Making a Code of Computer Ethics Work at Pimli College - Sections 2.3 and 2.4 - The Research Center on Computing & Society

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Sally Webster

2.3. Faculty Members

Faculty members, especially those who require students to use computers or computer networks in their courses, must support the Code in their courses, their faculty meetings, and their labs.

Faculty members can discuss and explain with their students the ethical dilemmas which arise through the use of computers and computer networks; the provisions of the Code which apply in their classes; and the consequences of not knowing and abiding by the Code.

Faculty can also devote one class period to awareness-raising, by using scenarios which put the students into likely computer ethical dilemmas and letting them discuss how they would react. [I did this myself and would be glad to share materials with anyone else who’s interested.] The purpose of this “workshop” is to raise issues, make the connections between ethical principles understood in other contexts and the computer situations (such as plagiarism and software theft) and stimulate thought, rather than to “lay down the law.” However, it’s useful that early in any semester students understand the Code and its sanctions.

Faculty can decide ahead of time how they will respond when they see that a student has breached the Code or is heading in that direction. This works best if the students have in writing early in the course what is expected of them and what will happen if they don’t meet those expectations. Faculty have lots of latitude with this, but since computer ethics is a “new” topic (newer, say, than garden-variety plagiarism), this might work better if the faculty member checks with the department chair or dean or dean of students. The more the faculty is unanimous in its expectations and responses, the easier it is for students to understand.

Faculty members requiring their students to use institutional computing resources should check with computer center staff to be sure adequate resources exist. Otherwise, some students will believe themselves “forced” into making illegal copies of software or data to get their work done on time. Faculty can also investigate using texts which come with student

versions of software. Furthermore, faculty can often be flexible when suggesting or requiring software, so that students can use less expensive software packages or software they already own.

Faculty communications about ethical dilemmas to graduate students some of whom will become the next generation of faculty members, are powerful. If the college wants to influence succeeding generations of students, graduate students must help support the Code,

both while they are TAs and lab assistants and later when they are faculty.

And under no circumstances should a faculty member engage in any computer activity which violates a contract, invades the privacy of a fellow faculty member or student (unless those people have been warned that this is a common practice), shows disrespect for another’s intellectual property, wastes shared resources, or harasses others. Students have antennae exquisitely tuned to detect hypocrisy.

2.4 Computing Staffs

Central computing services staff and the staff of any departmental computing labs and centers, who have, for a long time, been the voices crying in the wilderness, will continue to be active in this area.

The Computer Center can adopt operating procedures which support the Code, such as refusing to help any student or faculty member who is using stolen software or trying to use networks to send chain letters. System administrators can refuse access to timeshared systems to abusers. Computer staff can post the Code and their own operating procedures

prominently in clusters and labs, print them in newsletters; and give them out in handbooks and on account application forms.

Computer Center staff can adopt and publicize codes of computer ethics which complement their own Code, such as those published by EDUCOM and ADAPSO and by the various academic networks such as BITNET.

Computer Center staff can use adequate technical safeguards on timeshared computers, such as using passwords and asking users to lock disks. Users should be taught to protect themselves against computer abuses.

Computer Center staff can link microcomputers in clusters with network software which prevents unauthorized copying.

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