2006 Issue

www.utahengineerscouncil.org 33 UECJOURNAL February 2006 engineering societies have requested copies of the course materials for use in in-house training programs or professional develop- ment programs for practicing Engineers. When this course was developed it was assumed that students in engineering schools today know and understand the differences between right and wrong, as part of their primary and secondary educa- tion, family upbringing and religious train- ing. Unfortunately, experience in teach- ing the Issues course and reports from other instructors at various institutions around the country appear to indicate that this basic premise was unfounded. Preliminary research into the factors affecting the behavior of young people (and some not so young people) in our present societal environment point to the deterioration of the family unit, decreas- ing focus on religious values, abdication of responsibility, over-liberalized educa- tion programs such as Outcome Based Edu- cation, and increased emphasis on self grati- fication and personal aggrandizement as primary influences. As a result, distortion of reality in the news media, lack of truth in advertising, unethical practices in busi- ness, increased emphasis on litigation to solve differences of opinion, and the deci- mation of long-held moral and sexual stan- dards have become commonplace and tac- itly accented by society. On the other hand, society in general tends to hold the professions, especially the engineering profession, to a elevated stan- dard, and expects practicing engineers to perform on an higher ethical plane. This justifiable expectation is creating a dilemma for engineering students and the young prac- ticing engineer, since most of the enduring bulwarks of moral and ethical decisionmak- ing are being mocked and abandoned, and young people are not being equipped with the absolute value judgments required to distinguish right fromwrong. As a result, a new instructional mod- ule entitled Applied Ethics in Engineer- ing Practice is being developed by Dr. Bucknam in cooperation with the Insti- tute for Professional Practice and the Gen- eral Electric Foundation to provide engi- neering students and young practicing en- gineers with an understanding of the fac- tors impacting ethical decision making in engineering practice, an ability to dis- cern right from wrong in cases of apparent ethical dilemma, and methods for mak- ing proper decisions and achieving ethi- cal results in such situations. It is not the intent of the course to focus on more ex- pansive ethical dilemmas, such as glo- bal warming, the O-ring problems on the Challenger, or the pollution caused by the Love Canal. Rather, the em- phasis is on the day-to-day, sometimes stom- ach-wrenching issues most often con- fronting engineers in industry, govern- ment and private practice. This module will consist of a set of outline lecture notes, with appropriate reading references, a wide spectrum of case histories contributed by engineers in in- dustry, public agencies and private prac- tice around the country, and sample class exercises for use in existing engineering classes, such as courses on project man- agement, ethics or professional practice issues, or in senior capstone design courses. Alternatively, the new course material will be appropriate for a complete course on applied ethics in engineering. It is in- tended that these course materials will be applicable to all major engineering disci- plines, including mechanical, industrial, electrical, chemical, civil and aeronauti- cal engineering. A non-convening board of commen- tators and reviewers is being established to lend assistance regarding the focus and content of the course as it is developed. This board will consist of 50 to 60 geo- graphically distributed engineers and ex- ecutives in industry; active and retired en- gineers in private industry and government; representatives of professional societies; engineering, business and philosophy fac- ulty; active and retired commercial busi- nessmen; medical professionals; and clergy. Open communications will be maintained with the board and others interested in the course so that the materials presented can accurately reflect the ethical posture of responsible professionals. In addition, case histories of ethical confrontations or situations, “sanitized” to protect the identities of the individuals, companies or agencies involved, are needed from engineers in industry, private practice and public agencies, as well as professional societies, to provide a wide diversity of real-world experiences for stu- dents and young practicing engineers to focus on. ■ If you are interested in being a member of the board of comment and review and/ or would like to contribute one or more one-page ethical case histories, the Insti- tute for Professional Practice would greatly appreciate your support. Please contact the course author as follows: Dr. Ronald E. Bucknam 168 Wilcox Hall, University of Washington Box 352700, Seattle, WA 98195-2700 Phone 206/543-1178 email: rbucknam@u.washington.edu SOCIETY FORUM UTAH SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS