INTRODUCTION TO WRITING, SPEAKING, AND ETHICS FOR ENGINEERS
Introduction to college-level communication and academic research. Emphasizes written and oral communication, audience analysis, ethical reasoning, and use of credible sources. Provides instruction in both the foundations of oral and written academic communication (including skills like critical thinking, argumentation, and information literacy) and the writing process itself (including activities like drafting, giving and receiving feedback, and revising). Explores the rhetoric and values of engineering work from multiple perspectives. Provides a foundation for effective communication and ethical awareness useful for subsequent coursework and professional settings.
Prerequisites & course information
Requisites: Students required to take the MSN ESLAT cannot enroll until the ESL 118 requirement is satisfied Course Designation: Core GenEd - Communication & Literacy Comm QR - Communication A Level - Elementary L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Fall 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Communicate effectively in both written and oral formats, especially within technical and applied STEM contexts, by aligning research, purpose, and organization with academic conventions and the needs of diverse audiences. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Apply rhetorical principles to analyze audiences, purposes, and genres, using appropriate tools and techniques to adapt communication strategies. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Engage in the full writing and speaking process, including planning, drafting, reviewing, revising, and collaborating with peers to improve written and spoken communication. Audience: Undergraduate 4. Use evidence and reasoning to develop and support arguments in communication tasks, while thinking critically about what constitutes credible evidence and how to synthesize information from relevant and recent research. Audience: Undergraduate 5. Identify and evaluate ethical dimensions of real-world problems, particularly in STEM-related discourse, and practice advancing a clear, informed, and empathetic point of view on the social and ethical implications of emerging technologies. Audience: Undergraduate 6. Build inclusive teamwork skills by adapting to diverse audiences and contexts, engaging respectfully across cultural and work-style differences, and ensuring equitable participation in both written and spoken interactions. Audience: Undergraduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Communicate effectively in both written and oral formats, especially within technical and applied STEM contexts, by aligning research, purpose, and organization with academic conventions and the needs of diverse audiences. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Apply rhetorical principles to analyze audiences, purposes, and genres, using appropriate tools and techniques to adapt communication strategies. Audience: Undergraduate 3. Engage in the full writing and speaking process, including planning, drafting, reviewing, revising, and collaborating with peers to improve written and spoken communication. Audience: Undergraduate 4. Use evidence and reasoning to develop and support arguments in communication tasks, while thinking critically about what constitutes credible evidence and how to synthesize information from relevant and recent research. Audience: Undergraduate 5. Identify and evaluate ethical dimensions of real-world problems, particularly in STEM-related discourse, and practice advancing a clear, informed, and empathetic point of view on the social and ethical implications of emerging technologies. Audience: Undergraduate 6. Build inclusive teamwork skills by adapting to diverse audiences and contexts, engaging respectfully across cultural and work-style differences, and ensuring equitable participation in both written and spoken interactions. Audience: Undergraduate
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027