Administration of cross-college interdisciplinary academic programs

Jamie Dyer

Interim Dean of Interdisciplinary Studies, Mississippi State University

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of EAB.

As the industry responds to changing needs for employee skills and knowledge that bridge multiple disciplines, higher education institutions must respond by providing interdisciplinary educational pathways. These pathways must be relevant to workforce needs, dynamic in their structure, and reflective of an institution’s expertise and mission.

As Mississippi State University has a faculty with strong research and teaching records across a variety of departments, colleges, and centers, there is a need to establish a framework for the development of academic programs that cross college boundaries to meet the rapidly–changing educational requirements of current and future students.

Students earning a degree in an interdisciplinary program would have a “heavy foot” in the program, but would then have a “light foot” in a traditional department defined by the chosen concentration within the degree curriculum. Gen ed and core coursework define the multi-disciplinary framework of the program, while the concentration coursework (which includes a capstone or integrative project) would leverage the degree to be fully interdisciplinary.

Initial advising would be done through the interdisciplinary program office, while an advisor in the concentration department would become involved during the  concentration-specific coursework. In this way, a student would reside within the department associated with their concentration but would be affiliated with the interdisciplinary program.

To highlight the collaborative aspect of interdisciplinary programs and minimize the impression of competition, both units would share recruitment and advising efforts to maximize student interest and success. Incentivizing faculty to become involved in interdisciplinary programs is critical to their success, especially in terms of credit towards promotion and tenure; therefore, consideration must be given to how administrators recognize and reward faculty involvement in the development of related programs.

To serve as a catalyst between administrators and faculty and facilitate faculty-led development efforts, Mississippi State has developed a new position of dean of interdisciplinary studies. This position provides a mechanism for faculty to communicate directly with the administration and allows the dean to communicate directly with other senior administrators to discuss opportunities and challenges. This proactive approach is vital to ensure future programs share a consistent governance structure, and that all program committees have equal exposure to an administration that is focused on the successful and sustainable development of interdisciplinary degree programs.