ENGR 340 02: Professional Integrity in Engineering

For information about your lecturer, view the "Introductions" discussion board in Learning Module 0 in Learning Modules. While there, introduce yourself by replying to the discussion board.

After successfully completing this course, you should be able to:

• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
• Indicate that certain aspects of right and wrong exist objectively, independent of culture or personal opinion
• Recognize ethical situations, evaluate them clearly, and draw conclusions
• Describe the importance that living a life characterized by virtue has on your ability to make sound ethical decisions (informed choices)
• Describe current moral issues in engineering and applied science
• Develop an appreciation for ethical concerns and situations in cultures other than your own
• Develop an appreciation for the importance of professional integrity in your vocation and leadership

Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases, Harris et al., 6th edition (ISBN 1337554502)

Make sure you get the 6th edition as chapter numbers and case study numbers vary between editions.

Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman, 1st edition (ISBN 0374533555)

In order to succeed in this course, at a minimum, you should be able to:

• Navigate in and use basic Blackboard functions
• Download and open electronic documents
• Create, save, and upload/attach electronic documents
• Send, receive, and manage email

Access and Log in Information

This course was developed and will be facilitated utilizing Blackboard. To get started with the course, please go to: http://blackboard.UND.edu and log in with your NDUS.Identifier, Username and Password. If you do not know your NDUS Identifier or have forgotten your password, please visit Your NDUS Account page on the UIT website.

Course Overview

This course is organized into a series of Learning Modules. There are 14 modules in the course, including Learning Module 0. Each Learning Module with its reading quiz will open on Wednesdays at 12:00 am US Central Time; most of Learning Module 1 will appear on August 16, and Learning Module 2 will open on August 23. The rest of the information will be made available throughout the day on the following Tuesdays. So information will appear in Learning Module 1 on August 22, and Learning Module 2 will populate on August 29. These modules contain reading quizzes, assignments, class recordings, and discussion boards designed to enhance the learning experience and support the various topics. Your final paper, midterm exams, and final exam will be in separate content areas. Homework, reading quizzes, class discussion boards, a paper, and exams will be used to assess your comprehension and application of the materials.

What Should Students Do First?

Before the first class date, you should have read the syllabus, taken the syllabus quiz, completed your Introductions discussion board posts, and completed your First Thoughts discussion board post. These activities will be available in Learning Module 0.

How Students Should Proceed Each Week for Class Activities

On the left side course menu in Blackboard there is a “Learning Modules” tab. Inside Learning Modules you will find all the required supplementary readings, videos, and assignments. A schedule with all applicable dates can be found later in this syllabus.

Resources

Many services are available to UND students such as writing assistance from the UND Writing Center, free online tutoring from Brainfuse, and more. Visit the Student Resources page for more information. Students also have access to the UND Student Resource Site via Blackboard. It is recommended that you become familiar with the tools and tutorials within the site to better equip you in navigating the course.

Course Requirements/Expectations

This is not a work-at-your-own-pace course. You are expected to log in regularly to watch lecture videos, take reading quizzes, post in discussion boards, submit assignments and the paper, and take exams. You should expect to spend at least 3 hours per week viewing the video content, and 6-7 hours per week on reading and homework. Exams will be given on a specific date and will not be available at any other time.

1. The student will review the syllabus and course schedule posted in Blackboard.
2. The student will access and follow all course instructions found in the Learning Module area of the Blackboard course.
3. The student will participate in any lecture or discussion sessions on campus or online as provided and as part of this course.
4. The student will complete and submit reading quizzes, discussion board posts, assignments, the paper, and exams by the dates noted and in the manner described in Blackboard and on the course schedule. We will use US Central Time for due dates and times - be sure to watch for Daylight Savings Time ending in November.
5. The student will participate fully and in a timely manner to get the benefit of learning from instructor and/or peers.

Instructor Responsibilities and Feedback

• The instructor will provide feedback on homework within one week of the due date.
• The instructor will provide feedback on quizzes within one week of the due date.
• The instructor will provide feedback on discussion boards within one week of the due date.
• The instructor will provide feedback on the paper proposal within one week of the due date.
• The instructor will provide feedback on the paper within 10 days of the due date.
• The instructor will provide feedback on the exams within 10 days of the exam date.
• The instructor will be available during appointed Office Hours to answer questions, provide feedback, and offer advice.

Assessments

This course is made up of a series of assignments, reading quizzes, a paper, discussion boards, and exams to assist you in achieving the course learning objectives.

