We’re happy to announce that the Ethics Center, in collaboration with the SCU Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, is among a select group of winners being awarded a Stage 1 $150K grant to further the integration of ethics into undergraduate computer science education. The Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the Department of Philosophy will also contribute to the work. The grant is part of a national $3.5 million initiative organized by Omidyar Network, Mozilla, Schmidt Futures, and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, empowering graduating engineers to drive a culture shift in the tech industry and build a healthier internet. The SCU initiative will help computer science students develop an ethical analysis framework that complements their technical learning. It will develop additional software engineering ethics, cybersecurity ethics, and data ethics modules, with integration of case studies and projects. These modules will also be adapted into free MOOC materials, so other institutions worldwide can benefit from the curriculum.
States Kathy Pham, computer scientist and Mozilla Fellow co-leading the Challenge: “Today’s computer scientists write code with the potential to affect billions of people’s privacy, security, equality, and well-being. Technology today can influence what journalism we read and what political discussions we engage with; whether or not we qualify for a mortgage or insurance policy; how results about us come up in an online search; whether we are released on bail or have to stay; and so much more.”
The winners were selected by a panel of 19 independent judges from universities, community organizations, and the tech industry.
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