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Thu, February 18, 2016
The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Center for Engineering Ethics and Society (CEES) has released Infusing Ethics into the Development of Engineers, showcasing 25 engineering programs at colleges and universities across the nation that are exemplary in their approach to infusing ethics into the development of engineering students. The report serves as a resource for institutions and educators to strengthen and expand their ethics programs and thus improve the capabilities of practicing and future engineers.
“Ethical standards in engineering, from practice to solutions, are critical to trust in the profession,” said NAE President C. D. Mote, Jr. “Consequently, these standards are even more important when engineering crosses our nation’s borders and engages with engineers from other cultures to advance the well-being of our world.”
The programs described in the report all clearly connect ethics to technical engineering curriculum and conduct assessments of their programs, both of which were criteria for submissions. Additionally, the committee noted significant characteristics such as interactive learning, study of difficult problems that lack clear right and wrong answers, involvement of practicing engineers and alumni, and connection with real-world experiences through internship. The selected programs encompass a range of program types—undergraduate and graduate courses, multiyear programs, extracurricular experiences—and institutions, illustrating the diversity of effective approaches to infusing ethics in engineering education. Following are the 25 exemplars selected by the committee:
Institution
Name of Program
California Polytechnic State University
Ethics as Philosophical History for Engineers
Colorado School of Mines
Corporate Social Responsibility course
Nature and Human Values course
Enacting Macroethics: Making Social Justice Visible in Engineering Ethics
Georgia Institute of Technology
Problem-Based Learning in a Professional Ethics Course for Undergraduate Engineering Students
Indiana School of Medicine–South Bend and University of Notre Dame
Ethics When Biocomplexity Meets Human Complexity (Role-Play Workshop) and Nanosilver Linings Case
Kansas State University
Responsibility of Engineering: Codes and Professionalism (3-hour university course)
Lafayette College and Rutgers University
Engineering a Catastrophe: Ethics for First-Year STEM
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ethics and Engineering for Safety
Terrascope
Michigan Technological University
Phenomenological Approach to Engineering Ethics Pedagogy
Northeastern University
Case Studies for Engineering Ethics Across the Engineering Life Cycle
Multiyear Engineering Ethics Case Study Approach
Penn State University
Creating a Community of Ethics Educators in Engineering
Purdue University
PRIME Ethics: Purdue’s Reflective & Interactive Modules for Engineering Ethics
Stanford University
Global Engineers’ Education Course
Texas State University
NanoTRA: Texas Regional Alliance to Foster Nanotechnology Environment, Health, and Safety Awareness in Tomorrow’s Engineering and Technology Leaders
The University of Virginia
The University of Virginia SEAS Senior Thesis: A Culminating Activity
United States Coast Guard Academy
Ethics Activities in the Civil Engineering Curriculum at the United States Coast Guard Academy
University of Cincinnati
UnLecture on Software Engineering Ethics
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Purdue University
Ethics Sessions in a Summer Undergraduate Research Program
University of Pittsburgh
Using Student-Authored Case Studies to Teach Bioengineering Ethics
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Team Ethics Assignment: Based on Engineering Student Co-Op Experience
Virginia Tech
Learning to Listen: A Tool for Morally Engaged Engineering Practice
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Humanitarian Engineering, Past and Present: A Role-Playing First-Year Course
Infusing Ethics Selection Committee
Stephanie J. Bird, ethics consultant and coeditor of Science and Engineering Ethics
Andrene Bresnan, director, Ethics and Business Conduct, The Boeing Company
Gerald E. Galloway, Jr., Glenn L. Martin Institute Professor of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park
Joseph R. Herkert, visiting scholar, Genetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University
Sharon D. Kenny, civil engineer and project management professional
Indira Nair, professor and vice provost emerita, Carnegie Mellon University
Chris Schairbaum, director, Innovation and Development, Texas Instruments, Inc.