Syllabus for the mid-range class:

Professor:                                                                     Academic Term:    

Phone:                                                                         Day and Time:        

Email:                                                                          Room Location:       

Office Location:                                                           Office Hours:                                                

Course Description

Content of Lectures    

1. To convey the importance of unifiying principles in an interactive age.
2. To teach the terminology of media, ethics and technology.
3. To analyze the impact of media and technology on social, moral and cultural change.
4. To prepare students to address and resolve personal and professional situations or disputes using the same unifying principles that will guide them in their careers
5. To help students build, test and improve their personal values, with the option of creating a personal or professional ethics code.
6. To stimulate emotional and interpersonal intelligence.
7. To spark discussion via readings and case studies associated with influence, responsibility, truth, falsehood, maniuplation, temptation, bias, fairness, discretion, power and corporate vs. personal value systems, along with other dynamic communication and media ethics issues

Textbook

Living Ethics Across Media Platforms by Michael Bugeja (Oxford, 2008).

Readings: There are an introductory chapter and 10 chapters in this text book. You are to read one chapter per week, beginning with the introduction, and pay close attention to the end-of-the-chapter assignments, especially journal assignments.. You are expected to complete the reading prior to the first class period of each week.  Completion of readings is essential to understanding the lecture and effectively participating in classroom discussion and assignments.

Assignments and Grading

1.    Journal Assignments (worth 400 points, or 100 points each). During the course of the academic term according to deadlines distributed by the instructor, you will be responsible for completing any four of the 10 end-of-chapter journal assignments in your text.

2.    Final paper, 10-15 pages (worth 300 points) [Optional: Creation of a personal or professional ethics code  in  the format of a company for which you wish to work. See: http://www.livingethics.org/samplecodes.html.]

3.      Midterm (worth 200 points)

4.      Final exam (worth 200 points)

Scale: 95-100 A, 90-94 A-, 87-89 B+, 84-86 B, 80-83 B-, 77-79 C+, 74-76 C, 70-73 C-, 67-69 D+, 64-66 D, 60-63 D-, 0-59 F.

Note: Instructor reserves the right to increase the final accumulated grade by as much as one-half grade, based on classroom participation and positive attitude/interaction. Instructor may decrease the final accumulated grade by as much as one-half grade, based on lack of classroom participation and/or interaction.

Be advised that you will be sent email messages via your university account pertaining to this class, including but not limited to extra credit opportunities, exam schedules and results, and more. However, if you are using another email system such as hotmail or yahoo, for instance, be sure to forward your university messages to your active email account, to ensure that you receive email notification about this class.

Academic Misconduct

Cheating, plagiarism, class disruptions are serious offences. You may not cheat or plagiarize or disturb the class with outbursts or other inappropriate behaviors. If you do, you may receive a failing grade and/or be reported to the appropriate academic authorities.

Especially in this course investigating the impact of interactive technology and ethics, you may not use during class any electronic device, including by not limited to cell phones, laptop computers, and personal digital assistants.

Attendance

Attendance is particularly important in a class such as this in which concepts are introduced, debated and analyzed. In addition, facts and definitions will be presented that you will be required to know for exams. Thus, listening, participation and note-taking are essential if you wish to earn a passing or a superior grade.

You can miss as many lectures as you like, providing that a quiz, an exam or other assignment deadline is not scheduled during that class period. Keep in mind that the more classes you miss, the lower your grade typically will be on quizzes and exams, as these will be based on large part on discussion during class. Nonetheless, if you must miss, simply send an e-mail to me explaining the reason for the absence. The only requirement is that you tell the truth. Do not say you were ill if you overslept, for instance. Do not invade your own or another person's privacy in telling the truth (i.e., simply say you had to meet a medical appointment—don't explain symptoms). You can email me before you miss the scheduled lecture or send it to me within 24 hours after the absence. Note: Failure to notify me per the above will count as an unexcused absence. If a quiz or exam is given that day, you will not be allowed to do a make-up.

Because of the attendance policy, unexcused absences must be dealt with seriously. Your final grade will be lowered by one-half letter for each unexcused absence. 

Late Arrival, Early Departure Policy

If you arrive late to class or have to leave early, you must sit in a section of seats near the exit. Those seats have been reserved for that purpose, so you will not disturb the class with your comings and goings. If you arrive late or leave early without sitting in these seats, you must notify me by letter or email about the reason. If you do not, your tardiness or early departure will be counted as an unexcused absence.

Make-up Assignment Policy

If I am notified in advance about an illness or bonafide excused absence, as defined by and according to university policy, a make-up quiz or exam will be provided. No make-up will be provided if you fail to notify me or if the excuse does not qualify (oversleeping, for instance).

Final Exam:  Final exams are set by university policy. The date cannot be changed to coincide with your personal schedule.