NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE

COURSE SYLLABUS

COURSE AND INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

 

Course title: Principles of Microeconomics

 

Course prefix, number, and section number: Econ2302 0308

 

Semester/Year of course: Spring 2026

 

Semester start and end dates: 1/12/26 - 5/9/26

 

Modality (Face to face/Synchronous or Asynchronous online/Hybrid): Asynchronous Online

 

Class meeting location, days, and times: Online via Canvas

 

Semester credit hours: 3

 

Course 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.

Course prerequisites: none

 

Required course materials: 

McGraw Hill Connect Courseware (Ebook, Assignments, etc):  Micro Economics: Principals, Problems & Policies 23e, McConnell, et al (9781266547164).  Students are required to register and purchase course materials by the official date of record.  Students who fail to do so, may be dropped from the course.

 

**Purchasing Course Materials: Starting in Spring 2026 NCTC is partnering with Barnes & Noble College (BNC) to make purchasing course materials easy and affordable.  When students register for classes, they are automatically opted in to the Lion Book Bundle which will provide students first day access to course materials.  In this program students are charged $24 per credit hour ($72 for a 3-hour class) as a fee on their NCTC student account. (This is labeled as “Book Fee” on NCTC invoices). Students may choose to opt out of this program, but would then be required to purchase needed class materials on their own. If opting out, students would receive a refund on their NCTC student account. Students may choose to opt out starting one month prior to classes beginning through the first week of class. Students might benefit from opting out if they are enrolled in classes that use OER (free course materials).  Note: The Lion Book Bundle applies to all classes a student is registered for in a given semester (both 16-week and 8-week). A student is either opted in for all classes or opted out for all classes—not each class individually.  If you want to take advantage of the Lion Book Bundle, no action is needed as students are automatically opted in.  If you would like to opt out of the program, you must go to the Opt-out page (click link below).

Click here for more information: Lion Book Bundle information

 

Name of instructor: Melissa Blankenship

Office location: FM 107

Telephone number: 972-899-8400 x8504

E-mail address: mblankenship@nctc.edu

Office hours for students: 

 

Each week instructors have time set aside to meet with students outside of class. (Traditionally these times are called “office hours”.) This is a time when a student may ask questions regarding the class, or discuss a particular problem/topic with an instructor one-on-one.  Student hours may be held in-person or online.  See below for instructions on where/when/how instructors will offer student hours in this class.

 

Scheduled student hours: Monday and Wednesday 10am - 12pm, 2pm - 3pm (FM 107)

                                          Tuesday and Thursday 10am – 12:00 pm; 2pm - 4pm (WebEx)

 

To schedule an appointment during office hours, log into your course in Canvas and click on the Cisco Webex link. Select Office Hours. Select the date that you would like to meet. The available appointment times will be listed.  Click on the time period that you would like.  The system will send an email with a link for a Webex session to your NCTC email account (not Canvas) and to the instructor. If you prefer to meet in person, simply email me after you make the appointment to let me know that you prefer to meet on campus instead.

 Students are always welcome to drop by my office without an appointment, but please be aware that students who have an appointment will take precedence.

Appointments should be made at least 24 hours in advance.

If you cannot meet during the scheduled hours, email me (or Canvas Inbox me) for other options.

SYLLABUS CHANGE DISCLAIMER

 

The faculty member reserves the right to make changes to this published syllabus if it is in the best interest of the educational development of this class. Any such changes will be announced as soon as possible in person and/or writing.

SUMMARY OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

Reading assignments 11@10 pts each

Homework assignments 17@10 pts each

Quizzes 13@10 pts each

Discussions 6@25 pts each

Projects 2@100 pts each

Attendance 14@5 pts each

Exams 3@200 pts each

 

Final grade scale:  

 

A 90 - 100

B 80 - 89

C 70 - 79

D 60 - 69

F below 60

 

I follow standard rounding procedures, so 89.5 rounds to an A, but an 89.4 round to a B.

Late work policy:

 

Late work is not accepted – please do not ask.  Sometimes life gets in the way, so I will drop the lowest reading, homework, quiz and exam grades at the end of the term.  If you have a conflict with an exam date, arrangements can be made for you to take the exam early.

SEE CANVAS FOR THE COMPLETE COURSE CALENDAR, OUTLINE, DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF GRADED WORK, AND OTHER RELATED MATERIAL.

COURSE POLICIES

Academic Integrity Policy: Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation and collusion.  Faculty members may document and bring charges against a student who is engaged in or is suspected to be engaged in academic dishonesty.  See Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct ([FLB(LOCAL)]”.  

 

Consequences for academic dishonesty may include:

1. Zero on the assignment

2. Failing grade for the course

AI/Natural Language Programs (NLPs)/Large Language Models (LLMs) Usage Policy: This information is used with permission and citation with gratitude to Princeton University: The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning.

• Intellectual honesty is vital to an academic community and for my fair evaluation of your work.  All work submitted in this course must be your own, completed in accordance with the College's academic regulations. You may not engage in unauthorized collaboration or make use of ChatGPT or other AI composition software/NLPs/LLMs.

• Students must obtain permission from me before using AI composition software (like ChatGPT) for any assignments in this course. Using these tools without my permission puts your academic integrity at risk. 

• This course does make use of AI/NLPs/LLMs plagiarism checker software for the purpose of detecting the use of AI programs.

