Nebraska Methodist College
Core
Values: Caring, Excellence, Holism, Learning, Respect
HU 210
PRINCIPLES
OF ETHICS
SYLLABUS
Note
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Syllabus Revisions –
The standards and requirements set
forth in the syllabus may be modified at any time by the course instructor.
Notice of such changes will be posted on announcements on e-Racer, or by email
notice.
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FACULTY MEMBER:
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Eric Hager
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LOCATION:
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N/A - web
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CLASS TIMES:
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N/A - web
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E-MAIL:
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Please e-mail me through the 'ERacer' communications
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OFFICE HOURS:
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e-mail me to set up an appointment.
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CREDIT HOURS:
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3
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TEXTBOOKS:
Barbara MacKinnon’s Ethics:
theory and contemporary issues, Wadsworth (7th ed.)
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Introduction to Ethics introduces
students to theories and practices of individual, communal, and societal
obligations. Moral inquiry in the course proceeds from a philosophical basis.
NOTE:
This course has been specifically designed to
meet course outcomes in a five week format. Please be advised that the course
schedule may not align with the traditional academic calendar (including
designated academic breaks.)
GENERAL COURSE OBJECTIVES:
I. Define and describe ‘ethics’.
II. Define, describe, and contrast the major ethical
theories of Western Philosophy.
III.Identify how proponents of various ethical theories
would respond to specific moral problems and identify which moral theories
inform various ethical arguments.
IV. Understand ethical issues related to social class,
gender, and race.
V. Develop skills of careful and disciplined reading,
discussion, argumentation, writing, and editing.
EDUCATED CITIZEN CORE OBJECTIVES:
1. Reflective Individual: A reflective individual routinely
engages in habits of inquiry that influence ways of thinking and actions.
1.
Develop habits of inquiry such as logic and critical thinking that support
deliberate reflection.
2.
Interpret, analyze, and articulate the perspectives of self and others using
one or more humanities disciplines.
2. Effective Communicator: An effective communicator uses
critical thinking to generate, connect, and organize ideas in a written, oral
or nonverbal manner that responds appropriately to rhetorical situations.
1.
Use critical thinking to generate, connect, and organize ideas in an oral and
nonverbal manner that responds effectively to rhetorical situations.
3. Change Agent: A change agent uses the disciplines of the
liberal arts and sciences to analyze historical and contemporary situations and
systems, to develop cultural competence, and to take appropriate initiative to
effect change.
1.
Critically analyze current events using habits of inquiry unique to sociology,
political science, history, religion and/or economics.
2.
Respect others with alternative points of view.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:
Reading texts and case studies, lectures, group discussions,
formal and informal writing.
Course Evaluation:
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Seven (of Eight) Essays @ 10pts. each
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70 points
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Seven (of Eight) Discussion-Posts
@ 10pts. each
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70 points
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Mid-Term Test
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30points
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Final-Term Test
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30points
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TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE
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200 points
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FINAL GRADE ASSESSMENT:
190-200pts A+ 150-159pts C+
180-189pts A 140-149pts C
170-179pts B+ 130-139pts D+
160-169pts B 120-129pts D Below 120pts = F
STUDENT Responsibilities
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1. Participation:
class
participation is required by way of e-mails, essays, and discussion-posts.
Through the use of discussion-posts there is also an aspect to the class
conducive to a shared process of questioning and dialogue among a community of
learners.
2. Reading/Reflection:
All of the above requires careful reading and reflection on the class textbook
and material in e-Racer.
3.
Essay Submissions:
The student is required to submit 7 (of 8) essays.Each
essay will be divided into two parts: 1.) a synopsis of a textual reading (the
textual reading is approx. 4-5pg's); the synopsis portion needs to be atleast
1pg in length (if it were 12font, double-space). 2.) a critique of the textual
reading explicitly raising a possible weakness with the textual reading; the critique
portion needs to be atleast 1pg in length (if it were 12font, double space)
4. Post-Discussion
Submissions:
The student is required to submit 7
(of 8) post-discussions. Each post assignment will be divided into two parts:
1.) An initial post discussing an issue raised in the directions of the
assignment; this portion needs to be atleast 1pg in length (if it were 12font,
double space). 2.) A critique post giving professional feedback of another
students' initial post; this portion of the assignment needs to be atleast 1pg
in length (if it were 12 font, double space)
5. Test Submissions:
The student is required to submit 2 tests (the mid-term and
final). Each test is Open-Book, Multiple-Choice/True-False. Each test has 30
questions and will be accessed through ERacer.
