Orientation to the Engineering Education System Chapter 8 Orientation to the Engineering Education System

Chapter Overview Organization of engineering education Community college role in engineering education The engineering education system Academic advising Academic regulations Engineering ethics Student conduct Graduate study in engineering Engineering study as preparation for other careers

Organization of Engineering Education Engineering education in the U.S. Organization of the engineering unit Position of engineering unit in the university

Engineering Education in the United States 2,965 four-year colleges and universities in U.S. 563 (18.9 percent) have ABET accredited engineering programs 3,319 accredited programs (average of five programs per institution) Accreditation is critically important

Organization of Engineering Unit Engineering department headed up by department chair or department head Several departments form a school or college headed up by the “dean” Non-engineering departments (computer science, engineering technology, etc. may be part of engineering unit)

Position of Engineering Unit in University President Vice President for Academic Affairs/Provost Dean of Engineering Chair, Department of Civil Engineering Chair, Department of Electrical Engineering Chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Community College Role in Engineering Education 1,577 community colleges in the U.S. 40 percent of engineering graduates attended a community college at some time Articulation and course selection Advantages of starting at a community college Applicability of Studying Engineering to community college students

The Engineering Education System ABET - Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology Students Program Educational Objectives Student outcomes Continuous improvement Curriculum Faculty Facilities Institutional Support Each program has specific Program Criteria

Program Assessment Process Establish educational objectives and outcomes Measure whether objectives and outcomes are being achieved Identify program strengths and areas for improvement Develop plan of action and implement changes to bring about improvements

Academic Advising Quality of advising can be a problem Take personal responsibility for getting proper advising Sources of advising Faculty Staff Other students Publications (catalog, student handbook)

Academic Regulations - Academic Performance Grade point average Credit/No credit Incompletes Repeat grade policy Academic renewal Credit by examination Other

Consequences of Poor Academic Performance Probation Disqualification

Recognition for Good Academic Performance Graduation requirements Dean’s List Graduation with honors

Enrollment Policies Selecting your major Changing your major Double majors Minors Registration Drop/add Policy Leave of Absence/Withdrawal Course Substitutions Overload policy Credit for courses at other institutions

Student Rights (Examples) The right to reasonable access to professional advisement The right to substantial instruction in the course content at the time scheduled for class meetings A right to expect that their records will not be subject to unauthorized disclosure or access The right to know about existing student record systems and to examine their own records The right to reasonable access to university, college, and department policies, procedures, standards, and regulations The right to information from each professor at the first class session about the general requirements and the general criteria upon with they will be evaluated in that course.

Engineering Ethics Engineering ethics provide the basis for having engineers with different moral values work productively together. Laws only tell us what we are not allowed to do, they do not provide guidelines about what should we do. There are code of ethics for the engineering profession provided by, for example, the different professional societies. These codes provide guidelines for the engineer to make decisions.

Fundamental Canons of the NSPE Code of Ethnics for Engineering Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public. Perform services only in areas of their competence. Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner. Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees. Avoid deceptive acts. Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession.

Evaluate an Ethical Problem Actions or decisions can be evaluated by whether they honor the five basic ethical values: Honesty Fairness Civility Respect Kindness

Evaluate an Ethical Problem Harm test: Do the benefits of the decision/action outweigh the harms, short term and long term? Reversibility test: Would I still think this decision/action was good if I traded places? Colleague test: What would a professional colleague say about the decision/action? Publicity test: How would this look on the front page of a newspaper? Common practice test: What if everyone behaved in this way? Wise relative test: What would my wise relative say? Mirror test: Would I feel proud of myself after I made the decision?

Student Conduct Categories of Academic Dishonesty Cheating Collusion (illegal collaboration) Enabling Ethical misconduct Fabrication Falsification Impersonation Plagiarism Disorderly behavior …

Graduate Study in Engineering Benefits of graduate study in engineering M.S. degree in engineering Ph.D. degree in engineering Full-time or part-time? How will you support yourself?

Engineering as Preparation for Other Careers Master of Business Administration (MBA) Law Medicine

Group Discussion Academic Dishonesty In your group, discuss the following: Why might a student be tempted to be dishonest? What could a student do to not be tempted to commit academic dishonesty? Appoint a leader to keep the discussion on topic and a recorder to record and report what was learned

Group Discussion Ethical Dilemma In your group, discuss the following situation: A friend has been sick and asks to copy your homework that is due in a few hours. What do you do? Appoint a leader to keep the discussion on topic and a recorder to record and report what was learned

Group Discussion Engineering Ethics Case Studies In your group look up an engineering case with potential ethical implications, e.g.: Boeing 737 MAX Accidents (2018/2019) Tesla AutoPilot Crash (2016) Samsung Note 7 (2016) Mitsubishi Fuel Economy Scandal (2016) Case Study of R-1234yf Refrigerant (2015) Appoint a leader to keep the discussion on topic and a recorder to record and report what was learned

Group Discussion on Benefits of Graduate Education Poll your group members to determine how many plan to pursue formal education beyond the B.S. degree in engineering. Then brainstorm a list of the rewards, opportunities, and benefits that result from pursuing a graduate degree in either engineering or another discipline (e.g., MBA). Discuss each of the benefits on your list. At the end of the exercise, poll your group members again. Appoint a leader to keep the discussion on topic and a recorder to record and report what was learned