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TET 110
MODERN ETHICAL PROBLEMS
Dr. Johnny Pressley
Fall2012Cincinnati Bible CollegeTue-Thu
2 semester hoursCincinnatiChristianUniversity8:00 – 8:50 a.m.
The Modern Ethical Problems course is a survey of some of the major ethical issues being debated in America today. The purpose of this course to summarize key ideas related to each ethical issue and then demonstrate how to take a position that is both reasonable and Biblical.Some of the topics to be addressed: abortion, euthanasia, health issues, medical issues, reproductive technology, adultery, divorce, homosexuality, pornography, premarital sex, capitalpunishment, war.
Upon completion of this course you should be able to:
a.Explain the key ideas related to each ethical issue discussed in this course
b.Present a position for each issue that is both reasonable and Biblical
c.Give a response to the arguments commonly used against the Biblical position
d.Identify some actions that both individuals and church groups can take to promote the Biblical position on ethical issues
e.See a pattern for analyzing other ethical issues and determining a Biblical position
Course Requirements
- Attendance (10% of semester grade)
- Reading assignments (25% of semester grade)
- Writing assignments (25% of semester grade)
- Exams(40% of semester grade)
Due Dates
Sep 4-Reading 1Oct 16-Writing 2
Sep 18-Writing 1Oct 30-Reading 3
Oct 2-Reading 2Nov 13-Writing 3
Final deadline for submitting any late work: Friday Nov 30
Materials Needed
1.The Modern Ethical Problems outline (Fall 2012 edition, posted on Moodle Aug 20)
2.Scott B. Rae, Moral Choices, 3rded.(Zondervan, 2009)
Moodle
All course materials will be posted online on Moodle
a.Find a link to Moodle on MyCCUniversity or on the CCU homepage
b.Login with your username (student ID number) and password
c.Need help with login: Contact our IT department
Attendance
1.Attendance will be checked at the beginning of each class session
a.Course limit for absences: 4 absences
b.Tardy
1)No penalty for the first 3 tardy marks
2)4+ tardies: deduct the same number of points from attendance score
(4 tardies = minus 4 points, etc.)
3)10+ tardies: deduct one point from semester grade for each additional tardy
4)“Tardy” includes arriving late or leaving anytime during class
c.You must be present and alert for at least 40 minutes of class time to be counted as present
d.You must come equipped to study (paper, pen, notes, etc.) to be counted as present
2.Attendance grade scale:
0 absence= 1003 absences=90
1 absence= 974 absences=85
2 absences= 945 absences=Dropped
Reading Assignments
1.Reading
a.Read all pages in Scott Rae’s Moral Choices
1)Reading 1: chapters 1-4 (pp. 11-120)
2)Reading 2: chapters 5-8 (pp. 121-246)
3)Reading 3: chapters 9-12 (pp. 247-362)
b.Write and submit a traditional college level book report for each of the three sections
2.Pages read
a.First line of each book report: State how much of the assignment you read (all the assigned pages, or if not, how many pages you read)
b.When reporting that you have completed an assignment, only report pages you read this semester
1)No credit for skimming
2)No credit for having read any of these books prior to this semester’s course
c.Your base score for each assignment will be the percentage of pages read
3.Content
a.Describe the things you found most interesting, most helpful
b.A minimum of at least 5 things total that you will present
4.Opening paragraph
a.Report 1: Begin your report with a one-paragraph introduction to the book (the author, type of study, author’s purpose, etc.)
b.Report 2: Begin your report with a one-paragraph explanation of why Christian ethics is important (why ethics is worth studying, why Christian ethics is important, the practical benefits of this kind of study, etc.)
c.Report 3: Begin your report with a one-paragraph summary of this book (your overall impression of the book, the value of this book, the type of readers who would most benefit from this book, etc.)
5.Length: 2-3 pages of content
6.Typing instructions
a.Typed double-spaced, 1 inch margins on all sides
b.A type font size similar to the text on this page (Times New Roman, 12)
c.Letter quality print that can be read easily
d.References to the book under review: parenthetical (Rae, 27)
e.First reference to a person: first and last names; thereafter: last name only
f.You may write in 1st person (i.e., “I liked . . . my idea for this . . .”)
