BBA 350 Professional Practices and Ethics in Information Technology (3)
COURSE SYLLABUS – APPROVED FORMAT
General Information
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NAU-Yuma, Bachelor of Business Administration
BBA 350 Prof’l Pract & Ethics in IT
Semester in which course will be offered: Fall
Clock hours, credit hours: 3 Credit Hours
Instructor’s name: Distance Learning is searching for a full-time faculty member to plan, develop, and teach
courses and to monitor and coordinate part-time faculty
Office address: Online Access via Bb Vista e-mail
Office hours: e-Mails will be answered daily
Course prerequisites: Admission to BAS Technology Management program
Course description: Examines interaction of IT professionals with the organization, profession and governmental
agencies, including regulatory compliance monitoring, legal requirements, staff development and environmental conduct.
Student Learning Expectations/Outcomes for this Course:
On completion of this course the student will be able to :
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Be able to determine the impact of the privacy laws on information security policies.
Understand the issues related to intellectual freedom, intellectual property, and copyright law as they
relate to electronic publishing.
Be able to determine and identify ethical procedures and behaviors in the organization related to
information security.
Be able to identify issues of professional conduct in information technology case studies.
Be able to apply University standards of ethical conduct in preparing assignments for all coursework.
Learn the areas most impacted by ethical decisions by professionals in the computing field and will gain
skills in making such decisions.
Identify key ethical concerns of information technology specialists.
Apply theories of ethics to case situations in the context of organizational use of information technology.
Appreciate how rapid changes in technology might affect ethical issues and changing norms of behavior.
Understand the issues related to privacy and confidentiality as they relate to information technology.
Understand the ethical issues associated with gathering, storing and accessing genetic information in
databases.
Recognize the differences in ethical codes of conduct in different cultures and countries.
Understand the ethical issues that arise from findings in genomic and bioinformatics analyses.
Course structure/approach: Course will be presented online in the following format: Assigned text and
online resource readings. Review questions to be submitted via Bb Vista assignment link. Discussion posting to
topic discussion board, weekly quizzes, and final exams.
Textbook and required materials
Reynolds, G. (2007). Ethics in Information Technology, 2nd Edition, Course Technology: Boston.
Fadia, A. (2006). The Unofficial Guide to Ethical Hacking, 2nd Edition, Course Technology: Boston.
Revised 04/22/03
PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO ETHICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-it-phenomenology/
Resources for teaching information technology ethics to children and young adults
http://www.doug-johnson.com/ethics/
Recommended optional materials/references (attach reading list)
 "Critical Infostructure Protection: Threats to Privacy and Other Civil Liberties and Concerns with Government
Mandates on Industry," an analysis of the government's proposal to protect government computer systems from
hackers and terrorists (Center for Democracy and Technology)
 "Technology and Pleasure: Considering Hacking Constructive," Gisle Hannemyr (First Monday, 1999)
 Federal Bureau of Investigation (Use site search tool for "hacking," etc.)
 Biometrics report (EFF)
 Computer Intrusion Cases - Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS)
 Government Cybercrime Site - Criminal Division, (Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section)
1. Course outline
Overview of Ethics
Brief Introduction to Morality
Ethics for IT Professionals and IT Users
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) Code of Ethics
Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice
PMI Member Ethical Standards and Member Code of Ethics
Computer and Internet Crime
Privacy
Freedom of Expression
Intellectual Property
Software Development
Employer/Employee Issues
Impact of Information Technology on the Quality of Life
Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes
Exams/Quizzes: This course will have short exams/quizzes following each chapter. We will also have a final
exam at the end of the semester. The exams will require you to demonstrate your understanding of concepts and
your ability to apply them. Exam questions will be a combination of multiple choice and essay/problem solving.
Chapter Assignments: Review and discussion questions will be assigned for each topic covered. Review
questions will be answered individually and submitted via the assignment link. Discussion questions will
require the student to post a meaningful response to the discussion board for the assigned topic.
Grading System
Your grade is based on the total number of points earned out of the total available points for the course. The
guaranteed grading scale for the course is:
A >= 90%
B >= 80% and < 90%
C >= 70% and < 80%
Revised 04/22/03
D >= 60% and < 70%
F < 60%
Maximum total points consist of:
Chapter Exams/Quizzes: Not to exceed
450
Chapter Assignments: Not to exceed
300
Final Exam
200
Total Points: Not to exceed
≈950
Course policy
MAKEUPS ON EXAMS AND LATE ASSIGNMENTS: You will be given adequate time (one week) to take
the exams/quizzes so no makeup will be allowed. For late assignments I will access a 10% penalty of points
available for each week or part of a week (days or hours late) that the assignment is late.
Attendance: Attendance for an online course means that you login to the course on a frequent basis and
complete the required readings, assignments, and exams. I expect you to act like a professional in a job
situation. Failure to "show up" for your job will most likely get you fired. If you fail to "show up" for class your
grade performance will be impacted.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Copying someone else's work and representing it as your own is cheating.
First instance of cheating: Individual assignments, cases, exercises, and exams, you will receive zero points for
that assignment.
Second instance of cheating: You will receive a failing grade for the course.
University policies:
Attach the Safe Working and Learning Environment, Students with Disabilities, Institutional Review Board,
and Academic Integrity policies or reference them on the syllabus. See the following document for policy
statements: http://www2.nau.edu/academicadmin/UCCPolicy/plcystmt.html.
NAU Network Acceptable Use Policy for Students
Student Handbook
Revised 04/22/03