Ethics Scenario 1
Melissa is a pre-med student at a large university. She prefers taking classes that relate directly to her emphasis. However, Melissa knows that she has to take general education requirements to graduate. She decides to take "An Introduction to Art History," an easy class, to balance out the hard science classes she must take this quarter.
It turns out that Art History has weekly homework assignments--nothing difficult, but Melissa never seems to have time to do them. She reasons that she shouldn't waste her energy on class content that she will never use. Still, the teacher does grade the homework and Melissa cannot afford do poorly in the class because medical schools will care about her GPA. She ends up copying a classmate's homework on a weekly basis. Does Melissa really need to spend time on this gen-ed when she has more important classes to worry about?
Taken from: http://www.scu.edu/ethics-center/ethicsblog/thebigq.cfm?b=385&c=10020
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Well if it is a class that is needed to graduate and it is a requirement, the she absolutely needs to take this class. Melissa should learn how to manage her time properly and get the assignments done. If it is becoming a challenge then maybe she should talk to her classmate about homework help rather than cheating from her classmate.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with your point that she should ask her classmates for help. That will benefit her a lot more then just copying off of them.
DeleteAlthough, it is just a gen-ed class she should still spend time working on it. GPA a is a big part of getting into medical school. She shouldn't be cheating off of her friend either that is not benefiting her in anyway and just copying off her friend will not help prepare her for the final exam. She is going to need to learn how to balance her time and be independent.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the classes are important for her GPA and getting into medical school. I also agree with the fact that copying will not help her with her final exam.
DeleteEven if the art class is just a general education requirement, it is still a required class. She needs to do well to keep her GPA high enough for medical school and she needs to do it on her own terms and not use other people's work. She is going to need to start making time to do her homework for all of her classes, including general education classes, to keep her GPA high.
ReplyDeleteI agree that she needs to do this work to keep her GPA high. I did not think about that aspect and that she would need a specific GPA to be able to continue in medical school.
DeleteI disagree that she should take time out of her schedule of studying for classes that are going to be important in the medical field, to study a class about the history of art, which has absolutely nothing to do with what she will be doing in the real world. She is seeing college as the place where you are trained to get a job, her job will be in the medical field, so why does she need to learn about art. By coping her friend she is getting though a class that is a waste of time.
DeleteI feel time management is very important. While I understand people's opinions that she should not make time for a pointless class, learning these time management skills now will pay off in the future when she is in med school and all of those classes are vital to her major.
DeleteIt is not a problem from her coping her friends homework because it is an unimportant class to her goal of education. She understands that this class has nothing to do with the education she actually needs to know in order to be successful in her job. By coping her friends homework is simply just getting through a class that will never pertain to her or her job.
ReplyDeleteI do not agree. Every class you are placed in is important, because they all affect your GPA. Also, copying your friends work is never the right thing to do, even if it is "just to get through a class".
DeleteI agree with the comment about understanding the class. That is the whole point in taking a class is to learn it. The point of being in a class is not just to "get through it" she should be taking the time to learn about the class.
DeleteAll of the classes you take are important, whether they are general education classes or classes specifically for your major. Every class counts towards your GPA, and your GPA is a major key of getting into medical school. She needs to learn time management skills to help her balance her work, not copy off of her friends.
ReplyDeleteExactly, no matter what you sign up to take it is important to take pride in your work and expect to do well in the assigned material.
DeleteI completely agree. She needs to manage her time wisely in order to keep her GPA up and get into medical school.
DeleteI agree with this statement because her overall GPA is really important in order for her to get into graduate school. In order to have a good GPA she needs to focus on all of her classes and put forth the necessary attention to each class she has.
DeleteNo matter if is gen ed or classes for your major, all classes you take are important. There important because they affect your GPA just like your major classes. All classes should be treated the same. Learning other subjects can be helpful and give you life lessons that you may need for you job field.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Whether the class is for your major or not, you should still put in the same amount of effort. Gen Ed classes are not given for know reason, they are given to help broaden the way you think, which may help you in your job field.
DeleteI agree with you that all classes are important because they contribute to your GPA. I also agree with you that classes that don't seem valuable could actually end up helping you out in the future in interesting ways.
DeleteShe made a conscious decision to sign up and take a class that she assumed would be easy. Regardless of the content or weekly amount of work, she has a moral obligation to complete this assignment. Not only will it reflect on her GPA, but her work ethic and time management skills could also benefit for making time to finish these tasks.
