Khoury graduates read the oath while standing at the 2024 Khoury graduation celebration

Khoury College Oath for Computing Professionals

A North Star for our CS community

Called by its mission, Khoury College has taken the lead in crafting an Oath for Computing Professionals to guide our collective work and individual paths. The Oath is introduced to all students at matriculation and is embedded in program curricula. At Commencement celebrations, the Oath for Computing is read aloud as a shared pledge by all Khoury graduates.

Khoury College Oath for Computing Professionals

Today, I join the ranks of computer scientists worldwide.

I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings.

I will design and build computing systems that enhance the quality of daily life for individuals and for society.

I will protect the dignity of users and others affected by computing systems, respecting the diversity of all cultures, and safeguarding against threats to health and safety.

I will respect the privacy and rights of all people and recognize the special role I have in judiciously collecting, storing and using their information, and creating systems that aim to shape their behavior.

I will work for fair wages, honorably guarding my reputation and my colleagues in our work practices, while respecting the intellectual contributions of others.

I will improve the public understanding of computing and its consequences.

May I always act to preserve the finest traditions of my field, and may I long experience the joy of inventing the future through my endeavors.

Rationale and imperative for Computing Oath

The Oath affirms that members of the Khoury CS community have a special obligation to safety, security, privacy, and to creating equitable opportunities. This obligation is not delegated to a special few; it applies to all of us.

The Oath calls members of Khoury community to protect the dignity of all people affected by computing systems, respecting the diversity of all cultures. The decisions we each make, from a startup entrepreneur to a programmer building enterprise systems, impact the daily life experiences of humankind.  

It is this deep relevance to the fabric of our daily lives and to society that endows our field with so many wonderful opportunities. Every day, no matter where we are in the stack, our profession strives to augment human action—through networking that connects us, through the data that describes us, and through the design of systems that promote creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration. As CS leaders, we have a powerful role and responsibility in bootstrapping human activity in addressing the most pressing problems facing society today.

Computing technology is rarely neutral due to how deeply computing is ingrained in our society. As computer scientists, it is imperative that we harness what we learn and what we discover to better the world we inhabit

Dean Elizabeth Mynatt