Making Making Interdisciplinary Interdisciplinary Education WorkEducation Work

Stephanie Pfirman, Barnard Stephanie Pfirman, Barnard CollegeCollege

Takes Faculty and Institutional Commitment

Part I: Environmental Program AnalysisPart I: Environmental Program Analysis Based on 2003-4 site visits to Environmental Based on 2003-4 site visits to Environmental

Programs at Liberal Arts Colleges for the Programs at Liberal Arts Colleges for the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation with Hall and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation with Hall and Tietenberg (forthcoming Tietenberg (forthcoming ES&TES&T Viewpoint Viewpoint article, and PKAL Resource)article, and PKAL Resource)

Part II: Institutionalization of Part II: Institutionalization of InterdisciplinaryInterdisciplinary Based on 2004 survey of CEDD Based on 2004 survey of CEDD

representatives with Collins, Lowes and representatives with Collins, Lowes and Michaels (Michaels (Chronicle of Higher EducationChronicle of Higher Education, , February 11, 2005 and PKAL Resource) February 11, 2005 and PKAL Resource)

Own experience: 12-year ES Dept. Chair, Own experience: 12-year ES Dept. Chair, House of Representatives, Environmental House of Representatives, Environmental Defense, AMNH, USGS, GEOMAR, ADVANCE Defense, AMNH, USGS, GEOMAR, ADVANCE co-PI co-PI

Part I: Environmental Program Part I: Environmental Program AnalysisAnalysis

Barnard, Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Colgate, Colorado Barnard, Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Colgate, Colorado College, Hobart & William Smith, Lewis & Clark, College, Hobart & William Smith, Lewis & Clark,

Middlebury, Mount Holyoke, WhitmanMiddlebury, Mount Holyoke, Whitman

Common Common DirectionsDirections

Local environmental Local environmental engagement and service engagement and service learninglearning

Interdisciplinary student Interdisciplinary student researchresearch

Building communityBuilding community Common spaces and Common spaces and

resources – connecting via resources – connecting via GIS GIS

Campus programmingCampus programming

Jill Bubier (Mt. Holyoke) and students at a wetland research site in New

Hampshire Photo by Ralph Morang

Common Common ChallengesChallenges

Staffing coursesStaffing courses Cross-departmental Cross-departmental

commitmentscommitments Team teachingTeam teaching

Staffing activitiesStaffing activities Balancing education Balancing education

and scholarshipand scholarship Program Program

managementmanagement

DiversityDiversity FacultyFaculty StudentsStudents

Junior people Junior people (women) in difficult (women) in difficult positions …positions …

Service Learning and Service Learning and Local Environmental Local Environmental EngagementEngagement Engages students intellectually and socially in tangible Engages students intellectually and socially in tangible

issuesissues Experience the complexity and pride in making a difference (Ward, Experience the complexity and pride in making a difference (Ward,

1999) 1999) Cognitive research shows that meaningful learning, as Cognitive research shows that meaningful learning, as

well as intellectual and social maturity (Baxter Magolda, well as intellectual and social maturity (Baxter Magolda, 1999), is stimulated when students1999), is stimulated when students:: Learn in connection with othersLearn in connection with others Actively build their own knowledgeActively build their own knowledge Apply their knowledge and share it with othersApply their knowledge and share it with others Encounter diverse perspectives that challenge their assumptionsEncounter diverse perspectives that challenge their assumptions Negotiate and build consensusNegotiate and build consensus Reflect on implicationsReflect on implications

Connects campuses with their surroundingsConnects campuses with their surroundings A sense of place, town/gown relationsA sense of place, town/gown relations

Analogous to investments in dance, theatre, music Analogous to investments in dance, theatre, music performances performances

Team Team TeachingTeaching

High overheadHigh overhead No established textbooks, problem sets, No established textbooks, problem sets,

slides and other teaching resourcesslides and other teaching resources Communication, pre-planning, double Communication, pre-planning, double

participationparticipation Factoring into teaching loadFactoring into teaching load

Pro-rate or double count?Pro-rate or double count? Continuity and sustainabilityContinuity and sustainability

