Professional Codes of Ethics Professionalism and Codes of

Professional Codes of Ethics Professionalism and Codes of Ethics

Starter Questions n What is a "profession"? ¨ the body of people in a learned occupation; ¨ an occupation requiring special education wordnet. princeton. edu/perl/webwn ¨ The term profession is applied to those persons who have specialized and technical skill or knowledge which they apply, for a fee, to certain tasks that ordinary and unqualified people cannot ordinarily undertake. The term derives from the Latin: "to swear (an oath)". . en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Profession

Starter Questions n Is software development a profession like CPA, doctor, lawyer, …? n Should software engineers be licensed like CPAs, doctors, lawyers, and barbers?

State Licensing n Licensing is a state activity required of those who provide certain types of services directly to the public, such as contractors, physicians, electricians, barbers, and child care providers. n A professional engineer is an individual who has been granted by a governmental authority the right to use that title and to offer professional engineering services to the public. ¨ Every state has an engineering licensing law, but the details vary from state to state.

"PE" = Professional Engineer 1. 2. A four-year degree from a university program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) An eight-hour examination on the fundamentals of engineering (FE) n 3. 4. 5. usually taken in the senior year of college Four years of acceptable experience A second examination on principles and practice Written recommendations from other PEs Some states also mandate continuing education.

Who are PEs? 2014 U. S. A. - 822, 575 South Carolina - 10, 097

The ACM on Licensing Not Practical Ø The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination, required for licensing as a PE, is inappropriate for those receiving computer science degrees. Ø Not all practicing software engineers graduate from departments that are eligible for ABET accreditation. Ø Large software development efforts often span multiple states, and resulting software might be sold in every state. Ø The time required to update the examinations does not match the rapid rate of technology change in computer science. Ø It is unlikely that any reasonable test for software engineering skill in safety critical systems could be put into a multiple-choice format. Ø The breadth of people involved in the production of software would make licensing of them impractical and not particularly helpful.

Codes of Ethics n Most professions have a Code of Ethics ¨ n Code of Ethics ¨ ¨ n Doctors, Lawyers, Certified Public Accountants, Librarians, … assists in deciding right and wrong aspirational Code of Conduct ¨ ¨ employee rules enforcement

ACM Code of Ethics 1. GENERAL MORAL IMPERATIVES. 1. 1 Contribute to society and human well-being. 1. 2 Avoid harm to others. boyscout-ish 1. 3 Be honest and trustworthy. property rights 1. 4 Be fair and take action not to discriminate. 1. 5 Honor property rights including copyrights and patent. 1. 6 Give proper credit for intellectual property. 1. 7 Respect the privacy of others. privacy 1. 8 Honor confidentiality.

2. MORE SPECIFIC PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES. 2. 1 Strive to achieve the highest quality, effectiveness and dignity in both the process and products of professional work. 2. 2 Acquire and maintain professional competence. 2. 3 Know and respect existing laws pertaining to professional work. 2. 4 Accept and provide appropriate professional review. 2. 5 Give comprehensive and thorough evaluations of computer systems and their impacts, including analysis of possible risks. 2. 6 Honor contracts, agreements, and assigned responsibilities. 2. 7 Improve public understanding of computing and its consequences. 2. 8 Access computing and communication resources only when authorized to do so.

3. ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP IMPERATIVES. 3. 1 Articulate social responsibilities of members of an organizational unit and encourage full acceptance of those responsibilities. 3. 2 Manage personnel and resources to design and build information systems that enhance the quality of working life. 3. 3 Acknowledge and support proper and authorized uses of an organization's computing and communication resources. 3. 4 Ensure that users and those who will be affected by a system have their needs clearly articulated during the assessment and design of requirements; later the system must be validated to meet requirements. 3. 5 Articulate and support policies that protect the dignity of users and others affected by a computing system. 3. 6 Create opportunities for members of the organization to learn the principles and limitations of computer systems. 4. COMPLIANCE WITH THE CODE. 4. 1 Uphold and promote the principles of this Code. 4. 2 Treat violations of this code as inconsistent with membership in the ACM.

IEEE-CS/ACM Software Engineering Code of Ethics 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Public Client and Employer Product Judgement Management Profession Colleagues Self

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