Angela Summers
Perri MontgomeryIntroduction to Ethics: Business Issues
Melinda SmithBUSN/PHIL 1143, 390 24274, 391 26027,
Spring 2015390 24276, 391 26028, 392 26030,392 26029
INTRODUCTION TO ETHICS: BUSINESS ISSUES(BUSN/PHIL1143)
SYLLABUS
AN INTERACTIVE DISTANCE LEARNING CLASS
TULSA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
PROFESSORS: Angela Summers, Perri Montgomery, Melinda Smith
INDEX OF SYLLABUS
Acceptable Use Policy / Changes to Syllabus and AgendaContact the Professor / Students with Disabilities
Division Office Information / Attendance Policy
Prerequisites / Make-Up Policy
Transferability / Drop, Audit, Incomplete Policy
Course Description / Classroom Etiquette
Course Objectives / Academic Dishonesty Policy
General Education Goals / Plagiarism Policy
Grade Information / Learning Support Services
Textbook / Inclement Weather
Computer/Technical Skills Requirements / Technical Difficulty Policy
ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY
Access to computing resources is a privilege granted to all TCC faculty, staff, and students. Use of TCC computing resources is limited to purposes related to the College's mission of education, research, and community service. Student use of technology is governed by the Computer Services Acceptable Use Statements/Standards found in the TCC Student Code of Conduct Policy Handbook. These handbooks may be obtained by contacting any Student Activities or Dean of Student Services office.
CONTACT THEPROFESSOR
Professors:
Angela Summers,
Melinda Smith,
Perri Montgomery,
(email is the preferred method of communication)
When sending an email, please send the email to ALLProfessors.
Email is the preferred method of communication; however the phone numbers, office location and office hours for each professor are listed in Blackboard. Select the Course Information tab in Blackboard, and then the Faculty Profile. Please email the professor to make an appointment.
EMAILCOMMUNICATIONS
Important Note:
Each student should have been assigned a specific TCC e-mail address.
Please verify that you are able to successfully login and utilize your TCC e-mail address. If you are unable to login, please contact the phone number listed at the appropriate campus (see TCC Help!! – Resources for Online Students). Information about this class will be sent to the TCC e-mail address. If you have forwarded your TCC email to another email address, please make sure the information is a valid email address.
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All TCC students receive a designated Microsoft “Office 365” email address. All communications to you will be sent to this email address; and you must use it to send email to, and receive email from, the Professor regarding this course.
The Office 365 website is
The user name is your new TCC e-mail address (i.e. )
The password is your TCCNET password. This is the same password you use on campus in the computer labs, library, etc.
The following link will walk you through this process Logging into the Office 365 E-mail System
Note: Some students with common names have a number at the end of their MyTCC or TCCNET user name. This number will also be part of the Office365 e-mail address. (Example: )
If you have not logged into TCCNET on campus before, you will need to follow the instructions for new users at .
If you need assistance with your TCCNET password, please contact Client Services at (918) 595-2000.
In emails sent to the Professor, the last section of the email must list the topic of the e-mail such as “student question” or “help (Project Question).” In other words, let me know what you need or are sending. Emails that are sent with improper subject lines will not be accepted.
Your Last Name, First Name/BUSN_PHIL_1143/Topic of Email
Example: Smith, Susie/BUSN_PHIL_1143/Question on Project
Generally, the Professor will be available to read and respond to e-mails Monday – Friday of each week during the semester. Email is typically checked periodically throughout the day (until 5:00 p.m. CST). Please allow for a 24-hour response time (may be up to 48 hours on the weekend). Therefore, it is imperative that students begin to complete assignments several days prior to the due date.
DIVISION OFFICE INFORMATION
BUSINESS SERVICES / LIBERAL ARTSAssociate Dean: David Poth / Associate Dean: Cindy Shanks
Office: SEC 4112 / Office: SEC 4107
Phone: 918.595.7639 / Phone: 918.595.7780
PREREQUISITES
THERE ARE NO PREREQUISITES FOR THIS COURSE
TRANSFERABILITY
Students should verify transferability of this course with the TCC Counseling Center and the college or university to which the credit is to be transferred.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Introduction to Ethics: Business Issues is an introductory level course in ethics, focusing on the types of situations that pose ethical problems in business. An attempt will be made to help the student develop an ethical framework which will allow the student to address ethical issues in the business world.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1)To explore the history and basis of ethics as it relates to business.
2)To apply basic ethical concepts to commonly occurring events/business ethical dilemmas in our society.
3)To demonstrate a fundamental understanding of the philosophical theories of ethics, critical ethical analysis and decision-making.
4)To define business ethics, organizational ethics, corporate social responsibility, corporate governance, the role of government, blowing the whistle, ethics and technology, ethics and globalization, and doing what is right in a competitive market.
5)To create their own business ethical code of conduct for a business (as if the student was a CEO of their own business), and explore the meaning of the ethical codes of others.