7.Title heading
a.Set up a nicely styled title heading for the top of the first page of your assignment (in lieu of the traditional separate title page)
b.Include the following: Reading 1 (etc.), TET 110 Modern Ethical Problems, Fall 2012, yourname
8.Grading
a.Grading will take into account:
1)The quality of the content (i.e., careful thought, reasonable ideas, good expression)
2)The quantity of the content (i.e., number of pages, number of good ideas)
3)The general appearance of the report (i.e., is the spelling, grammar, and neatness appropriate for college level work)
4)How well you follow instructions
5)Your base score will be the percentage of the assigned pages you read
b.No credit for handwritten, or fax submissions
c.No credit for skimming pages
Writing Assignments
1.Writing
a.Write and submit three writing assignmentsas described on Moodle
b.The nature of each assignment
1)An essay on current ethical issues
2)You will be given ethical situations (classic questions and current events)
3)Take a position (what you think is right and wrong) and explain why
2.Form and content
a.Answer the questions (ethical scenarios) in the order given
b.Type a question number and subject heading (not the full question)
c.Then answer the question with one good, solid paragraph of information
3.Length: 2-3 pages of content
4.Typing instructions
a.Typed double-spaced, 1 inch margins on all sides
b.A type font size similar to the text on this page (Times New Roman, 12)
c.Letter quality print that can be read easily
d.If you refer to another source, use either parenthetical references or traditional footnotes (with full bibliographic data at end)
e.First reference to a person: first and last names; thereafter: last name only
f.You may write in 1st person (i.e., “I agree with . . . I disagree . . .”)
5.Title heading
a.Set up a nicely styled title heading for the top of the first page of your assignment (in lieu of the traditional separate title page)
b.Include the following: Writing 1 (etc.), TET 110 Modern Ethical Problems, Fall 2012, yourname, campus mailbox number
6.Grading
a.Grading will take into account:
1)The quality of the content (i.e., careful thought, reasonable answers, good expression)
2)The quantity of the content (i.e., number of pages, serious effort)
3)The general appearance of the report (i.e., is the spelling, grammar, and neatness appropriate for college level work)
4)How well you follow instructions
b.No credit for handwritten or fax submissions
Exams
Unit exams
a.On the exams you will be responsible for knowing anything taught by the professor during class or anything stated in your printed notes
b.Exam dates will be announced in advance
c.A study guide will be posted in advance on Moodle
Late Work
Late penalties
a.Minus 5 points each day an assignment is late
b.Penalties are based upon the date an assignment is received by Dr. Pressley
c.Early work is always received gladly
d.Late exams are subject to a penalty of minus 10points
e.No penalty for taking an exam early (if approved by Dr. Pressley)
f.Last date to submit a late assignment or make-up a test: Friday Nov 30
Grade Scale
A (100 – 95)B+ (91 – 89)C+ (82 – 80)D+ (73 – 71)
A– (94 – 92)B (88 – 86)C (79 – 77)D (70 – 68)
B– (85 – 83)C– (76 – 74)D– (67 – 65)
Miscellaneous
1.Any part of this course and its expectations may be revised by the professor as needed, with fair notice to be given in class
2.Key dates
Aug 21First day of Mod Eth Prob course
Oct 4-7Fall Break (no classes)
Nov 17-25Thanksgiving Break (no classes)
Dec 10-13Final Exam week
3.It is recommended that you save all graded papers and keep a log of your absences and tardies in case you later think there is a discrepancy with Dr. Pressley’s grading records
4.Students who require academic accommodations due to any documented physical,
psychological, or learning disability should request assistance from the Academic Support Director, Marie Reeves, within the first two weeks of class. The Academic Support Office islocated in the lower level of the Worship and Ministry Building (room 153). You may alsocontact the office by phone (244-8420).
5.No electronics during class(laptop computers, smart phones, etc.)
6.To contact Dr. Pressley outside of class:
Office: the Seminary Dean’s Office (downstairs Library/Grad building)
Phone: (513) 244-8104Email:
Mailing address:Dr. Johnny Pressley
CincinnatiChristianUniversity
P. O. Box 4320
Cincinnati, OH 45204