Incident at Morales:
A Video/DVD "Case Study" in Professional Responsibility
Steven P. Nichols
Clint W.
Murchison, Sr. Fellow of Free Enterprise
OVERVIEW: Engineers in all areas of practice regularly address issues of Professional Responsibility. In fact, the nature of engineering dictates that issues of Professional Responsibility are unavoidable in engineering practice. Engineering faculty have developed various approaches, courses, and material to expose engineering students to Engineering Professional Responsibility. Some of the approaches, naturally, involve case studies. As an example, the National Institute for Engineering Ethics (NIEE) previously produced Gilbane Gold, a video designed for to support instruction in engineering professional responsibility. Gilbane Gold has been used extensively by universities in the United States and other countries as a "video case study" in engineering ethics and professional responsibility.
Based both on the success of Gilbane Gold as well as the lessons learned from 12 years of experience using the video to assist in teaching professional responsibility, a second "case study" dramatization (Incident at Morales) has been developed. This seminar will preview and discuss Incident at Morales and how the material can be used in the classroom. The National Science Foundation as well as individual, corporate, and university donors supported the production.