Professionalism and Ethics Packet

This packet is intended for use in a course which introduces students to mechanical engineering. The material in this packet should help familiarize students with the professionalism and ethics considerations found in engineering. The requirements to become a licensed professional engineer are presented. Engineering ethics is defined within the framework of the National Society of Professional Engineers Code of Ethics. A case study is used as the dominant learning tool, focusing on public safety and welfare.

Time for presentation is estimated as 50-60 minutes.

Objectives:

1. To develop an understanding of the expectations of engineers, ethically and professionally.
2. To increase awareness of professional codes and standards.
3. To gain experience in dealing with ethical situations.

This packet includes the following items:

• Lecture material for the instructor
• Overheads for use during the lecture
• Homework problems

Download the Ethics Module in a printable Adobe Acrobat Format (pdf). This includes overheads in a ready to use format.

Homework problem solutions, exam problems, and exam solutions are available to qualified recipients. Send an email with request information to Dr. Donald Bloswick.

Professionalism and Ethics Lecture Outline

I. Licensed Professional Engineer (OVERHEAD 1)

A. To become a Licensed Professional Engineer:

i. An individual must be a graduate of an engineering program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. This typically requires at least four years of college study.
ii. After four years of study, the engineer is qualified to take the Fundamentals of Engineering exam.
iii. In addition to passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, the engineer typically must have four years of experience working under a Licensed Professional Engineer.
iv. Finally, the engineer must pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam.
v. Only when all requirements have been met can an individual be considered a Licensed Professional Engineer.

B. The state engineering licensure board regulates the licensed practice of engineering within a state. (OVERHEAD 2)

i. Individual state boards may have different requirements for becoming a Licensed Professional Engineer.
ii. However, similar exams are used in all states.
iii. The Fundamentals of Engineering and the Principles and Practice of Engineering exams are prepared by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying and are used by all states.
iv. Licensed Professional Engineers are required to place public safety and welfare above everything else.

C. Qualifications for licensure in the state of Utah (OVERHEAD 3)

Each applicant for licensure as a professional engineer shall:
(a) submit an application in a form prescribed by the division

(1) "Division" means the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing created in Section 58-1-103;
(2) Application is located at: http://www.state.ut.us/web/commerce/dopl/apps/046.pdf

(b) pay a fee determined by the department under Section 63-38-3.2;
($100 initially, $50 renewal)
(c) provide satisfactory evidence of good moral character;

(1) This is accomplished by having a section of the application completed by a licensed professional engineer who provided direct supervision or has personal knowledge of the applicant's knowledge, ability, and competence to practice professional engineering.
(2) A section of the application is also geared towards determining good moral character by asking about considerations such as professional experiences, drug use, and criminal records.

(d)

(1) have graduated and received an earned bachelors or masters degree from an engineering program meeting criteria established by rule by the division in collaboration with the board; or
(2) have completed the Transportation Engineering Technology and Fundamental Engineering College Program prior to July 1, 1998, under the direction of the Utah Department of Transportation and as certified by the Utah Department of Transportation;

(e) have successfully completed a program of qualifying experience established by rule by the division in collaboration with the board;
(f) have successfully passed examinations established by rule by the division in collaboration with the board; and
(g) meet with the board or representative of the division upon request for the purpose of evaluating the applicant's qualification for licensure.

II. Definition of Engineering Ethics: (OVERHEAD 4)

Engineering ethics is (1) the study of moral issues and decisions confronting individuals and organizations involved in engineering and (2) the study of related questions about moral conduct, character, ideals and relationships of peoples and organizations involved in technological development.

III. National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Code of Ethics for Engineers

A. Preamble (OVERHEAD 5)
B. Fundamental Canons (OVERHEAD 6)

i. First Fundamental Canon

(a) Design safety should be considered.
(b) Engineers need to be aware of how their designs could lead to unsafe shortcuts during manufacture and maintenance.
(c) Engineers need to resolve their public welfare and non-disclosure responsibilities in an ethical manner.

ii. Second Fundamental Canon

(a) Engineers need to understand where their area of expertise lies, and not work on subjects in which they are not competent.
(b) Part of being a competent engineer requires acknowledging what personal limitations exist. (c) Job security should be secondary to the responsibility of an engineer to act ethically.
(d) An engineer should not compromise professional obligations and duties to the point of endangering the public safety and health. If this
occurs, damage is done to the image and interests of all engineers.

