O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs

 Syllabus for V412: Leadership and Ethics, Fall, 2026, Section 8049

Instructor: Kirk White, Adjunct Instructor; krwhite@iu.edu

Teaching Assistant: Listed in Modules under Course Contacts

O’Neill Adjunct Coordinator: Steven Watkins, SPEA 412, 855-7980; stewatki@iu.edu

Class Meeting: M, W, 7:05-8:20 p.m., SPEA (PV) Rm. A335. Our meeting time ends in the late evening, please make safe arrangements to arrive home from class.

Office Hours: by appointment, in person or videoconference

Instructor Background: After graduating from O’Neill with a B. S. in Public Affairs and serving as IU Student Body President, I worked on the Indiana University professional staff for forty years in various university and government relations positions including Assistant Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Vice Provost for External Relations. In municipal government I was elected for two terms on the Bloomington City Council and one term as Monroe County Commissioner. I served for thirty years as an Indiana Army National Guard officer, including three combat deployments to the Middle East in Afghanistan and Jordan. I was appointed by the Indiana Supreme Court and served ten years on the court’s attorney Disciplinary Commission which hears ethics and professional standards issues. I currently serve as the emergency management consultant for the City of Bloomington. I serve on the boards of the City of Bloomington Utilities department, Hoosier Trails Council, Scouting America, and the City of Bloomington Fire Department Merit Commission. I am married with two daughters, both IU graduates.

 

Course Description: This course is designed to examine the complex leadership issues and challenges facing communities and to explore how citizens and government can work together to address these challenges. This includes exploration of how the problems, conflicts, and dilemmas encountered by leaders when making decisions must be considered within an ethical framework. The course will explore leadership dilemmas and ethical frameworks for decision-making with emphasis on the public and non-profit sectors. We will study various approaches to ethical dilemmas, how to relate personal values to the norms of the public sector, and expectations of constituents and clients.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Explain different approaches to ethics and moral philosophy
2. Develop ethical awareness and a point of view on what it means to act ethically
3. Examine and differentiate leadership approaches
4. Practice using ethical frameworks, moral philosophies, and leadership approaches to make decisions and resolve real-life dilemmas.

How much time should you be spending on this class: This is a standard 3-credit semester length class, you are expected to spend an average of 6 or more hours outside of class per week on reading, studying, assignments, etc.  

O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs

Student Honor Code

Introduction

The O’Neill School takes matters of honesty and integrity seriously.  We expect O’Neill students will, at all times, maintain academic integrity and civil and professional standards of conduct.

Scope

O’Neill’s Student Honor Code applies to all courses and programs offered by O’Neill, and to all students who participate in O’Neill classes and programs, regardless of whether students are admitted to O’Neill. Students studying at O’Neill are expected to continue their commitment to ethical behavior in all their endeavors, including, but not limited to, coursework inside and outside of O’Neill, internships, community service, and overseas study.

 

O’Neill’s Student Honor Code incorporates IU’s Code of Student Right, Responsibilities, & Conduct and extends to matters of civility and professional conduct, including, expectations about class attendance, punctuality, participation in class, and decorum in class and at other school functions.

Academic Conduct Requirements

All students enrolled in O’Neill courses are subject to the academic misconduct provisions found in the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, & Conduct.  

Academic misconduct is defined as any activity that tends to undermine the academic integrity of the institution.

The IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, & Conduct lists and defines many types of academic misconduct, including cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, interference, violation of course rules, and facilitating academic dishonesty.   

Academic misconduct includes the use of any technology or assistance, including AI, that is not permitted by the instructor.

 

Civility and Professional Conduct Requirements

O’Neill requires that all students treat others with mutual respect and behave professionally in the classroom and during all academic and non-academic activities.

