ASCE Code of Ethics Case Studies

In ASCE Code of Ethics Case Studies, you'll learn ...

• History of the ASCE Code of Ethics
• Case Study #1: A straight-forward case of corruption during bidding of a levee reconstruction project following Hurricane Katrina
• How the "best-value" bid evaluation method used in the levee reconstruction project created an environment conducive to corruption
• Case Study #2: Determining the ownership of intellectual property developed during employment

Overview

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Credit: 2 PDH

Length: 24 pages

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:

• 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
• Provide the framework for application of the Code to engineers’ individual professional activities

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.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Describe the history of the ASCE Code of Ethics.
• Summarize Case Study #1, involving corruption during bidding for a levee reconstruction project following Hurricane Katrina.
• Explain how the “best-value” bid evaluation method used for the levee reconstruction project created an environment conducive to corruption.
• Describe the issues involved in determining ownership of intellectual property developed during employment in Case Study #2.
• Summarize Case Study #3, in which a bidder is required to hire the county engineer’s wife and daughter as the implied price of securing a contract.
• Compare variations of Case Study #3 involving the qualifications of the wife and daughter and the company’s need for additional employees.
• Analyze the variation of Case Study #3 in which the company declined to hire the county engineer’s relatives, lost the work, and later discovered that the successful bidder had hired them.
• Identify the specific canons of the ASCE Code of Ethics that apply to the cases and explain how those canons apply to engineering practice.
• Develop a strategy for dealing with someone who may be pressuring an engineer for favors in exchange for awarding a contract.
• Explain how two engineering disasters illustrate the consequences of ignoring the principles of the ASCE Code of Ethics.

Certificate of Completion

You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 10 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.