Claims on the Foundation: Professionalism and Its Liberal Base

Contemporary visions of engineering depict a deepening professionalism, a broadening sphere of competence with technology, and an enhanced social role. Professional societies have increasingly focused on the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for achievement of this vision, and have done so in terms of developmental outcomes. This paper relates specific technical and professional outcomes to their preprofessional foundation in liberal education. Strength and coherence in an expanding foundation, and a close coupling with the outcomes it supports, is necessary if visions of enhanced professional performance are to be fulfilled. Curricular experiments are encouraged.