Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning

2009-2010 Ethics Data

Research in Progress
(based upon Undergraduate and Graduate course catalogs and submitted faculty course summaries)

	Number	Percent
1. Emerson Listed Courses	747	100
2. Emerson Ethics Courses (Lines 3+4)	75	10
3. Courses with Ethics in the Title	13	2
4. Courses with Ethics Explicit Content in Course Descriptions	62	8
5. Total Number of Academic Units (Department/Institute)	8	100
6. Number of Unites Offering Courses with Ethics in the Title	4	50
7. Number of Units Offering Courses with Ethics Content in Course Description	8	100
8. Number of Units with ≥ 10% of Courses with Ethics in the Title	0	0
9. Number of Units with ≥ 5% of Courses with Ethics in the Title	1	13
10. Number of Units with ≥ 2% of Courses with Ethics in the Title	4	50
11. Number of Units with ≥ 10% of Courses with Explicit Ethics Content in the Course Description	3	38
12. Number of Units with ≥ 5% of Courses with Explicit Ethics Content in the Course Description	4	50
13. Number of Units with ≥ 2% of Courses with Explicit Ethics Content in the Course Description	7	88

Total Courses (Undergraduate)	Number	Percent
1. Undergraduate courses listed	537	100
2. Courses with "ethics" in the title	11	2
3. Courses with explicit ethics content (in course or faculty description)	47	91
4. Total "ethics" courses (Lines 2+3)	58	11
Total Courses (Graduate)
1. Graduate courses listed*	210	100
2. Courses with "ethics" in title	2	1
2a. Courses with "ethics" in title (if 500 level courses included)	3	2
3. Courses with explicit ethics* content (in course or faculty description)	15	7
3a. Courses with explicit ethics* content (if 500 level courses included)	19	9
4. Total "ethics courses" (Lines 2+3)*	17	8
4a. Total "ethics courses" if 500 level courses are included (Lines 2a+3a)	22	11

*Not including 500 level courses already counted as undergraduate courses.

Departmental and School Undergraduate Ethics Offerings 2009–2010

School of the Arts
Department	Total School and Dept Catalog Courses	Number (Percent) of Emerson Ethics Title Courses	Number (Percent) of Emerson Ethics Description Courses
Performing Arts	145	0 (0%)	1 (2%)
Undergraduate	115	0 (0%)	1 (2%)
Graduate	30	0 (0%)	0 (0%)
Visual & Media Arts	139	3 (21%)	17 (26%)
Undergraduate	113	2 (14%)	14 (20%)
Graduate	26	1 (7%)	3 (5%)
Writing, Literature & Publishing	116	2 (14%)	5 (8%)
Undergraduate	69	1 (7%)	2 (3%)
Graduate	47	1 (7%)	3 (5%)
School of the Arts (Subtotal)	400	5 (36%)	23 (36%)
Undergraduate	297	3 (21%)	17 (25%)
Graduate	103	2 (14%)	6 (10%)

School of Communication
Department	Total School and Dept Catalog Courses	Number (Percent) of Emerson Ethics Title Courses	Number (Percent) of Emerson Ethics Description Courses
Communication Science & Disorders	82	0 (0%)	3 (5%)
Undergraduate	44	0 (0%)	2 (3%)
Graduate	38	0 (0%)	1 (2%)
Communication Studies	73	6 (43%)	16 (24%)
Undergraduate	52	6 (43%)	12 (18%)
Graduate	21	0 (0%)	4 (6%)
Journalism	73	3 (21%)	11 (17%)
Undergraduate	56	2 (14%)	7 (11%)
Graduate	17	1 (7%)	4 (6%)
Marketing Communication	58	0 (0%)	7 (11%)
Undergraduate	27	0 (0%)	4 (6%)
Graduate	31	0 (0%)	3 (5%)
School of Communication (Subtotal)	286	9 (64%)	37 (58%)
Undergraduate	179	8 (57%)	25 (39%)
Graduate	107	1 (7%)	12 (19%)

Department	Total School and Dept Catalog Courses	Number (Percent) of Emerson Ethics Title Courses	Number (Percent) of Emerson Ethics Description Courses
Institute	61	0 (0%)	5 (8%)
Undergraduate	61	0 (0%)	5 (8%)
Graduate	0	0 (0%)	0 (0%)

General Education

There are eight undergraduate courses that count as ethics and values perspectives courses as one of Emerson College's general education requirements. Seven of these (88%) are taught within the Communication Studies department, six (75%) of which are listed as PH (philosophy) courses and one (13%) as PO (political communication). One (13%) ethics and values perspective course is taught as an Honors course within the Institute. Thus, with the exception of the one Honors course, all Ethics and Values Perspectives courses are currently taught within the School of Communication.

NOTE ON METHODS: All data above is based upon the current undergraduate and graduate catalogs as well as input about courses by participating faculty. This is draft data and most numbers (other than percentages) are likely to be lower than the actual number of ethics courses being taught since some faculty have not participated and, of these, some may be teaching ethics modules or segments within their classes without so indicating within their course descriptions. Courses in development and being piloted are not included. Data regarding "free standing" courses with the word "ethics " in their titles should reveal a high degree of accuracy.

(Data compiled by Dr. Tom Cooper, September–December 2009)