Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Back to Syllabus Search | Browse by Department
Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Technology and Ethics (Face-to-Face)

CSCY 2400-03

Course: CSCY 2400-03
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: CSIS
CRN: 30388

Course Description

This is a course covering the ethical, policy and social aspects of information technology, the business within information technology, and the foundations of ethical decisions. The class will probe issues related to relationships in business, information acquisition, access and stewardship, software, and intellectual property. Areas of social concern will include decisions, liability, freedom, privacy, and control. The ultimate goal of the course is to give students an ethical perspective on the multiple challenges created by business and the diffusion of computer technology in the modern home and workplace. (Fall, Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)] General Education Category: Social and Behavioral Sciences

Required Texts

 Reynolds, George W., 2018. Ethics in Information Technology (6th Edition), Cengage Learning, Boston, 02210. ISBN 978-1337405874 

Learning Outcomes


ESSENTIAL LEARNING OUTCOMES:

  • 2.0 Communication - Students develop and express ideas and will be able to do so in a variety of ways, namely in writing, by speaking, visually, kinesthetically, through design or aurally
    • Students will be presenting case studies individually which requires a briefing and presentation
    • Students will be working in a group upon an assigned Technical ethics problem which will result in a group presentation, briefing, and paper.
  • 3.0 Creative Thinking - Students combine or synthesize existing ideas, images, or expertise in original ways, as well as think, react, and work in an imaginative way.
    • During the group project, students must derive solutions to the problem and present the problem to the assigned boss which most of the time is part of the problem.  Students must be creative on how to present such issues and solutions.
  • 4.0 Critical Thinking - Students demonstrate disciplined processes of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.
    • During the Case study briefings, all students must interject critical thinking on the diverse technical/human issues.
  • 6.0 Ethical Reasoning - Students describe and analyze positions on ethical issues, apply reasoning about right and wrong human conduct, demonstrate ethical decision-making skills, and demonstrate an evolving ethical self-identity.
    • Weekly basis derived from the Case Studies plus three 1500 word research papers on individual experienced or researched issues on Technical Ethic Issues.
  • 13.0 Ethical Reasoning - Students design, evaluate, and implement strategies to answer open-ended questions or achieve a desired goal.
    • Every Case Study in Technology on Ethical situations are open ended which leads to class discussions and different/diverse views on solutions
  • 15.0 Teamwork - Students demonstrate productive interaction with others (in or out of class) to complete assignments, tasks or projects
    • Students are broken into a four member group to derive a solution to the final project.  Each of the members must speak for 3 to 5 minutes.  The presentation must have an opening and a closing.  The team will be presenting to the CEO and some of the board members (the rest of the class).  There will be a question and answer session after the presentation just as if this where real.  Each of the four students handles a specific area: Repair of the immediate problem, Public Relations on how to handle the situation

Course Requirements


Student learning in this course will be monitored and measured using a variety of approved methods including but not limited to writing assignments, course projects, presentations, and examinations.


Examinations –

  • A midterm and final examination will test students’ comprehensive knowledge, understanding, and ability to apply concepts.
  • Weekly Tests will require the display of students’ ability to answer multiple-choice type questions, matching, and short answer questions which are based upon the curriculum of this course.


Exercises – Each student will be given labs to perform in and sometimes out of class.  These labs will simulate real-world issues and situations.


STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY IN A COMPUTING COURSE:


To succeed in this course, the student must (1) attend all classes of instruction and/or actively observe all electronically published instructional presentations, (2) work with the software outside of scheduled class times, for a minimum of 90 hours that are typically required for a 3-credit course, and (3) focus on mastering the student learning outcomes published for this course.


STANDARDS FOR PAPERS:


All official papers for this class will follow APA format, and that includes a title-sheet, headers with page numbers, and the document/paper with citations. Direct APA assistance is available at the Purdue Owl
Links to an external site.website [URL: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html
Links to an external site. ]



Course Outline


Course Content: 

  • Technical Writing
  • Overview on Ethics
  • Needs, Motives, Standards and Corporate Corruption
  • Leaders, Managers, Teams, and Politics
  • Ethics for Technology Professionals
  • Computer and Internet Crime
  • Privacy
  • Freedom of Expression
  • Intellectual Property
  • Software Development
  • Employer/Employee Issues
  • Ethics of Organizations


SCHEDULE:


The Professor and the University reserve the right to change class assignment dates and syllabus instructions to ensure coverage of all materials relating to the course.  Any changes will be advised in writing prior to implementation.



Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work


ASSIGNMENTS:


All assignments must be typed.  The individual papers and work group papers must be submitted electronically along with the hard copy.  If an assignment is sent through email as attachments, please update your computer’s virus protection before sending.  Examinations and presentations cannot be made up and earn 0 points.  Assignments can be submitted for half credit up to one week after the due date. Therefore, if you are sick or absent when an assignment is due, make sure it is turned in by that particular class period.  If you have an emergency, please notify the instructor. A decision will be made on how to handle the situation.

Attendance Policy


ATTENDANCE:


It is always a student’s responsibility to drop/withdraw from class by the published drop/withdraw date. Students enrolled in class at end of term will be issued a grade. The instructor is not required to provide makeup provisions for missed coursework.



PARTICIPATION:


Participation in each class is vital to class.  Classes will normally be conducted utilizing a combination of lecture and discussion. For the classroom experience to be meaningful and interesting, students MUST come to class prepared and be willing to contribute to the discussion.  The student is expected to read the material and participate in class discussions. In particular, the student is highly encouraged to share personal experiences and thoughts with other classmates and the instructor.



ABSENCES:


Attendance is critical to success in the course. Should the student miss class, it is the student’s responsibility to make up all missed work. Any student who misses a deliverable and/or test must present a documented reason for the absence within one week of the occurrence.  It should be stressed not to miss a test or deliverable.  If the student has an emergency situation, please notify the Professor, and a decision will be made on how to handle the situation. 

Course Fees

Programming Fee -- $33.00

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.