Is the ASCE Code of Ethics Obsolete in Today's Society?

by Bryan T. Groden, (M.ASCE), Civil/Structural Proj. Mgr.; R.T. Patterson Co., 70 Hartman St., Berea, OH 44017,


Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 1991, Vol. 61, Issue 1, Pg. 74-75


Document Type: Feature article

Abstract:

This essay is the winner of the 1990 Daniel W. Mead Prize for Younger Members. To understand the current and future status of ASCE's Code of Ethics among the membership today, says Groden, it might be helpful to recognize parallels with another celebrated code�the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution remains viable because our Congress has never permitted its framework to become static. As times changed, mores continually evolved, and the Constitution was amended accordingly to reflect those changing public attitudes. As surely as periodic legislative review was necessary to refine the U.S. Constitution, periodic professional review is vital to preserving the usefulness of the ASCE Code of Ethics. Such a review prohibits the Code's potential fall into obsolescence, keeping it relevant to today's membership, and to our legacy.

Subject Headings: Standards and codes | Ethics | Professional societies | Public opinion and participation | Legislation | Awards and prizes

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