Dr. Patrick J.J. Phillips:  pjjp@yorku.ca

Office hours: (In person, currently suspended). Q and A via Zoom.

Contact via e-mail: PJJP@yorku.ca

Introductions: 

To ease your passage through this course please read this document at least twice. 

This is an online course.

 That is: this course was not originally designed to be enacted online, but rather was designed to be a face-to-face lecture class which has now been located online. Accordingly, this course is a work in progress. I therefore beg your indulgence and appreciate your patience.   Please know that I am here to support you.

 Information and updates will be posted on Moodle or sent via Moodle directly to your York email account (be sure to check your York e-mail account regularly). 

 The good news: you may complete the work required for this course in accordance with your own personal schedule. You will not be asked to “attend” virtual classes or be available at a specific time twice a week. However please make note: Deadlines for course work hand in (see below) are fixed and non – negotiable.  Be reminded: to avoid confusion, all written work is due on the same day of the week that it is due: on a Sunday by midnight.    

  Before embarking on this course think carefully about your own schedule and self-discipline. This course requires a significant amount of reading and working alone.   It will be up to you to set a schedule and deadlines for the completion of readings and written components. Also, try to find a friend or family member who, face to face or online, will discuss with you some of the themes of the course.

There will be two reading lists, one for the first six weeks of the term and one for the second six weeks. These will be shared via Moodle. 

 Lastly, I will be recording my lectures (which will be of a short duration) via Zoom software. You will require accesses to a computer with this technology loaded.  

Video conferencing via Zoom will be held as required. 

 Now read on….    

Computing resource links

AirYork

http://student.computing.yorku.ca/airyorkplus/

Zoom

https://yorku.zoom.us/

Moodle

https://lthelp.yorku.ca/student-guide-to-moodle

Computing for LAPS Students

https://eso.laps.yorku.ca/

Learning Commons (e-learning)

https://teachingcommons.yorku.ca/resources/elearning/

York University Bookstore

https://bookstore.yorku.ca/

Library during the pandemic

https://researchguides.library.yorku.ca/covid19services/

 York University Bookstore:

https://bookstore.yorku.ca/

Contemporary Moral Problems by James E. White

Paperback: 544 pages

10^th edition (January 1, 2011)

Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

ISBN-10: 0840033788

ISBN-13: 978-0840033789

The Power of Critical Thinking by Chris MacDonald and Lewis Vaughn 5th Canadian Edition (4^th Edition is also permitted).

Publisher: Oxford University Press

ISBN: 978-0-19-901868-0

Both textbooks are available via the York Bookstore. Multiple used copies are available (at reduced cost). 

Reading List(s)

• There will be two such reading lists one for the first six weeks of each term and one for the second six weeks.These will be posted via Moodle.

Students are expected to read all assigned readings twice and complete all the textbook exercises (if applicable).

Two opinion per term papers: 10% Pass Fail.  Two in the Fall Two in the Winter 5% per term. 

Note: students MUST COMPLETE BOTH PAPERS to receive the 10% grade. Completion of one paper only will result in a zero grade. Details on these papers will be given in the third week of term. 

No opinion papers will be accepted in the last 14 days of the Winter term.

Term Ends April 12^th 2021

Four essays

Note: Be mindful, if essay writing is NOT your preferred mode of assessment you may wish to reconsider undertaking this section of Modes

Essay 1: 20%, (Sunday, October 11^th, 2020)

Essay 2: 25% (Sunday, November 15^th, 2020)

Essay 3: 25% (Sunday, February 7th, 2021)

Essay 4: 20% (Sunday, April 11^th,2021)

Note: All Essays will be run through Turnitin.com

Details of the content and form of these essay components will be posted on Moodle in due course

Grades

The course director has the sole and absolute discretion on the format and content of all assessments.  Exams and tests may be based on the assigned readings (including, but not limited to, any exercises in the texts), assigned films  and discussions.

To ensure fairness and impartiality for the benefit and protection of all students, and to safeguard academic integrity, grades are not subject to bargaining or negotiation.  Students may formally request a reappraisal of their final grades to the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies.  It is the students’ responsibility to obtain, complete, and submit all applicable documents within the required time frame in accordance with the University’s requirements.

A grade reappraisal may result in the original grade being raised, lowered or confirmed.

Late or Missed Assignments and Assessments

Assignments

All assignments are due at the same time on the same day: Sunday at 12.00 midnight. For dates of submission see below

Submissions by email to PJJP@yorku.ca with the student’s name in the subject line. The assignment submission e-mail must have a Word Document attached. No alternative format will be accepted.   Student’s FULL NAME AND STUDENT NUMBER must appear in the email subject line   

For late submissions, a 5% per calendar day grade reduction will apply, unless accompanied by a doctor’s note, court-date note, or other official document detailing a serious matter. Otherwise a grade of zero will be recorded.

Students must notify the course director in writing of late submissions within 24 hours of the due date and time, or as soon as possible if a serious matter applies, or as the University otherwise requires.  Otherwise, a grade of zero for that component will be recorded.

Make-up or Alternate Assessments

Despite the current challenges posed by the pandemic make-up or alternate assessments are not guaranteed.

If the course director has agreed to grant a mark-up or alternate assessment, the course director has the sole and absolute discretion on the format and content of the assessment (e.g. a makeup exam, take-home essay, etc.).

Deferred standing may be granted to undergraduate students who are unable to write their final exam at the scheduled time or submit their outstanding work on the last day of classes.

To apply for deferred standing, students must submit the Final Exam/Assignment Deferred Standing Agreement form, Attending Physician's Statement (if applicable), and all supporting documents to the course director in accordance with the University’s requirements.

