The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bio-ethical Issues advises the President on bio-ethical issues that may emerge from advances in bio-medicine and related areas of science and technology. The Commission works with the goal of identifying and promoting policies and practices that ensure scientific research, health care delivery, and technological innovation are conducted in an ethically responsible manner.

Form groups of 3 students in which you will serve as a mock commission with the following roles: chairperson (group leader), a legal adviser, and theologian. If a group is assigned a 4th student, from the professor, that student will serve as a bio-medical scientist on the committee. The chairperson additional responsibility is as the science and technology chief on the committee.

Each member will

Evaluate the policies and objective of the Study on Bio-ethical Issues,

Review the Presidential Commission’s website (opens in a new window), and

the Presidential Commission’s Webinar (opens in new window) from a recent meeting of the commission to hear about the concerns of U.S. citizens regarding current policies.

Collectively, write a 3-4 page, APA formatted argumentative essay addressed to the President of the United States which outlines what the national priorities for bioethics in science and health care should be for the next 5 years.

Consider the opinions and concerns of your group members and fellow citizens from this “town hall” meeting while writing their response.

Evaluation of your individual performance on this project will be based on the following criteria:

participation,

content of material,

organization and structure,

mechanics and presentation,

critical thinking,

integration of concepts of culture, faith, and principles of ethics/bioethics.

50% of each student’s grade will be based on participation as assessed by your teammates, and 50 % will be based on the final product.

Consider using Google Documents to collaborate on your essay as a group. Review the Instructions for sharing and collaborating on Google Documents.

Be sure to view the Argumentative Essay Group Project Rubric in your course syllabus for clarity on how your essay will be evaluated. You can submit your completed Short Argument Essay by following the instructions below.