown Browser.
You will need a working webcam. You will need to provide proof of id. You will need to make sure that there are no notes/study aids in the vicinity of your test taking. If you do not follow these policies, you will earn a zero on the exam

Students should download the Blackboard and Outlook apps to their phone and stay logged into their LSCPA accounts in order to receive proper notifications of assignments and announcements. 
 

Technology Help

 Education Building 1, Room 132.
 
Hours of Operation
Monday-Thursday 7:30am-7:30pm
Friday 7:30am-5:00pm
Help Desk and Support Services
Get Support or Request Service Online using TeamDyanmix
 
Contact the Help Desk for assistance by E-mail HelpDesk@lamarpa.edu or by phone (409) 984-6150 during the following normal business hours:

Blackboard: 
 
Institutional Policies
MyLSCPA Be sure to check your campus email and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal. You can also access your grades, transcripts, academic advisors, degree progress, and other services through MyLSCPA.
Academic Honesty Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSCPA policies (Academic Dishonesty section in the Student Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.
ADA Considerations The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Disability Services Coordinator, Room 117, in the Student Sucess Center. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.
COVID 19 Information The Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) Student Code of Conduct COVID 19 Policy requires students who have been diagnosed with COVID 19 to report their condition directly to their local health department. Students should also contact their course faculty to report their quarantine status. In addition, this policy requires all students to wear face coverings when directly exposed to COVID 19 in compliance with the criteria included in the policy. For more information please refer to the COVID 19 link on the LSCPA website.
Facility Policies No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited.
HB 2504 This syllabus is part of LSCPA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect As per Texas law and LSCPA policy, all LSCPA employees, including faculty, are required to report allegations or disclosures of child abuse or neglect to the designated authorities, which may include a local or state law enforcement agency or the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. For more information about mandatory reporting requirements, see LSCPA's Policy and Procedure Manual.
Title IX and Sexual Misconduct LSCPA is committed to establishing and maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct. All LSCPA employees, including faculty, have the responsibility to report disclosures of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault (including rape and acquaintance rape), domestic violence, dating violence, relationship violence, or stalking, to LSCPA's Title IX Coordinator, whose role is to coordinate the college's response to sexual misconduct. For more information about Title IX protections, faculty reporting responsibilities, options for confidential reporting, and the resources available for support visit LSCPA's Title IX website.
Clery Act Crime Reporting For more information about the Clery Act and crime reporting, see the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report and the Campus Security website.
Grievance / Complaint / Concern If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair.
Department Information
Business and Industrial Technology
Chair:Sheila Guillot
Email:guillsr@lamarpa.edu
Phone:(409) 984-6381