Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 9, 1991)
Monday, September 9, 1991 The Battalion Page 9 Ethics continued from Page 2 and another A&M professor making presentations in several undergraduate engineering cours es. Several department heads in the college of engineering contact ed professors in their departments about the project. The professors that were interested chose an actu al case related to their courses from a list of 40 cases compiled for the project. The cases include the Cher nobyl incident, the Missouri City, Texas antenna tower collapse and bribery cases. The professors of the courses introduce the topic during the class period before the guest lec ture and pass out information on the case to be presented in their class. Rabins said there has been a positive response from students about the presentations. Students said they consider the information valuable and think more time should be devoted to the subject, he said. One of the goals Rabins has for the project is to get the material used in more courses and have more lectures available. "It would be painless," he said. "There would be no extra courses needed to introduce the concept." Rabins said he hopes to com plete preparations by next sum mer to have a collection of re source material that professors at A&M and other universities will use to introduce the concept of ethics to students. The collection would include information about possible cases that could be used as examples as well as overheads to use in class discussion. Rabins also said there are fu ture plans for faculty training ses sions to present the material. "But this is far into the future," he said. "We hope to finish the first two goals first." Dr. Charles E. Harris, the assis tant heacf of the philosophy and humanities department, is another principal investigator of the pro ject and guest lectures with Ra bins. Harris said philosophers often have a knowledge of ethical theo ries and techniques for resolving ethical problems that others might not realize exist. This knowledge can be used in the discussion and resolution of ethical issues facing engineers, he said. There is a severe time con straint involved in the presenta tions, Harris said. Sometimes two or three lecture periods are devot ed to the subject, but usually only one is available. This time con straint has limited what is dis cussed during the presentations. "In general the presentation works better by focusing on a par ticular case, and not abstract prin ciples," Harris said. "We make points about profes sionalism and ethics and then elic it student response," he said. "It's very important in that amount of time to get them (the students) thinking." Harris said he hopes students become more aware of the conse quences of their actions as profes sionals. "Engineers have very signifi cant effects on the lives of other people, sometimes involving them in life or death situations," he said. Harris used the Challenger tragedy as an example of the im pact of engineering on the lives of others. "There are many splashy cases that the average engineer won't encounter, but we're trying to let them see that their decisions have consequences," he said. Harris said engineers possess knowledge that cannot only save lives, but destroy them. "When you have expert knowledge, you have power," he said. "You need ethical con straints and guidelines on this power, and that's what ethical en gineering is all about." The presentations currently being made by Rabins and Harris serve a double-function of sensi tizing engineering students to the issue, and serving as an experi ment to draw material for the fu ture resource materials. Harris said ethical issues in such areas as medicine, law and business are common, but the is sue of engineering ethics is fairly new. "But engineers feel more com fortable with the issues now than they did five years ago," he said. "They haven't just become con cerned, but they've heightened their consciousness." Harris said that in addition to sensitizing students to the issues, he hopes the project will provide students with the tools for making ethical decisions. "Ethical decisions are hard to make, and most people aren't sure how to think about them," he said. The main thing Harris said he hopes to see is that the resource materials will be developed and inspire other professors to devel op their own presentations for their courses. "We hope they'll take off on their own and use their own first hand experience," he said. In addition to their work on the project, Rabins and Harris "team teach" a course that will be cross-listed as ENGR/PHIL 482 in the spring catalog. Harris encour ages students who want to learn more about ethical issues to take the course. Dr. Walter Bradley, head of the mechanical engineering depart ment, introduces ethics discus sions in the courses he teaches. Bradley said that in the past there was less public exposure of unethical behavior. "Maybe we expect more now than in the past, or maybe now there is more marginal behavior," he said. "When I was a college engi neering student, cheating was al most unheard of," he said. "To day if you speak to the average student, they would probably say there is a problem with cheating. The Texas A&M Emergency Care Team informational meeting Monday, Sept. 9 @ 7 p.m. RM 224 MSC If unable to attend, call 845-4321 between 9-5, ask for Kathy. f C ATintenswe liftjrU REVIEW A high LSAT score can open the right doors. LSAT Intensive Re view is a well