SP. Social, Ethical, and Professional Issues (16 core hours)

SP1. History of computing (core -- 1 hour)

  History of computer hardware
  History of computer software
  History of networking
  Pioneers of computing

SP2. Social context of computing (core -- 2 hours)

  Introduction to the social implications of computing
  Social implications of networked communication
  Overview of intellectual property issues in computing

SP3. Methods and tools of analysis (core -- 2 hours)

  Making and evaluating ethical arguments
  Identifying and evaluating ethical choices
  Understanding the social context of design
  Identifying assumptions and values

SP4. Professional and ethical responsibilities (core -- 2 hours)

  The nature of professionalism
  The role of the professional in public policy
  Maintaining awareness of consequences
  Ethical dissent
  Codes of ethics

SP5. Risks and liabilities of safety-critical systems (core -- 2 hours)

  Historical examples of software risks (such as the Therac-25 case)
  Implications of software complexity
  Risk assessment and management

SP6. Intellectual property (core -- 3 hours)

  Foundations of intellectual property
  Copyrights, patents, and trade secrets
  Software piracy
  Software patents and the look-and-feel debate
  International issues concerning intellectual property

SP7. Privacy and civil liberties (core -- 2 hours)

  Historical basis for privacy protection
  Privacy implications of massive database systems
  The "Code of Fair Information Practices"
  Technological strategies for privacy protection
  Freedom of expression in cyberspace
  Restrictions on expression
  International and intercultural implications

SP8. Social implications of the Internet (core -- 2 hours)

  History and growth of the Internet
  Control of the Internet
  The nature of online communication
  Online communities
  Access to the Internet
  International implications

SP9. Computer crime

  History and examples of computer crime
  Hacking and its effects
  Viruses, worms, and Trojan horses
  Crime prevention strategies

SP10. Economic issues in computing

  Monopolies and their economic implications
  Labor shortages in computing
  Pricing strategies in the computing domain
  Inequalities of access based on economic class

SP11. Philosophical foundations of ethics

  Philosophical frameworks (consequentialist and deontological theories)
  Problems of ethical relativism
  Scientific ethics in historical perspective
  Differences in scientific and philosophical approaches

CC2001 Report
DRAFT -- March 6, 2000
This report is a working draft and does not carry
any endorsement from the sponsoring organizations