Course Syllabus
You can download a copy of the syllabus below, or read through the syllabus directly on this page.
Contact Information
Cheryl Frazier
Instructor of Record
Pronouns: She/her
Philosophy Department
Email: cherylfrazier@ou.edu
Optional Synchronous Meeting Time Session: Tuesdays from 11:15-12:30 pm (Central) via Zoom
Zoom Link: https://oklahoma.zoom.us/j/99138514970?pwd=TTBkR25iZXdibEZFTU9oUXdtTVRQdz09
Meeting ID: 991 3851 4970
Password: 15768300
Office Hours Info: Thursdays from 11:15-12:30 pm (Central) via below drop-in meeting link (or by appointment via Zoom or phone call)
Zoom Link: https://oklahoma.zoom.us/j/91209315097?pwd=UGtRK2NjS1c4OU1xaDRYRkVzaXl2dz09
Meeting ID: 912 0931 5097
Password: 34366898
Course Details
Course Description:
In this course we will learn about some important and pressing moral issues, and work to unravel what it is that makes them moral issues. In doing so, we will become acquainted with moral theory and some well-known moral philosophers. We will examine issues that are politically and socially pressing and in so doing will delve into what it is to be a social person, and the ways in which our identities are formed and play into our experience of social phenomena. The goal is that everyone ends the semester better-informed about important issues facing our society today, and that everyone develops an ability to listen carefully, understand complex arguments, and respond compassionately but critically to others in community dialogue. In this class we will learn first about some moral theories like utilitarianism, Kantian deontology, care ethics, and virtue ethics. We will then use what we learn from those theories to examine issues concerning relationships, the environment, abortion, politics, protest, oppression, and more. I’m open to adding to or changing our list of topics so feel free to suggest topics you’d like us to examine.
We will tackle four “Big Picture” questions, each of which targets a different dimension of moral issues you’ll face in your everyday life.
- What does it mean to do the right thing, or how do we act morally?
- How should we behave individually?
- What do we owe others?
- How should we respond to injustice?
This course is not merely an academic endeavor—that is, we won’t merely be studying these issues and what others think about them. Rather, we will participate in the conversation and gain a better understanding of the issues as we figure out what we think of them. Doing so will require us to use and better develop our abilities to read, write, and think effectively.
Course Delivery:
This course will be delivered online. All required elements of the course will be completed asynchronously, meaning you will each be working individually on your own time to complete work and do required readings on pace with a schedule that I’ve set. However, I will have an optional online, synchronous (meaning all at the same time) meeting on Tuesdays from 11:15-12:30. I will provide a written summary or recording of the meeting for those unable to attend. During this optional meeting, we can discuss course content and how you’re doing, or use the time to clarify assignment instructions, difficult concepts, etc.
Course Goals:
As a result of taking this course, you should be able to do the following:
- Read difficult texts
- Recreate or explain others' arguments
- Offer reasons of support for arguments
- Offer objections or critical responses to arguments
- Present a brief, clear, reasoned argument in writing
- Use abstract moral theories and reasoning to provide solutions to real world moral issues
An Important Non-Goal:
It is important to note that it is not my goal in this class to ask you to believe what I do, nor will your grade be based on whether I agree with your moral beliefs. Instead, our goal for this course is to learn to engage in critical reasoning, and to practice backing our beliefs with strong, reasoned evidence and arguments of support. When you are presenting your own beliefs (as opposed to describing the arguments of an author we read), I am less interested in what you said and more interested in why you are saying it—you will need to show that you’ve developed a toolkit for doing philosophy, which may help you arrive at any number of different conclusions regarding contemporary moral issues.
Course Materials:
All readings will be posted to canvas.ou.edu, so there is no need for you to buy any books for the class. You will require an internet connection to complete assignments and discussion boards, watch videos, and access course readings. If you do not have technology or reliable internet connection to participate in the course, please contact me as soon as possible so we can work together to identify solutions so you may participate as fully as possible in the course.
Grades:
Breakdown
You will be graded according to the following point-breakdown. Your grade is out of 500 points and there will be an extra credit opportunity towards the end of the semester, worth up to 10 points. Below the assignments and their point-values are listed.
| Assignment Type | Points |
|---|---|
| Discussion board posts |
75 points (5 points each x 15 = 75) |
| Pre-unit reflection papers |
45 points (15 points each x 3 = 45) |
| Post-unit reflection papers |
60 points (20 points each x 3 = 60) |
| Learning Activities |
100 points (5 points each x 20 = 100) |
| Exams (Midterm and Final) | 200 points (100 points each x 2 = 200) |
| Final reflection paper | 20 points |
| Total | 500 points |
Scale
The total number of points accumulated by the end of the semester will determine your course grade.
A = 448-500 points
B = 398-447 points
C = 348-397 points
D = 298-347 points
F = 297 and below
Assignment Explanations:
Discussion Board Posts:
Discussion boards will be an opportunity for you to engage in philosophical dialogue with your classmates, resembling the kind of in-person discussion we would have if this class were face-to-face. The discussion boards will also be an opportunity for me to assess your understanding of the readings, and for us all to make connections between the readings each week and their respective “Big Picture” questions.
