Ethics

SYLLABUS
Tulsa Community College, Southeast Campus
Fall, 2008

Course: Introduction to Ethical Thinking
Tuesdays Section No PHI 2133-301
Begins: 6 pm Ends: 8:50 pm Call No: 13043
Instructor: Terry Bell Rm. 7110
Office Hrs: Adjunct

TO CONTACT YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Office: N/A
Phone: 918-639-0907
Email: terry.bell@tulsacc.edu TO CONTACT THE DIVISION OFFICE
Liberal Arts
Division Associate Dean: Kevin Clayton
Division Office Number: Rm. 4107
Division Phone Number: 595-7673

PREREQUISITES FOR THIS COURSE
none

COURSE DESCRIPTION
A survey course designed to acquaint the student with some of the fundamental issues in moral philosophy in a cultural context. Principle views are examined with an emphasis on strengths and weaknesses of each. Lecture 3 hours. No Laboratory.

GENERAL EDUCATION GOAL STATEMENT
The General Education Goals are designed to ensure that graduates of Tulsa Community College have the skills, knowledge, and attitudes to carry them successfully through their work and their personal lives. General Education Goals relevant to this course include Critical Thinking, Effective Communication, Engaged Learning, and Technical Proficiency.

DISCIPLINE GOALS
The objective of this course is to provide the student with a working knowledge of principle ethical views from both historical and contemporary proponents. Students will acquire a practical knowledge of basic ethical and philosophical terminology, thinking and trends. The student will also realize the way the development of ethics can be integrated into other areas, both academic and occupational.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:
• Recognize key philosophers who have shaped the field of ethics.
• Understand the various systems of ethics developed and practiced..
• Interpret the meaning of the various ethical systems as they intersect our current lives and world view.

TEXTBOOKS:

Ethics Across Cultures: An Introductory Text With Readings. Michael C. Brannigan

Required email address: All students are provided an email address through TCC. This email address will be the required email address for this class. All course communication will be sent to this email address.

TEACHING METHODS
Activities in this course will include reading assignments, writing, and discussion. The class will focus on three basic areas: 1) Text book, 2) Application (bringing philosophy to the marketplace of life), and 3) the integration of ethics into other fields of study (i.e. psychology, theology, philosophy, etc.).

ATTENDANCE – TIME COMMITMENT – STUDENT EXPECTATIONS
Attendance:
Attendance will be taken at each class meeting. It is the responsibility of the student to sign the attendance sheet. Excessive tardiness or early departures will have a negative impact on evaluation. The professor is required by school policy to report students who have missed more that six class hours to the admissions office (that’s anything more than two classes). The Dean of Student Service will report those students with special financial aid packages to the appropriate service. Students are responsible for obtaining assignments from a classmate or the instructor and for completing any missed work on time.

EVALUATION TECHNIQUES
1. 2 Exams (Midterm and Final). Student required to use Scantron Answer Sheets ( available in bookstore) and #2 pencil.
2. Possible periodic quizzes on reading assignments.
3. Papers…see next section, “Threshold Qualifiers.”
4. Attendance. Failure to attend consistently will result in a lower evaluation. Excessive late arrivals or early departures will negatively affect evaluation.
5. Class Discussion. Participation is vital.

Threshold Qualifiers for Grades

Though Introduction to Ethical Thinking contains some very complex ideas I have tried to develop the course in such a way that any student willing to work hard enough can make an “A.”
On both the midterm and the final, all questions will be thoroughly discussed in the review for the exam. Here’s how you can get an “A” in this class:
Write a 15 page paper (15 full pages is the absolute minimum) on various events found in journals which involve ethical issues. This could be one event discussed in the 15 page paper or more than one.

1. Assuming you have good attendance, have participated in class with a respectful and positive attitude and submit the above mentioned papers, you need meet the threshold qualifier for making and “A.”
2. Your papers and your exams must average a “A.”

Here’s how you can get a “B” in this class:

The same as the above except instead of writing a 15 page paper from journals, you will write a 10 page paper (minimum). Please note that a 14 page paper will count for only 10 pages as it does not meet the minimum requirement for an A.

Here’s how you can get a “C” in this class:

The same as the above except the paper requirement is for 5 pages.

Please note….if you get “A’s” on your exams but only turn in 2 papers, you will still get a “C” for the course. If you turn in a 15 page paper and fail both exams you will not be eligible for an “A” in the course.

All paper should comply with MLA standards.

