Social Issues & Ethics in Computer Science and Engineering

Spring 2008 Course Syllabus

Course Information
Course Number SOCS 3361/ECS 3361 section 001
Course Title Social Issues & Ethics in Computer Science and Engineering
Term Spring 2008
Days & Times Tues/Thurs. 2:30-3:45pm in SOM2.115

Professor Contact Information

Professor Dr. Robert Morris
Phone (972) 883-6728
Email address morris@utdallas.edu
Office Location Green Hall - GR 3.526
Office Hours: Tues/Thurs 4pm-6pm; open door, or by appointment.
Class Webpage: http://utdallas.edu/~morris

Teaching Assistants: ElenaLabastida (elenalabastida@student.utdallas.edu) &

Matthew Openshaw (openshaw@utdallas.edu)
TA Office: Green Hall - GR 2.512

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions

Students must be internet capable and regularly check their UTD email account. WebCT
messages may not receive a timely response, do not email me through your personal
email account, use your UTD email account only!!!

Course Description
The transition into the information age has led to unparalleled social enhancement. However, with these
new tools comes greater social responsibility; an oft overlooked reality. This purpose of this course is to
expose students to such concerns with the hope of more informed decisions being made in the field.
Topics to be covered will include philosophy of ethics, cybercrime, privacy, intellectual property, digital
piracy, artificial intelligence, computer error, computer related law, computing in the workplace, the
military and computers, surveillance, ethics and nanotechnology, and virtual social systems. Special
attention will be given to the role of ethics in computer science and engineering and to the use and
development of technology in general. While this course will be presented from a social science
perspective, students from every academic background will benefit from the material and discussions
covered herein.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will:

1. have an enhanced level of awareness regarding ethical issues in computer science and
engineering.

2. be able to identify and understand the fundamental philosophies of ethics and demonstrate an
understanding of ethics as applied to many computer related activities.

3. be able to summarize, compare and contrast competing social positions on many different
computer science/engineering related topics using ethical traditions as a framework.

R. Morris – Social Issues & Ethics in Computer Science and Engineering - Course Syllabus Page 1
Required Textbooks and Materials
S. L. Edgar (2003). Morality & Machines. (2nd Edition). Jones & Bartlett Publishers
ISBN: 0763717673

Pojman, Louis (2006). Ethics: Discovering Right & Wrong (5th Edition). Wadsworth Publishing
ISBN: 0534619363

NOTE: Additional readings will be assigned throughout the semester and will be posted on WebCT.

Grading Policy
Grades are composed of:
Exams (4 total) 70%
Round Table Discussion 15%
Participation/Attendance 15%

Exams
Four exams will be given throughout the course to measure course goals and constitute 70% of the course grade.
Exams may be in the form of traditional objective exams, critical response papers, in class written response papers,
or some combination therein. Exams will not be completely comprehensive in nature. However, essay and short
answer questions may indirectly involve previous readings and/or debate scenarios. Regardless of the assessment
type, you should BE SURE TO DO ALL READING ASSIGNMENTS and TAKE NOTES IN CLASS and
DURING DEBATES AND DISCUSSIONS!!! Much of what is covered in exams is not covered in the readings
alone! In short, reading the material is a requirement of the course.

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION GROUPS

Every student will participate in an assigned roundtable discussion covering a specific topic. An entire class period
will be devoted to each roundtable discussion/debate. 15-20 students will be assigned to each discussion and will be
responsible for generating and facilitating a discussion/debate on the topic. Roundtable participants will be assigned
to argue either in favor or in opposition against the topic statement, which will be provided in advance. Group
assignment dates will be posted on WebCT (or class website) at the beginning of the semester. Students may also be
assigned to participate as active audience members once during the semester. Both roundtable and audience
participation will constitute the roundtable grade. Detailed guidelines and grading criteria regarding the roundtable
discussions will be posted on WebCT and discussed in class. Roundtable participants will be required to turn in
an outline of topic points, counter points, & a reference page (see details). Failure to turn in an outline will result
in a zero credit for the assignment.

Make-up roundtable sessions will be allowed for cases of legitimate emergency only (see attendance/exam makeup
policy). If you miss your session due to an unexcused absence, you will receive a grade of zero, no exceptions.

PARTICIPATION/ATTENDANCE GRADE
A combination of participation and attendance will count for 15% of your overall grade (see attendance policy
below). Again, students are expected to read all assigned material prior to class meetings. Students who do not
regularly participate in class discussions and who miss classes will be penalized on their participation/attendance
score. Homework assignments may also be given and will count for a portion of the participation/attendance grade.
Additionally, excessive absences will result in overall grade reductions (see below). Unannounced reading
assessments (quizzes) may be given throughout the semester and will count toward the participation/attendance
portion of the grade. Students who regularly participate (proactively) and who have perfect, or near perfect,
attendance should receive full credit (or very close to full) for the participation/attendance grade. Students who have
strong attendance, but don’t regularly participate will receive half credit as will students who commonly participate,
but miss several class meetings. Students who are commonly absent and who do not regularly participate in
class discussion will receive NO CREDIT for participation.

