Engr 4001: Engineering ProfessionalismTeaching the “Professional Component” of Engineering

摘要

Engineering is more than just numbers and equations. Engineering exists to serve society, to make knowledge unearthed by math and science accessible to humanity. Engineers must understand the physical nature of the world around them to utilize the technical knowledge available to them effectively, but they also must understand foundations of the social settings in which they wish to apply that technology. Engineering, by its nature, is a multidisciplinary endeavor requiring skills and knowledge from a variety of backgrounds. In a recent accreditation review of engineering programs at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD), the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) visitors suggested that a way be found to instill in students a more complete appreciation for this “Professional Component” of engineering. According to ABET criteria, students should understand how engineering relates to activities in ? Economics, ? Environment, ? Sustainability, ? Manufacturability, ? Ethics, ? Health and safety, ? Society, and ? Politics. In response, the College of Science and Engineering at UMD has developed the course Engr 4001: Engineering Professionalism, to address the relationship between these topics and engineering practice. Offered for the first time in Spring, 2005, this course will embed an existing technical writing course for engineering students, to teach students both the importance of the professional topics above and the skills needed to document technical material in a professional manner. Engineering Professionalism is a design oriented class, required as a pre- or co-requisite for capstone design courses in all engineering programs at UMD. It brings together junior and senior students from Chemical, Industrial, Mechanical, and Electrical and Computer Engineering programs to work together in a multidisciplinary setting to solve design problems and to learn how engineering solutions impact humanity in the professional areas listed above. The course prepares students to use knowledge from their respective disciplines for the good of humanity with both technical competence and professionalism.