Senior Seminar

The computer science program at The University of Akron has many roles to play both on and off campus. A primary goal of the program is the education of students to fulfill needs in industrial, commercial, government, and university environments. Such a diversity of settings requires that the students have a strong foundation in the field of computer science so as to be capable of productive work anywhere. As a consequence we stress the following:

• A student must learn the concepts underlying many different solutions to problems. Only by knowing these concepts can a student extend the knowledge gained in school into new situations.
• A purely theoretical understanding is insufficient; the student must also be able to implement the concepts in a variety of environments. Every course in our curriculum requires the student to write computer programs. The student will use a variety of computer languages, hardware, and operating systems. The range of environments extends from machine language programming on a single board computer using a simple monitor up to writing applications software under UNIX on a parallel processor.
• The ability to express oneself is an absolute necessity. Programming requires the ability to write in a formal system; the student must also be able to write in English. Comments, documentation, and program descriptions are an essential part of programming assignments. In addition, many courses require the student to write an expository paper on one aspect of the course. Typically a course is fairly broad in the discussion of topics; an expository paper requires the student to research and write about some topic in depth.
• In a field as rapidly changing as computer science, remaining up-to-date is an essential aspect of professionalism. Students are encouraged to read professional journals, join and be active in professional societies and to develop the ability to learn on their own. Education does not end on graduation day; it must continue into the future.
• As computers continue to affect more aspects of everyday life, the consequences of inappropriate or unethical behavior become more severe. The students must be aware of what is considered ethical and legal behavior, as well as the consequences of violations of such norms.

http://www.cs.uakron.edu/goals.html

Computing Curricula '91 Statement on the importance of ethics in the curriculum

Although technical issues are obviously central to any computing curriculum, they do not by themselves constitute a complete educational program in the field. Students must also develop an understanding of the social and professional context in which computing is done.

• Undergraduates also need to understand the basic cultural, social, legal, and ethical issues inherent in the discipline of computing. They should understand where the discipline has been, where it is, and where it is heading. They should also understand their individual roles in this process, as well as appreciate the philosophical questions, technical problems, and aesthetic values that play an important part in the development of the discipline.
• Students also need to develop the ability to ask serious questions about the social impact of computing and to evaluate proposed answers to those questions. Future practitioners must be able to anticipate the impact of introducing a given product into a given environment. Will that product enhance or degrade the quality of life? What will the impact be upon individuals, groups, and institutions?
• Finally, students need to be aware of the basic legal rights of software and hardware vendors and users, and they also need to appreciate the ethical values that are the basis for those rights. Future practitioners must understand the responsibility that they will bear, and the possible consequences of failure. They must understand their own limitations as well as the limitations of their tools. All practitioners must make a long-term commitment to remaining current in their chosen specialties and in the discipline of computing as a whole.

Computing Curricula ’91. Association for Computing Machinery and the Computer Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 1991.

ACM Code of Ethics

As an ACM member I will ....

• 1.1 Contribute to society and human well-being.
• 1.2 Avoid harm to others.
• 1.3 Be honest and trustworthy.
• 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.
• 1.8 Honor confidentiality.

As an ACM computing professional I will ....

• 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.

As an ACM member and an organizational leader, I will ....

• 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.

As an ACM member I will ....

• 4.1 Uphold and promote the principles of this Code.
• 4.2 Treat violations of this code as inconsistent with membership in the ACM.

http://www.acm.org/constitution/code.html

IEEE Code of Ethics

We, the members of the IEEE, in recognition of the importance of our technologies in affecting the quality of life throughout the world, and in accepting a personal obligation to our profession, its members and the communities we serve, do hereby commit ourselves to the highest ethical and professional conduct and agree:

• to accept responsibility in making engineering decisions consistent with the safety, health and welfare of the public, and to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or the environment;
• to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest whenever possible, and to disclose them to affected parties when they do exist;
• to be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on available data;
• to reject bribery in all its forms;
• to improve the understanding of technology, its appropriate application, and potential consequences;
• to maintain and improve our technical competence and to undertake technological tasks for others only if qualified by training or experience, or after full disclosure of pertinent limitations;
• to seek, accept, and offer honest criticism of technical work, to acknowledge and correct errors, and to credit properly the contributions of others;
• to treat fairly all persons regardless of such factors as race, religion, gender, disability, age, or national origin;
• to avoid injuring others, their property, reputation, or employment by false or malicious action;
• to assist colleagues and co-workers in their professional development and to support them in following this code of ethics.

Approved by the IEEE Board of Directors August 1990