A Community Addresses Communication

All changes in curriculum should begin with a study of current activities, needs, and resources. With the advent of EC 2000, the need to assess current engineering practices became clearly evident. A study focusing on communication needs, which began in the summer of 1997, suddenly took on a much greater importance when placed in juxtaposition with the ABET requirements. The issue of needed communication skill in engineering was addressed in the survey along with ways in which to provide this needed skill acquisition to mechanical engineering students. Basic information regarding the perceived inadequacies of students’ communication skills from both the students and the faculty perspectives was collected. These results were tabulated and the concerns addressed. The survey was also extended to industry representatives to enlist their help in securing information on how they perceive the communication skills of graduates of engineering programs to be. By viewing the data gleaned from students, faculty, and employers; the comments made can help to set new and varied goals for students and faculty in the college of engineering.