6)To explore their own ethical foundations and relate the influence of this foundation on how they view ethics in business.
GENERAL EDUCATION GOALS
General Education courses at TCC ensure that our graduates gain skills, knowledge, and abilities that comprise a common foundation for their higher education and a backdrop for their work and personal lives. TCC’s General Education goals are: Critical Thinking, Effective Communication, Engaged Learning, and Technological Proficiency.
GRADE INFORMATION
GRADING SCALE / ASSIGNMENTSPercentage Points Grade / Categories Points
90-100% / 580-645 pts / A / Quizzes (10 @ 25 pts each) / 250 pts
80-89% / 516-579 pts / B / Discussion Boards(6 @ 25 pts each) / 150 pts
70-79%
/ 451-515 pts / C / Business Code of Ethics / 100 pts
60-69% / 387-450 pts / D / Applications Assignments (3 @ 25 pts each) / 75 pts
Below 60% / below 387 pts / F / Out of Comfort Zone Interview / 50 pts
Discussion Board Introduction Assignment / 10 pts
Student Orientation and Syllabus Assignment / 10 pts
Total / 645 pts
GRADING RUBRICS
To see a more detailed description of the points available for each assignment,
view the grading rubrics on the class Blackboard site. Select the Course Information tab and then select the Grading Rubrics folder.
Student assignments that are submitted by the stated due date will be graded and returned within 1 week of the due date.
Comments about the quality of your work on Professor graded assignments can be accessed through the Grade Center in Blackboard. To do this, select the underlined score for an assignment to open the window containing Professor comments.
Grades are earned by accumulating points from the following sources:
Assignments explained
Assignments must be completed and submitted to the Professor as designated in the assignment in order to be considered for a grade. Unless special permission has been granted by the Professor, assignments that are faxed, e-mailed, delivered in person or submitted in any manner other than requested in the assignment, will NOT be graded (a grade of 0 will be assigned). This should not be a problem as most of the assignments will be submitted via Blackboard system using the assignment manager*.
*Completing assignments via Microsoft Word format (.doc) or rich text format (.rtf) is required. Points may be deducted on assignments which are submitted that do not follow the above designated format.
Chapter Questions (25 points possible per chapter)
For each chapter assigned in the textbook, there will be a quiz for which relevant questions/issues will be addressed.
Discussion Boards (25 points possible per discussion board assigned)
The discussions will involve questions/articles/case studies over an ethical topic/situation. Eachstudent is required to actively participate in the discussion three (3) times per chapter, one time to post their individual response and two times to respond to other students’ responses.
Responses are expected to be thorough and written with completesentences using proper grammar and punctuation. Responses such as "I agree", "Yes", "No", "That's what I was going to say," etc., are not considered active participation.
Please avoid the use of texting abbreviations such as (LOL, BRB, and smiley’s ). Keep in mind that the classroom is a professional environment.
Class participation and discussion are essential. We may disagree with each other (including with the Professor, who at times may play the role of devil's advocate), but we may not be disagreeable. It is important to respect the comments of others in the class. Each person is expected to be professional in their communication. No profanity, No name calling, No derogatory comments, and No put-downs will be permitted.
Project (100 points possible)
(Completion of the Project is required to pass the course regardless of the number of points a student has already accumulated in the course).
Project: Writing a personal business code of ethics
More detailed and specific requirements about these projects will be provided later in the course.
Project report points will be awarded based on quality of content, originality, research, writing mechanics, and business writing techniques. This project is to be written as one writes for a firm. In English composition classes, one may use a more colorful, entertaining writing style; however, for this and all businesswriting, written documents are to be prepared as though written for a firm. Proper grammar, punctuation, and writing mechanics are a must.
If you need any assistance in writing or clarification of business-style writing, please contact one of the Reading & Writing Lab Techs available on each TCC campus.
Note:
If you reside in this area or have access to a writing tutor in the area in which you reside, it is strongly encouraged that the project be reviewed by the tutor before submitting to the Professor. Based upon past experience, the grades of students who have utilized a writing tutor are generally much better on the project than those of students who have not utilized a writing tutor.
Out of Comfort Zone Interview (50 possible points)
Interview a person with whom you would not normally associate (someone who takes you out of your comfort zone). Develop a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 20 thought-provoking relevant questions to ask the person during the interview. Be sure to ask the individual some questions about his/her ethics foundation and framework. It is not necessary that the interviewee give their lastname, if he/she prefers not to. In addition to the questions and responses of 15-20 questions, write a personal reaction (minimum of two paragraphs, minimum of 5-7 sentences in each paragraph) to the experience. One purpose of this exercise is to stretch you out of your comfort zone and learn/interact with someone who is different than you. Do not choose a subject that would cause you too much anxiety or fear, but do choose a type of subject that stretches your comfort zone beyond common association. The following are examples of some of the types of people who have been interviewed in the past: a deaf person, person from another country, street person, drug addict, recovering alcoholic, person of another race, terminally ill person, someone on welfare, multi-millionaire, disabled person, or someone of another religion. Please do not place yourself in any danger to conduct this interview.
