Resources now available
for longstanding objective

CMU for years has encouraged its faculty members to work together to create interdisciplinary programs, but ample time and funding haven’t been consistently available.

A project recently approved to receive CMU 2010 funding will help the university strengthen and expand its interdisciplinary program offerings.

The three-year initiative seeks to “establish coordinated support to strengthen learning, advising, and enrollments in existing interdisciplinary programs and, if funding permits, for the development of new ones.”

CMU currently offers 26 interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate programs, including neuroscience, environmental studies, integrative public relations, and the master of science in administration.

According to the “Strengthening CMU’s Interdisciplinary Programs” proposal, the Council of Deans addressed interdisciplinary programs at its 2005 summer retreat.

“From the meeting it was clear interdisciplinary programs will be essential to a sound portfolio of future academic programs and that CMU’s current means of supporting programs needs improvement,” the RFP reported.

Project objectives include strengthening learning, advising, and enrollment in existing interdisciplinary programs, engaging more students in interdisciplinary programs, and seeking outside funding to support and develop such programs.

“The interdisciplinary concept has been around for a long time,” said Denise Webster, director of curriculum and assessment and member of the interdisciplinary advisory committee. “We’re really looking first to focus on promoting and strengthening the interdisciplinary programs we have.”

Included in the proposal is providing release time for a full-time faculty member to serve quarter time as an interdisciplinary program coordinator and hiring an assistant coordinator to help with managing the projects.

“Our first goal is to get the coordinator and staff members on board,” Webster said.

Interviews for the assistant coordinator were conducted in early September, and Webster said the plan is to have a faculty member appointed by early next year. Interested faculty should watch the Faculty Personnel Services Web site – www.fps.cmich.edu – for a position description and application instructions. •