Each week you will have 1-2 discussion board posts to respond to. By Wednesday at 8 pm each week, you should post your initial response to the discussion board. Then, by Friday at 8 pm you should give substantive responses to at least 2 of your classmates’ posts. We will discuss what makes a better or worse response on a discussion board during the first week of class.
For discussion boards, you need to post your responses in order for your classmates to be able to do their job in responding to those posts. This means we have to keep a stricter timeline for when those posts are due. You may turn in your initial post by Thursday night at 8 pm for up to half credit, and may turn in your responses to others’ posts late through Monday of the following week at 12 pm (noon) for up to half credit.
We will have a total of 20 discussion boards throughout the course. Your top 15 scores will count towards your final grade, meaning your lowest 5 scores will be dropped.
Pre-Unit Reflection Papers:
Before each of the first three “Big Picture” Question units begins, I want you to reflect on the big question we are about consider. You will provide a ½ page – 1 full page double spaced (approximately 200-350 word) reflection on your response to the big question for the upcoming unit. These are each due by 8 pm on the first Wednesday of that unit. So, for example, for the first “Big Picture” Question unit, which begins in week 2, your pre-reflection would be due on Wednesday of week 2. More detailed instructions and due dates will be posted on our Canvas page, and submissions must be made through Canvas. You may turn these reflections in up to a week late with no penalty. After that point, you will lose 5% for the first day and 1% for every additional day that the assignment is late.
Post-Unit Reflection Papers:
At the end of each of the first three “Big Picture” Question unit, I want you to reflect on the big question we considered and how or whether your views have changed throughout the unit. This reflection will be 1-2 full pages double spaced (approximately 350-700 words), and must show an understanding of some of the content we’ve discussed and how it is connected to the big question of that unit. These post-unit reflections are due by the last Friday of a unit at 8 pm, unless otherwise noted. For example, if a unit ends in week 6, your post-unit reflection for that unit should be turned in by Friday at 8 pm in week 6. More detailed instructions and due dates will be posted on our Canvas page, and submissions must be made through Canvas. You may turn these reflections in up to a week late with no penalty. After that point, you will lose 5% for the first day and 1% for every additional day that the assignment is late.
Learning Activities:
Learning activities are designed to assess your individual understanding of a reading, and will mostly ask you to explain or recreate the arguments and key terms given in the readings for a given week. Learning activities will be short activities in a variety of formats—multiple choice or true/false questions, written short response questions, short voice recording responses, etc. You will have 1-2 learning activities each week, and all learning activities for a week are due by Friday at 8 pm. More detailed instructions and due dates will be posted on our Canvas page, and submissions must be made through Canvas. You may turn these assignments in up to a week late with no penalty. After that point, you will lose 5% for the first day and 1% for every additional day that the assignment is late.
We will have a total of 25 learning activities throughout the course. Your top 20 scores will count towards your final grade, meaning your lowest 5 scores will be dropped. Your first learning activities will be an academic integrity quiz, and a syllabus comprehension quiz. These are the only learning activities that cannot be dropped from the course grade. You may retake each quiz as many times as you need to score a 100%, and I will not grade any of your work from the class until you’ve scored a 100% on each quiz.
Exams:
We will have two exams in this course, a midterm exam (tentatively Thursday, Oct. 22) and a final exam (Thursday, Dec. 17). Each exam will be a combination of multiple choice, true/false, and short essay questions. You will have a 2-hour window to complete your exam from when you start the exam, and it must be completed by the announced deadline on the day set in advance by the instructor. If you are unable to take an exam on the scheduled day, you should contact the instructor ASAP to make alternative arrangements. Alternate exams and makeup exams will be scheduled at the instructor’s discretion.
Final Reflection Paper:
For the final reflection, I want you to consider how the “Big Picture” Questions we’ve considered impact your everyday life. You will submit a 4-5 page double spaced reflection (approximately 1,200 to 2,000 words) on how the course has changed how you approach moral questions, what you will take with you from the course, and what you hope to remember from the course moving forward. This assignment is due by 8 pm on December 11. You will have that week of class (Dec. 7-11) set aside to work on this paper and preparing for the final exam. In order to grade this and the final exam in a fair and timely manner, I will need these assignments on time. This is the only assignment for the course for which I will not accept late work, unless there are extenuating circumstances. More detailed instructions and submission information will be posted on our Canvas page, and submissions must be made through Canvas.
Course Policies:
Communication
If you have questions or concerns about the course, I am here to help! The best way to contact me is via OU email. Please send me an email to cherylfrazier@ou.edu using your OU email address, and in the "Subject" line of the email please briefly explain why you're emailing (i.e. Study Guide Question, Quiz 7 help, Canvas File Problem, etc.). I aim to respond to all emails within 48 business hours (i.e. Monday-Friday, 8 am- 5 pm). If you email during weekends I may see it, but I may not get to it until Monday morning. If I do not respond to an email within 48 business hours, please resend it and assume that I have not received it.
