BIS 380 A:  Bioethics

Winter 2021

Course website:  canvas.uw.edu

Instructor Contact Information

Instructor:  Laura Harkewicz, Ph.D.

 

Office Hours:  Tuesdays 10 a.m. – 12: p.m. or by appointment.  I will provide a Zoom meeting link via campus mail for this meeting (which includes the optional virtual café meeting).

 

OPTIONAL Weekly Virtual Café Meeting:  Tuesdays: 10 – 10:45 a.m.  Think of this as a social space where you can meet and mingle with your classmates.  You can share music, thoughts, concerns, hobbies, etc.  This is time for YOU to connect with your colleagues.  I will start us off with some weekly topics such as:  pet stories, quarantine activities, gripes about family member, etc.  You can stay for office hours – even in groups – if you wish to discuss anything about the class.

 

E-mail Address: harkel1@uw.edu

 

Getting help from me:  If you have any questions or concerns about the course material, please talk to me.  If you have a personal or family situation that is affecting your school work, please let me know so I may figure out how I can best help you.  You can contact me via email.  If you email me before 5 p.m. on a week day, I will do my best to get back to you the same day or the following morning.

 

Course Description:

In 1970 a new word was coined, designating a new discipline, located somewhere at the intersection of medicine, theology, politics, the life sciences, law and moral philosophy.  The emergence of bioethics was the outcome of a number of different historical developments, including social movements, technological developments, the setting of legal precedents, the breaking of medical scandals, changes to the institutions of medicine, new ways of saving and prolonging life, and the appearance of new diseases.  This course brings together all these different strands to weave a portrait of birth, illness, healing, and death in our technologically-driven age.

 

Course Learning Outcomes (and related IAS Learning Goals):

By the end of this course students will:

• Identify the ways in which contemporary bioethical concepts emerge as the outcome of historical processes
• Describe the core principles of bioethics and their application in national and international codes of bioethics
• Differentiate and explain the rationale behind various ethical positions from multiple viewpoints with consideration of a variety of economic, social, political, and cultural links  (IAS:  Critical & Creative Thinking; Collaboration; Interdisciplinary Research & Inquiry)
• Construct and defend well-supported positions in response to current and historical bioethical controversies orally, in written form, and in constructive debate  (IAS:  Critical & Creative Thinking; Collaboration; Writing & Communication)
• Demonstrate an attitude of open-mindedness in learning about diverse perspectives on bioethical topics

 

 

Back to School Checklist for Students:  Please refer to this link for updates about how campus will operate this quarter as a result of COVID crisis:  https://www.washington.edu/coronavirus/students/

 

 

COURSE SCHEDULE

 

All assignments and readings are due by 11:59 p.m. on the date listed below.

Week One:  Introductions

 

Welcome Module

• Review Online Learning information

 

Week One Lecture Materials

• Welcome video

 

Assignments for Week One (DUE by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, January 10):

• Syllabus Review

• Small Group Discussion – Introductions
• Self-check quiz – Syllabus

 

Week Two:  What is Bioethics?

 

Week Two Lecture Materials

• Video

 

Assignments for Week Two (DUE by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, January 17):

• Reading - “The Hippocratic Oath”
• Reading - Khuse & Singer, “What is Bioethics?”

• Group Assignment - Contract

• Quiz #1

 

Week Three:  Moral Groundings

 

Week Three Lecture Materials

• Video

 

Assignments for Week Three (DUE by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, January 24)

• Reading - Beauchamp, et. al. “Ethical Principles”
• Reading - Veatch, “A Map of the Terrain of Ethics”
• Group Assignment – Classic Ethical Dilemmas

• Peer Evaluation of Group Assignment – Classic Ethical Dilemmas

 

 

Week Four:  Nazi Ethics and Nuremberg

 

Week Four Lecture Materials

• Video

 

Assignments for Week Four (DUE by 11:59 Sunday, January 31)

• Reading - Caplan, “The Ethics of Evil”

• Reading - Shuster, “Fifty Years Later:  The Significance of the Nuremberg Code”
• Video - Doctors of Death
• Quiz #2

