Session S1E 0-7803-8552-7/04/$20.00 © 2004 IEEE October 20 – 23, 2004, Savannah, GA 34 th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference S1E-22 Work in Progress – Ethics Integrated Into Engineering Courses David A. Rogers 1 and Paulo F. Ribeiro 2 1 David A. Rogers, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105, David.Rogers@ndsu.nodak.edu. 2 Paulo F. Ribeiro, Dept. of Engineering, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI 49456, pribeiro@calvin.edu. Abstract - The very nature of engineering implies a commitment to ethics. Ethics education can occur in a wide variety of engineering courses. Beginning with first- year courses and continuing through the curriculum, students are taught to sort through the facts and constraints of engineering projects and search for solutions that best serve the user. Many students experience a philosophical, historical, and professional approach to the general topic of engineering ethics and social responsibility by taking a formal course in engineering ethics. Professional ethics can be integrated into course or capstone projects. In graduate courses, students receive explicit instruction in research ethics. The graduate who has been through a variety of ethics education experiences will be in a better position to leave the university and accept the very serious demands of the vocation. Index Terms – Curriculum, Engineering ethics, Research ethics, Social responsibility. INTRODUCTION The very nature of engineering analysis and design implies a commitment to truth, which involves finding the best or optimal solutions for the customer. Teachers of engineering ethics often deal with questions about the fundamental philosophical underpinnings of moral decisions. Ethical standards are rooted in human understanding of the meaning of life. In Abolition of Man [1], C. S. Lewis advocates the existence of an objective moral code that transcends time and culture. Those who are part of historic religious communities believe that ethics is rooted in a moral code that is discernible in human experience and consistent with and enlightened by religious experience. There are dangers inherent in denying the validity or possibility of objective moral judgments. For example, without the concept of objective truth and a moral code there is no firm basis for the constraints on what social and political and cultural elites might do to control and reshape society. The engineer’s code of ethics would be rooted only in what contemporary society permits. Moral decisions could be the objects of legal or political power struggles. In a public institution supported by a pluralistic society, the instructor can appeal to the common human experience of behaviors that promote the common good in a civilized society. In a private institution engineering ethics can be rooted in the concept of objective truth and the moral code that is commonly shared by the community that the institution serves. The engineering profession in the United States has focused on ethics since its legal foundation [2]. Those committed to the idea of engineering as a profession have long emphasized the responsibility the engineer has to the public [2]-[3]. Reflection on the range of professional ethics instruction that occurs both implicitly and explicitly in the educational experience of engineering students leads to a positive appraisal of this activity. ETHICS IN THE CURRICULUM The importance of ethical performance of the profession can be studied in any engineering classroom. For example, in laboratory courses students learn respect for honest data collection and interpretation. In course projects, students work under constraints and responsibilities that closely model the demands that they will face after graduation. At North Dakota State University (NDSU), ethics education segments have been created for use in the “Impact of Technology on Society” (ENGR 312) and in “Advanced Research Methods in Engineering” (ENGR 789). Ethics and social responsibility is a principal concern of ENGR 312. Following Barbour [3], a broad foundation for practicing engineering in a way that is consistent with global environmental and human problems is approached from a historical and philosophical perspective. ENGR 789 is devoted to developing the research capabilities of the Ph.D. student. The instructor introduces the students to institutional expectations in the areas of academic integrity and research ethics. Students experience a philosophical, historical, and professional approach to the general study of engineering ethics by taking ENGR 402 (“Engineering Ethics and Social Responsibility”) during their career at NDSU. Throughout their studies students learn from engineering faculty the importance of performing that profession at the highest possible level of service to society. Engineering ethics is rooted in a commitment to the truths of science and their use to improve life in this world. To paraphrase Steve Covey [4], the focus of the ethical practice of engineering should be the practice of engineering in an environment of trust and competence by engineers who know the limits of their competence and are trustworthy in the use of