To make up for a missed exam not held during the formal exam period, students must make alternate arrangements directly with the course director to write the exam within the duration of the course at the course director’s discretion.

It is the students’ responsibility to obtain, complete, and submit all applicable documents within the required time frame in accordance with the University’s requirements.

Reasonable Accommodation

The course director and tutorial leader(s) (if applicable) are committed to providing reasonable accommodation in accordance with the University’s requirements, and federal and provincial legislation.

Please contact the course director as early as possible with any request for reasonable accommodation.  The course director cannot help if he is not aware of the need to do so.

Here are some of the resources available to students (the information is subject to change from time to time – please consult the University’s website for the latest information):

Centre for Aboriginal Student Services: 246 York Lanes, 416-736-5571 o

Centre for Human Rights, 416-736-5682, rights@yorku.ca

Learning Disability Services, W128 Bennett Centre for Student Services, 416-736-5383 o Learning Skills Services – S172 Ross Building, 416-736-5144

Mental Health Disability Services, N110 Bennett Centre for Student Services, 416-736-5350

Personal Counselling Services: N110, Bennett Centre for Student Services, 416-736-5297

Physical, Sensory and Medical Disability Services, N108 Ross Building, 416-736-5140

Writing Centre for the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Students Writing Department, S329 Ross Building, 416-736-5134

Office Hours

• The course director’s office hours are currently suspended.
• Any queries that ARE NOT ANSWERED BY THIS DOCUMENT may be addressed to the course director by email.

 Those students who do not wish to critique, discuss and debate their ideas are strongly discouraged from joining this course.

This course is multidisciplinary and, where appropriate, interdisciplinary, in character. A concatenation of approaches and texts include, but are not be limited to, humanities, social science, natural science, politics, and moral philosophy.

Course Content

This is a problem-based course where students will be required to assess ethical issues and questions of value from historical, political, economic, and ethical approaches.  Emphasis will be placed on providing explicit instruction in critical analytical thought, and its communication in writing. (For an expanded description see below).

Students who successfully complete this course will acquire the following skills:

• improve their knowledge of classical and contemporary social scientific and ethical theories, and apply these theories critically and grow their analytical skills for application throughout their undergraduate experience.
• discuss and debate issues respectfully and critically, both orally and in writing.
• spoken and written eloquence, listening skills, and ability to argue their position, through i) argument, ii) logic (including the fallacies), iii) rhetoric, and iv) practical application of skills gained in debates.
• identify, synthesize, and record relevant and important concepts in note-taking.
• take responsibility for their learning, and comply with all rules and regulations, as preparation for graduate studies and the work force.

The development of critical skills and competence in logic, argument and rhetoric to be gained are foundational in character and the analytical techniques employed will be exportable to other courses.   Students will apply a range of theories and methods to modern problems in contemporary and classical texts in order to gain an understanding of the texts, to appreciate the context within which they are set, and to engage with the texts in critical ways. Emphasis will also be placed on investigating contemporary Canadian social issues. Topics may include, but are not limited to, the environment, terrorism, animal rights, and globalization.

Peer Mentoring

Peer Mentors are high achieving upper year students who have completed some and/or similar courses you are currently enrolled in. Peer Mentors can provide you with one-on-one consultations to review class assignments, show you how to implement learning skills (i.e. time management tools, efficient note-taking), and refer you to appropriate resources at York University (i.e. the Writing Centre, Learning Skills Services, etc.), along with other mentorship services! 

To ask a question or book an appointment, please email vcmentor@yorku.ca, or visit their online drop-in hours hosted on Zoom, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00pm-2:00pm, and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00am-12:00pm. For schedules, the link to drop-in, and to learn more about each Peer Mentor's program specialization, please visit https://vanier.laps.yorku.ca/peer-mentors-program/.

Best regards,

Althea Parala, BA, MEd ‘21 • Student Success Coordinator, Colleges

LA&PS Colleges

Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

 Email response policy

The email address of the course director is pjjp@yorku.ca.

The subject line of all emails must contain the student’s full name, student number and section number (i.e. Mode. Section E).

All emails must be professional, clear, and coherent.  Avoid instant text messaging terms, inappropriate language, emoticons, and poor composition.

While the course director endeavors to review all emails in a timely manner, emails sent after 5 pm on a business day, and emails sent on weekends and statutory holidays, may be reviewed on the next business day.

ACADEMIC HONESTY:

• The policy on academic honesty is an affirmation and clarification for members of the University of the general obligation to maintain the highest standards of academic honesty.  As a clear sense of academic honesty and responsibility is fundamental to good scholarship, the policy recognizes the general responsibility of all faculty members to foster acceptable standards of academic conduct and of the student to be mindful of and abide by such standards.
• Academic honesty requires that persons do not falsely claim credit for the ideas, writing or other intellectual property of others, either by presenting such works as their own or through impersonation.  Similarly, academic honesty requires that persons do not cheat (attempt to gain an improper advantage in an academic evaluation), nor attempt or actually alter, suppress, falsify or fabricate any research data or results, official academic record, application or document.
• Suspected breaches of academic honesty will be investigated and charges shall be laid if reasonable and probable grounds exist.  A student who is charged with a breach of academic honesty shall be presumed innocent until, based upon clear and compelling evidence, a committee determines the student has violated the academic honesty standards of the university.  A finding of academic misconduct will lead to the range of penalties described in the guidelines which accompany this policy.  In some cases, the University regulations on nonacademic discipline may apply.  A lack of familiarity with the Senate Policy and Guidelines on Academic Honesty on the part of a student does not constitute a defense against their application.  Some academic offences constitute offences under the Criminal Code of Canada; a student charged under University regulations may also be subject to criminal charges.  Charges may also be laid against York University students for matters which arise at other educational institutions.