Syllabus

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)

EDU 810 – Ethical Leadership – Spring B 2016

Credits - 3

Description

Candidates are exposed to the complex set of issues relating to ethical behavior in institutional settings, including academic integrity, curriculum choices, student assessment, parental involvement community relations, and administrative-staff conflict. Through readings, case analyses, and other means of investigation, the consequences of ethical and unethical practices and their impact on individuals and organizations is examined.

Materials

Required Texts and Resources:

Shapiro, J.P. and Gross, S.J. (2013). Ethical leadership in turbulent times: (Re)Solving moral dilemmas (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Cahn, S. (2013). Exploring ethics: An introductory anthology. (3rd ed.) New York, NY.:Oxford University Press.

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP). http://www.plato.stanford.edu

The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. http://www.iep.utm.edu

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Students will be introduced to a number of theories of moral behavior and, using case studies of ethical dilemmas in leadership, will learn to evaluate the relevance and efficacy of various moral philosophies to ethical decision making. On completion of the course, the successful student will be able to:

  1. Define moral philosophy (ethics) and differentiate it from feelings, religion, law, and cultural relativism.
  2. Differentiate among the following philosophies: Categorical Imperative, Utilitarianism, Virtue, Social Contract, and the Multiple Ethical Paradigms of Justice, Critique, Care, and Profession.
  3. Evaluate the effectiveness of applied ethical theories by analyzing the problem and possible actions in a variety of ethical dilemmas.
  4. Practice the process of deliberating and making decisions about ethical dilemmas.
  5. Develop a personal theoretical framework to guide your leadership practice based on moral philosophies (ethics) introduced in this course.

Assignments

There are ten graded discussions and three graded assignments during in this course. The first written assignment occurs in Week 3 and is a comparative analysis of the student’s choice of two moral theories that were studied in the first three weeks’ readings. The second assignment, due Week 6, requires the student to draft an annotated outline that will be used to guide their final assignment in Week 8, which is a summary of their personal philosophy of ethics as it relates to leadership.

Grading Policy

Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:

Grade Breakdown

WeekAssignmentPoints
1-810 Graded Discussions @ 4 points each40
3Assignment #1 Analysis of two Moral Theories20
6nAssignment #2 Annotated Outline of Personal Philosophy Statement10
8Assignment #2 Personal Philosophy of Ethics in Leadership30
TOTAL100

The criteria for all courses in the Ed. D. program are described in the modules and/or rubrics. Assignments will include guidelines with rubrics, descriptions of expectations, or examples, and include point values. Coursework will be assessed and graded using individual evaluation protocols that are provided for the three major assignments. Final “grades” will reflect the following schema:

  • High Pass (HP): Work that exceeds all or most of the criteria of the respective assignment. To receive a high pass the work must demonstrate exceptional command and display of all or most required elements;
  • Pass (P): Work that meets all requirements and expectations as specified in assignments, and is fully satisfactory in every respect;
  • Low Pass (LP): Work is deemed unsatisfactory.

Note** The instructor will determine if an assignment may be revised and resubmitted for rescoring. Candidates may proceed to subsequent courses in the curriculum with one LP grade, and although there is no failing grade, a second LP course grade results in termination from the doctoral program.

All assignments are to be completed in a timely manner with appropriate accuracy, detail, thought and reflection fitting of doctoral-level degree candidates. All assignments (done in writing or with other media applications) are graded on the basis of faculty assessment of your ability to accurately apply concepts from readings, organization, and mechanics. See the appendices for grading rubrics. Please note that you must save all submitted documents in Microsoft Word in order for them to transmit successfully. All work must be properly identified and include author(s)’ name(s). Submit all written work in APA style (Refer to the APA Publication Manual for guidance; Purdue OWL is an excellent, user-friendly resource).

Schedule

EDU 810 COURSE SCHEDULE

Week #: Dates

Topic

Assignments

Assignment Due Date

Week 1: Mar 2-6

Introduction to

Moral Philosophy

Post to Week 1: Introduction (ungraded)

Read Cahn, Chapters 1-4

Post to Week 1 Cahn, Chapters 1-4

None

Week 2:

Mar 7-13

Challenges to Morality

Read Cahn, Chapters 5-11

Post to Week 2 Cahn, Chapters 5-11

None

Week 3:

Mar 14-20

Moral Theories

Read Shapiro & Gross Chapters 1-3

Read Cahn, Chapters 12-20

Post to Week 3 Compare and Contrast

Submit Assignment #1: Comparative Analysis and Reflection Paper

Assignment #1

Submit March

20

Week 4: Mar 21-27

Security vs. Civil Liberties

Read Shapiro & Gross Chapter 4

Post to Week 4 Security vs. Civil Liberties Case Study

 

Week 5: Mar 28–Apr 3

Power vs. Accommodation;

Personal Vision vs. Authority

Read Shapiro & Gross Chapter 5

Shapiro & Gross Chapter 9

Post to Week 5 Power vs. Accommodation Case Study

Post to Week 5 Personal Vision vs. Authority Case Study

 

Week 6: Apr 4 – 10

Accountability vs. Responsibility

Read Shapiro & Gross Chapter 6

Post to Week 6 Accountability vs. Responsibility Case Study

Submit Assignment #2: Annotated Outline of Personal Philosophy of Ethics in Leadership

Assignment #2 Submit April 10

Week 7: Apr 10- 17

Community Standards vs. Individual Rights;

Rules, Regulations & Policy vs. Individual Needs & Concerns

Read Shapiro & Gross Chapter 7

Read Shapiro & Gross Chapter 10

Post to Week 7 Community Standards Vs. Individual Rights Case Study

Post to Week 7 Rules, Regulations & Policy vs. Individual Needs & Concerns Case Study

 

Week 8: Apr 18-24

Equality vs. Equity

Read Shapiro & Gross Chapter 8

Post to Week 8 Equality vs. Equity Case Study

Submit Assignment #3: Personal Philosophy of Ethics in Leadership

Post to Week 8 Course Wrap Up 3-2-1 (ungraded)

Assignment #3

Submit by FRIDAY, April 22

 

Student Resources

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Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.

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The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.

Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.

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Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the full attendance policy.

Late Policy

Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.

Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.

Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.

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The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.

UNE Online Student Handbook

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Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
  2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
  3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
  4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
  5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations.  Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final.  Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.