In this course, your learning will be assessed in the following ways:

Assignments

Written assignments are given at the beginning of a chapter and will be available within the Learning Modules. You may reference additional material found online, but you must properly cite and paraphrase all material used (not doing so is plagiarism, which is academic dishonesty). All assignments are due at 11:59 pm US Central Time on Sundays. Each written assignment will be worth 15 points. Assignments will be submitted on Blackboard in provided homework links (please submit as a single .pdf file).

Homework submissions that appear to be nothing more than copies of someone else's work or plagiarized from an online source will not be graded. Work copied from solutions manuals, online sources, Chegg, etc. will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences. This is academic dishonesty. Multiple offenses will result in the student being referred to the Dean of the College of Engineering and Mines and the Dean of Students office. I will no longer grade your work.

Reading Quizzes

Each chapter will have a short reading quiz, which will be due at 11:59 pm US Central Time on Mondays. The reading quizzes will be based on the upcoming week's readings.

Paper

For the term paper, you will use at least three of the methods and concepts from the course to analyze an issue in engineering ethics. You can pick an issue that deals with an emerging technology (i.e., anything in the 14 Grand Challenges for Engineers) or an engineering disaster (e.g., the Chernobyl disaster, the Boeing 737 MAX crashes). The issue needs to be of sufficient complexity that you can apply the principles from the course to your analysis of the issue.

You will briefly summarize the issue. Then, pick at least 3 concepts and methods from class to include in your ethical analysis. These could include the following, though there are many more:

• Various concepts discussed throughout the text
• Engineering codes of ethics
• Event tree or fault tree method of risk analysis
• Evaluating responsibility (legal vs. moral, reckless vs. negligent, impediments to responsibility)
• Applying a virtue ethics approach vs. a utilitarian approach vs. a respect for persons ethics approach

Class Participation

Your class participation grade will be based on your participation in Blackboard discussion boards. You must contribute one unique question or topic and reply to two different posts each week after the forums have been opened. Your comments must be meaningful to the subjects covered in the course material that week. Initial posts must reference at least two concepts discussed in class that week and illustrate that you understand the case study and concepts you are demonstrating in the post. Replies must engage the original post in the thread and show understanding of at least one concepts from class. Posts will be due at 11:59 pm US Central Time on Sundays.

The topics we discus this semester may be controversial. We need to try to be as sensitive as we can when we discuss these issues. In online discussions, we must be especially careful to treat one another with tolerance, sensitivity, and respect. In online communication, sometimes we must take extra care to communicate these attitudes. Feel free to use emojis, if necessary, to help others recognize your intentions.

Exams

The exams will cover previous reading/lecture material and will consist of multiple choice, true/false, and short answer questions. All exams will be completed in Blackboard. Midterm exams will be written to be completed in 75 minutes, and the final exam will be written to be completed in 120 minutes. Exam dates may be found on the provided schedule.

The midterm exams and final exam will be closed book, closed notes. All cell phones and portable electronic devices (for example, smart watches) are prohibited during exams.

Announcements

Announcements will be posted in Blackboard on a regular basis. Be sure to check the class announcements regularly as they will contain important information about class assignments and other class matters.

Email

You are encouraged to raise your questions in class if you are able to attend in person or synchronously in Zoom. If you need to contact me directly, check the Faculty tab in Blackboard or earlier in the syllabus for my contact information. My email response hours are 7 am - 7pm US Central Time each day classes are in session. If you email me between these times, I will do my best to get back to you the same day. Outside these times, I will respond typically within 24 to 48 hours. If you email me, please include "Engr 340" in the subject line to ensure it receives the proper attention.

Discussion Forums

Discussion forums are an excellent way for you to engage with the course material and with your peers. Each learning module we will have at least one discussion board. You are expected to read all assigned discussion boards and provide thoughtful contributions.

Course Etiquette

When participating in class (online or in person) it is important to interact with your peers in an appropriate manner. Always use professional language (no netspeak) in your postings and emails. Please be respectful of your classmates at all times even if you disagree with their ideas.

A: 90% to 100%
B: 80% to 89.9%
C: 70% to 79.9%
D: 60% to 69.9%
F: 0% to 59.9%

The above grading scale is your guaranteed grade. Any adjustments ("curving") are considered a bonus and will be made at the discretion of your instructor, to the entire class, based on class performance and course expectations. This will not be done until final grades are due.

Assignment Policy

All assignments must be submitted through Blackboard and will be due at the dates and times noted on the schedule and in Blackboard. Each assignment will be worth 15 points.