These civility and professional conduct requirements foster an appropriate atmosphere inside and outside the classroom:

• Students must act in accordance with the O’Neill School mission and values.
• Students must regularly attend and be fully prepared for class, including completing readings.
• Students must not behave in a way that interrupts or distracts from teaching or learning. For example, students must be punctual in their arrival to class and be present and attentive for the duration of the class. They must not sleep, do work for another class, or wander in and out of the classroom, pack up, or leave class early (unless an emergency exists).
• Students must abide by the course policy regarding use of electronic devices in the classroom, including a requirement that no electronics are allowed or that students are not permitted to use devices for non-class related purposes.
• Students must responsibly participate in class activities and during team meetings for course assignments.
• Students must attend scheduled meetings with faculty or staff, events for which they have RSVPed, interviews with prospective employers, and student organization meetings.  
• Students must address faculty members, other students, and others appropriately and with respect, whether in person, in writing, or in electronic communications.
• Students must show tolerance and respect for others.
• Students must practice respect and responsible stewardship of the physical resources of the school, refraining from destroying or defacing school property, integrating practices of sustainability, and contributing to a clean and orderly physical environment in all buildings, classrooms, offices, and meeting spaces.   
• Students must comply with the personal misconduct responsibilities within the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, & Conduct.

Reporting

Students must abide by the O’Neill Student Honor Code themselves and hold their peers to the same standards. Students should report suspected instances of academic, civility, or professional misconduct to the instructor of the course. Students should report suspected instances of personal misconduct to the IU Office of Student Conduct.

Intellectual Inquiry and Debate:

In keeping with the University’s adoption of the Chicago Principles, this class will seek to cultivate an environment of free intellectual inquiry, debate, and constructive criticism. The instructor will guide discussions to advance the course's educational objectives, and students are encouraged to listen to one another and engage thoughtfully with differing viewpoints, even when unpopular or controversial views are expressed. The mere expression of views, words, symbols, images, or thoughts that some people find offensive does not violate free speech norms if such expression arises for legitimate academic and/or pedagogical purposes. The class will also seek to cultivate an environment in which people can change their minds, and in which students who are uncertain or need time to formulate their thoughts can claim the space to do so.

 

Course Requirements:

1.. Assignments and Grading percentages, 500 potential points

            Report One                                         5%       25 points

            Report Two                                         7%       35

            Report Three                                       8%       40

            Midterm Exam                                    27%     135

            Team Presentation and paper              16%     80

            Final Exam                                          27%     135

            Attendance and participation              10%     50

 

2. Grading scale. The grading scale will be as follows:

97%-100%      A+

94%-96%        A

90%-93%        A-

87%-89%        B+

84%-86%        B

83%-80%        B-

77%-79%        C+

74%-76%        C

70%-73%        C-

67%-69%        D+

64%-66%        D

60%-63%        D-

59% & below F

 

4. Academic integrity. This course examines ethics for leaders and in particular, codes of conduct. I expect that you will do your own work and that you do not try to take undue credit for the work of others. If you are working on an assignment in a group, ensure that you present your response in your own words. Review your responsibilities as an IU student at: https://studentcode.iu.edu/

5. Use of generative AI (such as ChatGPT) in this class. Using AI to assist in completing assignments will be allowed only in the following ways:

•  “ChatGPT may be used to find sources.” All other use of AI is prohibited. You are permitted to use the free version of Grammarly and Microsoft Word’s spelling and grammar tool. 

If you use AI in an unauthorized manner, you will be committing plagiarism* and will be subject to penalties in this class and sanctions by Indiana University. 

WARNING: Submitting any questions, assignments, notes, slides, or other instructor-produced course materials into Generative AI without permission is a violation of the faculty member’s exclusive rights and will be reported to the Dean of Students as academic misconduct.

*Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as presenting someone else’s work, including the work of other students, as one’s own. Any ideas or materials taken from another source for either written or oral use must be fully acknowledged, unless the information is common knowledge. https://studentcode.iu.edu/responsibilities/academic-misconduct.html. (emphasis added)

6. Course Materials—Instructor’s Exclusive Rights.

The faculty member teaching this course holds the exclusive right to distribute, modify, post, and reproduce course materials, including all written materials, study guides, lectures, assignments, exercises, and exams. While you are permitted to take notes on the online materials and lectures posted for this course for your personal use, you are not permitted to re-post in another forum, upload to AI, distribute, reproduce content from this course, or sell the instructor’s course materials (including notes and study guides) without the express written permission of the faculty member.

 

Violations of this policy will be reported to the Dean of Students as academic misconduct (violation of course rules). Sanctions for academic misconduct may include a failing grade on the assignment for which the notes/study guides are being sold, a reduction in your final course grade, or a failing grade in the course, among other possibilities.

