CS 105 Computer Ethics and Society

Fall 2014, 1 Credit - George Mason University

This is a 10-week course and the final exam will be in class on the 11th week.

Instructor: Prof. Michael Maddox 

Email: mmaddox@gmu.edu Phone: (703) 250-1121

Office hours: Before and after class or by appointment

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant: Derek Vannoy

Email: dvannoy@masonlive.gmu.edu

Office Hours available by appointment

Contact
If you are experiencing difficulty with the course, please contact the instructor or UTA for assistance. We are here to help you learn. Blackboard is the primary resource, but office hours and email are also available. When communicating by email, please be specific in the subject line about the course, section number and topic to avoid being flagged as spam. E.g. Subject: CS 105 Section 002 / Question about Kantianism

Materials

• Textbook: Quinn, Michael J., "Ethics for the Information Age" 6th Ed., Addison-Wesley, 2015. The textbook is required and students are expected to keep up with readings. A copy of the textbook is held on reserve at the Gateway Library which is located in the Johnson Center (Call number: QA 76.9.M65 Q56 2015)

• Web: Blackboard at mymasonportal.gmu.edu.   Additional materials (readings, slides, announcements) will be available through the CS 105 BB site. Use this for syllabus, schedule, submitting assignments, posting discussions, and Q&A. (Note that all students are required to make at leaset one BB posting per week on the discussion page for that week.)  User ID and password are same as GMU email login.

Course Description
Legal, social, and ethical issues surrounding use of computers and the internet. The course will stress ethical decision-making as well as legal and social responsibility in connection with technology-related concerns. Issues such as security, crime, privacy and intellectual property will be examined in the context of computer use. Students may be requested to conduct research on the internet in any of these areas and/or learn to use practical technological tools related to privacy and security.

Learning Outcomes

1. Students will understand many of the key ethical, legal and social issues related to information technology and how to interpret and comply with ethical principles, laws, regulations and institutional policies. 

2. Students will understand the essential issues related to information security, how to take precautions and use techniques and tools to defend against computer crime.

Prerequisites: None
General Education: This course has been approved to satisfy the GMU General Education requirement for one credit of IT Ethics.

Special Accommodations: Students with disabilities who need academic accommodations must work through the Office of Disability Services at (703) 993-2474.

Course Work
This is a discussion-based course. You are expected to attend all course meetings and participate in conversations about course material as well as in-class activities relevant to the course. To facilitate this, assigned readings are to be done before class.

There are two major writing assignments to be done outside of class, which comprise a substantial portion of the overall grade. Additional work such as outside research, group presentations, or contributing to discussion board topics may be assigned.

It is important that you attend class on a regular basis. You may attend an alternate lecture session presented by the same instructor if you miss your own. However, unless you obtain advance approval from your instructor, you may not receive credit for class participation when attending a section by a different instructor.

Grading and Evaluation
Grading will be based on two major assignments, in-class quizzes, class participation (incl. Blackboard postings), and the final exam. These are weighted as follows:

Policies
Unless otherwise specified, all papers and other written assignments are to be individual efforts. Certain portions of group assignments may require individual efforts as well. Be careful to follow instructions regarding acceptable group efforts. Plagiarism is governed by the GMU Honor Code and will not be tolerated. Instances of cheating and/or plagiarism will be referred to the Honor Committee.

Absences and Participation Credit – Any absences from class for health or emergency reasons are excusable only if reasonable notice is provided, in advance if possible.

Late Work -  Unless an extension is given, late assignments will carry a daily penalty (typically 5-10%) for every day late (up to 50%). Pay attention to deadlines!

IMPORTANT NOTICE: None of the information presented in this course should be considered specific legal advice. Each situation is unique and requires individual attention. Students with individual legal concerns should not rely on information obtained in this course in making any legal decisions. Should you have a problem or concern requiring legal attention, you should seek specific advice from an attorney of your choosing.