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Assignments & Academic Calendar – SPRING 2008
DATE TOPIC Required Readings
Pojman
Tuesday, January 08, 2008 Syllabus Review & Course Overview
Week 1
Thursday, January 10, 2008 Why study ethics? & Ethical Relativism Ch.1, 2

Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Moral Objectivism Ch.3

Week 2
Thursday, January 17, 2008 Ethical Egoism Ch.5

Tuesday, January 22, 2008 Utilitarianism Ch.6

Week 3
Thursday, January 24, 2008 Kant & Deontological Ethics Ch.7

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Virtue Ethics Ch.8

Week 4
Thursday, January 31, 2008 The importance of Ethics in ECS/Exam 1 Review Ch.9; O.R. 1

Tuesday, February 05, 2008 Exam 1

Week 5
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Week 6
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Guest Speaker: Agent Smith - Dallas FBI Cyber Crimes Div.
Edgar
Digital Piracy, Intellectual Property & Cyberlaw Ch.4
Round Table Discussion - Group 1

Tuesday, February 19, 2008 Computer Crime: General Overview Ch.5

Week 7
Thursday, February 21, 2008 Round Table Discussion - Group 2

Tuesday, February 26, 2008 Computer Intruders and Malware Ch.6

Week 8
Thursday, February 28, 2008 Round Table Discussion - Group 3

Tuesday, March 04, 2008 Exam 2 Review - Section Overview

Week 9
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Week 10 Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Exam 2
Spring Break - No class
Spring Break - No class
Privacy Issues Ch.7, OR 2
Round Table Discussion - Group 4

Tuesday, March 25, 2008 Errors & Computing in the Work Place Ch.9
Week 11
Thursday, March 27, 2008 Round Table Discussion - Group 5

Tuesday, April 01, 2008 Ethics & Nanotechnology See

Week 12
Thursday, April 03, 2008 Exam 3 WebCT

Tuesday, April 08, 2008 Film Ch. 11

Week 13
Thursday, April 10, 2008 Film (Cont.)

Tuesday, April 15, 2008 Artificial Intelligence Systems & Virtual Worlds Ch.12, O.R. 3
Week 14
Thursday, April 17, 2008 Round Table Discussion - Group 6

Tuesday, April 22, 2008 Course Debriefing & Final Exam Review
Week 15
Thursday, April 24, 2008 Final Exam
O.R. = Outside Reading - Posted on WebCT

NOTE: Additional readings may be assigned throughout the semester.

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Calculating Final Grades
Final grades will be calculated via the below equation.

((Exam Average) x .7) + (Roundtable Grade x .15) + (Participation/Attend. x .15) = Final Grade

Use the below grade scale to convert your percentage score to a letter grade.

Grade Scale
98-100 = A+ 88-89 = B+ 78-79 = C+ 68-69 = D+ 59 and below = F
93-97 = A 83-87 = B 73-77 = C 63-67 = D
90-92 = A- 80-82 = B- 70-72 = C- 60-62 = D-

Course & Instructor Policies

Class Attendance
Class Attendance is expected and roll will be taken each day. Please do not arrive late. Each unexcused absence
beyond the first two will result in a 3 percentage point deduction from the final average. For example, if you
miss 3 classes the best you could do in the class would be a 97, miss 4 and the best you could do in the class would
be a 94, and so on…

If you arrive late and miss signing the roll sheet, you will be counted as absent! If you sign the roll sheet and leave
early, you will not be counted as present for that day and you will lose participation points. Absences will only be
excused for documented illness, documented family emergencies and religious holy days or official UTD
extracurricular events (prior notice required for the latter two reasons: EMAIL TO TA at the start of the semester).
NO STUDENT MAY SIGN THE ROLL SHEET FOR A FELLOW STUDENT or SUBMIT A QUIZ FOR
SOMEONE ELSE!! This constitutes academic dishonesty and will result in an AUTOMATIC referral to judicial
affairs for both parties involved, so please don’t do that!! Absences for dilemmas such as, but not limited to, flat
tires, car trouble, sick children, heavy traffic, bachelor/bachelorette parties, rain, not feeling “good”, occupational
conflict and etc. will not be counted as excused.

Computer/Email Access
Students are expected to have set up their university computer account and understand how to use email and
WebCT. YOU MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE TA AND PROFESSOR SOLELY VIA YOUR WEBCT
EMAIL ADDRESS!!!! Otherwise, your message will end up in a junk email folder…. Email messages will be sent
to the class in case of class cancellation or changes to topics, assignments, and etc. The class website (WebCT) will
provide access to the syllabus, power point slides, assignments, grades, and attendance. PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL
ME OR THE TA ABOUT INFORMATION THAT IS PROVIDED ON THE WEBSITE, if you do, you will most
likely not receive a response.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure that your UTD mail account is not full and that you check it every day.
Messages returned to me will not receive follow ups.

Make-up Exams & Late work

Make-up exams will only be given for the following reasons a) Severe Illness (proof required – a legitimate
physicians letter will be required and verified); and b) Religious holy days with sufficient prior notice in accordance
with UTD policy; c) death of a family member (proof required). SIMPLY NOT FEELING GOOD IS NOT A
VALID EXCUSE! Make-up exams will be in essay format and generally much more difficult than normal tests, so it
is in your best interest to be in attendance on test days. Late assignments will not be accepted unless there is an
emergency as listed above. If you have a legitimate reason in accordance with UTD policy for missing a class, it is
your responsibility to turn in any assignments early.