ReplyDeleteI agree I think that all classes should be valued and when you sign up for a class you assume the responsibilities that come with the class. If she didn't want to be int he class in the first place she shouldn't have signed up and thought of it as an easy class, this is disrespectful and a waste of time for the professor.
DeleteAny class you take is important. You can find a great deal of relatable knowledge in any of your Gen Ed classes. She just might find out that she enjoys this class. Melissa is missing out on many opportunities, not taking this class seriously. If she cared about this issue more, she would have talked to someone to help her schedule.
ReplyDeleteI too think that talking to someone about her schedule would be a great help to her. If the possibility is still there she could withdrawal from the class without hurting her GPA. I believe help is always there if you ask for it, and she could have done that instead of making excuses.
DeleteShe can still enjoy the class because while in class she could pay attention and learn about Art History. The thing with her is that she doesn't feel like spending any time on the not so hard homework so that she can focus on other things.
DeleteIt is important to take classes for your major but it is also important to take some classes outside your major. The Art History class is a Gen Ed that will help make her a more rounded person. If she does not complete the homework on her own she will not get out of the class what was intended. The are other options than copying the assignment from someone else. If she manages her time well enough she can probably find different times to work on it, even if it is not all at once. If this is still a problem she can schedule a meeting with her professor and talk about the dilemma she is having. The professor may give her an extra day or a little extra time to finish the assignments.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment. Additionally, I like how you give examples of ways to successfully manage this course rather than the student coping the assignments.
DeleteAs a student myself, I see how Melissa rather spend her time and energy on her classes within her major, because at times it can feel like they are more important. However, taking classes outside of her major is just as important because they contribute to the overall GPA and therefore, should be taken seriously. In addition, general education classes allow a student to learn valuable aspects in life like time management and responsibility.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe Melissa should have done her work for the class on her own, even though it was not for her major. Even if they are not for your major, Gen Eds are important and will have an affect on your overall GPA. I understand how she would rather spend her energy on her classes for her major, but she must also understand that the other classes in her schedule have an extreme affect on her GPA.
ReplyDeleteIf Melissa is truly worried about her GPA then she should definitely focus on bringing up that gen-ed grade. While it might seem like she isn't going to need the information later in life, she does need the credits from taking the class. Also if she is worried about getting into medical schools, then she should immediately start doing her own assignments because if she gets caught plagiarizing there is a slim chance she will get into those schools, and she would be at risk of being expelled for the school she is currently at.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely believe Melissa should take the class especially since it is a required gen-ed. I think it is a smart idea on her part to take this class to boost her GPA because med schools typically require very high GPA's to get in and some of those science courses can be rigorous. I do not think she should be copying the work. I think she should review her time management throughout the day. I think she could absolutely make time to do the assignments in that class and if her schedule is that jam packed, then maybe she should take that class in a different semester.
ReplyDeleteI think that Melissa should copy the homework only if she can do well on the tests still and the classmate does not mind her doing it. The class does not directly matter to her major, but is only a requirement for graduation and effects her GPA. If she can do well in the class while copying the homework, then she should do what she wants because the class does not really matter to her overall focus of education.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with what you are saying because copying is a form of cheating and is morally incorrect. BY cheating during this class, a door opens up in her life causing cheating to always being an option. What if she decides to start cheating in her medical classes, never really learning the material? She has then set herself up for potentially not knowing how to correctly perform a procedure, putting her patients at risk. She should put the time in to do her own work.
DeleteYes, Melissa does need to spend time on the art class because it is a general education requirement. This means she needs this class to graduate. Her other courses are probably more important to her career but this class is equally as important for graduation.
ReplyDeleteMelissa does need to focus on this course because she chose to take it. Even though it is not specific to her major or field of study, it is still going to affect her overall GPA. She needs to do her own work, especially because the assignments are said to be "nothing difficult." Sometimes in life she is going to have to deal with a patient she dislikes or a procedure she doesn't want to do, however, she must be able to face them head on. In my opinion, if she has time to copy, then she has time to complete the assignments herself.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to give all of your classes the necessary time it needs and deserves. Although she does not necessarily need this class for her degree, it is still important to complete all assignments to the best of her ability in order to maintain a high GPA because like the example stated, her cumulative GPA is important. They do not factor out classes just because it is not related to her/his degree.
ReplyDelete