MID-AMERICA CHIRSTIAN UNIVERSITY

							                                    Syllabus
                      MID-AMERICA CHIRSTIAN UNIVERSITY
                    PSYC 4813 Professional Ethics and Conduct
                                    Fall 2007


Instructor: Teresa Davis, MA             Phone 605-6552 or 206-4718

Course Description: This is a course in professional ethics and conduct. It will focus
on those issues that are essential conduct and ethical standards for the behavioral
science practitioner.

Textbooks: Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions, 7th Edition, Corey, Corey, &
Callanan

CLASS MEETING: MWF, 12:10-1:00 p.m.

Objectives: The student will:
  1. Understand and be able to articulate the general theories of professional ethics,
  2. Identify the ethical standards of assessment, evaluation, and intervention,
  3. Be familiar with ethical criteria for advertising and other public statements,
  4. Be able to employ correct ethical standard in the therapeutic relationship,
  5. Understand the requirements of privacy and confidentiality,
  6. Understand how ethics informs the practice of teaching, training, and
      supervision, and publishing,
  7. Be able to resolve ethical issues.

This class will consist of:
      a.    Chapter overviews w/pop quizzes
      b.    Class assignments, discussions, and activities
      c.    Term paper with presentations
      d.    Journal article presentations
      e.    Discussion of American Association of Christian Counselors’ Code of
            Ethics.

Class introduction: Identify one or two of the most pressing ethical issues in
counseling that you know of today. Write a 2-3 page paper about this topic and tell why
you think it is significant. Be prepared to present this paper to the class on Monday,
August 27, 2007. You may want to include the following: What is the problem? Give
some facts/statistics. Who is involved? Do you think this will affect you when you are in
the counseling profession? If yes, tell how. What ethical guideline, principle, or law do
you feel this breaks?

Chapter Overviews/Term Paper: Each student will choose one chapter from the text
and write a term paper outlining his or her position on that topic. The paper must
include at least three (3) outside sources (i.e. journal articles) that support their
viewpoint. The student will present their paper to the class and will lead a discussion of
that topic.

Journal Articles: Each student will select 3 (Professional) journal articles that address
an ethical issue in counseling. The student will present their journal articles and lead a
class discussion on that topic.
AACC Code of Ethics: Each student will download and print a copy of the American
Association of Christian Counselors’ Code of Ethics and have it available for class
discussions.
      www.aacc.net  about  code of ethics

Attendance Policy: Students are required to attend all classes in which they are
enrolled. (See the Student Handbook for regulations on Chapel attendance.) The
student will gain better mastery of a subject if he/she is able to attend all of the class
sessions and participate in the interaction with the instructor and students. Realizing,
however, that occasionally it may be necessary for a student to be absent from a class,
a student is allowed ONE absence for each time per week the class meets. Upon
missing additional class sessions, the student may have his/her grade lowered unless
the absences are due to University related activities. The maximum number of
absences for ALL causes is three absences for each time per week the class meets.
One additional absence will cause an "F" grade to be recorded for the course unless the
student officially drops the course within the time limits prescribed. The last day for
dropping a class in any semester is two (2) weeks prior to the last day of
classroom instruction. If you miss no classes during the semester, I will raise your
final grade five (5) points (example - 85 to 90). If you have more than the allowed 3
absences (unless they are excused absences), your grade will be lowered five (5)
points.
     Sleeping in class will be considered an absence
     3 Tardies will be considered one day of absence
     If you have a planned excused absence, give the instructor a note with your
        name, the date in which you will miss the class, and the reason for the absence.
        This must be done prior to the day you plan to miss class.
     The student is responsible for keeping track of his/her absences.
     The student is responsible for all work missed and all assignments made in
        his/her absence.

GRADES:
The following weights will be used in determining that grade:
       Term paper                        25%
       Participation and attendance      25%
       Journal Articles                  25%
       Final exam                        25%

Final Grades:
A = 90 to 100%
B = 80 to 89.9%
C = 70 to 79.9%
D = 60 to 69.9%
F = 0 to 59.9%