Cross-department commitmentsCross-department commitments

Need for Program StaffNeed for Program Staff

Assisting studentsAssisting students Internships, service Internships, service

learninglearning CareersCareers Field activitiesField activities

Campus programmingCampus programming Campus greeningCampus greening Interdepartmental Interdepartmental

seminarsseminars Community Community

interactionsinteractions Sustaining involvement Sustaining involvement

in local issuesin local issues Promoting meaningful Promoting meaningful

civic engagementcivic engagement

Earth Pledge

RecommendationsRecommendations

Institutions should take responsibility Institutions should take responsibility for interdisciplinary programs and for interdisciplinary programs and facultyfaculty Invest in community building (on campus Invest in community building (on campus

and off)and off) Incentives and rewards for cross-Incentives and rewards for cross-

departmental contributionsdepartmental contributions Staff programsStaff programs Institutionalize faculty career pathInstitutionalize faculty career path

Part II: Institutionalization Part II: Institutionalization of Interdisciplinaryof Interdisciplinary

Students/Students/

CurriculumCurriculumMinorMinor ConcentrationConcentration

Special MajorSpecial MajorMajorMajor

AdministratiAdministrationon

CommitteeCommittee Center,Center,

Program,Program,

InstituteInstitute

InterdiscipliInterdisciplinarynary

DepartmentDepartment

FacultyFaculty DisciplinarDisciplinaryy

DepartmeDepartment-nt-

AffiliatedAffiliated

Adjunct,Adjunct,

Off-ladder,Off-ladder,

Joint HireJoint Hire

InterdiscipliInterdisciplinarynary

Department-Department-

Tenure-Tenure-tracktrack

Intersection of Faculty and Intersection of Faculty and Administration: Faculty Administration: Faculty “Home”“Home” Disciplinary department with committee, program, Disciplinary department with committee, program,

or center affiliationor center affiliation Program or center with department of convenienceProgram or center with department of convenience

Concerns with tenuring junior faculty, especially junior Concerns with tenuring junior faculty, especially junior womenwomen

Joint between two or more departmentsJoint between two or more departments Concerns with tenuring junior faculty, especially junior Concerns with tenuring junior faculty, especially junior

womenwomen Interdisciplinary departmentInterdisciplinary department

Reasons for Reasons for Making a Joint Making a Joint HireHire

?? An experimental entry into a new area, bridge- An experimental entry into a new area, bridge-building between departmentsbuilding between departments

$$ Funding windfall or grant Funding windfall or grant$$ Compromise deal cobbled together in the face of Compromise deal cobbled together in the face of

financial or political constraintsfinancial or political constraints$$ Shadow joint appointment where a center Shadow joint appointment where a center

without hiring authority helps fund hire into without hiring authority helps fund hire into disciplinary departmentdisciplinary department

Courtesy appointment so weighted towards one Courtesy appointment so weighted towards one of the partners that it functions more like a solo of the partners that it functions more like a solo hirehire Art Small, III

.

Center for Applied Probability An interdisciplinary

center concerned with uncertainty in all areas of human endeavor

Problems with Joint-Problems with Joint-Appointment, Junior, Appointment, Junior, Tenure-Track HiresTenure-Track Hires

?? Even if the chairs are committed and all Even if the chairs are committed and all agreements are put in writing, what agreements are put in writing, what happens to the junior hire when the happens to the junior hire when the chairs rotate off?chairs rotate off? Burden on junior hire to figure out how the Burden on junior hire to figure out how the

units will get along units will get along

$$ When the hire is sponsored by another When the hire is sponsored by another source (grant, center, or co-funded by source (grant, center, or co-funded by another department) the department another department) the department does not feel responsible for them in the does not feel responsible for them in the way that they do when they have to way that they do when they have to decide whether or not to invest their decide whether or not to invest their resources into this personresources into this person ““If they were really good enough, they would If they were really good enough, they would

have been hired the regular way”have been hired the regular way” Art Small, III

““You don’t You don’t adopt a adopt a child to child to

sort sort through through whether whether

or not you or not you want a want a

marriage”marriage”

Women and Women and InterdisciplinInterdisciplinary:ary:Promise and Promise and PerilPeril

As students, women are more likely to As students, women are more likely to major in Environmental Science/Studiesmajor in Environmental Science/Studies

As scholars, women are more likely to work As scholars, women are more likely to work on highly interdisciplinary researchon highly interdisciplinary research

