In what situation is it unethical for a professional engineer to cut consortium members from a project?

The correct choice highlights the ethical considerations surrounding the qualifications and capabilities of consortium members in a project. A professional engineer has a responsibility to ensure that all parties involved in a project are competent and able to fulfill their roles effectively. If a consortium is not fully qualified to perform all tasks required by the project, it raises serious ethical concerns about the quality and safety of the work being done.

Cutting members who lack the necessary skills or qualifications could jeopardize the project's integrity, as the remaining members may be unable to compensate for the shortcomings of those removed. This situation can lead to inadequate project performance, increased risks, and potentially unsafe conditions, which are contradictory to the ethical obligations of engineers to protect public health, safety, and welfare.

While factors like informing the owner or schedule impacts may have practical implications, they do not address the fundamental ethical obligation to ensure that all consortium members are adequately qualified. Similarly, while changes that could raise costs are important to consider, they do not directly relate to the competence of the members involved in the consortium. Hence, the ethical foundation rests on the qualifications of the team members rather than on organizational or financial issues.