You can also post questions to the general discussion board below:
DISCUSSION 0: Course Help Board
I will check this discussion board a couple times a week and try to respond to those posts in a timely manner.
Late Work Policy
You are real humans with complex lives, ones that go far beyond this classroom. You have obligations you must attend to, and especially during a pandemic it is difficult to balance all of these obligations. I have tried to design the course to be flexible, so that you can work on your own schedule and make decisions about your work based on your own needs and interests. If you are having difficulty completing the assignments in a timely manner, please contact me ASAP so we can work together to find a solution that works for you.
All assignments except the exams, discussion board posts and the final paper have the below late work policy. For more information on the late work policy for discussion board posts, see the “Discussion Board Posts” description above. For more information on the late work policy for the final reflection paper, see the “Final Reflection Paper” description above.
Other than the noted exceptions above, you may turn in any assignment late without letting me know that you are going to do so. I do not need to know why you are turning an assignment in late, and you are not obligated to provide any documentation when using this late work policy. Late work (other than the above exceptions) can be turned in up to a week late with no penalty. After that, there is a penalty of minus 5% for the first day and minus 1% every day after.
Office Hours
I am happy to meet with you during my office hours as listed above. For this semester I will be working remotely, so all Office Hours will be held via Zoom or phone call. On Thursdays my office hours will be a “drop in” format, where I will have a Zoom meeting open and anyone can join during that time. You are welcome to use Office Hours to discuss course material, assignments, or just to have the opportunity to say “hello!” You can also use that time to ask me questions about my field, about school (undergraduate or grad school) more generally, to get advice, etc.—this is your time to get to know me as your instructor, and to use me as a tool for your general success. In addition, I’m happy to meet with you at other times so long as we set up an appointment.
Philosophy and Writing Resources
Philosophy Resources
Prof. Jim Pryor’s guidelines for reading and writing philosophy papers:
http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/guidelines/reading.html
http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/guidelines/writing.html
OU Writing Center
The staff of the Writing Center can help you with written assignments for this or any other course. See http://www.ou.edu/writingcenter for details.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Course Catalog:
Search the OU Course Catalogue.
Student Handbook:
Please familiarize yourself with the OU Student Handbook.
Online Library:
Access digital materials and other resources at OU Libraries.
Academic Misconduct and Plagiarism:
You are strongly encouraged to read OU’s A Student’s Guide to Academic Integrity at http://integrity.ou.edu/students_guide.html. Please note that all instances of academic misconduct (plagiarism, cheating, fraud, etc.) will be referred to the Academic Integrity Office for penalty. For your first offense of academic misconduct in this course you will receive a 0 on that assignment and cannot make it up. If you have a second offense in this course, you will automatically fail the course.
If you are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism, please ask and/or consult the Academic Integrity web site. If you are having difficulty completing assignments or are not satisfied with your performance, please see me as soon as possible so that we can discuss solutions. Don’t resort to cheating or plagiarism, which can jeopardize your future at OU.
To demonstrate your understanding of the Academic Integrity policy at OU, and to hold you accountable, for this class you will be required to take an Academic Integrity Quiz. You may retake the quiz until you receive a 100%, and must receive a 100% before I will grade any of your other assignments in this class.
Reasonable Accommodation for Disabilities
If you have a disability that may prevent you from fully demonstrating your abilities, please contact me personally as soon as possible so we can discuss accommodations to ensure full participation and facilitate educational opportunities. Formal accommodations will be made through the Disability Resource Center: 325-3852 (voice), 325-4173 (TDD), http://www.ou.edu/drc/.
Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues
Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability. Please see www.ou.edu/content/eoo/faqs/pregnancy-faqs.html for commonly asked questions.
Title IX Resources
For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, or intimate partner violence, the University offers a variety of resources, including advocates on-call 24/7, counseling services, mutual no-contact orders, scheduling adjustments and disciplinary sanctions against the perpetrator. Please contact the Sexual
Misconduct Office (405-325-2215, M-F 8-5) or the Sexual Assault Response Team (405-615-0013, 24/7) to learn more or to report an incident.
Religious Holidays
It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays without penalty. It is the responsibility of the student to make alternate arrangements with the instructor at least one week prior to the actual date of the religious holiday.
Copyright Policy
It is illegal to download, upload, reproduce, or distribute any copyrighted material, in any form and in any fashion, without permission from the copyright holder or his/her authorized agent. The University of Oklahoma expects all members of its community to comply fully with federal copyright laws. If such laws appear to have been violated by any user, the university reserves the right (1) to terminate that user’s access to some or all of the university’s computer systems and information resources and (2) to take additional disciplinary actions as deemed necessary or appropriate. Repeat offenders will be sanctioned and their privileges terminated.
Registration and Withdrawal
If you choose to withdraw from this course, you must complete the appropriate University form and turn the form in before the deadline. If you stop attending the course and doing the coursework without doing the required paperwork, your grade will be calculated with missed homework and examination grades entered as zero. This could result in receiving a grade of F in the course. Deadlines are shown in the Academic Calendar, which is available from the Office of the Registrar.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|