Valid. But software engineering, a relatively new inclusion to the field of engineering (and the subject of a debate over whether it’s engineering at all or something else entirely), was presumably outside of the spectrum Fear Itself was referring to, which is the EE/ME/CE triad. Software engineering also involves much more writing than other traditional engineering fields (IIUC) and anyway most popular coding languages’s commands are based on actual English words, so good spelling by contact is almost a given.
FWIW, my dad’s in a traditional engineering field and his spelling is among the worst of any highly-educated person I know. His grammar, though, is nearly impeccable. Go figure.
Accredited engineering programs (including ME/IE/EE/CE, as well as aero and software engineering, among others) are required to “demonstrate that their graduates have… an ability to communicate effectively.” Exactly how that is demonstrated is up to the program itself, but it’s typically understood that engineering graduates should be able to put together a written report as well as oral presentations. Program evaluators would typically look for evidence that students are required to do this somewhere in the curriculum, and look for evidence that these reports/presentations are of some reasonable quality.
Which, (to reply to myself) neither negates nor supports Jim’s point. However, it’s interesting to note that of all required skills, engineering employers rank the “communication” as the most important , ahead of (by a nose) such things as “applying engineering” and “engineering problem solving.” (According to a recent report (pdf).) However, a full 25% of employers consider recent graduates to not be adequately prepared in communication skills. So. Reason enough to think this is an area where curricula could be improved.