IV. Case Studies (Situations that involve ethics in engineering practice and research)
Online Ethics (http://onlineethics.org) lists and discusses many cases based on cases considered by the Board of Ethical Review (BER) of the National Society of Professional Engineers. Cases are grouped into five topics:

–Public Safety and Welfare
–Conflicting Interests and Conflict of Interest
–Ethical Engineering/Fair Trade Practices
–International Engineering Ethics
–Research Ethics

One case from Public Safety and Welfare has been selected for class discussion and the homework assignment. (OVERHEAD 7)

Topics to be discussed may include:
–It is much more expensive to dispose of hazardous waste than conventional waste.
–Many states have laws requiring environmental engineers to report any evidence of a "release" of hazardous materials, where a release is material in other than its intended placement for use and storage.
–How is R.J. attempting to benefit the client? How does R.J.'s action endanger the client?
–Sometimes an engineer's obligation to hold paramount the public health and welfare in the performance of their professional duties intersects with the duty of engineers not to disclose confidential information concerning business affairs, etc., of clients. In most cases, the obligation to public health and welfare must take priority.
–The instructor may also wish to incorporate discussion of two actual cases addressed in the "Assignment

Discussion for Teacher's Use" section, which follows the assignment.
Remind the students that they will be given an assignment on this case study.
All other cases may be found at http://onlineethics.org/cases/engcases.html
Detailed cases involving examples of actual engineers and scientists exhibiting commendable behavior in their professional responsibilities are also found at this site.

CREDITS:
Section I, parts A and B, are taken from http://www.professional-engineer.com/
Section I, part C, was taken from http://www.le.state.ut.us/~code/TITLE58/htm/58_0B007.htm
Section I, part C (a), defining division, was taken from http://www.le.state.ut.us/~code/TITLE58/htm/58_01003.htm
Section I, part C (c), was adapted from http://www.state.ut.us/web/commerce/dopl/apps/046.pdf
Section II was taken from http://www.NSPE.org/eh1-whe.asp
Excerpt taken from NSPE Code found at: http://onlineethics.org/text/codes/NSPEcode.html
Section III, part B(i), was adapted from http://onlineethics.org/text/nspe/nspe92-6.html
Section III, part B(ii), was adapted from http://onlineethics.org/text/nspe/nspe88-6.html
Section IV, topics to be discussed, was adapted from http://onlineethics.org/text/nspe/ec92-6.html

Overhead 1

Licensed Professional Engineer

• Graduate of ABET accredited program
• Pass Fundamentals of Engineering exam
• Approximately 4 years of work experience after graduation (state dependent)
• Pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam

Overhead 2

PE Qualification Requirements

• Individual state boards may have different requirements
• Similar exams are used in all states
• Fundamentals of Engineering and the Principles and Practice of Engineering exams are used by all states

Overhead 3

Qualifications for licensure in Utah

• Submit application
• Pay fee
• Provide evidence of good moral character
• Graduate from ABET accredited program
• Complete program of qualifying experience
• Pass appropriate exams
• Meet with board upon request

Overhead 4

Engineering ethics is:
(1) the study of moral issues and decisions confronting individuals and organizations involved in engineering and

(2) the study of related questions about moral conduct, character, ideals and relationships of peoples and organizations involved in technological development.

Overhead 5

National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
Code of Ethics for Engineers

Preamble

Engineering is an important and learned profession. As members of this profession, engineers are expected to exhibit the highest standards of honesty and integrity. Engineering has a direct and vital impact on the quality of life for all people. Accordingly, the services provided by engineers require honesty, impartiality, fairness and equity, and must be dedicated to the protection of the public health, safety and welfare. Engineers must perform under a standard of professional behavior which requires adherence to the highest principles of ethical conduct.

Overhead 6

I. Fundamental Canons
Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall:

1. Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public.

2. Perform services only in areas of their competence.

3. Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.

4. Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.

5. Avoid deceptive acts.

6. Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically and lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation and usefulness of the profession.

