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Thriving in Academe
Issues To Consider

Interdisciplinary Teams
Four Questions To Enhance Your Efficiency

When should students begin interdisciplinary studies?
Some educators say it's impossible to engage in interdisciplinary study until one is well-grounded in a single discipline. One can't do biochemistry without a foundation in biology and chemistry, and that may indeed be the case for that particular interdisciplinary subject. Many other interdisciplinary courses, however, don't require such a foundation and often work well even as seminars for first-year students. The answer to the question, therefore, is: It depends. Clear thinking about the issue of appropriate prerequisites can save a lot of grief both for teachers and students.

Will students like interdisciplinary courses?
Don't assume that everyone will. Some students want to take courses that march steadfastly forward one chapter after the next in a standard textbook. They may not be accustomed to having to consider conflicting viewpoints or—horrors—hearing teachers disagree. An interdisciplinary course can be messy and disquieting for students unless the values of such a course are made clear and student misgivings are seriously addressed.

Will students understand and value interdisciplinary connections?
Probably not automatically. The connections, conflicts, and multiple viewpoints will need to be identified and interpreted far more frequently than the teachers imagine. But then, how long did it take for the teachers to see the connections? Why should students quickly connect what has been separated for most of their experience in school? After all, English is not history, and history is not art; history is a major subject, and art is a minor subject, right?

Should the team maintain a united front with students?
When it comes to matters of class assignments, grading, and classroom behavior, members of the team need to agree upon and stand by the rules. Divide and conquer is an old strategy, and although students didn't invent it, some are skilled at using it. On the other hand, teachers surely need not worry about having a united position on the subject. Multiple viewpoints, unresolved conflicts, tensions, paradoxes, ambiguities—isn't this the very essence of interdisciplinary studies?

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