ASCE Code of Ethics Case Studies

Course overview

Every human being is faced with the temptation and motivation to take ethical shortcuts. Oftentimes, actions and activities appear to be in one's self-interest, but violate obligations to others. Even those most concerned about the honesty and integrity of their work are subject to strong pressures from revenue demands, employers, clients and managers to take actions with which they are uncomfortable. This course focuses on The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Code of Ethics. ASCE is the oldest engineering society in the United States, incorporating as the American Society of Engineers and Architects in 1852. It developed its first code of ethics in 1914, which lays the foundation for the codes developed by many states and other engineering societies. The purpose of this course is not to solve ethical dilemmas, but to provide a framework for recognizing and evaluating ethical issues and generating alternatives. The objectives are to: 1. Familiarize the reader with the portions of the ASCE Code of Ethics that regulate engineers' ethical obligations to employers, clients, the community and the profession, and 2. Provide the framework for application of the Code to engineers' individual professional activities 3. To this end, a number of though-provoking case studies are presented, along with discussions of the relevant portions of ASCE's Code of Ethics and possible alternatives for addressing the issues.