 

Week Five:  The Birth of Bioethics, Part I

 

Week Five Lecture Materials

• Video

 

Assignments for Week Four (DUE by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, February 7)

• Reading - Alexander, “They decide who lives, who dies”
• Video:  The Shadow of Thalidomide

• Group Assignment – The Lifeboat
• Peer Evaluation of Group Assignment – the Lifeboat
• Quiz #3

 

Week Six:  The Birth of Bioethics, Part II

 

Week Six Lecture Materials

• Video

 

Assignments for Week Five (DUE by 11:59 p.m. Sunday,February 14)

• Reading - Brandt, “Racism and Research”
• Reading - “The Belmont Report”

• Video: The Deadly Deception
• Quiz #4

 

Week Seven:  Moral Dilemmas & the COVID-19 Pandemic

 

Week Seven Lecture Materials

• Video

 

Assignments for Week Seven (DUE by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, February 21)

• Reading – Dominus. “Doctor vs. Doctor:  How much freedom should physicians have in treating Covid-19 patients?”
• Reading: Fritz, et.al. “Ethical road map through covid-19 pandemic”
• Video: “Deciding who lives:  ethics during a pandemic”
• Position Paper #1 – How to allocate resources during a pandemic?

 

 

Week Eight:  Pandemics – Mandatory vs Voluntary Interventions

 

Week Eight Lecture Materials

• Video

 

Assignments for Week Eight (DUE by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, February 28)

• Reading – Stern & Markell, “Pandemics:  The Ethics of Mandatory and Voluntary Interventions”
• Reading – Warzell, “How to Actually Talk to Anti-Maskers”

• Position Paper #2 – Mandatory Nonpharmaceutical Interventions?

 

Week Nine:  Recovery/Catch-up Week

• No Video, readings, or assignments for this week

 

Week Ten:  Course Conclusion & Final Reflection

 

Week Ten Lecture Materials

• Video

 

Assignment for Week Ten (DUE by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, March 14)

• Final Reflection on Course

 

 

IAS Majors/ IAS Portfolio:

Students majoring in degrees offered by IAS begin the process of creating a Google Drive archive in BIS 300: Interdisciplinary Inquiry and conclude it by creating a Capstone Portfolio in BIS 499. IAS students should maintain an archive of all of the work they have done in (or in relation to) their undergraduate education. If students want to get started with UW Google Apps (including Google Drive), students may consult UW IT’s web page (scroll down to UW Google Apps Support Online Help Center). 

For more information about the IAS portfolio, visit the IAS webpage. For help on the technical development of your IAS portfolio, consult Learning Technologies or email at uwbit@uw.edu.   You can also get help from a student tutor in the campus’s Open Learning Lab in UW2-140.  

 

Prerequisites/ Recommended Preparation:  There are no prerequisites for this course.  In order to succeed in this course, however, you must be capable of reading, comprehending, and writing about scholarly work in the social sciences and humanities.  You must be committed to coming to class having completed the assigned readings and be prepared to discuss them.

 

Assignments and grading:

 

Quizzes                                                                                            30%

Group Assignments                                                                        30%

Position Paper # 1                                                                          15%

Position Paper #2                                                                           15%

Final Reflection                                                                               10%

 

Quizzes (30%)

I will periodically give you brief quizzes on the readings or films assigned for the day.

 

Group Assignments (30%)

Group Assignments provide you the opportunity to work with, and learn from, your peers.  Each of these assignments will provide a scenario or case study.  Ultimately, group members must decide what action to take regarding the scenario.  This action may be considered a “position.”  Along the way to coming to a GROUP decision, members must discuss and decide which of the ethical principles we are learning best supports the group position.  In addition, you must use evidence from course texts – readings and films.  These assignments will help you to develop and demonstrate an attitude of open-mindedness while learning about the differing perspectives of your classmates on various topics.  The product for each of these assignments will be a short paper (600 – 700 words – 2 – 2.5 pages) discussing and detailing the group position.  There are two of these assignments plus development of a group contract (see below for further information).