A study by the Research Assessment Group in the United Kingdom found a striking gender difference at the high end in the number of intersecting research fields http://www.evaluation.co.uk/library/id/gender.htm

Characteristics of Characteristics of Men and Women?Men and Women?(Largely related to unconscious (Largely related to unconscious bias)bias)MenMen QuantitativeQuantitative ToughTough Self-driven, Self-driven, agentic (autonomous agentic (autonomous

action), instrumentalaction), instrumental IndependentIndependent AssertiveAssertive Self-promoting, take credit for Self-promoting, take credit for

successessuccesses CareeristCareerist Risky science within the Risky science within the

mainstream/consensus sciencemainstream/consensus science Focused, task orientedFocused, task oriented Quick to publish, get ideas outQuick to publish, get ideas out Productive Productive Competitive, Competitive, combativecombative Command-and-control leadership, Command-and-control leadership,

autocratic, directiveautocratic, directive Controlling, dominantControlling, dominant AggressiveAggressive

WomenWomen Relational, qualitativeRelational, qualitative Friendly, niceFriendly, nice Concerned about others and their Concerned about others and their

welfarewelfare HelpingHelping Socially sensitive, listeningSocially sensitive, listening CommunalCommunal Take blame for failuresTake blame for failures Less careeristLess careerist Interdisciplinary science, Interdisciplinary science, “niche?” “niche?”

sciencescience MultitaskingMultitasking Synthetic, Synthetic, complete, slow to complete, slow to

publish, perfectionist, cautious and publish, perfectionist, cautious and careful in their method, attentive careful in their method, attentive to details on the way to a to details on the way to a conclusionconclusion

Less/Less/not competitivenot competitive Consensus oriented, democratic Consensus oriented, democratic

leadershipleadership NuturantNuturant Emotionally supportiveEmotionally supportive

Virginia Valian

Characteristics for Disciplinary Characteristics for Disciplinary vs. Collaborative, vs. Collaborative, Interdisciplinary Science?Interdisciplinary Science?DisciplinaryDisciplinary QuantitativeQuantitative ToughTough Self-drivenSelf-driven IndependentIndependent AssertiveAssertive Self-promoting, take credit for Self-promoting, take credit for

successessuccesses CareeristCareerist Risky science within the Risky science within the

mainstream/consensus mainstream/consensus sciencescience

Focused, task orientedFocused, task oriented Quick to publish, get ideas outQuick to publish, get ideas out Productive Productive CompetitiveCompetitive Command-and-control Command-and-control

leadership (e.g. lab hierarchy)leadership (e.g. lab hierarchy)

Collaborative, Collaborative, InterdisciplinaryInterdisciplinary

Relational, qualitativeRelational, qualitative Friendly, niceFriendly, nice Concerned about others and Concerned about others and

their welfaretheir welfare HelpingHelping Socially sensitive, listeningSocially sensitive, listening CommunalCommunal Less careeristLess careerist Interdisciplinary scienceInterdisciplinary science MultitaskingMultitasking Synthetic Synthetic Not competitiveNot competitive Consensus oriented, Consensus oriented,

democratic leadershipdemocratic leadership

Criteria for Criteria for TenureTenure Does the candidate have scholarly quality of

mind? Is the candidate known for an important

advance? Is the candidate among the top in their field? Is the candidate productive? Does the candidate have grant support or other

forms of external validation? Is he or she an effective teacher? Is he or she engaged in and contributing to the

academic community? Is he or she on a trajectory indicating that they

will make significant contributions, and become a leader in the future?

Characteristics for Characteristics for Tenure in the Sciences …Tenure in the Sciences … QuantitativeQuantitative ToughTough Self-drivenSelf-driven IndependentIndependent AssertiveAssertive Self-promoting, take credit Self-promoting, take credit

for successesfor successes CareeristCareerist Risky science within the Risky science within the

mainstream/consensus mainstream/consensus sciencescience

Focused, task orientedFocused, task oriented Quick to publish, get ideas Quick to publish, get ideas

outout Productive Productive Enjoy competitionEnjoy competition

“Lured into collaborative research necessary for progress in an interdisciplinary

field, scholars are later held to the

standards of specific disciplines

[departments].” Chronicle, Feb 11

How to Hire How to Hire Interdisciplinary Interdisciplinary ScholarsScholars

Institutions around the country are beginning Institutions around the country are beginning to recognize a need to develop new procedures to recognize a need to develop new procedures for handling interdisciplinary scholars for handling interdisciplinary scholars When asked:When asked: “Do you have the process for “Do you have the process for

interdisciplinary hires and promotion codified?”interdisciplinary hires and promotion codified?”