Extra Credit
Extra credit possibilities will be discussed in class.

General Questions about the Course

All general questions about the course should be emailed to the TA or asked during office hours or breaks.

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Classroom Citizenship
As noted above, in-class participation is a component of your grade and everyone is encouraged to engage the
professor and fellow students during class as to contribute to the discussion. Please ask questions! You are each here
to learn and the best way to do that is by engaging in discussion about the topic and sharing ideas. In my experience,
classes that actively discuss and debate the issues are much more fruitful and more enjoyable for the students and for
the professor. Chances are that someone else has the same question/s as you, so please ask; it can only help your
grade! (Asking thoughtful questions related to the topic does constitute class participation). However, I insist
on respectfulness in the classroom for all participants. Disrespect to any classroom participant will not be tolerated.
Any classroom participant behaving in such a manner will be asked to leave the classroom and may be subject to
grade reduction or referral to the appropriate university officials.

In class distractions will also not be tolerated. This means that there will be NO USE OF ELECTRONIC
DEVICES! This includes, but is not limited to, cell phones, laptops, crackberries, PDAs, pocket PCs, and etc.
Please turn all electronic devices to their off (or silent) positions during class hours. If you have an emergency phone
call, please quietly leave the classroom prior beginning the conversation. The use of a laptop is allowed for the
general audience for CLASS PURPOSES ONLY. Surfing the internet and/or chatting is not allowed.
Students caught violating this policy will lose the privilege of laptop use in class and will lose participation
points. Sleeping in class will also not be tolerated as this is both disrespectful to both the professor and fellow
students. Students will lose credit points for sleeping in class.

Sound recording devices are NOT allowed in class.

Technical Support

If you experience any problems with your UTD account you may send an email to: assist@utdallas.edu or call the UTD
Computer Helpdesk at 972-883-2911.

Field Trip Policies

Off-campus Instruction and Course Activities

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law and University policies and
procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information regarding these rules and regulations may be
found at the website address http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional
information is available from the office of the school dean. Below is a description of any travel and/or risk-related
activity associated with this course.

Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations for the orderly and
efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and each student organization to be
knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern student conduct and activities. General information on
student conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered
students each academic year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of recognized and established
due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and Regulations, Series 50000, Board of Regents, The
University of Texas System, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the university’s Handbook of
Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602,
972/883-6391). (CONT.)

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship. He or she is expected
to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and administrative rules.
Students are subject to discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or off
campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

Academic Integrity

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 The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because the value of an
academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the student for that degree, it is imperative
that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to applications for enrollment
or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or material that is not one’s own. As a general rule,
scholastic dishonesty involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic
records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other source is
unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This
course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.
DO NOT CUT AND PASTE WORK FROM WEBSITES OR ANY OTHER SOURCE!!!

Copyright Notice

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other
reproductions of copyrighted materials, including music and software. Copying, displaying, reproducing, or distributing
copyrighted works may infringe the copyright owner’s rights and such infringement is subject to appropriate
disciplinary action as well as criminal penalties provided by federal law. Usage of such material is only appropriate
when that usage constitutes “fair use” under the Copyright Act. As a UT Dallas student, you are required to follow the
institution’s copyright policy (Policy Memorandum 84-I.3-46). For more information about the fair use exemption, see
http://www.utsystem.edu/ogc/intellectualproperty/copypol2.htm

Email Use

The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between faculty/staff and
students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues concerning security and the identity of
each individual in an email exchange. The university encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only
to a student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it
originates from a UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the
identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each student
with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with university personnel. The Department of
Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other
accounts.

Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level courses. These dates and
times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's
responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any
student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you
choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities, of the university’s
Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments of academic
responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to resolve the matter with the instructor,
supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”). Individual
faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at that
level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the respondent’s School Dean. If the
matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the respondent, the student may submit a written appeal to the
School Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the
Dean of Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic Appeals Panel. The
decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic appeals process will be distributed to all
involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are
available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy

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 As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at the semester’s end and only
if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first
day of the subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade is not
submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities equal to those of their non-
disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday,
8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22,PO Box 830688Richardson, Texas 75083-0688, (972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments necessary to eliminate
discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary to remove classroom prohibitions against tape
recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment requirement may be
substituted (for example, a research paper versus an oral presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes
enrolled students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities. The college or university
may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or mobility assistance.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an accommodation. Disability Services
provides students with letters to present to faculty members to verify that the student has a disability and needs
accommodations. Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after class or during office
hours.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for the travel to and
observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section 11.20,
Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding the absence, preferably in
advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment within a
reasonable time after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who
notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who
fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a failing grade for that exam or
assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of observing a religious holy day]
or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has been given a reasonable time to complete any missed
assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the
institution, or his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative intent of
TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief executive officer or designee.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the
Professor.

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