Ethics

Information about the Academy's Second Annual Ethics Session

SESSION OVERVIEW

This session has been designed for participants to gain 3 PDH credits applicable to their annual/biannual requirement for PE licenses and/or AGP Diplomate status.

The first part of the session (approximately one hour) is a civil engineering ethics refresher. This overview of civil engineering ethics, provided as a PowerPoint presentation will serve as a refresher course and will provide participants with the tools to understand the importance of the ethics that define our profession, namely developing facilities that protect the safety, health, and welfare of the general public.

The second part (approximately two hours) of the session will involve the attendees in an hour study of case histories focused on ethical situations in geotechnical engineering. There will be four round table groups charged with reviewing different case histories. Each group will be monitored by a member of the session’s organizing committee, and the group’s task will be to review, discuss and draw conclusions regarding the ethical issues involved. Following the analysis period (approximately one hour), each group, acting through an elected representative, will report on their case-history study to the assembled session group.

SESSION OUTLINE

• Overview (10 minutes) of the session, explaining the hope that this session will encourage the participants taking this course to carry the ethic message to the industry and other appropriate audiences.
• Ethics Training (50 minutes): Basic training, Power Point presentation (by Satya N. Varadhi), as a refresher for session participants and a basis for outreach to engineering profession:
• Objective 1: Overview of the spectrum from individual moral codes to ethical requirements for learned professionals who, by virtue of education and training, provide services to the general public that are not capable of directly evaluating.
• Objective 2: Building an understanding of the profession and the obligations of professionals as set forth in their codes of ethics and state license requirements
• Objective 3: Review the seven Canons of the ASCE Code of Ethics
• Break (15 min.)
• Geotechnical Engineering Ethics Case Histories - Group’s Review (50 minutes)
• Committee members (Group Moderators) are to identify and present the case histories for each of four planned round-table groups and serve as moderators for discussions involving the cases.
• Round-Table Groups: Each group will be asked to review, and draw conclusions and make recommendations for their case.
• Group Reporting (45 minutes): Each group will name an individual from their group to present a summary of their findings to the assembled class.
• Wrap-Up (10min)

Moderator: Satya Varadhi, PhD, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE
Helping Satya lead the case history discussion:
Robert Holtz, PhD, PE, D.GE, Dist.M.ASCE
Hank Landau, PhD, PE, D.GE, F.ASCE
Jorge Meneses, PhD, PE, D.GE, M.ASCE

AGP Ethics Training Video Now Available

The Academy of Geo-Professionals hosted the first ethics session at the 2012 GeoCongress in Oakland, California. The session took place on Sunday, March 25th from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm. The session was the first of its kind at a Geo-Institute event. Thanks to the Geo-Institute, AGP was able to have the first part of the session recorded. In this video, Ron Smith, PE, D.GE, F.ASCE, gives an informative lecture filled with real-life examples of ethical situations in business. If you need Ethics PDHs, you'll be pleased to know that watching the video in its entirety and reading one of the case histories below will net you 1 PDH towards the requirement to renew your D.GE certification. To watch the video, please click here. When you're finished watching the video, please leave a comment to get credit or notify staff via email: info@geoprofessionals.org.

Case 1017 - Paying Attention to the Details - Skit Version - Word

Case 1017 - Paying Attention to the Details - Skit Version - PDF

Case 1023 - All Trussed Up and No Place to Go - Skit Version - Word

Case 1023 - All Trussed Up and No Place to Go - Skit Version - PDF

Case 1030- Don't Ask, Don't Tell - Skit Version - Word

Case 1030- Don't Ask, Don't Tell - Skit Version - PDF

Case 1038 - This Land is Your Land - Skit Version - Word

Case 1038 - This Land is Your Land - Skit Version - PDF

Ethics - AGP Continuing Education Requirement

Many of our Diplomates have asked for help on how to meet the continuing education requirement for ethics. Click here for additional information.

Ethics Available through ASCE:

Ethics Guidelines for Professional Conduct for Civil Engineers

Guidance on Licensing and Ethical Responsibilites for Civil Engineers

Incident at Morales

Ethicana

Ethics: The Road Engineers Must Follow - Archived Webinar

Ethics for Engineers - Online Course

Ethics and Professionalism - DVD Course

ASCE Ethics: Edict, Enforcement, and Education - White paper

To read more about ethics on ASCE's page, including case histories, please click here.

Academy of Geo-Professional Engineers Code of Ethics

Fundamental Principles

Engineers uphold and advance the integrity, honor and dignity of the engineering profession by:

1. using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare and the environment;
2. being honest and impartial and serving with fidelity the public, their employers and clients;
3. striving to increase the competence and prestige of the engineering profession; and
4. supporting the professional and technical societies of their disciplines.

Fundamental Canons

1. Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and shall strive to comply with the principles of sustainable development in the performance of their professional duties.
2. Engineers shall perform services only in areas of their competence.
3. Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
4. Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interest.
5. Engineers shall build their professional reputation on the merit of their services and shall not compete unfairly with others.
6. Engineers shall act in such a manner as to uphold and enhance the honor, integrity, and dignity of the engineering profession.
7. Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout their careers, and shall provide opportunities for the professional development of those engineers under their supervision.