Conference Session

Engineering, Engineers and Setting Public Policy

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Bodde, Clemson University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering and Public Policy

ethical decision-making into the engineering curriculum, weeducators can better prepare our students to serve as “public citizens.” In particular, Isuggest that three perspectives can serve as a framework for moral reasoning in decisionsregarding design or technology: • a rule-based reasoning process, termed deontological; • an outcomes based process, termed consequentialist; and, • an aspirational frame, where ethical judgment springs from the kind of human being the decision maker seeks to become.These have been proposed for other professions,1 both to teach moral reasoning and forcareer-long application. They could serve engineers equally well.Ethical Values in EngineeringiThe engineering profession has done well in

Conference Session

Engineering, Engineers and Setting Public Policy

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Douglas Sicker, University of Colorado at Boulder; Tom Lookabaugh, University of Colorado at Boulder

Tagged Divisions

Engineering and Public Policy

to gain an understanding of public policy as it related to their discipline. Wefound that many of these students did value such knowledge. We also found that the more seniorstudents and the students with work experience overwhelmingly valued such material.As a follow-up to this research, we surveyed approximately one hundred engineers in a variety ofhiring positions in industry to determine their view on the inclusion of public policy in anengineering curriculum. Among the questions included in the survey, we asked, “Do you believethat engineering students should be exposed to public policy issues as part of their education?”We also addressed a number of other issues, including: 1) How do these engineers define publicpolicy? 2) Should the

Conference Session

Engineering, Engineers and Setting Public Policy

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Peter Mark Jansson, Rowan University; William Riddell, Rowan University; Nathan Vizzi, Rowan University; Krishan Bhatia, Rowan University; Ryan McDevitt, Rowan University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering and Public Policy

clean energyintern team pursued almost all of the municipalities in New Jersey with significant average windspeeds (as by the USDOE/NREL11 and Wind Energy Resource Atlas of the US12). It was quitetedious to get responses from many of the officials who manned the local zoning offices.Despite the difficulties seventy-two municipalities were contacted via telephone and theirresponses were obtained. These responses are summarized in Figure 1 below. Note thatalthough green zones allow for wind masts without a variance, permits are often required. Page 12.651.5 Figure 1: Green Zones are Acceptable for Wind Masts Red are not AcceptableFrom the

Conference Session

Engineering, Engineers and Setting Public Policy

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Reisel, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Tagged Divisions

Engineering and Public Policy

research. The first report presented a detailedsummary of their research, intended primarily for the instructor. The second report was a shortsummary of their findings, which were distributed to everyone in the class.The next stage of the project lasted for two weeks. In this part, the students were to read thesummaries provided by the other students, and then develop their own vision of the electricitygeneration infrastructure in the United States in the year 2030 and their plan on how to get to thatpoint. The students then submitted their proposed plan, representing the development by eachstudent of their own proposed energy policy for electricity generation.Some of the benefits of this project are (1) the increased awareness on the part of the

Conference Session

Engineering, Engineers and Setting Public Policy

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Haws, Boise State University

Tagged Divisions

Engineering and Public Policy

individual opinion becomes public opinion: the goal is to resolve conflict throughcommunication and will formation, rather than through the compromise of individual interests,or reliance on violence and coercion. Public discourse validates social norms, by givingeveryone an opportunity to test the norms. To establish an ordered discourse, public will formation follows two distinct stages. Duringthe initial stage, social norms can only claim validity if they would be accepted through theprocess of practical discourse by everyone (the Discourse Principle), freely accepting allforeseeable consequences (the Principle of Universalization). This stage of will formation isgoverned by four rules: 1. no one capable of relevant contributions may be