CS 456
Fall 2021
Instructor: David Babcock, dbabcock@ycp.edu
Office Hours: M 10am-12pm, T 1-2pm, W 2-3pm, R 9-10am, or by appointment
Class times:
- Section 101, TR 11:00AM - 12:15PM in KEC 120
Course Description
This course studies the social impact, implications, and effects of computers, and the responsibilities of computer professionals in directing the emerging technology. Specific topics include an overview of the history of computing, computer applications and their impact, the computing profession, the legal and ethical responsibilities of professionals, and careers in computing.
Prerequisites
Minimum 89 credits completed.
Textbook
No required text.
Course Structure and Expectations
Class meetings will be primarily a discussion of various issues relevant to computing and technology. There will be required reading materials for each class, and it is important to come to class prepared to discuss the issues presented in the reading.
There will be a student led discussion, two exams, and a final paper.
As this course is entirely discussion based, it is imperative that you attend all classes and do any reading prior to class.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Understand the basic concepts of ethics, morality, and logical arguments/fallacies
- Follow the responsibilities of computer professionals as defined by the Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice
- Argue viewpoints concerning the current legal and ethical status of intellectual property rights – specifically trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, patents, and licensing – as they relate to computer software
- Present justified rationale on privacy, security, and censorship policies in the realm of computer networks and the Internet
- Develop arguments regarding the social implications and inequities arising from the expansion of technology in the global community
Policies
Grades
Your overall grade for the course will be determined as follows:
- Attendance/Participation: 5%
- Discussion presentation: 5%
- Midterm exam: 30%
- Final exam: 30%
- Final paper: 30%
Grades are assigned on a 100-point scale:
Numeric Range Letter Grade 90-100 A (4.0) 87-90 B+ (3.5) 80-87 B (3.0) 77-80 C+ (2.5) 70-77 C (2.0) 60-70 D (1.0) 0-60 F (0.0)
Course website
Please check the course web page, regularly for important announcements.
Exams
Exams will consist of an in-class discussion period and a subsequent write-up period. They will be evaluated based on an understanding of the material discussed in class along with your independent critique of the topic supported by references from the reading materials.
Reading Assignments
Reading assignments will be primarily drawn from relevant industry journal articles as well as websites which provide discussions of current issues regarding computing and technology. The reading assignments are posted on the course schedule. I expect you to do the reading before class. Class time will be for discussing the points presented in the reading material.
Final Paper/Presentation
The intent of the research paper is to provide an opportunity to investigate a particular issue of interest in greater depth. The topic will be accompanied by a student led class discussion about the various aspects of the issue. You will be required to provide the instructor with several relevant articles and/or websites prior to your discussion period for distribution to the class. Further details will be provided later in the semester.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes and read the appropriate text material prior to class. If you must miss a class, it is your responsibility to notify the professor prior to class. Students are responsible for all material covered in class.
You may work ahead and submit any assignments early, but you must not fall behind. Class time is intended to be used for answering questions about the reading, labs, and assignments. You are responsible for keeping up with the reading assignments as described in the schedule.
Professionalism
I expect you to conduct yourself as a professional in this course. Professionalism includes:
- Respect for and courteous interaction with peers, faculty and facilities;
- Integrity, which includes at its core honesty, responsibility and accountability for one’s own actions;
- Sensitivity and appreciation for diverse cultures, backgrounds, and life experiences;
- Constructive evaluation, which means that criticism is offered and accepted in a productive manner;
- Self-reflection and identification of one’s own strengths and weaknesses;
- Responsibility for one’s own education and learning;
- An attitude that fosters professional behavior in colleagues and peers;
- Punctuality at meetings and class sessions;
- Attentive behavior during class sessions, avoiding personal or social use of cell phones, laptops, or other electronic devices;
- Acknowledgement of the Kinsley Engineering Center as a professional workplace, and treatment of this facility as a business or office space, not as an informal space.
I reserve the right to enforce this code through the York College Code of Student Conduct.
Academic Integrity Policy (Philosophy Statement)
York College of Pennsylvania, as an institution of higher education, serves to promote and sustain the creation, acquisition, and dissemination of knowledge. In order to fulfill this purpose, an environment of integrity, dependability and honesty must be maintained by all members of the York College community. Without a foundation based on intellectual honesty and integrity, the very ability to uphold the academic endeavors that York College strives to pursue is inhibited. The Spartan Oath embodies the expectation that all members of the York College community foster an environment of integrity and responsibility. Recognize that adhering to an ethical standard of honesty leads to professional, mature and responsible citizens, and enables society at large to trust our scholarship, research, and conferred degrees. Thus, each member of the York College community must be truthful, honest, personally and professionally responsible, and respect the intellectual contributions of others.
Definition of Academic Dishonesty
Engaging in academic dishonesty is a violation of the school’s academic integrity policy and is not tolerated at York College. Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, cheating on assignments or examinations, plagiarism (i.e. passing someone else’s words or ideas off as one’s own without proper attribution), improper paraphrasing, fabricating research, falsifying academic documents, handing in material completed for another course, and submitting work not done independently (unless part of an explicitly collaborative project).
Academic Integrity Procedure – Reporting
- When a faculty member believes a student has violated the Academic Integrity Policy, the faculty member is encouraged to discuss the incident in person with the student promptly, identifying the sanction he or she is going to apply. The faculty member should then reiterate the charge and sanction in writing to the student.
- The faculty member has full discretion to determine a suitable sanction, such as a “0” on the assignment in question, up to a course grade of “0”. In the case of an egregious first offense, the faculty member may request that the Student Welfare Committee conduct a hearing and determine a sanction, which may involve academic probation, suspension, or dismissal from the College.
- The faculty member has ten days from the written notification to the student to report the incident to the Department Chair and Associate Provost of Academic Services. The faculty member must submit as part of the report: 1) a detailed description of the incident, 2) a course syllabus, 3) an assignment sheet or assignment instructions, 4) the assignment in question, and 5) supporting documentation, such as copied material. The documentation will be kept on file in the student’s permanent record.
- Students cannot withdraw from a course in which they have been accused of academic dishonesty, until the accusation is withdrawn by the faculty member, or is overturned by the Student Welfare Committee or the Associate Provost of Academic Services. Academic Integrity Procedure – Appeals
- Students who believe they have been unjustly charged or sanctioned have ten days after receiving written notification from their instructor regarding the incident to file an appeal with the Student Welfare Committee by submitting a formal letter to the Associate Provost of Academic Services.
- If an appeal is filed, the Student Welfare Committee will schedule a hearing which includes inviting the student and faculty member to attend to provide additional information or clarity regarding the incident. The Student Welfare Committee will then review the charge and/or sanction.
- If the Associate Provost of Academic Services determines that the incident of academic dishonesty is the student’s second or subsequent offense, he or she will provide written documentation to the student, faculty member, and Department Chair. The Student Welfare Committee will automatically conduct a hearing to review the charge and decide on an appropriate sanction: academic probation, suspension or dismissal from the College.
- Academic Services will receive written notification of the Student Welfare Committee’s decision. Students who are unsatisfied with the decision may submit a second and final written appeal to the Associate Provost of Academic Services within 72 hours of receiving notification of the Student Welfare Committee’s decision. All decisions made by the Associate Provost of Academic Services will be final.
Use of Personal Technology in the Classroom
While York College recognizes students’ need for educational and emergency-related technological devices such as laptops, PDA’s, cellular phones, etc., using them unethically or recreationally during class time is never appropriate. The college recognizes and supports faculty members’ authority to regulate in their classrooms student use of all electronic devices.
Communication Standards
York College recognizes the importance of effective communication in all disciplines and careers. Therefore, students are expected to competently analyze, synthesize, organize, and articulate course material in papers, examinations and presentations. In addition, students should know and use communication skills current to their field of study, recognize the need for revision as part of their writing process, and employ standard conventions of English usage in both writing and speaking. Students may be asked to further revise assignments that do not demonstrate effective use of these communication skills.
Student Accessibility Services
In accordance with the provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, York College and its faculty are obliged to make reasonable classroom and physical accommodations for students with disabilities. If you are a student with a disability in need of classroom accommodations and have not already registered with Linda Miller, Director of Student Accessibility Services, please contact her at 815-1785 or lmille18@ycp.edu to discuss policies and procedures related to disability services and to establish the accommodations for which you are eligible.
Disclaimer
This syllabus is subject to revision by the instructor.