OTHER ASSIGNMENTS
There may be other assignments to be completed during the course of the semester which may be worth up to 50 points possible.
NO EXAMS
Other forms of assessment are used. See “Making the Grade” section in this syllabus.
TEXTBOOK
Textbook: Business Ethics Now, 4th edition
Author: Andrew Ghillyer
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
ISBN: 978-0-07-802320-0
Publisher website:
TEACHING/LEARNING METHODS
The textbookcases will be used as a basis for discussion and learning. Students will work individually and in discussion groups through Blackboard to explore ethical questions/solutions. Class participation is necessary for learning to take place.
Please review your email and announcements for this course on a regular basis (daily).
COMPUTER/TECHNICAL SKILLS REQUIREMENTS
Students should have a basic knowledge of computer skills and should be comfortable with the following procedures:
- using a word processor (changing font, spell check)
- using email for communication
- sending an email attachment
- navigating the Internet
- using an Internet search engine
CHANGES TO SYLLABUS AND AGENDA
The Professor may change the agenda and/or course syllabus AT ANY TIME by written notification by updating course information and/or announcements on the Blackboard system.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
It is the policy and practice of Tulsa Community College to create inclusive learning environments. Accommodations for qualifying students in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act are available. To request accommodations, contact the Education Access Center (EAC) at or call (918) 595-7115 (Voice). Deaf and hard of hearing students may text (918) 809-1864.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Regular class participation is required. AN EXCESSIVE ABSENCE NOTICE MAY BE ISSUED AFTER A STUDENT MISSES ONLINE DISCUSSION FOR 2 CHAPTERS OR TWO CONSECUTIVE ASSIGNMENTS. THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE AND VETERANS SERVICES MAY BE NOTIFIED (IF APPLICABLE). THE STUDENT MAY ALSO BE SUBJECT TO ADMINISTRATIVE WITHDRAWAL (AW) FORNON-ATTENDANCE. Students are responsible for all materials covered and any changes made in the agenda posted to Announcements or sent in emails to students during the semester. Always review the ANNOUNCEMENTS AND YOUR EMAIL DAILY for updates.
If a student has extenuating circumstances during the semester which affect his/her ability to participate in the online activities, the student should make special arrangements with the Professor as soon as the problem is identified.
TCC Financial Aid Policy Statement - effective Fall 2011 classes
We wanted to let you know that the Federal Financial Rules and Regulations have changed. Beginning now, if you receive any type of federal financial aid (Title IV aid) such as student loans, veterans’ benefits, grants, scholarships or any other type of federal financial aid, you could be affected.
For the fall 2011 semester and beyond, if you receive Federal Financial Aid and you withdraw from or fail a class, you may lose your funding. TCC is required to run a calculation and determine if we must return some or all of your financial aid funds to the Department of Education. This often leaves a student with a balance owed to TCC that must be repaid. For this reason, it is crucial that all students who receive any type of financial aid visit with both an academic advisor and a financial aid advisor before withdrawing from a class or if they feel they are not doing well in a class.
We have provided more details on our website Remember to also check MYTCC email frequently for updates and check your financial aid status on TED.
MAKE-UP POLICY
Regular class participation (attendance) is not only important from the standpoint of learning, but also is a must in order to be successful in this course. Students are responsible for all materials covered during their absence and any changes that are made in the assignments/agenda.
Assignments for this course will be placed on the course agenda and/or listed in the course on the Blackboard system.
Regular class attendance and timeliness of completion of all assignments are imperative to be successful in this course. Therefore, assignments will not be accepted late and in-class work may not be “made up.”
However, it is a realization, that on rare occasions, unexpected events occur in life. Therefore, there will be extra credit assignments periodically throughout the course that should allow for these unexpected situations. It is STRONGLY suggested that ALL
students complete these extra credit assignments as they are assigned throughout the course.
The code word for the syllabus is integrity.
DROP, AUDIT, INCOMPLETE POLICY
Each student is responsible for being aware of the information contained in the TCC Catalog, TCC Student Handbook, TCC Student Code of Conduct Policy Handbook, and semester information listed in the Class Schedule.
INSTITUTIONAL STATEMENT
Each student is responsible for being aware of the information contained in the TCC Catalog, TCC Student Handbook, Student Code of Conduct Policy Handbook, and semester information listed in the class schedule. All information may be viewed on the TCC website:
COURSE WITHDRAWAL
The deadline to withdraw from a course shall not exceed 3/4 the duration of any class. Contact the Counseling Office at any TCC campus to initiate withdrawal from a course (“W” grade) or to change from Credit to Audit. Check the TCC Academic Calendar for deadlines. Students who stop participating in the course and fail to withdraw may receive a course grade of “F” or “AW”, which may have financial aid consequences for the student.