a collaboratory to support interdisciplinary projects
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A Collaboratory to Support Interdisciplinary Projects. Robin Burke Greg Scott Mess Hall May 19, 2014. Outline. