CSCI 3030

Computing, Ethics, and Society

Lectures: Mon., Wed. 8:00 - 8:50 (Chem 400)
15155 Mon. 9:05 - 9:55
25553 Wed. 9:05 - 9:55
Breakout sessions (Boyd 201): 28723 Mon. 1:25 - 2;15
30593 Fri. 9:05 - 9:55
34115 Mon. 12:20 - 1:10

Instructor: Shelby Funk

Office: 219B Boyd GSRC
Phone: 2-3449
Email: [email protected] (please include CSCI 3030 in the subject line of any emails)
Office hours: TBD
Teaching assistant: TBD
TA’s office: TBD
TA’s email address: TBD

Text: Ethics for the Information Age, 7th edition, by Michael Quinn.
Prerequisites: ENGL 1050H or ENGL 1102

Course Description: Introduction to social and ethical issues relating to computer sci-
ence and information technology. Topics include intellectual property, open source software,
the digital divide, globalization, and professional ethics. Students should have a working
knowledge of personal computing.

At the end of the semester, you should be able to do the following:

1. Describe major ethical theories including act utilitarianism, rule utilitarianism, Kan-
tian ethics, and social contract theory.
2. Evaluate new ethical problems based on one or more major ethical theories.
3. Explain and discuss contemporary legal and social issues related to intellectual property
and information technology.
4. Explain and discuss contemporary legal and social issues related to the effect of infor-
mation technology on privacy
5. Explain and discuss contemporary legal and social issues related to the effect of infor-
mation technology on work and employment.
6. Explain and discuss contemporary legal and social issues related to the effect of infor-
mation technology on globalization and vice versa.
7. Describe the role and goals of information technology professional associations.
Piazza: All students must enroll in two Piazza pages for this course (www.piazza.com –
one for the course and one for the breakout session. You will receive a confirmation e-mail
to your uga e-mail account on the first Friday of the semester (once drop/add is finished).

The main Piazza page will be used for course announcements and Q & A. If you have a
question about anything pertaining to course material, please post the question to piazza.
Typically, many students have the same questions and others will benefit from seeing the
Q & A on piazza. Students who frequently answer other students’ questions on piazza may
receive extra credit toward their final letter grade in the class. You are NOT allowed to post
any solutions to homework on piazza.

I will post all course-related material on Piazza including announcements, homework assign-
ments, homework solutions, and lecture slides on the main Piazza page. Please check Piazza
on a regular basis to keep up to date with the course.

The breakout session Piazza page will be used only for online discussion assignments.

Grading (3030):

Lecture attendance 4%
Breakout session attendance 4%
Two Tests 30% (15% per test)
Papers 15%
Online discussions 15%
Presentation 11%
Final Exam 21%

Grading (3030H):

Attendance 4%
Breakout session attendance 4%
Two Tests 26% (13% per test)
Papers 12%
Online discussions 12%
Presentation 12%
Honors paper 12%
Final Exam 18%

There will be 5 written assignments and 5 online discussion assignments. In each of these
assignments, you will be asked to ethically analyze a scenario involving the use of technology.
Honors students will write an extra, and more in depth, analysis of a topic of their choosing
(with approval). Online discussions will be done on Piazza. Each section of this course will
have a different online discussion group.
Final letter grades will be determined according to the following scale:

90 > B+ ≥ 87 80 > C+ ≥ 77
A ≥ 93 87 > B ≥ 83 77 > C ≥ 73 70 > D ≥ 60 F < 60
93 > A- ≥ 90 83 > B- ≥ 80 73 > C- ≥ 70

The instructor reserves the right to curve grades at the end of the semester. Individual
homework and test grades will not be curved. Grade curves will not lower a student’s grade.
Students must be registered for this course in order to receive any grades.

Please retain any graded materials until the end of the semester.

Bonus points: I will allow 2 grace absences for the lectures and 1 grace absence for the
breakout session. Students who do not miss any classes could get more than 8% added to
their final grade. This is the only availability for bonus points in this course.