Note:
Late Work
All assignments will be assigned a Due Date which is to be
considered the last day it will be accepted. Due dates and times for
assignments will be provided in the syllabus, in the class (the calendar on the
front-page). Any assignment submitted after the given deadline will be
accepted, but there will be a point-reduction for lateness. The more late an
ssignment is the more points will be deducted. This remains at the discretion
of the instructor.
Note: Email Correspondence:
The instructor will use e-mail
frequently to contact you individually and –occasionally – as a group;
therefore, it is very important that you check your e-mail frequently (at least
once a day) and that you carefully read all e-mail correspondence. I
will make every effort to respond to your e-mail messages within 24 hours of
receipt of your message. If you are having technical problems with E-racer,
please call technical support.
TECHNICAL
SUPPORT:
If you need technical help, please
contact NMC help at
nmchelp@methodistcollege.edu
or call the NMC HELP LINE at 402-354-7008
Please note:
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If you need assistance after hours (after 4:30 M-F or weekends)
email is the best form of communication
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For E-Racer questions or IQWeb Password issues, contact NMC
Help at 402-354-7008 or
NMCHelp@methodistcollege.edu
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For Network (logging into a computer) or Email password
issues contact the Methodist Health System IT Help Desk at 402.354.2280 or
support@nmhs.org
COLLEGE-WIDE
ACADEMIC POLICIES
Academic
Integrity/Code of Conduct
Academic Integrity and Code of
Conduct policies can be accessed in the NMC Catalog at
http://www.methodistcollege.edu/Uploads/Downloads/2010-2011NMCCollegeCatalogUpdated_1.pdf
If it is determined at a later date
that a student had cheated on an assignment, paper, or any other graded piece
of work, a grade of zero will replace the original grade for that assignment.
Cheating & Plagiarism
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If
a student commits plagiarism on written assignments (whether this is
intentional or not), the penalties to be assessed will be as follows: (1)
on the first offense, the grade on the assignment plagiarized will be
reduced to "0"; and (2) on the second offense, the course grade
will be reduced to "F". Cheating in any form (assignments/exams)
will result in either (a) loss of points or (b) assignment/exam grade
reduced to a zero, or (c) course grade reduced to “F”.
DISABILITY STATEMENT:
Reasonable
academic accommodations are provided for students who have documented
disabilities and have met sufficiently in advance with the NMC Academic Skills
Specialist (Clark 1240, ext. 7214) to develop a written plan. It is the
student’s responsibility to notify the college of a need for accommodations.
Accommodations cannot be granted retroactively, and late notification of a need
does not excuse the student from work already completed in the course.
NOTE
: Your
continued registration in the course indicates your acceptance of the terms of
the syllabus. The procedures and schedule are subject to change in the event of
extenuating circumstances.
Tentative Schedule
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Week #1
: Module #1
o Introduction to Ethics &
Ethical Reasoning (Chapter 1)
o Essay & Discussion-Post #1
Due; see class-calendar for specific date
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Week #1
: Module #2
o Meta-Ethics: Ethical Relativism
(Chapter 2)
o Essay & Discussion-Post #2
Due; see class-calendar for specific date
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Week #2
: Module #3
o Meta-Ethics: Ethical Egoism
(Chapter 3)
o Essay & Discussion-Post #3
Due; see class-calendar for specific date
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Week #2
: Module #4
o Normative-Ethics: Utilitarianism
(Chapter 4)
o Essay & Discussion-Post #4
Due; see class-calendar for specific date
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Week #3
: Module #5
o Normative-Ethics: Kant's Moral Theory/Deontology
(Chapter 5)
o Essay & Discussion-Post #5
Due; see class-calendar for specific date
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Week #3
: Midterm Exam Due
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Week #4
: Module #6
o Applied-Ethics: Euthanasia
(Chapter 10)
o Essay & Discussion-Post #6
Due; see class-calendar for specific date
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Week #4
: Module #7
o Applied-Ethics: Abortion (Chapter
11)
o Essay & Discussion-Post #7
Due; see class-calendar for specific date
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Week #5
: Module #8
o Applied-Ethics: Cloning-Issues
(Chapter 18)
o Essay & Discussion-Post #8
Due; see class-calendar for specific date
* Week #5: Final Exam Due