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

2. 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

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

4. 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

5. 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)

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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)

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

12. Consequences of Poor Academic Performance
Probation
Disqualification

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

14. 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

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

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

19. 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?

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

21. 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?

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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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