Shakespeare and civil engineering might seem incompatible – but Purdue has found a way for these seemingly star-crossed disciplines to form a fruitful union.

Today, more than ever, civil engineers who want to rise in their profession need to be effective communicators. Realizing this, the Lyles School and its Advisory Council decided to expand communication offerings.

In 2014, the school transformed its writing course from a lecture to a lab that focuses on student projects and skill improvement. The school also added an entirely new public speaking course to its core classes.

"It had become apparent that — in order to continue providing a world-class education — our school must provide more than pure civil engineering classes," says Professor Rao "G.S." Govindaraju. "Strong writing and communication skills are absolutely vital for today's civil engineers — for both collaborating with colleagues and getting your message across to the public."

Since the course expansion three years ago, continuing lecturer John C. Tompkins, Ph.D., has taught both the writing (Contemporary Issues) and the public speaking (Technical Communications) courses.

In the Contemporary Issues class, students work on preparing a résumé, drafting proposals and writing letters to potential employers. And, as of the 2017-18 school year, students in Tompkins' Technical Communications class have found themselves in the footlights.

"Much of the student feedback I received is that they especially needed help with public speaking," Tompkins says. "Personally, it was acting that got me out of my shell when I was younger. I decided to try the same with my students by giving them something many of them have never tried before."

Students select solo passages from the works of Shakespeare and perform before the class. They are graded on memorization, audience engagement and overall performance.

"It was definitely something new for me, but it really made me think about how to perform my piece," says Mia Sheppard, who took on the role of Juliet. "I had to think about how I needed to say something, rather than just focusing on the subject matter itself."

Tompkins intends to continue using acting assignments in his class. He believes it helps prepare students for the professional realm – especially as they move up the ladder. "Oftentimes in civil engineering, the higher you move up, the more you must rely on your communication skills," he says. "And typically, individuals who communicate better are more likely to earn promotions in the first place."

John C. Tompkins, Ph.D.

Making an IMPACT

Unsurprisingly, Tompkins' Contemporary Issues course was accepted into Purdue's curriculum improvement program called IMPACT (Instruction Matters: Purdue Academic Course Transformation). This spring, IMPACT experts will analyze the course and provide detailed reports on ways to improve the course and increase student engagement.

IMPACT is a highly sought-after program for faculty who want to put their classes under the microscope. Since its creation in 2010, the program has redesigned 120 courses at Purdue.

As of 2017, more than a dozen Lyles School faculty members have been accepted into the IMPACT program. They include Ernest Blatchley, Hubo Cai, Inez Hua, Judy Liu, Loring F. Nies, Arun Prakash, John C. Tompkins, Cary Troy, Satish Ukkusuri, William Weiss and Pablo Zavattieri.

For more information about the program, visit purdue.edu/impact.