organized, challenging course designed to increase your LSAT score. We specialize solely in preparing students for the LSAT. Success rate: a survey of actual LSAT scores of over 250 graduates of our program determined that 23% scored in the top 10% of all test takers nationwide. Take our Twelve-Week Prep- Master™ Course and we guarantee you will score in the top 25% of LSAT test takers or your money will be refunded in full! Call now for free brochure: 1-800-325-LSA T LSAT Test Dates Oct. 5 ’91 Dec. 7 ’91 Feb. 8 ’92 Seminar Dates Sept. 20-22 Nov. 22-24 Jan. 24-26 WORK SMARTER. NOT HARDER. W e’re working smarter, too. So you don’t have to work harder. For us, it means an ongoing rela tionship with educators and profes sors, striving to understand what’s needed to help them make math concepts come alive. It means continually working with students like you, discovering firsthand what you expect from the calculator you select. The result? Calculators that are highly recommended by your teachers and peers. Calculators that are perfectly matched to your major and your coursework. The TI-81 is a perfect example. It offers the most comprehensive, easy-to-use graphing features available with extensive pro gramming capabilities. And there are others. © 1991 Tbtas Instruments, Inc. IH000104 ™ Trademark of Tbcas Instruments, Inc. Like the TI-68, an advanced scien tific that solves up to five simulta neous equations, performs complex numbers and offers formula programming. Plus a whole lot more. No matter what your major, no matter what the course, there’s a TI scientific or business calculator that’s right for you. Do the smart thing: malce one of them a part of your professional personality now, and for the years to come. T^u’ll be on your way to work ing smarter. Instead of harder. Try the entire line of TI scien tific and business calculators at your local TI retailer. . . Texas Instruments The TI-36X SOLAR, a general purpose workhorse powered by ANYLITE™ solar cells so you never need batteries. The BA II PLUS™ For business students, this is the one to get. It handles time-value-of-money and offers cash flow analysis for internal rate of return (IRR) and net present value (NPV). ^ MAILIN REBATE ^ when you buy the Th68 or BAII PLUS 1 HERE’S HOW: 1. Save your original cash register receipt. 2. Clip the proof-of-purchase UPC bar code from package. 3. Complete this mail-in rebate certificate. 4. Send all three items to the address below. MAIL TO: BACK-TO-SCHOOL REBATE OFFER Texas Instruments Incorporated EO. Box 53 • Lubbock, Texas 79408 NAME (PLEASE PRINT) CITY STATE TERMS AND CONDITIONS: This offer valid for purchases between 8/1/91 and 10/31/91. AH claims must be received by 11/30/91. Allow 8-10 weeks for processing. Send this completed form along with the original cash register receipt and the proof of purchase bar code to the address above. This original mail-in certificate must accompany your request and may not be duplicated or reproduced. Not redeemable in your store. Offer valid only as stated on this form and only in the U.S. A. Offer void where prohibited, taxed, licensed, or restricted. Limit ZIP and only in me u.o./v wner void wnere promoited, taxed, licensed, or restricted. Limit one rebate per household or address. Tbcas Instruments reserves the right to discontinue this program at any t e and without notice. II CONTACT LENSES > ONLY QUALITY NAME BRANDS (Bausch & Lomb, Ciba, Barnes-Hinds-Hydrocurve) $ 138 00 TOTAL COST y ...INCLUDES EYE EXAM, FREE CARE KIT, STD. DAILY WEAR, EXTENDED WEAR OR TINTED LENSES. YOUR CHOICE of Std. Daily Wear, Extended Wear or Tinted Soft Lenses SAME DAY DELIVERY ON MOST LENSES. Offer Birds Auyust-90; i991 Extended thru September 27, 1991 Call 696-3754 for Appointment Charles C. Schroeppel, O.D., P.C. Doctor of Optometry 707 S. Texas Ave.-Suite 101D 1 Blk. South of Texas Ave. & University Dr. Intersection College Station, Texas 77840 SB DO YOU SUFFER FROM TENSION HEADACHES? Individuals with Tension Headaches wanted to participate in a 4 hour pain relief research drug study of an oral medication in tablet form. Flexible hours. $75 incentive for individuals who are chosen and complete the study. Nights and weekends 361-1500. Free Ragweed Allergy Study Asthma Study WANTED: Individuals, age 12 and older, with mild to moderate asthma to participate in a clinical research study for 15 weeks with an investigational medication in capsule and inhaler form. Mon etary incentive for those completing the study. Asthma/allergy Study WANTED: Individuals 18-50 years of age with asthma to partici pate in a short clinical research study involving an investigational medication in capsule form. Monetary incentive for those chosen to participate. Skin Infections/Infected Bug Bites Individuals of any age with symptoms of impetigo (bacterial infection of the skin) to participate in an investigational drug research study using a cream with drug in it. $150 for those chosen and completing the study. Urinary Tract Infection Do you experience frequent urination, burning, stinging or back pain when you urinate? Pauli Research will perform FREE urinary tract infection testing for those willing to participate in a short investigational research study. $100 incentive for those who qualify. PAULL RESEARCH . INTERNATIONAL® 776-0400 Individuals 18 and older with fall allergy symptoms or known ragweed-allergic individuals to participate in a research study with an antihistamine in tablet form $300 incentive for those who complete the study.