 

Group Assignments will use the same (or very similar) grading rubric as the Position Papers.  For each group assignment, the group will receive one grade.  Your individual grade for each assignment, however, will be determined by peer evaluation.  For each assignment, I will have you evaluate each member of your group based on your estimate of their success in terms of four criteria:  1) Completed their share of work in a timely manner, 2) Listened to and respected the ideas of others, 3) Contributed significantly to the success of the project, 4) Took initiative where needed.  Each of these criteria will be “graded” on a scale:  “Exceptional”, “Above average”, “Average”, “Below average”, “Not reliable”.  Once each member of the group has assessed the others and submitted the assignment to me, I will determine your individual grade for the assignment.  You will earn a grade of “Full marks” if each evaluation (or the majority) is average or above average.  You will earn a grade of “Half marks” if each evaluation (or the majority) is below average.  No work = no points.  You cannot assess yourself.

 

I will assign groups within the first week of class.  Group assignment will be done randomly by Canvas.  You should plan to work with the same group for the entire quarter.

 

In order to make sure everyone in the group is working together and knows what they must do, I am requiring you to design a contract.  This contract should include:  group goals, expectations, policies and procedures, and consequences when goals, expectations, and/or policies and procedures are not carried out.  I will provide a template for this contract.  In addition to the contract, I will provide a list of roles for group members.  You will have the choice of the role you wish to fulfill.  The group, as a whole, will agree upon these roles as well as the contract.  Group roles can change (if needed), but any change must be agreed upon and conveyed to all group members.  You will need to get together within the first two weeks of class to develop and agree upon your contact.  You can decide the best way for your group to meet dependent upon your time restrictions and individual/group needs.  You may choose to meet during our Optional Virtual Café (Tuesdays, 10 – 10:45 a.m., through Canvas Collaborations, email or Google Docs, or some other mutually agreed-upon method.  Development of your group contract is considered the first group assignment.  NOTE:  Every group member MUST agree to the contract by including their name on it in order to receive credit for this assignment.

 

Please see the specific group assignments for details on each topic. 

 

Position Papers (30%)

You will be required to produce two (individual) 600 – 800 word papers detailing your position on an ethical dilemma/case study.  Like the group assignments discussed above, these papers must use ethical principles and evidence from course materials to support your position.  More details of these assignments will provided as class proceeds.

 

Final Reflection (10%)

Your final exam will be due online at the end of week 10.  It will consist of a short essay reflection on what you learned from this course.

 

Course readings and expectations:  This course will require you to read and engage with scholarly texts in the social sciences.  In order to succeed in this course, you must be capable of completing between 20 – 40 pages of college-level reading per class meeting, and committed to coming to class having completed the assigned readings and prepared to discuss them.  There is no text book for this class.  All readings are available electronically on our Canvas course website.

 

Classroom Conduct and Policies

Community conduct

Although we are not meeting face-to-face this quarter, I would like us all to approach this class as if we belong to a community of learners.  We, including myself, can all learn from each other.  In this community we will meet people with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences.  Engaging with people with differences in nationality, ethnicity and race, gender identity/presentation, sexual preference, language background, religious affiliation, socioeconomic class, age, and ability are all vital components to our mutual education.  Such diversity provides opportunities to learn new things, compare experiences, test assertions, understand each other (and ourselves) better, and find common ground.  Diversity can also trigger emotions and/or conflict.  In the midst of such charged emotions, I hope we can all try to maintain an open heart and mind.  Please approach your classmates with an attitude of generosity.  Understand that we all carry personal histories in our bodies, histories of which we are not always aware.  Yet our histories can inform how we consciously and unconsciously react even in classroom settings.  So it is vital that each of you challenge yourselves to both listen and speak (in this case online) and do so with respect while demonstrating the intent to understand others.

