Bringing Ethical Considerations And Contemporary Issues Into An Engineering Economy Course

With the adoption of EC2000, many engineering faculty believe they are being asked to add more topics to an already full curriculum in order to demonstrate accomplishment of several of the a-k learning outcomes. One solution is to incorporate curricula related to ethical considerations and contemporary, societal issues into existing courses. Through the use of carefully selected case studies, the engineering economy course provides an ideal environment in which students may demonstrate teamwork and communication skills, awareness of ethical standards, and an understanding of the impact of engineering solutions on society. Case studies based on the Challenger disaster and the Ford/Firestone controversy have direct relevance to the industrial engineering curriculum and can be adapted to meet the needs of specific courses such as engineering economy, project management, and quality control.