AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT

Faculty of Arts and Sciences

COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Number: Economics 203- Section 1

Course Time: M-W 3:30 – 4:45 pm

Term: Spring 2020/2021
Course Title: Survey of Economics
Instructor: Dr. Makram Bou Nassar
Office Hours: M 5:15- 6:45 pm or by Appointment
Email: mb50@aub.edu.lb

1. Course Description and Learning Objectives

The course is an introductory overview of economics topics, covering basic theory

and applications in micro and macroeconomics. It is designed for non-econ majors.
As such, students, after taking this course, should be able to:

 Define economics terms;

 Describe and gain factual economic knowledge;
 Identify, label, and reproduce economic diagrams;
 Develop economic intuition and analytical skills;
 Identify economic problems and find solutions to these problems using the
tools of supply and demand;

2. Resources Available to Students

The required text for this course is "The Economy Today", by Bradely R.
Schiller, 14 th edition, available for purchase from the university bookstore.

3. Grading Criteria

Two closed-book exams will be administered in this class. The first two
exams count towards 50% of the grade, the final Exam towards 40%. Class
attendance and participation count towards the final 10%: students are
expected to contribute to in-class discussions voluntarily or when called
upon.

4. Schedule

The following course outline describes the topics intended to be covered during this
term. Some topics may be added or expanded depending on time availability.
Students are responsible for learning of any changes in the syllabus that are
announced in class.

TOPIC CHAPTER
Introduction 1
Supply and Demand 3
Consumer Demand 20
The Cost of Production 21
Competition vs. Monopoly 22,23 & 24
National Income Accounting 5
Unemployment 6
Inflation 7
The Business Cycle 8
Fiscal Policy 11
Money and Monetary Policy 13,14 & 15

5. COURSE EXPECTATIONS AND POLICIES

Role of Instructor: Instructor will present critical information during face-to-

face sessions and through online interaction, and will guide students to
understand the course material. Instructors will assess students based on their
performance in exams and class participation.

Attendance: Students are expected to attend class regularly and punctually,

and participate in class discussion. Attendance and class participation will be
used in the final determination of grades and can alter your grade up or down.
If a student misses more than 20% of the class sessions, he/she will lose all
credit for the course. Please refer to the AUB Undergraduate Catalogue.

Makeup and Due Dates: There will be no make up for missing assignments,
presentations, and/or examination except for students with a valid AUB
medical report. Any other excuse is not valid. If no valid excuse is presented,
the student will receive a grade of zero on the missed presentation or exam.
Assignments submitted late will be penalized at 10% per weekday.

Discipline Policy and Academic Integrity: Students are expected to come to

class and leave class on time. Students are expected to behave well in class by
not disturbing the instructor or other students. Students are expected not to eat,
drink, talk, use their mobile phones, let their mobile phones ring during class,
etc. If a student misbehaves, the student will be asked to leave the room. If the
student continues to misbehave, his/her name will be given to the Student
Affairs Committee for action

Accessible Education Statement: AUB strives to make learning experiences

accessible for all. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers due to a
disability (such as ADHD, learning difficulties, mental health conditions,
chronic or temporary medical conditions), please do not hesitate to inform the
course instructors. To ensure that you receive the support you need and to
facilitate a smooth accommodations process, you must register with the
Accessible Education Office (AEO) as soon as possible:
accessibility@aub.edu.lb; +961 1 350 000 ext. 3246; West Hall, Room 314.

Title IX Statement: In line with its commitment to the principle of equal

opportunity in education and employment, AUB policies protect you from
discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics, including
discriminatory harassment and sexual harassment. Protected characteristics
include: race, color, religion, age, national or ethnic identity, sex, gender or
gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, disability, genetic
predisposition or carrier status, alienage or citizenship status, and political
affiliation.

The policies are applicable to all the AUB Community including: officers,
faculty, staff, academic appointees, students (including medical interns and
residents), visiting students, alumni, trainees, visitors, contractors,
subcontractors, suppliers, located on campus and at AUB Medical Center,
Advancing Research Enabling Communities Center (AREC), or any other
facility or program affiliated with the University. The “AUB community” also
includes the dependents and domestic employees of faculty and staff dwelling
on campus and at AREC.

If you think you have experienced discrimination, discriminatory harassment,

or sexual harassment, we encourage you to inform the Equity/Title IX
Coordinator, Mitra Tauk at +961 1 350 000 ext. 2514, titleix@aub.edu.lb,
report to a Title IX deputy at your faculty or at any other faculty
(www.aub.edu.lb/titleix), or report online (www.aub.ethicspoint.com). Reports
may be submitted anonymously or not. the University will maintain the
confidentiality of the complaint and privacy of the persons involved to the
greatest extent possible, consistent with its goal of conducting a thorough and
complete investigation and to the extent permitted by law.
The University has designated academic and administrative department/unit
heads, managerial level staff, academic advisors, protection officers, and
residence hall staff/monitors, as responsible employees or “mandatory
reporters”, and may designate others at its discretion. These individuals are
obligated to report actual or suspected discrimination or discriminatory
harassing conduct to the Equity/Title IX Coordinator, unless they are a
“confidential” resource. The following have been designated as confidential
resources: on campus counselors in the Counseling Center of the Office of
Student Affairs and AUB Medical Center counselors, and healthcare providers
at the University Health Services (UHS) and at the AUB Medical Center.
Confidential resources are not required to report actual or suspected
discrimination or harassment to appropriate university officials, except in cases
of suspected abuse of a minor, in the event of an external investigation or
prosecution, or in the event of imminent danger to the reporting party or others.

Cheating Policy: Students are expected not to cheat on or during assignments,

quizzes, or examinations. If a student cheats according to the cheating criteria
set by AUB, the name of the student will be given to the Student Affairs
Committee for action. Students should be aware of cheating criteria at AUB.
Cheating on quizzes or examinations will automatically score a 0% for that
paper, and will receive a copy of a written report sent to the Student Affairs
Committee of the FAS. It is equally important not to copy assignments from
friends, other students, or third parties or lend assignments for friends or other
students to copy. Assignments found to be a copy of another student’s
assignment will score

6. Makeup Policy
If a student misses an exam, he or she should present a valid medical excuse from
AUBMC or the AUB infirmary. Any other excuse is NOT valid.