Instructor Information
| Instructor: | Jon Sorenson |
|---|---|
| Office: | Fairbanks 158 (CSSE Department) |
| Phone/Voicemail: | 940-9765 |
| Home Phone: | 280-1168 (before 9pm please) |
| E-Mail Address: | jsorenso@butler.edu |
| Home Page URL: | http://euclid.butler.edu/~sorenson/ |
| Office Hours: | MTWRF 10:30-11:50, or by appointment |
Course Goals
The development of the computer has had many profound effects on our society. In this course, we will discuss the social, legal, and ethical issues surrounding computing. Some topics include privacy issues, wiretapping and encryption, reliability and safety, intellectual property, computer crime, constitutional issues, and professional ethics and responsibility.
Prerequisite: CS142 or the equivalent and sophomore standing. (Note: to get W credit for this course, you must have junior standing.)
Towards a Liberal Education
The liberal arts are sometimes defined as intellectual skills and general knowledge. As a part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, this course provides opportunities to advance your liberal education by encouraging you to
- Think logically and critically,
- Think for yourself,
- Effectively communicate your ideas, and
- Consider how your decisions can affect the lives of others.
Course Materials
The required text is A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues in Computing, third edition, by Sara Baase, Prentice Hall, 2008.
All handouts for this course will be made available through the world-wide-web (WWW) home page for this course. The URL is http://euclid.butler.edu/ethics. We will discuss how to access this during the first day of class. If at any time you need a handout from the web, but are unable to print it, just ask me and I will print one for you.
Grades
Your grade will be based on writing assignments and class participation as follows:
| Class Participation | 75 points | (5 points each day) |
| Reading Exercises (9) | 45 points | (5 points each) |
| Case Analysis (2) | 40 points | (20 points each) |
| Total: | 160 points |
Letter grades are assigned according to the following scale:
| 93% | 90% | 87% | 83% | 80% | 77% | 73% | 70% | 67% | 63% | 60% |
| A | A- | B+ | B | B- | C+ | C | C- | D+ | D | D- |
If the class average is low (say, below 70%), then I may curve slightly in your favor.
For a description of the grading criteria, see the Grading Criteria page, which is also accessible from the course home page.
Note that homework assignments must be typed and all assignments should be turned in to me in hard copy (don't e-mail your assignments to me and make me print them). You may e-mail an assignment for a time stamp, but please also give me a hard copy for grading.
Penalties: If you e-mail your homework without giving me a hard copy, I will deduct 2 points. If you turn in handwritten homework instead of typed, I will deduct 2 points.
Late Days
Each weekday that an assignment is late, you are charged one late day. Weekends, breaks, and holidays do not count as late days. You begin the semester with 5 free late days to use (or not use) as you wish. Once you go over this limit, each additional late day costs you 5 points.
Late days are designed to handle normal problems, such as having an exam or major project due in another course, or missing a day or two with a cold, or going to your cousin's wedding. If you have unusual circumstances please talk to me about it as soon as possible.
Help
If you have questions or are confused, please feel free to come see me. I do not expect you to learn all the material the first time you see it; if you could do that, you wouldn't need me! You are welcome to visit me in my office anytime my door is open (which is most of the time). If you do not come during office hours, and I have work I need to do, I may ask you to come back later if you can. Don't take this personally. I enjoy teaching, and I like helping students, so don't think you are imposing on me by asking for help. This is my job.
Students with Disabilities
It is the policy and practice of Butler University to make reasonable accommodations for students with properly documented disabilities. Written notification from Student Disability Services is required. If you are eligible to receive an accommodation and would like to request it for this course, please discuss it with me and allow one week advance notice. Otherwise, it is not guaranteed that the accommodation can be received on a timely basis. Students who have questions about Student Disability Services or who have, or think they may have, a disability (psychiatric, attentional, learning, vision, hearing, physical, medical, etc.) are invited to contact Student Disability Services for a confidential discussion in Jordan Hall 136 or by phone at extension 9308.
I will be happy to comply with your needs as best as I am able.