Roundtable

The Keck/PKAL Facilitating Interdisciplinary (ID) Learning Project Roundtable

April 11 - 13, 2008

Timber Ridge Conference Center
Mableton, Georgia (outside Atlanta)

Our goal for this meeting is to distill the essence of the project, and to outline the multi-year agenda to address three systemic ID issues:

  • what is to be taught and how (general education, majors, minors, programs, etc.)
  • the institutional infrastructures and leadership issues that need to be addressed if ID learning is to be facilitated
  • how we assess the efficacy of ID learning.

For additional background on the entire project please see the project website.

Roundtable Participants:

  • A. Malcolm Campbell, Professor of Biology, Founding Director of the Genome Consortium for Active Teaching (GCAT) & Founding Director of the James G. Martin Genomics Program— Davidson College
  • Katayoun Chamany, Associate Professor of the Science, Technology and Society Program— Eugene Lang College, The New School for Liberal Arts
  • Susan Elrod, Director of Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education— California Polytechnic State University- San Luis Obispo
  • Shannon K. Gilmartin, Research Scientist-SKG Analyst
  • Jeff Hollerman, Associate Professor of Psychology— Allegheny College
  • Richard Hughes, Transformation Chair— United States Air Force Academy
  • Scott Jiusto, Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary & Global Studies— Worcester Polytechnic Institute
  • John Jungck, Mead Chair of the Sciences & Professor of Biology— Beloit College
  • Edward Katz, Dean for University Programs— University of North Carolina- Asheville
  • Bruce Keith, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs— United States Military Academy at West Point
  • Michael Kerchner, Associate Professor of Psychology— Washington College
  • Ishrat Khan, Professor of Chemistry— Clark Atlanta University
  • David Lopatto, Professor of Psychology— Grinnell College
  • R. Heather Macdonald, Chancellor Professor & Chair of Geology— College of William & Mary
  • Jose Mestre, Professor of Physics— University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Jeanne Narum, Director— Project Kaleidoscope
  • Wendy Newstetter, Director of Learning Sciences Research in the Department of Biomedical Engineering— Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Stephanie Pfirman, Professor & Chair of Environmental Science— Barnard College
  • David Van Wylen, Associate Dean for Natural Sciences & Mathematics— St. Olaf College
  • Margrit von Braun, Dean of the College of Graduate Studies— University of Idaho
  • Phillip Wankat, Clifton L. Lovell Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering & Engineering Education & Director of Engineering Education Undergraduate Degree Programs— Purdue University
  • J. Lynn Zimmerman, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Programs— Emory University

    • Readings and Resources:

    1. Interdisciplinary Education at Liberal Arts Institutions by Diana Rhoten, et al.

    2. Interdisciplines
      Several short pieces on various aspects of interdisciplinary education
    3. Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Programs: Issues and Considerations by Susan Elrod
    4. Difference by Scott E. Page
      Contents and Excerpts- Intro particularly regards diversity and interdisciplinarity
    5. Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research from the National Academies
      There are a number of recommendations for undergraduate programs throughout this report (e.g., pp. 61-69, 94-97, 172-179).

    Presentations:

    Panel II: What Does an Interdisciplinary STEM Curriculum Look Like?
    Panel IV - Goal II: Institutional Structures
    PKAL-Keck Interdisciplinary Project Overview
    Workshop on the Life Cycle of Interdisciplinary Programs