• Any violation of this policy will be considered academic dishonesty and will be documented as such

Instructor-specific Academic Dishonesty Policy:

 

While there are many great resources available to you, keep in mind that for this class ChatGPT, Desmos, Wolfram-Alpha, Chegg, Symbolab, and similar programs should only be used to help you understand the material we are covering in the class. Any student suspected of submitting work that is not their own (whether it is copied from another student or from technology) will be required to meet with me. If a student is found to have presented work that is not their own, they will be subject to the academic integrity policy. If you would not be able to explain to me how to work a similar problem, you should not submit the solution as your own.

Attendance Policy: Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered.  All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor.  It is the student responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgement by the faculty member.  Approved college sponsored activities are the only absences for which a student should not be held liable and only when provided by a college official ahead of the absence.  Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work.  Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor.  A student who is compelled to be absent when a test is given should petition the instructor, in advance if possible, for permission to postpone the exam.  Student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives.    Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL)

Additional Instructor-specific Absence Policy:

Instructor Drop Policy: As the instructor, I reserve the right to drop any student who fails to meet the contact hours as required by the State. Any student who has failed to attend class and/or complete required assignments will be notified that they must schedule a meeting with me within 48 hours of the notice. Students who fail to meet with me during the allotted time will be dropped from the course. Students who fail to meet the requirements established at the instructor-student attendance meeting will be dropped from the course.

 

Withdrawal Policy

A student may withdraw from a course on or after the official date of record. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete a Withdrawal Request Form.

 

Last day to withdraw from the course with a “W” is:  March 30, 2026

 

Student Code of Conduct

By enrolling in a course at North Central Texas College, students agree to abide by the Student Code of Conduct. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in removal from the course.

CANVAS & CONNECT ACCESS:  All students must have complete access to Canvas and Connect for the entire semester.  It is the student’s responsibility to have access to the internet, as well as all needed programs to complete both face to face and online courses.  Students are not to give any other person access to his/her Canvas or Connect account.  Students can be removed from the course immediately up violating this rule.  Once a student has given another person access to his/her canvas account, the credibility of any work completed becomes questionable.

COMPUTER ACCESS:  Students must have access to a computer for various assignments in this course.  You cannot use a cell phone to perform all requirements of this course.  If you do not have a computer, then you need to make sure that you access a computer at one of the NCTC campuses, a public library, etc. 

Student Learning Outcomes: (From Academic Course Guide Manual/Workforce Education Course Manual/NCTC Catalog).

 

At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

 

1. Explain the role of scarcity, specialization, opportunity cost, and cost/benefit analysis in economic decision-making.

2. Identify the determinants of supply and demand; demonstrate the impact of shifts in both market supply and demand curves on equilibrium price and output.

3. Summarize the law of diminishing marginal utility and describe the process of utility maximization.

4. Calculate supply and demand elasticities, identify the determinants of price elasticity of demand and supply, and demonstrate the relationship between elasticity and total revenue.

5. Describe the production function and the Law of Diminishing Marginal Productivity; calculate and graph short-run and long-run costs of production.

6. 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.

7. Determine the profit maximizing price and quantity of resources in factor markets under perfect and imperfect competition by use of marginal analysis.

8. Describe governmental efforts to address market failure such as monopoly power, asymmetric information, externalities, and public goods.

9. Identify the benefits of free trade using the concept of comparative advantage.

Core Objectives: Critical Thinking, Communication, Empirical and Quantitative, Social Responsibility

 

COLLEGE POLICIES

 

ADA STATEMENT

NCTC will adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Office for Students with Disabilities to arrange appropriate accommodations.  See the OSD Syllabus Addendum. 

AI STATEMENT

Absent a clear statement from a course instructor, use of or consultation with generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or other similar technologies shall be treated analogously to assistance from another person, agency, or entity. In particular, using generative AI tools to substantially complete an assignment or exam is not permitted. Students should acknowledge the use of generative AI (other than incidental use) and default to disclosing such assistance when in doubt.

 

When students use generative AI to replace the rigorous demands of personal engagement with their coursework, it runs counter to the educational mission of the college and undermines the heart of education itself. Artificial Intelligence, large language models, and other such technologies hold promise for deploying knowledge in service to others and accelerating the discovery of new knowledge. However, such technology poses new challenges to pedagogy and to integrity. Within the context of the teaching mission of the college and consistent with the Student Code of Conduct, the authority to define the appropriate use, study, and deployment of these technologies rests with the faculty.

 

Individual course instructors, in coordination with their divisions, set policies regulating the use of generative AI tools in their courses, including allowing or disallowing some or all uses of such tools. Course instructors will set such policies in their course syllabi and clearly communicate such policies to students. Students who are unsure of policies regarding generative AI tools are encouraged to ask their instructors for clarification. 

 

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the Student Handbook.

 

STUDENT SERVICES

NCTC provides a multitude of services and resources to support students.  See the Student Services Syllabus Addendum for a listing of those departments and links to their sites.

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS

 

The student should contact the instructor to deal with any questions, concerns, or complaints specific to the class.  If the student and faculty are not able to resolve the issue, the student may contact the chair or coordinator of the division.  If the student remains unsatisfied, the student may proceed to contact the instructional dean.

 

Name of Chair/Coordinator: Donna Smith

Office location: Corinth Campus, Room 208

Telephone number: 940-498-6266

E-mail address: dhooper@nctc.edu

 

Name of Instructional Dean: Mary Martinson 

Office location: Gainesville 1403

Telephone number: 940-668-4209 ext 4377

E-mail address: mmartinson@nctc.edu