CS 306/405 Synthesis of Ethics and Law for the Computing Professional, 3 units
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
Department of Computer Science
Course Description -- Spring, 2024

Sec. 1 Mon/Wed 9-10:15 a.m.  IN 215G  Maddox (Class Dates: 1/17-5/8; Exam: MON 5/6, 7:30-10:15 a.m.)

Sec. 2 Mon/Wed Noon-1:15 p.m.  Horizon 4008  Maddox (Class Dates: 1/17-5/08; Exam: MON 5/6, 10:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m.)

Sec. 3 Mon/Wed 1:30-2:45 p.m.  Horizon 3012  Otten  (Class Dates: 1/17-5/08); Exam: WED 5/1, 1:30-4:15 p.m.)

Sec. 4 Mon/Wed 3-4:15 p.m.  Peterson 1105  Otten  (Class Dates: 1/17-5/08); Exam: MON 5/6 1:30-4:15 p.m.)

Sec. 6 Tue/Thu 10:30-11:45 a.m. Horizon 4010  Tompkins (Class Dates: 1/16-5/08; Exam: TUE 5/7, 10:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m.)

Sec. 8 Tue/Thu 4:30-5:45 p.m.  ENT 174  Dean (Class dates: 1/16-5/8; Exam: TUE 5/7, 4:30-7:15 p.m.)

Sec. 9 Wed 4:30-7:10 p.m.  ENGR 1110  Geldon (Class dates: 1/17-5/08; Exam: WED 5/1, 4:30-7:15 p.m.)

Instructors:

Tamara Maddox (Sections 1, 2)   Email: tmaddox@gmu.edu  Office Hours: Mon 1:30-2:30 PM, and Wed 5:00-6:00 PM, or by appt.
            Campus Phone: (703) 993-1525;  Campus Office: ENGR 5347

John E. Otten (Sections 3, 5)    Email: jotten2@gmu.edu  Office Hours: Mon Noon-1 PM, and Wed 5:00-6:00 PM, or by appt.
            Campus Phone: (703) 993-1669;  Campus Office: ENGR 5335

Michael Tompkins (Section 6)  Email: mtompki2@gmu.edu  Office Hours: Available before or after class

A. Charles Dean (Section 8)  Email: adean@grddlaw.com  Office Hours: Available after class and by appt.

Fred Geldon (Section 9)   Email: fgeldon@gmu.edu   Office Hours: Available before or after class

Online Class Syllabus: https://cs.gmu.edu/media/syllabi/Spring2024/CS_306All_InstructorsAll.html
Blackboard Link: http://mymasonportal.gmu.edu

GTAs:  Aishwarya Annavarapu (Secs. 1, 2), Vinay Varma (Secs. 3, 4), Anjana Kollipara (Sec. 6, 8), Nithin Yerramilli (Sec. 9)

UTAs:
            Sec. -001 (M/W 9-10:15 AM) (Maddox): Lilian Nguyen, Mohamed Mabrouk
            Sec. -002 ((M/W Noon-1:15 PM) (Maddox):  Angel Basnet, James Luna
            Sec. -003 (M/W 1:30-2:45 PM) (Otten): Molly Nichols, Shaw-Leon Chen
            Sec. -004 (M/W 3-4:15 PM) (Otten): Iman El-Ghazali, Aditya Inukonda
            Sec. -006 (T/R 10:30-11:45 AM) (Tompkins):  Sneha Nagarakanti
            Sec. -008 (M/W 10:30-11:45 AM) (Dean): Halima Ahmed
            Sec. -009 (Wed 4:30-7:10 PM) (Geldon): Fangzhou Cheng, Awan Mehr

Course Prerequisites: CS 105/110, COMM 100/101, ENGH 302; Completion of at least 60 credit hours

Req'd Textbook: Ethics and Law in Computing: Exploring Legal Issues and Ethical Concerns in 21st-Century Technology, 1st Ed. (Geldon & Maddox), Cognella, 2023. To order, you may go to gmu.bncollege.com or order more directly at https://store.cognella.com/83768-1B-NI-001. The textbook is available in both print and digital versions. (Students who order the print version directly from Cognella will be given access to the first 30% digitally without extra charge to provide initial access while the materials are in transit.) 

 Course Description: This course is intended to help students become effective professionals in the field of computer science by examining many of the challenging legal and ethical issues surrounding computer technology and its use, and building a foundation for dealing with those challenges. Students will examine the philosophical bases for ethical decision-making and how to apply them to issues raised by computers and technology. Specific topics covered in CS 105/110, such as intellectual property concerns, will be addressed by this course in a more intensive manner. Emerging legal and ethical issues involved in the computer profession and e-commerce will also be addressed.

