Interdisciplinary Alliances & Innovation

We educate our students in specific disciplinary fields with an interdisciplinary viewpoint. Bridging connection points between disciplines sparks the kind of discovery, creation, and innovation that is the hallmark of our college. We build our students’ capacity to experience and understand humanity and the world in ways that are different from other institutions. This enables our students to pursue meaningful careers and a life of substance.

The Dean’s Innovation Fund provides essential resources to support faculty and student projects, equipment, travel, and cross-departmental events. These resources are the seeds from which great ideas, experiences, and solutions grow in support of our Roadrunner commitment to “changemakers.”

Inviting and hosting various experts to our campus to interact with our students as lecturers, visual artists, moderators, performers, inventors, and motivators is an essential component of a meaningful education. The Dean’s Office is happy to supply up to $2,000 for cross- and interdisciplinary events that enhance curriculum, make connection points across disciplinary practice, and demonstrate the vital need for broad, liberal arts and sciences education.

While co-teaching models exist in select areas of higher education, the practice has not been utilized to a great extent outside of teacher-preparation and health-related programs. A major component of our mission emphasizes an education for our students to “understand the intersectional qualities of humanity and thought.” With that in mind, it is imperative that we approach new models of content delivery for today’s students. Through the operationalization of co-teaching, we can provide a vibrant, multi-beneficial learning environment.