Regrading: Students may request a reevaluation of graded materials. In order to be con-

sidered, students must send a regrade request within 7 days after the grade was posted on
eLC for grades posted to eLC before reading day. For grades posted on or after reading
day, students must send a regrade request within 4 class days after the grade was posted on
eLC. All regrade requests must be emailed to the lecture instructor from your UGA email
account with a subject that contains “CSCI 3030 regrade request for y”, where y is the name
of the assignment. If a rubric is posted for an assignment, then the regrade request must
include which parts of the grading rubric were incorrectly implemented. Regrade requests
may result in a lower grade.

Important Dates:

August 13 (Mon.) First class

August 13 - 17 (Mon. - Fri.) Drop/add
August 20 (Mon.) First breakout session
September 3 (Mon.) Labor Day (no classes)
September 26 (Wed.) First midterm exam
October 17 (Wed.) Withdrawal deadline
October 26 (Fri.) Fall Break
October 31 (Wed.) Second midterm exam
November 12 (Mon.) Honors paper topic due
November 22 - 23 (Thu. & Fri.) Thanksgiving break
November 26 (Mon.) Honors papers due
December 4 (Tue.) Last day of classes – Friday schedule
December 12 (Wed.) Final Exam 8:00 - 11:00
Policies:

• If you are going to be absent on a test day, you must provide a University-approved
excuse for your absence before the test. If you are absent the day of the test without
a pre-approved excuse, you will receive a 0 for the test grade.

• Attendance is required. I will take attendance randomly throughout the semester.

Most students will not be able to excel in this course if they do not attend all classes.

Electronic Devices: You may use laptops or tablets during class. If it becomes clear that
you are using your device for anything other than class, though, this privilege will be revoked
for the remainder of the semester.

Email: Students must use their UGA email accounts and put CSCI 3030 in the subject of
their emails when corresponding with the instructor or TA on course-related matters. Email
communication should NOT be treated as an alternative to meeting with the instructor (or
TA) during office hours. Email should be used when the topic is private – always go through
Piazza before sending direct e-mail to the professor or TA. Email will not be used to provide
private tutorials or to explain material that was covered in missed lectures. If an email
question cannot briefly be answered with a reply email, the instructor will indicate to the
student that she or he should see the instructor (or TA) during office hours.

In-Class and Online Behavior: Students are expected to be courteous and respectful in
all interaction with other members of the class (whether this interaction occurs online or in
class). Disruptive or disrespectful behavior might result in the student being asked to leave
the classroom. In extreme cases, or if the behavior persists, a formal report might be filed
by the instructor or the student withdrawn from the class.

Class Accommodation: Students with a disability or health-related issue who need a

class accommodation should make an appointment to speak with the instructor as soon
as possible. Students who require such an accommodation for an exam must contact the
instructor at least two weeks before the exam is scheduled.

UGA Academic Honesty: All students are responsible for maintaining the highest stan-
dards of honesty and integrity in every phase of their academic careers. The penalties for
academic dishonesty are severe and ignorance is not an acceptable defense.
Computer Science Department Policy Statement on Academic Honesty: The
Computer Science Department recognizes honesty and integrity as necessary to the aca-
demic function of the University. Therefore all students are reminded that the CS faculty
requires compliance with the conduct regulations found in the University of Georgia Student
Handbook. Academic honesty means that any work you submit is your own work.

Common forms of academic dishonesty which students should guard against are:

1. copying from another student’s test paper or laboratory report, or allowing another
student to copy from you;

2. fabricating data (computer, statistical) for an assignment;

3. helping another student to write a laboratory report or computer software code that
the student will present as his own work, or accepting such help and presenting the
work as your own;

4. turning in material from a public source such as a book or the Internet as your own
work.

Three steps to help prevent academic dishonesty are:

1. Familiarize yourself with the regulations.

2. If you have any doubt about what constitutes academic dishonesty, ask your instructor
or a staff member at the Office of Judicial Programs.

3. Refuse to assist students who want to cheat.

All faculty, staff and students are encouraged to report all suspected cases of academic
dishonesty. Serious cases of suspected academic dishonesty (cheating) will be referred to the
Office of Academic Affairs. Penalties imposed by the Office of Academic Affairs may include
a failing grade in the course and a notation on the student’s transcript. Repeated violations
are punishable by expulsion from the University. For further information please refer to the
following website: http://www.uga.edu/honesty/ahpd/culture honesty.htm

Syllabus Policy Students are responsible for learning and following all policies stated in
this syllabus. This course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to
the class by the instructor may be necessary.