Why you should care: This is a course about law, ethics, and big ideas.  We will spend much of our time reading, discussing, and writing about actual legal cases dealing with constitutional and computer-related issues.  It is a chance for you to understand how the law really works, and how it may apply to your future career in computing.  It is also an opportunity to consider the ethics of many computer-related issues that may actually affect you.  We hope to provide you with new insights, and we may challenge what you think you know!  We expect that you will bring us new insights as well.  YOU are the most important component of this class, so please come prepared to think, discuss, and argue!  At the same time, remember to treat others respectfully, even if you disagree with their positions.

Course Outcomes:

  1. Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
  2. Be able to connect issues of computer technology to wider community and societal concerns using perspectives of law, ethics and computer science.
  3. Be able to communicate effectively in oral form.
  4. Be able to communicate effectively in written form.
  5. Be able to work with a partner and/or group to satisfy a complex task.
  6. Be able to apply critical thinking skills to evaluate the quality, credibility and limitations of an argument or a solution using appropriate evidence or resources.
Technology Requirements:  All Spring, 2024 CS 306 classes are being offered in-person, so we will not be offering any online synchronous class sessions.  However, all students will have certain asynchronous requirements as well as many materials and assignments that will require BB access to complete. Accordingly, all students will need to be prepared for the following technology requirements to successfully complete this class:

Writing Intensive Component: CS 306 is a Writing Intensive (WI) Course that, together with CS 321, meets the GMU WI Requirements for the BS CS and BS ACS programs. Accordingly, each student in CS 306 is required to write a minimum of 1750 individual words, which will be graded and returned to the student with feedback. This requirement will be fulfilled by two essays related to law and ethics, on of which will require both a draft and final submission, each graded separately. At least one version of EACH essay must meet minimum word-count requirements and earn a final grade of C or better in order to receive a C or better in the course. Students will also be writing an in-class essay exam and will work with partners to research and write materials in preparation for their Mock Trials. 

Grading Policy:
    1. Class Participation (incl. in-class activities and short preparatory assignments) (20%)
    2. Brief quizzes on assigned reading and recent lecture material (10%)
    3. Non-trial Discussion Board assignments (5%)
    4. Formal Essays (15%) {Essay 1 (5%), Essay 2 Draft (5%) and Essay 2 Final (5%)}
    5. Essay "Quest" (5%)
    6. Mock Trial Group Project and Presentation (30% total for trial + all pretrial assignments)
    7. Final Exam (15%)

Late Work:  You are expected to submit all work by the stated due date.  Late work may be accepted at the discretion of the instructor, but  will be subject to a late penalty, typically 5-10% per day (incl. weekends).  The group project is divided into several parts, and no late work will be accepted after the due date for the next sequential part.  NO late work of any kind will be accepted for credit after Monday, April 29, 2024.  

Attendance:  You should assume ALL normally scheduled classes are synchronous and require attendance unless specifically told otherwise.  Occasional classes may be asynchronous (not requiring class attendance), these will be clearly announced in advance (unless occurring due to unforeseen events, such as inclement weather).  Students should plan to attend ALL class sessions prepared to participate and ready to discuss the readings assigned for that day.  Failure to do so will be reflected in your class participation grade.  (Students unable to attend class due to emergency or covid-19 quarantine should contact their instructor immediately to make special arrangements for any missed classes.)  Group project grading may include a confidential review of participating group members by each student, and individual grades may be adjusted later in the semester if deemed appropriate based on repeated lack of participation or poor work quality as evidenced by either instructor observation or report by fellow group members. If an assignment requires inclusion of the Class Honor Code Pledge, it may be found here.

Course Materials: Certain slides and/or lecture recordings may be made available through Blackboard.  Please note also that instructor lectures and course materials, whether written text, audio recordings, or video recordings, are protected by US Copyright law and also by GMU policy.  Instructors are the sole owners of the copyright on course materials they create.  You may NOT copy, distribute, upload, post, or display CS 306 lectures or course materials, or allow others to do so, without the creating instructor's explicit written consent.  

Honor Code: All exams and certain assignments, such as the required essays, are to be individual efforts. Certain homework and portions of group or team assignments may require individual effort as well. Failure to give proper credit by using quotes and cites constitutes plagiarism. See here for an explanation of quotes and cites for this class. If you have any questions about proper citation method, contact your instructor. Plagiarism is governed by the GMU Honor Code and will not be tolerated. Suspected honor code violations will be referred to the Honor Committee.

Special Accommodations: If you are a student with a disability, please see your instructor and contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at (703) 993-2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through the ODS: http://ods.gmu.edu. Should any accommodations involve a request for time extensions, please make sure that you contact your instructor regarding such extensions well in advance of any specific due date, since some extensions may not be possible without advance notice. Please note also that ODS accommodations generally do not apply to group work.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS):  Contact CAPS at (703) 993-2380 or http://caps.gmu.edu.
Writing Center: Robinson Hall, Room A114, (703) 993-1200 or http://writingcenter.gmu.edu.

Student privacy rights under FERPA: https://registrar.gmu.edu/ferpa
General Education: This course is approved to satisfy the GMU Synthesis Core (gen. ed.) requirement and is expected to qualify for the new Apex Core Requirement.

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.