By Dean Saitta, Department of Anthropology
About five years ago, American scientific and educational organizations—including the National Science Foundation, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Association of Universities—produced a bumper crop of reports suggesting that interdisciplinary teaching and research was the wave of the future in higher education. Since that time many universities (some more than others) have been experimenting with strategies to promote interdisciplinary and collaborative work. DU is now looking to better invest in such work as one part of its Strategic Positioning Initiative.
I’m a member of the Strategic Positioning Committee charged with developing three priorities for interdisciplinary work on campus. Other committee members include Phoenix Cai (Law, Co-Chair), Barbara Wilcots (AP Graduate Studies, Co-chair), Doug Allen (DCB), Andy Goetz (Geography), Frank Laird (JKSIS), Julia McGahey (AP Planning and Budget), Nicole Nicotera (GSSW) and Tim Weaver (SAAH). Chris Riordan (Dean, DCB) and James Herbert Williams (Dean, GSSW) are ex officio members. We’d like to use this blog to solicit ideas and stimulate conversation about priority development and the strategies we might use at DU to better promote interdisciplinary teaching and research.
