Engineering Ethics

200 Engineering Ethics: An Industrial Perspective

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?

I conduct research for another device company. But I’m getting tired

about always hearing about stock price. Eventually, I need to move out of

public companies.

CASE 9: COMPUTER ENGINEER

Ethics Dilemma Scorecard

Public Safety & Welfare

Data Integrity & Representation

Trade Secrets & Industrial Espionage

Gift Giving & Bribery

Principle of Informed Consent

Conflict of Interest



Accountability to Clients & Customers



Fair Treatment



TELL US YOUR STORY

I worked in industry for several years, and started teaching part time.

I enjoyed teaching so much that I eventually became a full-time instructor.

But because I have an MS, but not a PhD, I am not allowed to obtain a

tenure position.

Tenure makes a lot of difference, in terms of pay. Even though I teach

the same number of classes, same level of classes (juniors and seniors), and

put three times as much time into my duties (besides teaching, serving on

the Academic Senate and being the faculty advisor for two student organi-

zations) as a fellow professor in the same department, he makes 175%

more than I do. Admittedly, I put in all this time because I love working

with my students.

Another problem with the tenure system is that tenured professors

are “untouchable” and can’t be fired. One tenured professor in my

department receives poor evaluations from his students for his teaching

and sends mass e-mails out that irritate much of the faculty, yet he is

never disciplined. Another tenured professor in my department is known

to be a bad lecturer, but received high student evaluations a few years

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