BIOETHICS

CRN: 80567; 80188; 80187; 80189
Credit hours: 2 for 80567, 80188 & 80089; 3 for 80187
Semester: Fall 2008
Meeting days and times: MW 5:00-6:15 August 18-October 24

Students enrolled in science programs often do not have a specific opportunity to examine political and ethical issues in detail and social science students do not have an opportunity to examine scientific procedures discussed in social science classes. This course is designed to permit students from a variety of disciplines to learn about issues in biological and medical research and practices, to learn about current public policy regarding these issues and how public policy has evolved, and to provide an opportunity for exchange of ideas about these topics.

Prerequisites
80556 4 Hours of college biological science; 80311& 80312 ENGL 1101; 80313 Satisfactory placement scores/ENGL 0099 and READ 0099

Course Objectives

Expected Result: Students will be able to recognize differing perspectives and points of view.

Assessment Plan: Students will orally analyze assigned readings, identifying main themes.

Expected Result: Students will be able to construct and evaluate arguments.

Assessment Plan: Students will produce written papers in which they will identify a topic of their choice, identify several issues contained within the topic, formulate an issue question, answer the issue question, and provide support for the answer.

Expected Result: Students will be able to anticipate consequences.

Assessment Plan: Students will produce written papers in which they will recommend a specific course of action regarding public policy and describe anticipated biological/medical consequences, providing assumptions and reasoning to support consequences.

Grading System 

30% Exams (2 @ 15 points each)

30% Written Issue Papers (3 @ 10 points each)

30% Class Participation/Attendance (20 @ 1.5 points each)
  5% Current Event Articles and Chapter Questions (as assigned)
  5% Web Site Review and Presentation (1 @ 10 points)

                        **3 hour IDID 1101:

                   3 case studies and

                   1 policy paper (5-8 pages) involving one or more

                   biomedical topics which make recommendations

                   concerning the topics will be graded as acceptable or

                   not-acceptable. Failure to complete this above

                   assignment will result in a letter grade reduction for

                   the course OR students can participate in Service

                   Learning (see guidelines) OR a Book Review

              90-100=A; 80-89=B; 70-79=C; 60-69=D; Below 60=F

Attendance Policy
Students are expected to attend each and every scheduled class session. Since lectures begin promptly at the scheduled time, students are encouraged to avoid arriving late to class. Roll will be taken at each class session. There is no distinction between "excused" and "unexcused" absences. PARTICIPATION: While no maximum number of absences is established in order to successfully complete this course, attendance and class participation constitute 30% of the final grade.

Exam Make-Up Policy 

Late assignments will be accepted up to 2 class periods late, however for each class period late 10 points will be deducted from your assignment grade.  Absolutely NO ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED MORE THAN TWO CLASS PERIODS LATE!!!!!  The final exam and the 3-hour credit assignments WILL NOT be accepted late!

Textbooks and Materials

Levine, C. (2008) Biomedical Issues: Taking Sides, Twelfth Edition

McGraw-Hill/Dushkin

 Assignments:

Each student will complete three writing assignments and one web site review. Writing assignments are due on or before the due dates on the class schedule below.

Policies on student conduct and academic integrity.
Student conduct must conform to the policy for student conduct and academic integrity which may be accessed on the web at: http://www.highlands.edu/subwebs/academicaffairs/academicintegritypolicy.htm

Disability Statement:
“Any student who feels they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should make an appointment with the College Access Center (706: 802-5003) to coordinate reasonable accommodations. You are also welcome to contact me privately to discuss your specific needs.”

Financial Aid
This message applies only to students receiving financial aid: Federal regulations state that if a student did not attend classes and received failing grades, then the grades were not earned and financial aid needs to be reduced accordingly. Please be advised that any student receiving a 0.00 GPA will be required to prove that the 0.00 GPA was earned by attending classes or completing requirements for each class. Students who have earned at least one passing grade for the semester will not be affected by this regulation. If a student has properly withdrawn from all classes, the student’s financial aid should be adjusted from the time they signed the withdrawal form.

Course Dates
Drop/Add: August 20-22
Mid-term and last day to withdraw without possible penalty 9/24
Break: September 1-3 Labor Day
Classes End: October 24
Finals: October 24

Course Outline

TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE:

 
8/20     Introduction to Course

8/22     Human Genome Project

            http://www.er.doe.gov/production/ober/hug hist.html

8/27     Issue 12: Is the Ban on Federal Funding of Human Stem Cell Research Justifiable?

8/29     Human Cloning          

9/3       LABOR DAY HOLIDAY

9/5       Issue 13: Is Genetic Enhancement an unacceptable use of technology?

            (Issue Paper 1 due)

9/10     Gattica

9/12     Gattica

9/17     Issue 20:  Should Pharmacists be allowed to deny prescriptions on grounds of conscience? (Hand out Test 1)

9/19     Web Site Review 

9/24     Issue 1: Is informed consent still central to medical ethics?

            (TEST 1 due)   LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW WITH A “W”

9/26     Issue: Do Some Advance Directives Limit Patients’ Rights?

10/1     Health Care & Issue 16: Should Federally Funded Health Care be Tied to Following Doctors’ Orders?

10/3     Organ Donations

10/8     Issue 19: Should There be a free market in Body Parts? (Issue Paper 2 due)

10/10   Issue 5: Do Standard Medical Ethics Apply in Disaster Conditions?

10/15   Issue 6: Should Physicians Be Allowed to Assist in Patient Suicide? Is it Ethical to Withhold the Truth From Dying Patients?

10/17   Issue 2: Should Truth Telling Depend Upon the Patient’s Culture? Issue 7: Should Doctors be Able to Refuse Demands for Futile Treatment? (Issue Paper 3 due)

10/22   Issue 8: Is Abortion Immoral? Issue 9: Should Pregnant Women be Punished for Exposing Fetuses to Risk? (Hand out Test 2)

10/24   Issue 10: Should Adolescents be Allowed to Make Their Own Life/Death Decisions? Issue 11: Do Parents Harm Their Children When They Refuse Medical Treatment on Religious Grounds?  (Final Exam Due)

 Extended Absence Policy 
    “Students who have circumstances that prevent them from continuing to attend classes over an extended period of time, sometimes request that the faculty member permit them to submit work in absentia to receive credit to complete the course.
If the concurrent absences will constitute more than 15% of the class sessions for the term, then written permission from the Division Chair is required before any course assignments can be completed while missing class.  The student must be in good academic standing in the course to make the request.  All approved coursework must be completed by the end of the semester in which the course was begun.”