Several disciplines already draw from other specialties to solve problems. Medicine has always been interdisciplinary, counting on pharmacy, nursing, biomedicine, hospital administration, ethics, and other specialties to advance the field. However, both the President and the Provost emphasize that we have to do more. In her convocation speech of September 23, President Mary Sue Coleman made it clear that students' experiences have changed, and so have their needs. Students who grew up on television, computers and videos are accustomed to mixed ways of learning.
Students are facile at integrating different media and sources.
We need to show linkages across disciplines, not just within disciplines. We have to show them how to apply that knowledge in their intellectual and emotional development. Research alone won't do it. In the classroom, and in their work, students cannot rely on one discipline to learn problem-solving abilities. We must figure out how to evaluate and appreciate interdisciplinary work.