Also, the overwhelming majority of the participants were untenured assistant professors. There was a reminder that taking a risk means inviting failure and that young faculty need an avenue to safely fail and learn from failure. After each of the presentations, there were opportunities for small-group discussion. This is primarily because teaching outside of one's expertise involves significant learning. Communication between administration, faculty, and students about the costs and benefits of interdisciplinary courses is essential, particularly for untenured faculty that are heavily invested in such courses.
Interdisciplinary courses work best in campus environments that encourage and support risk-taking.