2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The first tenant in the code of ethics of the Professional Engineer (PE) is to hold paramount the health, safety, and welfare of the public. But who are the “public”, and how do the concepts of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) fit within the definition of “public”? Over a period of years, an emphasis on DEIJ has spread within postsecondary institutions. Accreditation bodies, such as ABET Inc, have explored the adoption of intentional approaches to incorporate DEIJ within accreditation standards. Recently, significant judicial, legal, and political pushback against DEIJ – including anti DEIJ legislation at the state-level as well as Executive Order 14151, “Ending Radical and Wastewater Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” – make clear that engineering educators need to carefully consider how to effectively teach engineering design, while continuing to consider important concepts such as vulnerable populations, design for the 99%, and person-centered or individualized design.

The purpose of this article is to suggest to engineering educators specific actions that should be undertaken in response to anti-DEIJ legislation. The lens used to make these recommendations is the approach proposed by nurses. Specifically, “nurses and nurse educators should engage, inform, and influence policymakers on the potential harm of anti-DEI legislation can have on population health” (Murray et al, 2023). In particular, engineering educators are called upon to “hold paramount the health of the public”, and to guide students to properly define public in a manner that is respectful of differences, fair to individuals, and creates opportunities for belonging as a way to increase the effectiveness of engineering design.