 

Additionally, you should know that selling a faculty member’s course using IU email, or via Canvas may also constitute a violation of IU information technology and IU intellectual property policies; additional consequences may result.

 

Required Text: The Ethics Primer for Public Administrators in Government and Nonprofit Organizations, Third Edition, James H. Svara, Copyright 2022, by Jones and Bartlett Learning, Burlington, MA.  Available on IU eTexts: ISBN: 9781284211580, Canvas Course Code: FA25-BL-SPEA-V412-8049, Format: Standalone eText presented on the Engage e-reader. 

 

Course Policies

1. Attendance

Attendance is mandatory. At the beginning of each class period attendance will be taken.

You may miss two class meetings without any need to send me an excuse and without any deduction from your participation grade. Please use this flexibility wisely. Missing additional classes will result in a deduction from your participation points.

 

If you miss class for illness or other extenuating reasons, please make sure to get notes about what you missed from a classmate, and consider checking with me to review the material that you missed. Note: if you must miss class for medical reasons, please do NOT send me a note from your doctor as proof of absence.

 2. Make-up Exams

If extenuating circumstances exist, makeup exams are possible with appropriate notice to the instructor.

3. Late Assignments

Please take time at the beginning of the semester to note all assignment due dates. I accept late work for partial credit. You will lose one point per day late for assignments turned in within seven days of the assignment due date. After seven days you will receive no credit for the assignment.

4. Technology Use

I reserve the right to ask students to close laptops and may prohibit all electronics at any point in the semester if people are using them for non-class related activities. Please refrain from using your devices (laptop, tablet, phone) for non-class related activities during class time. It is rude and distracting for the other students in the class.

In addition, please refrain from recording our class sessions and guest lecture presentations.

5. Late Withdrawal. The late W deadline is Sunday, October 25. After the auto-W deadline, withdrawal will be significantly limited, and you will need permission to withdraw and must meet requirements established by O’Neill.

Schedule of Classes and Assignments:

M Aug 24        Introduction of students and instructor. Course and syllabus overview

                        Leadership lessons from Paul H. O’Neill      

 

W Aug 26       Lecture: Svara: The Ethics Primer, Chapters One and Two

                        Reading Assignment: Ethics Primer Chapter Two and Appendix One

 

M Aug 31        Lecture: Svara: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Two and Appendix One

                        Report One Due: Personal Code of Ethics, Svara, Chapter One, Page 3

 

W Sep 2          Lecture: Svara: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Four

                        Reading Assignment: Ethics Primer, Chapter Four

 

M Sep 7           Labor Day, No Classes

 

W Sep 9          Lecture: Svara: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Four

 

M Sep 14         Lecture: Svara: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Three

                        Reading Assignment: Ethics Primer, Chapter Three

           

W Sep 16        Lecture: Svara: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Three

                        The Ethics Triangle

 

M Sep 21         Lecture: Svara: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Five     

Reading Assignment: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Five and Appendix Four

 

W Sep 23        Lecture: Svara: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Five

 

M Sep 28         Lecture: Svara: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Six       

Reading Assignment: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Six

Report Two Due: Code of Ethics. One page paper. From assigned options, select a public, private or non-profit sector organization’s code and analyze using Svara’s types of statements, p.82.

 

W Sep 30        Lecture: Svara: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Six

 

M Oct 5           Review and Exam Preparation

 

W Oct 6           Exam One, Svara, Chapters 1-6

 

Oct 9-11          Fall Break, No classes

 

M Oct 12         Special Guest Speaker: The Honorable Dr. Brett Seidle, Former Deputy Secretary of the Navy. O’Neill School Executive in Residence.

