To What Ends: Engineering, Technology, and Business Program Perspectives as to Their Key Purposes with Regard to the Society Housing Them

Abstract

The purposes of higher education have been debated ever since tertiary education emerged. Not surprisingly these discussions have also addressed the purposes of Business, Engineering and Technology (BE&T) programs in higher education. Furthermore, given the obvious and frequently threatening challenges of contemporary society, there have been multiple voices calling for attention to the social welfare of all of the world citizens and their quality of life. The intersection of these concerns with the pragmatic nature of BE&T programs has engendered some calls for change. The authors of this chapter examine the extent to which the actual undergraduate plans of study reflect any evidence of attention to ethics, corporate social responsibility, and conscious capitalism – collectively referred to as larger outcomes. In addition to an analysis of the plans of study of BET programs, the authors interviewed thought leaders, reviewed literature, and conducted two case studies/vignettes of exemplary programs to see what the future might hold. The chapter ends with a provocative set of conclusions, recommendations for practice and for further research.