ETH400 - Contemporary Ethics Issues

Subject Title
Contemporary Ethics Issues

Subject Description
Every day of our personal and business lives we are confronted with numerous choices about what is right and what is wrong and, therefore, how to conduct ourselves. This subject introduces the student to the basic principles of decision making, with a focus on ethical considerations. While one focus of the course is business decisions, an examination of personal values and ethics form the foundation of the course. The course contains theories and concepts, however the student will concentrate on applying ethical concepts and principles to everyday, real-life issues and problems.

Credit Status
This subject is a required subject credit in the Diploma Program.

Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this subject the student will be able to:

1. Discuss common terminology related to the study of ethics and to understand that exercising ethics is a skill on which they can improve and to apply such skill to their everyday life decisions.

2. Discuss ethical issues faced by an individual and an organization, including corporate social responsibilities, and selected recent major corporate cases involving ethical actions.

3. Distinguish between values and principles and give examples; to discuss whether values ever change, to describe how even the Golden Rule can lead to conflicts in its applications, and to discuss reasons for and give examples of the need to rank values.

4. Give examples of how cultures and sub-cultures influence standards and values and discuss whether law determines what is morally right or morally wrong, and discuss the relationship of law and morality.

5. Discuss the different approaches, such as the 3-Question approach, the 5-Question approach, and the Moral Standards approach, that can be used for the ethical evaluation of an action.

6. Discuss the concept and the relationship of justification, rationalization and excuse and give examples.

7. Discuss and list a set of all-purpose procedures, including the "Gut Test", for the decision making process and to define alternatives.

8. Discuss how our training and habits influence our responses to situations.

9. Define character, virtues, integrity and honour, and give examples and describe character development and how it can be enhanced.

10. Describe the various leadership roles and the role of leadership in supporting development of good character and the tasks of leadership with regard to an organization's values.

11. Describe how ethical decision making affects international business operations and the environment.

Academic Integrity
Seneca upholds a learning community that values academic integrity, honesty, fairness, trust, respect, responsibility and courage. These values enhance Seneca's commitment to deliver high-quality education and teaching excellence, while supporting a positive learning environment. Ensure that you are aware of Seneca's Academic Integrity Policy which can be found at: http://www.senecapolytechnic.ca/about/policies/academic-integrity-policy.html Review section 2 of the policy for details regarding approaches to supporting integrity. Section 2.3 and Appendix B of the policy describe various sanctions that can be applied, if there is suspected academic misconduct (e.g., contract cheating, cheating, falsification, impersonation or plagiarism).

Please visit the Academic Integrity website http://open2.senecac.on.ca/sites/academic-integrity/for-students to understand and learn more about how to prepare and submit work so that it supports academic integrity, and to avoid academic misconduct.

Discrimination/Harassment
All students and employees have the right to study and work in an environment that is free from discrimination and/or harassment. Language or activities that defeat this objective violate the College Policy on Discrimination/Harassment and shall not be tolerated. Information and assistance are available from the Student Conduct Office at student.conduct@senecapolytechnic.ca.

Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
The College will provide reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities in order to promote academic success. If you require accommodation, contact the Counselling and Accessibility Services Office at ext. 22900 to initiate the process for documenting, assessing and implementing your individual accommodation needs.

Camera Use and Recordings - Synchronous (Live) Classes
Synchronous (live) classes may be delivered in person, in a Flexible Learning space, or online through a Seneca web conferencing platform such as MS Teams or Zoom. Flexible Learning spaces are equipped with cameras, microphones, monitors and speakers that capture and stream instructor and student interactions, providing an in-person experience for students choosing to study online.

Students joining a live class online may be required to have a working camera in order to participate, or for certain activities (e.g. group work, assessments), and high-speed broadband access (e.g. Cable, DSL) is highly recommended. In the event students encounter circumstances that impact their ability to join the platform with their camera on, they should reach out to the professor to discuss. Live classes may be recorded and made available to students to support access to course content and promote student learning and success.

By attending live classes, students are consenting to the collection and use of their personal information for the purposes of administering the class and associated coursework. To learn more about Seneca's privacy practices, visit Privacy Notice.