Sustaining Interdisciplinarity AT CSU CHANNEL ISLANDS Through Learning Communities & Organizational Structure Sustaining Interdisciplinarity AT CSU CHANNEL ISLANDS Through Learning Communities & Organizational Structure February 6, 2003

The Balancing Act Mission Student Focus Service Interdisciplinarity Innovation Scholarship Disciplinary excellence RTP Workload

Overview Interdisciplinary General Education Interdisciplinary Majors Interdisciplinary Learning (LC’s) Organizational Structure Interdisciplinary Scholarship

Interdisciplinary Majors B.S. Business (MGT, ECON, ENGL, MATH) B.S. in Environmental Science and Resource Management (ESRM, BIO, ECON, CHEM) B.A. in Liberal Studies, Concentrated and Interdisciplinary Studies Option (Student- Advisor designed Program of Study)

Interdisciplinary General Education 9 units of General Education as upper- division interdisciplinary coursework Courses must present multiple ways of knowing, content and ideas from two or more disciplines Substantive written work including in-class writing and revised prose

Interdisciplinary Upper-Division GE Drug Discovery and Development (ECON, CHEM, and BUS) Business and the American Novel (ECON, BUS, and ENGL) The Museum: Culture, Business, and Museum (ART, EDUC, BUS) Biomedical Imaging (PHYS and BIOL)

Learning Communities “A variety of approaches that link or cluster classes during a given term, often around an interdisciplinary theme, that enroll a common cohort of students.” From “Learning Community Models”, J. MacGregor, R. Matthews, B. Smith, and F. Gabelnick

Why Learning Communities at CSUCI? Responsive to needs of our students Commuters First-generation college students Culturally diverse Part-time and full-time students

Why Learning Communities at CSUCI? Research on retention and student learning Distinguishes program Operationalizes mission statement Integration of knowledge and interdisciplinarity Multiple ways of knowing and expressing Campus-wide community Experiential and service learning

Learning Community Models for Flexibility

Ways of Sustaining LC’s and Interdisciplinarity Summer institute and planning grants ($$) RTP: Scholarship and Creative Activities Weighted teaching load Peer mentor assignments Faculty fellows

Next Steps…. Pilot LCs 03-04, assess outcomes, implement, assess Create policies to assure LC sustainability re:. Workload, FTE allocation. Faculty development, RTP. Course planning $, division-wide curriculum process. Organize Academic Affairs to reflect interdisciplinarity

Liberal Studies Major Multiple-Subject Matter Preparation (120 units) + Teaching Credential (30 units) Blended Program: ~4 years and ~140 units Content and Pedagogy Courses

Liberal Studies LC Fall 2003

Proposed Blended Program LC’s