 

Grade Conversions:

Grade Point	Percentage
4	98-100
3.9	94 - 97
3.8	93
3.7	92
3.6	91
3.5	90
3.4	89
3.3	88
3.2	87
3.1	86
3	85
2.9	84
2.8	83
2.7	82
2.6	81
2.5	80

 

Late policy:  All assignments should be turned in by the due date and time noted on this syllabus and the Canvas course website.  If a personal or family emergency prevents you from completing work on time, please let me know immediately and we will work something out.  You need not disclose personal information if you do not wish.  Just let me know you need an extension.

 

Syllabus Revisions/Course communications:  You are responsible for all materials, updates, and announcements covered during class sessions.  The course calendar will most likely change over time due to unforeseen circumstances.  Be sure to check Canvas regularly for any updates.  In addition, you should set your “notifications” preferences on Canvas to email you regarding all course announcements and changes. If you wish to use another email address as your primary – rather than your UW address – set up your UW account to forward to your other address. 

 

 

Academic integrity:  Your work must be your own.  When you use ideas or words that are published by others (including those found on the Internet) and do not acknowledge them as them as the source, this is plagiarism.  When you use the work of your peers and submit it as your own, this is cheating.  Both cheating and plagiarism are forms of academic misconduct, which will be dealt with according to University policies, including the reporting of all such violations.  Any assignment that is the product of plagiarism or cheating, in addition, will be given a zero.  You are responsible for knowing what constitutes a violation of the University of Washington Student Code, and you will be held responsible for any such violations whether they were intentional or not.  For a detailed description of academic integrity see:  http://www.uwb.edu/studentservices/academicconduct.  The library also has an extremely useful website with resources about how to avoid plagiarism at:  http://libguides.uwb.edu/ai.

 

 

Respect for Diversity:  We will work together to foster a supportive, non-discriminatory learning environment for everyone.  Please be mindful of each other’s feelings and respectful about different perspectives during classroom discussions and debates.  Diverse backgrounds, embodiments, and experiences are essential to the critical thinking endeavor at the heart of university education.  In IAS and at UW Bothell, students are expected to: respect individual differences which may include, but are not limited to: age, cultural background, disability, ethnicity, family status, gender presentation, immigration status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and veteran status.  We are also expected to engage respectfully in discussion of diverse worldviews and ideologies embedded in course readings, presentations, and artifacts, including those course materials that are at odds with personal beliefs and values.  Students seeking support around these issues can find more information and resources at:  http://www.uwb.edu/diversity.

 

 

Access and Accommodations:  Your experience in this class is important to me.  It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.  If you experience barriers based on disability, please seek a meeting with Disability Resources for Students (DRS) to discuss and address them.  You may complete the New Student Application in this link:  https://www.uwb.edu/studentaffairs/drs, and DRS will contact you.  If you have already established accommodations with DRS, please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course.

 

DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DRS. If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary or permanent disability that requires accommodations (this can include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at 425.352.5307 (Voice and Relay) or rosal@uw.edu.  You may find more information about Disability Resources on campus here.  You may find more information about Disability Resources on campus here.

 

For Our Veterans:  Welcome!  We at UW Bothell understand that the transition into civilian life can be challenging for our veteran students.  We have many resources for anyone who may want to reach out for guidance or assistance in these matters including our Vet Corp Navigator through WDVA and our Student Veterans Association (SVA).  Please contact Veteran Services at 425.352.5307 or rosal@uw.edu.  For those of you needing more URGENT support, please call The Suicide Prevention Hotline:  1.800.273.8258 or connect with the UWB Care Team at:  https://www.uwb.edu/studentsaffairs/care-team.

 

 

UW Policy on Religious Accommodations:  Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodations of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities.  The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Faculty Syllabus Guidelines and Resources.  Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form available at:  https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/.

 

Inclement Weather:  Please check if the campus may be closed due to weather. Information on suspension of operations will be made public and available through the media. Students can learn of campus operations status from the website or by calling the Campus Information Hotline 425.352.3333. You may also sign up with an alert system that will contact you via email or text message if classes are canceled. For more information on the alert process, please see this. Class activities will be rescheduled as needed.
 

