The Code of Ethics That Was Established By The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

To serve as a standard for professionalism between all Civil Engineers. Professional standards are needed to protect the public and reputation of the professionals, providing a platform for the Code of Ethics to be established. The Code of Ethics (COE) was first made in 1914 as a model for professional conducted for all ASCE members, which was updated recently on July 29, 2017. The new update of the Code of Ethics includes the Canon 8. The new addition to the code of ethics was being open to others within the engineering profession such as those from different countries and cultures offering perspectives on problems, while also addressing the ideas of fairness and unbiased treatment for people in the communities being served.

The values that the Canon 8 can add to the civil engineering profession and student chapter is the ability of anyone from anywhere to feel comfortable in their respected degree of civil engineering to produce what they want with the same opportunities as anyone else. With Canon 8 Code of Ethics (COE) rule established, it can truly promote diversity, equality, and inclusion in the workplace, student chapters and in accessible design. The COE’s are set in place to ensure professionals in their set careers are respected by others while also ensuring the safety within a company or franchise allowing all ideas to be shared without the prejudice of others.

In the engineering and STEM careers, there is an underwhelming participation for the women and ethnic population. The presence has increase in the women and ethnic population for engineering careers from 8.6% in 1993 to 14.9% in 2013 with the accordance of the National Science Foundation. This still is a very small number of ethnological and gender equality for such a vase degree. The Canon 8 is a guideline that will help increase this number to broaden the reach for new women and people of racial descent under the standard of professional behavior adhering to that of the highest principles of ethical conduct.

In a story covered by the ASCE, a young female faced heavy discrimination in her work place being the only female in a company of male engineers. The recent graduate accepted the position at a small engineering firm with a congenial group of males where she was brought in right away and often joined them for after work gatherings. Not soon after the president of the firm got in contact with her and talked to her about finding another job soon do to the presidents’ wife having a problem with a young single female working in a group of married male engineers. The president’s wife had encouraged the president of the firm to terminate the young women’s job not do to a poor performance in her work, but because of her gender. When the young engineers supervisor heard of the conversation there was expression of outrage at the president for the ideas that were discussed.

The president laid back from the idea that his wife had brought up and agreed that it was an inexcusable thought. Not soon thereafter, at a company gathering, the wife spoke of her thoughts loudly and opening about the employment of the young female. With the ideas out in the open the office was aware of the ideas the presidents wife had of this situation. Although she was supported by her colleagues, she gradually feel off with her associates. She was not invited to after work gatherings like she was before. Not only was she being segregated by her fellow associates, she noticed that her work was dwindling. While she had previously had a passion towards her assignments, she was no longer receiving assignments from the president giving her the sense that her firm had begun to think of her as no longer a long term member of the firm.

She was no longer being given the same opportunities as the other engineers and wasn’t considered by a serious engineer. With this she began to look for other jobs, but before she was able to constitute another job her supervisor announced that the firm was going to be downsizing and she was the first one in the firm to be laid off. The situation that occurred for this young engineering graduate was unconstitutional in accordance with the Code of Ethics Canon 8. The Canon 8 is a guideline towards a greater inclusivity in the civil engineering career. While not only giving the guideline to a better work environment but also showing the encouragement towards other with the regard towards their gender or gender identity, race, national origin, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, disability, political affiliation, or family, marital, or economic status.

The president of the firm was directly not in accordance with the subtext A of Canon 8 which states, “Engineers shall conduct themselves in a manner in which all persons are treated with dignity, respect, and fairness.” After further investigation by the ASCE Committee on Professional Conduct (CPC), that staff decided, even with the infringement of not only the Canon 8 but Canon 7 and 6, it would be better dealt with by the federal or state human rights agencies. It would be under the discharging of an employee on the basis of gender.

Violations of the ASCE Code of Ethics would be reviewed by the Committee on Professional Conduct. If the Committee found a violation to the COE, disciplinary actions may be decided as appropriate. The infraction will then be forwarded to the ASCE’s Executive Committee or Board of Direction for a formal hearing on the matter. The disciplinary actions can range from a warning or reprimand to dismissal or expulsion from their professional order. With the situation that had happened with the young engineer and the president of the firm.

Work Cited

1. “Code of Ethics.” American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), www.asce.org/code-of-ethics.
2. “Code of Ethics.” Code of Ethics | National Society of Professional Engineers, www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics. Summary of Solution