16% said yes, and another 21% said that 16% said yes, and another 21% said that codification is underway (out of 19 responses)codification is underway (out of 19 responses)

As much as possible, the search and pre-As much as possible, the search and pre-tenure review committees and procedures tenure review committees and procedures should replicate what will be used for the should replicate what will be used for the recommendation for tenure recommendation for tenure

How to FosterHow to FosterInterdisciplinary ScholarsInterdisciplinary Scholars Facilitate productivityFacilitate productivity

PresentationsPresentations Co-teachingCo-teaching Grant supportGrant support Administrative supportAdministrative support

Facilitate visibility and networkingFacilitate visibility and networking TravelTravel Organize special sessions and workshopsOrganize special sessions and workshops Publish in full-text, on-line journalsPublish in full-text, on-line journals

Document contributions and impactDocument contributions and impact Informal advisingInformal advising Journal standingJournal standing Individual contribution to multi-authored publicationsIndividual contribution to multi-authored publications Citation analysisCitation analysis

Web of Science: Web of Science: Cited Reference Subject Cited Reference Subject CategoryCategory

 

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES 57% 16%

OCEANOGRAPHY 31% 57%

MARINE & FRESHWATER BIOLOGY 22% 9%

ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL 8%  

GEOGRAPHY, PHYSICAL 7% 13%

GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY 7% 40%

CHEMISTRY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY 4%  

ECOLOGY 4%  

FISHERIES 4%  

WATER RESOURCES 4%  

  (148%?) (133%?)

Web of Science: Web of Science: Cited Reference Author Cited Reference Author Category Category

Citing AuthorCiting AuthorBorga, K Norway

Skaare, JU Norway

Gabrielsen, GW Norway

Macdonald, RW Canada

Johansen, S Norway

Rigor, I US

Ritterhoff, J Germany

Wania, F Canada

Zauke, GP Germany

How To Tenure How To Tenure Interdisciplinary ScholarsInterdisciplinary Scholars Recognize and confront systemic issues so that the Recognize and confront systemic issues so that the

review committee does not see this particular review committee does not see this particular candidate as weak, just because these issues are candidate as weak, just because these issues are raised raised Letters from External Evaluators Comparison List Publications Honors Grant Support Teaching Advising National/International Committees/Leadership On Campus Participation

Add to the dossier, guidelines documenting Add to the dossier, guidelines documenting frequently asked questions …frequently asked questions …

“Frequently Asked Questions” (excerpt)

Letters from external evaluators Issues:

Few senior scholars who know and appreciate the new direction, especially when it calls into question a standard approach

Referees only know one aspect of the candidate’s work and may think that it is of limited utility, may not see the whole picture

Difficulties in defining a peer group for comparison that is known by many referees

Recommendations Use “Cited Reference” WoS tool to help identify referees and

peers – beyond the usual suspects Include an external expert in the field on the tenure review

committee Modify standard tenure letter to acknowledge interdisciplinary

case In half of the 12 cases reported in our CEDD survey, when In half of the 12 cases reported in our CEDD survey, when

letters were sent to external evaluators, they were letters were sent to external evaluators, they were specifically asked to comment on interdisciplinary specifically asked to comment on interdisciplinary contributions and impactcontributions and impact

“Exciting thinking often lies at the borders of academic disciplines, and neither scholarship nor teaching should be constrained by the boundaries of disciplinary training.” “[C]itizenship with its challenge of solving complex problems, and scholarship as an intellectual pursuit, cannot be limited by these [departmental] distinctions.” UNC website

Institutions serious about interdisciplinary scholarship and education need to recognize the inherent institutional and personnel development challenges, and then create a culture, implement procedures, and allocate resources that will allow interdisciplinary scholars and students to thrive and prosper

ConclusionConclusion