Quiz Policy

All quizzes will be taken in Blackboard and will be due at the dates and times noted in the schedule and in Blackboard. Each quiz will be worth 15 points.

Class Participation Policy

All discussion boards will be in Blackboard. Posts will be due at the dates and times noted in the schedule and in Blackboard. Copying another student's posts in the discussion boards will lead to an automatic 0 - no exceptions (this is plagiarism and is academic dishonesty).

Each set of discussion board posts will be worth 5 points.

Paper Policy

The proposal and paper will be submitted in Blackboard and will be due at the dates and times noted in the schedule and in Blackboard. The proposal will be worth 10 points and the paper will be worth 90 points. Note that you must submit a proposal that is approved by me before you can submit your paper.

Exam Policy

If you are physically located in the Grand Forks/East Grand Forks area: I expect you to take your exams with the class unless you have made alternate arrangements with me. If you violate this policy, you will receive a grade of "0" for the exam - no exceptions.

If you are not physically located in the Grand Forks/East Grand Forks area: Exams are to be taken on the dates posted on the schedule, unless you have made prior arrangements with your instructor. On those dates, you will have a 24-hour window to access the exam: 12:01 am - 11:59 pm US Central Time. You will have a 1.25-hour window on midterm exam access and a 2-hour window on final exam access. That window opens when ProctorU access the exam. Any exam shown to have extended beyond the time limit will be given an automatic 0.

It is departmental policy that all exams be proctored using ProctorU. ProctorU is an online proctoring services. The equipment requirements for ProctorU may be found at the following link: https://und.edu/academics/online/semester-based/current-students/semester-based-exams.html.

Your equipment will need to be tested with ProctorU. While you are not required to have access to a touchscreen laptop and active stylus for this course, if you anticipate taking additional engineering courses at UND, you may with to invest in these (iPads and Chromebooks are not compatible with ProctorU for this purpose). If you have any additional questions, please contact Courtenay White (courtenay.white@und.edu, 701.777.4333).

During the exam, you must keep your face in full view of the camera for the entire duration. You must have your camera on front facing, and have a clean and uncluttered workspace. In addition, you must have only one monitor on your computer.

During exams, you must do your own work. Talking or discussion is not permitted during exams, nor may you compare papers, copy from others, or collaborate in any way. When taking exams, you may have one browser open and one tab within that browser - the tab containing the exam. Any collaborative behavior during the exams will result in failure of the exam and may lead to failure of the course and University disciplinary action.

Late Work

All work must be submitted by the due dates posted in the schedule/on Blackboard. No late submissions will be accepted without a valid reason. Late work will be given 50% credit with instructor permission. No credit will be given on work submitted late if that work has been graded and returned to the rest of the class. The acceptance of late assignments is at the discretion of the instructor, provided that you contact the instructor before the due date and ask for an extension. If you have a conflict with the schedule, please contact your instructor as soon as possible.

It is UND's policy that students notify their instructors when ill so appropriate actions may be taken (e.g., develop alternate time schedules, assignments, and exams as needed).

In the event of extenuating circumstances, such as severe illness (doctor's note is required) or a family emergency (death, child illness, etc. - documentation must be provided), it is your responsibility to communicate with the instructor at least two days before the exam or due date.

Extra Credit

You may earn 5 points of extra credit in class participation if you complete the SELFI evaluation at the end of the semester. You will need to upload a screenshot showing you have completed it to Blackboard. No other extra credit opportunities will be available.

Class Participation

You are required to log in regularly to the class Blackboard site. You are also encouraged to participate in all class activities.

Incompletes

It is expected that students will complete all requirements for a course during the time frame of the course. For reasons beyond a student’s control, and upon request by the student or on behalf of the student, an incomplete grade may be assigned by the instructor when there is reasonable certainty the student will successfully complete the course without retaking it. The mark “I,” Incomplete, will be assigned only to the student who has been in attendance and has done satisfactory work up to a time within four weeks of the close of the semester, including the examination period, and whose work is incomplete for reasons satisfactory to his or her instructor. More information regarding UND’s Incomplete policy can be found on The Grading System webpage.

Resolution of Problems

Should a problem occur, you should speak to your instructor first. If the problem is not resolved, meet with Dr. Joel Ness. If the problem continues to be unresolved, go to the department chair (Dr. Will Semke), and next to the college dean (Dr. Brian Tande). Should the problem persist, you have the right to go to the provost next, and then to the president.