 

W  Oct 14        Lecture: Svara The Ethics Primer, Chapter Seven    

Reading Assignment: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Seven

Group Project Assignment: Application of the Ethics Problem Solving Model

           

M Oct 19         Lecture: Svara: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Seven

                        Ethics Problem Solving Model

 

W Oct 21         Team Presentations and paper due: Ethics Problem Solving Model

 

M Oct 26         Team presentations, con’t., and Case Study Video and discussion: “In It To Win: The Jack Abramoff Story”

 

W Oct 28         Lecture: Svara: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Eight    

Reading Assignment: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Eight

 

M Nov 2          Lecture: Svara: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Eight

 

W Nov 4         Lecture: Svara: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Nine     

Reading Assignment: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Nine

 

M Nov 9          Lecture: Svara: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Nine     

 

W Nov 11       Lecture: Svara: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Ten      

Reading Assignment: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Ten

Report Three Due: Discussion questions on assigned case studies

 

M Nov 16        Lecture: Svara: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Ten

 

W Nov 18       Lecture: Leadership Concepts

                        Reading Assignment:  selected from Northhouse (in Canvas)

 

Nov 22-29       Thanksgiving holiday break

 

M Nov 30        Lecture: Ethics in Practice, Crisis Leadership

                        Reading Assignment: McRaven, Simpson (in Canvas)

 

W Dec 2          Lecture: Svara: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Twelve 

Reading Assignment: The Ethics Primer, Chapter Twelve

 

M Dec 7          Online Course Questionnaire and Lecture: Leadership Lessons Learned

 

W Dec 9          Review and Exam Preparation

 

F Dec 18         Final Exam, Svara, Chapters 7-10, 12, additional readings and lecture material: 7:40-9:00 p.m.

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 The above schedule is subject to limited change in the event of extenuating circumstances.

Additional Information

University Safety

As leaders we need to be prepared to protect ourselves and fellow students in the event of a campus or community emergency. My cell phone will remain active during class to receive emergency messages.

Emergencies, IUPD: Call 911

IU’s procedures for how to respond during active shooter or aggressor event: Run, Hide, Fight video: https://protect.iu.edu/emergency-continuity/emergency-situations/active-shooter.html

Get IU Emergency Alerts and the Guardian Safety App, which will also provide campus status/cancellations during weather events: https://protect.iu.edu/emergency-continuity/emergency-alerts/index.html

 

Counseling and Psychological Services

For information about services offered to students by CAPS:  http://healthcenter.indiana.edu/counseling/index.shtml

 

TimelyCare

Indiana students have free, 24/7 access to virtual mental health care services with TimelyCare. Students do not need insurance to access TimelyCare services. https://www.iu.edu/mental-health/find-resources/timely-care.html#0

 

Religious Accommodation Requests

The "Request for Accommodation for Religious Observances" form must be submitted by the student to the professor no later than two weeks prior to the anticipated absence.  A separate form must be submitted for each absence and for each course. Faculty do not have to consider accommodations for the purpose of allowing students to travel away from Bloomington for religious observance.  Information about the policy is found here: https://vpfaa.indiana.edu/resources/religious-observances-information.html.

 

Accessible Educational Services (formerly Disability Services for Students) 

Securing accommodations for a student with disabilities is a responsibility shared by the student, the instructor, and the AES Office. For information about support services or accommodations available to students with disabilities, and for the procedures to be followed by students and instructors: https://studentlife.indiana.edu/care-advocacy/iub-aes/index.html  

 

Sexual Harassment 

As your instructor, one of my responsibilities is to help create a safe learning environment on our campus. Title IX and our own Sexual Misconduct policy prohibit sexual misconduct.  If you have experienced sexual misconduct, or know someone who has, the University can help.

If you are seeking help and would like to talk to someone confidentially, you can make an appointment with these IU services:

1. The Sexual Assault Crisis Service (SACS) at 812-855-8900
2. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at 812-855-5711
3. Confidential Victim Advocates (CVA) at 812-856-2469
4. IU Health Center at 812-855-4011

For more information about available resources:  http://stopsexualviolence.iu.edu/help/index.html. It is also important to know that federal regulations and University policy require me to promptly convey any information about potential sexual misconduct known to me to our campus’ Deputy Title IX Coordinator or IU’s Title IX Coordinator.  In that event, they will work with a small number of others on campus to ensure that appropriate measures are taken and resources are made available to the student who may have been harmed.  Protecting a student’s privacy is of utmost concern, and all involved will only share information with those that need to know to ensure the University can respond and assist.  I encourage you to visit http://stopsexualviolence.iu.edu/help/index.html to learn more.

IU Culture Centers: https://studentlife.indiana.edu/communities/culture-centers/index.html