Building Integrity: It Starts Here
Dr. Harovel G. Wheat, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, December 2, 2003
OVERVIEW: Student dishonesty is prevalent at large universities. With the largest student population in the country, The University of Texas at Austin finds academic integrity a hot topic. While the central campus debates an honor code, the Mechanical Engineering Department is exploring academic integrity and professional ethics from a discipline-specific vantage point. Dialogue regarding the code was initiated with members of student engineering organizations at the university. They have been encouraged to contact and gain information from their counterparts at other institutions where such codes are in place. There have also been several Town Hall meetings and the entire Mechanical Engineering student body has been invited to participate. This is part of a series of Mechanical Engineering Leadership Programs sponsored by Ford Motor Company, and it is felt that these initiatives will serve to build a community of scholars, as well as a sense of professionalism. In this presentation we will discuss pertinent issues that relate to academic integrity in the context of engineering education and how we are developing a student code of ethics and honor.