Gender Neutral Bathrooms (ARC, Discovery Hall, Beardslee Building, Husky Village):  For students who prefer to use an inclusive, gender neutral bathroom, the closest one located to us is off of ramp connecting DISC to UW2.  Other locations include:  ARC– one on each level of the building, one (1) LL restroom room with shower; Discovery Hall – LL, UWBB – second floor, with shower.

 

Reflection Room Information (UW1-007):  This room is an open use space for all members of UWB who seek quiet time for meditation, reflection and prayer. No reservations are needed to utilize this space. Please follow the guidelines listed in the room about the expectations of the space.

 

Lactation and Baby Changing Locations:  Lactation stations can be found in UW1-128, UW2-336, Husky Hall 1419, and Beardslee Crossing 102 U. These stations are available from 8am-5pm and can be reserved online at uwb.edu/admin/services/lactation-station.  Baby changing stations are located in Discovery Hall LL 050, UW2-L2 washrooms, UW1-L1 washrooms, LB1 and LB2-L1 washrooms. For additional resources available for parents, please visit the Parent Union: https://www.uwb/edu/studentaffaris/resources/student-parents.

 

 

Parenting Student Resources:  Parenting Students are encouraged to take advantage of the resources provided on campus, which include the Parent Union at UWB, the Child Care Assistance Program, priority access at Bright Horizons Bothell and Bothell KinderCare, back-up/sick care at Bright Horizons, and lactation rooms and baby changing stations on campus. For more information, please visit:  https://uwb.edu/studentaffairs/resources-for-parents,  or contact the Parent Union on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PUUWB/.

 

 

Student support services:  The University offers a variety of student support services.  See the sites noted below for more information.

 

Health and Wellness Resource Center  (HaWRC) This resource provides connections, financial coaching, and public benefits enrollment. Their services also include peer health education and sexual and relationship violence prevention and advocacy. 

Library 425-352-5340

Writing and Communication Center (UW2-124)  425-352-5253.

Quantitative Skills Center (UW2-030), email  uwbqsc@uw.edu, or call 425-352-3170.

Counseling Center (UW1-080)

or call 425-352-3183.

 

DACA and undocumented student resources

Visit here to learn more about emergency funding, resources, and quick links for Undocumented and DACA students.

 

Victim Advocacy and Support (Located at the Health and Wellness Resource Center (HaWRC), in ARC-120.), 425-352-3851  The University of Washington offers free advocacy and support for students and employees affected by sexual assault, relationship violence, domestic violence, stalking, sexual harassment and other related experiences. NOTE: Email to the VAE is not a confidential form of communication, so avoid including personal information in your email. Instead, call or use email only to set up an appointment.

 

The CARE Team (425) 352-SAFE (7233)

The UW Bothell Consultation, Assessment, Response and Education (CARE) Team is a confidential resource for the entire campus community when there are concerns about a student’s well-being. Their purpose is to provide proactive and supportive consultation, assessment, response, and education regarding students who may be at risk or in distress.

Diversity Center (UW1-173) (425) 352-5030.

The Diversity Center is open Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm virtually for Fall Quarter. The mission is to advocate for and collaborate with others to support a safe and inclusive campus community where resources will promote equity and social justice for all students, advocate and support students through education, and foster student success to marginalized and underrepresented communities at the University. The Diversity Center is by students and for students. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or would like to reach out to a full-time staff member directly, please send an email to uwbdiv@uw.edu! Additionally, to keep up to date with Diversity Center programming, please follow us on social media on instagram at @uwb_diversity or facebook @diversitycenteruwb

 

Husky Pantry (Husky Village Community Center & UW1-173)

Husky Pantry is a resource for all UW Bothell students who might be between paychecks or just need some extra resources to get through the week or month. It is a food pantry that can be accessed by any student, housing resident or non-resident, who is facing food insecurity. The pandemic has altered the usual hours of access.  Check the website for the latest information.

Husky Village Community Center.  The Community Center at Husky Village opened in May of 2012 to provide a central space to support, engage and entertain our residential students.  Hours have been altered for autumn due to the pandemic.  Check the website for up-to-date information about access to the Center.  If you have any questions you can also email Residential Life at https://uwbhvcc@uw.edu.