An Ethical Puzzle For University Administrators

It has long been recognized that ethical behavior is an essential element of an engineer. Considerable attention has been given to ethics in engineering education. Some programs include a full course in ethics, while others integrate ethical issues throughout their curriculum; but all programs need to create a culture where ethical behavior is prized and unethical behavior is not accepted. This culture must be grounded in the behavior of the faculty and administrators. With rampant student cheating and plagiarism, the faculty and administration must set the example. This paper considers an ethical dilemma that is quite often encountered by administrators and presents three possible solutions to this puzzle. Each alternative is analyzed in terms of its ethical ramifications. I hope that this paper may elicit some discussions among faculty and administrators and may lead to some contemplation in terms of changing the standard operating practice.