Overhead 7

Case #1
Suspected Hazardous Waste

Alex is an engineering student employed for the summer by a consulting environmental-engineering firm. R. J., the engineer who supervises Alex, directs Alex to sample the contents of drums located on the property of a client. From the look and smell of the drums, Alex concludes that analysis of the sample will show hazardous waste in the drums. Alex knows that if the material contains hazardous waste, there are legal requirements for the transport and disposal of the drums, and that federal and state authorities must be notified.

Alex informs R. J. of the likely contents of the samples and asks what to do next. R. J. instructs him to report only that samples have been taken, and not to do the analysis. Since the client does other business with the firm, R. J. proposes to tell the client where the drums are located and that they contain questionable material, and to suggest that they be removed.

Did R. J. fulfill an engineer's professional responsibilities by informing the client only of the presence of the drums and withholding more specific information on their contents? Was there anything more that Alex could have done as a student and a summer hire?

--adapted from NSPE Case No. 92-6
Taken from http://onlineethics.org/text/nspe/ec92-6.html

Professionalism and Ethics Assignment

BACKGROUND

Engineering ethics is (1) the study of moral issues and decisions confronting individuals and organizations involved in engineering and (2) the study of related questions about moral conduct, character, ideals and relationships of peoples and organizations involved in technological development.

Source:
http://www.NSPE.org/eh1-whe.asp

Proper engineering ethics consist of making safe decisions about cost, safety, and deadlines. Minimizing the danger involved with a project is also a part of good, ethical engineering judgment. Engineers should uphold ethical codes pertinent to their discipline. Many professional engineering societies have a code of ethics. An extract from the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Code of Ethics for Engineers has been included. The entire code can be found at:
http://onlineethics.org/text/codes/NSPEcode.html

One of the main goals of engineering should be to create risk-free environments. This is in accordance with the first fundamental canon of the NSPE Code of Ethics, to "hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public in the performance of their professional duties." Design safety should be considered. Engineers need to be aware of how their designs could lead to unsafe shortcuts during manufacture and maintenance. Even though most engineers will be in the employ of others, they still have a personal responsibility to act ethically. Job security should be secondary to this responsibility.

Also, engineers need to understand where their area of expertise lies, and not work on subjects in which they are not competent. Part of being a competent engineer requires acknowledging what personal limitations exist.

ASSIGNMENT

Write approximately two typed, double-spaced pages for the following case study examining the ethical issues presented. Base your results on the NSPE Code of Ethics. List sections referenced when applicable.

NOTE: If needed, a glossary of terms is located at http://onlineethics.org/gloss (Index) Case #1
Suspected Hazardous Waste

--adapted from NSPE Case No. 92-6

Comment on interpreting the situation in Suspected Hazardous Waste

It is much more expensive to dispose of hazardous waste than conventional waste.

Many states have laws requiring environmental engineers to report any evidence of a "release" of hazardous materials, where a release is material in other than its intended placement for use and storage.

How is R.J.attempting to benefit the client? How does R.J.'s action endanger the client?

Taken from http://onlineethics.org/text/nspe/ec92-6.html (Caroline Whitbeck)
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Code of Ethics for Engineers

Preamble

I. Fundamental Canons

Engineers, in the fulfillment of their professional duties, shall:

1. Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public.

2. Perform services only in areas of their competence.

3. Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.

4. Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.

5. Avoid deceptive acts.

6. Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically and lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation and usefulness of the profession.

Bibliography

Harris, Charles E. Jr., Michael S. Pritchard, and Michael J. Rabins. Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases. United States of America: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1995.
Pinkus, Rosa Lynn B., et. al. Engineering Ethics. United States of America: Cambridge University Press, 1997.

Vesilind, P. Aarne, and Alastair S. Gunn. Engineering, Ethics, and the Environment. United States of America: Cambridge University Press, 1998.

Whitbeck, Caroline. Ethics in Engineering Practice and Research. United States of America: Cambridge University Press, 1998.

http://www.le.state.ut.us/~code/TITLE58/htm/58_0B007.htm

http://www.le.state.ut.us/~code/TITLE58/htm/58_01003.htm

http://www.NSPE.org

http://onlineethics.org

http://www.professional-engineer.com/

http://www.state.ut.us/web/commerce/dopl/apps/046.pdf