WIP: Pledging to be an Ethical Computing Professional

This innovative practice WIP paper describes the “Pledge of the Computing Professional” (the Pledge), its need, its relationship to two major codes of ethics, and its role in inspiring computing students to act ethically and professionally. Professional ethics are the heart and soul of any profession. In developing products and services, professionals are to conduct themselves ethically, focusing on the public good. ACM has developed the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, and ACM and IEEE Computer Society have together published the Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice. ACM considers ethics a core topic in curricular recommendations. In 2011, a team of computing professionals developed the Pledge of the Computing Professional. The purpose of the Pledge is to acknowledge the impact of computing and the attendant responsibilities and to nurture a desire to promote the public good. The Pledge has now been adopted by over 75 institutions in the US. This paper clarifies the relationship between the Pledge and the codes of ethics. It is hoped that emphasizing this connection and promoting a culture surrounding the Pledge can be instrumental in producing graduates with a well-rounded sense of ethics and professionalism, who become responsible citizens that can shape the profession's future. The Pledge may be viewed as both an introduction for the students to the profound impact and responsibilities they would have in society and a means to inspire them to reflect on its meaning as computing ethics become the center of public discourse. Future work includes making the Pledge international in scope.