Grading:
2Exams 200 points
Papers possible 125 points
Class Participation 75 points
Total: 400 points

% Grade
90-100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
60-69 D
59 below F

Assignments:

CLASS
Meeting

TOPICACTIVITY
READING

1…Aug 19
Introduction to Course

2…Aug 26
Introduction to Ethics (Project Assignments)

3…Sept 2
The Case for Cultural Diversity Chapter 1

4…Sept 9
Critical Thinking and Moral Reasoning
Chapter 2

5…Sept 16
Aristotle and Aquinas
Chapter 3

6…Sept 23
Kant’s Deontology and Review
Chapter 4

7…Sept 30
Conference Day (NO CLASS)

8…Oct 7
Midterm

9…Oct 14
Mill and Utilitarian Ethics
Chapter 5

10…Oct 21
Feminist Ethics
Chapter 6

11…Oct 28
Hindu and Buddhist Ethics Confusion Harmony
Chapter 7-9

12…Nov 4
Hindu and Buddhist Ethics Confusion Harmony
Chapter 7-9

13…Nov 11 Ethics in Africa Islamic Ethics
Chapter 11

14…Nov 18
Ethics and the Environment
Chapter 10

15…Nov 25
Can Ethics Save the World?
Chapter 11

16…Dec 2
Catch-up and Review for Final

17. Dec 9
5:30 PM

INSTITUTIONAL STATEMENT: Each student is responsible for being aware of the information contained in the TCC Catalog, the TCC Student Policies & Resources Handbook, and semester information listed in the class schedule. All information may be viewed on the TCC website: http://www.tulsacc.edu
You are welcome to contact me if you need to. My Cell phone is 639-0907. My email is Terrybell1@cox.net. I prefer that you contact me my email since I have a written record of our communication that way.

MAKE-UP AND LATE ASSIGNMENT/EXAM POLICY
Late Assignments and Make-up Tests Policy:
Except in emergency situations (at discretion of instructor) late assignments and make-up exams must be pre-arranged with professor.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY – PLAGIARISM
The cornerstone for intellectual achievement is academic integrity. Tulsa Community College recognizes that academic honesty is the vital key to a student’s true intellectual growth and ultimate personal satisfaction and success.

Academic dishonesty or misconduct is not condoned nor tolerated at campuses within the Tulsa Community College system. Academic dishonesty (cheating) is defined as the deception of others about one’s own work or about the work of another.

Plagiarism is a specific type of academic dishonesty. It is claiming, indicating, or implying that the ideas, sentences, or words of another are your own; it includes having another person do work claimed to be your own, copying the work of another and presenting it as your own , or following the work of another as a guide to ideas and expressions that are then presented as your own.

Cases of academic dishonesty in this course will result in the following disciplinary action:
• the student will complete a substitute assignment
 the substitute assignment will receive a reduced score – 75% is the highest score possible
 in cases of extreme plagiarism, the student will receive a zero (0%) and still complete a substitute assignment
• repeated instances of academic dishonesty will result in administratively withdrawing the student from the class, or recording a grade of “F” for the student at the end of the semester
The complete Tulsa Community College Statement on Academic Integrity can be found in the Course Information section of the Blackboard course site

ADA POLICY
STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS: Students with documented disabilities are provided academic accommodations through the disabled Student Resource Center (918-595-7115) or Resource Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (918-595-7428/TDD-TTY 918-595-7434). If any student is in need of academic accommodations from either office, it is the student’s responsibility to advise the instructor so an appropriated referral can be made no later than the first week of class. Students may also contact the disabled Student Services Offices directly at the telephone numbers indicated. ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS WILL NOT BE PROVIDED UNLESS APPROPRIATE DOCUMENTATIONS IS PROVIDED TO THE DISABLED STUDENT SERVICES OFFICES TO SUPPORT THE NEED.

SUMMITTING ASSIGNMENTS
All assignments are to be submitted on the date posted in the above calendar. All critiques and papers will be due on April 18. Late assignments will be penalized by 5% of total grade for the assignment per day.

COMMUNICATING WITH THE INSTRUCTOR
Email: All TCC students receive a designated “MyTCC” email address (ex:
terry.bell@mail.tulsacc.edu). All communications to you about TCC and course
assignments will be sent to your MyTCC email address; and you must use MyTCC email
to send email to, and receive email from, the instructor regarding this course.

Inclement Weather: TCC rarely closes. If extreme weather conditions or emergency
situations arise, TCC always gives cancellation notices to radio and television stations.
This information is also posted on the TCC website (www.tulsacc.edu).

INSTUTIONAL STATEMENT
Each student is responsible for being aware of the information contained in the TCC Catalog, TCC Student Policies and Resource Handbook, and semester information listed in the Class Schedule.

TRANSFERABILITY:
Please visit with the TCC Counseling Center or the Counseling Center at the college or university to which you plan to transfer to determine transferability status of this course.

FAILURE TO WITHDRAW POLICY
Failure to withdraw may result in the student’s receiving a regular grade of “F” at the end of the semester.

COMPUTER SERVICES ACCEPTABLE USE
Access to computing resources is a privilege granted to all TCC faculty, staff, and students. Use of TCC computing resources is limited to purposes related to the College’s mission of education, research, and community service. Student use of technology is governed by the Computer Services Acceptable Use Statements/Standards found in the TCC Student Policies and Resource Handbook. The handbook may be on the TCC web page at http://www.tulsacc.edu/archive/misc/policies.pdf.

SYLLABUS CHANGES: Occasionally, changes to the syllabus may be necessary. Students will be notified of any changes to the syllabus in writing.