Want to make a difference in engineering?
The Student Engineers’ Council serves as a representative voice of the students, societies, and administration within the College of Engineering.
There’s a stereotype about engineers that we don’t really engage in politics. I’ve seen it myself where many of my peers don’t understand the value of civic engagement or think it’s not for them. Although politics can be overwhelming, all of those are false conceptions.
We talk about the ethical obligations of an engineer fairly often — to be honest in their work, to disclose conflicts, to keep the highest standards. What we fail to acknowledge is the broader civic and community obligations we have as engineers.
The National Society of Professional Engineers’ canon of ethics states engineers should “hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.” Of course that means you don’t cut corners, but let’s dig a little deeper. Throughout your career and training, you become an expert in some subject or some area of software. Being an expert carries responsibility not only to your work but toward society and policymaking as a whole.
There will be people legislating in and around your field of work. They will likely have very little technical background in what works, what doesn’t and why. Safety and ethical considerations intersect with technology in unique ways, and often a true scientific voice is missing. You have an obligation to speak up and provide that data so policy can reflect scientific backing and better serve everyone. If you aren’t in the room, someone without your expertise probably will be.
There is the responsibility to protect the general welfare by providing expertise in making policy. There are so many reasons to engage in civics, but as an engineer, your voice is needed too.
Computer science and Mathamatics, Class of 2024
If you found this blog post interesting, you may consider reading “Why be a math person?” and “Need an adventure? Try a hackathon!.”