"Ethical Engineers"

"Back then," he says, "there were very few resources."

Passino started the course with one book and a conviction that ethics were an important component of engineering.

"It resonated with me," he says.

Sixteen years later, others agree.

The National Science Foundation has taken an interest in the topic, and accreditors have wanted to see it in the curricula of engineering schools. Accreditors recently told Passino that Ohio State has one of the best ethics in engineering programs in the nation.

Passino's goal is to give students "moral autonomy: how to make them think on their own about moral problems in engineering."

Ethical issues in engineering are more commonplace than non-engineers might initially think.

Passino says the Ford Pinto case--in which engineers knew about problems with the car's fire hazard gas tank before the car hit the market--was "really hard on the profession."

On other other hand, NASA's Apollo 13 mission provided a boost: NASA engineers told the astronauts how to configure plastic bags, cardboard, and duct tape to get clean air in the space shuttle.

Students majoring in electrical and computer engineering are required to take the course; they learn about weighing safety and risk on the job.

Among the class topics:

* Community service: Should engineers be required to donate their time, like lawyer performing pro bono work or doctors treating uninsured patients?

* Whistle-blowing: When supervisors ignore complaints, when and how should an engineer to share his or her complaints with the media?

(text/images: University Marketing Communications)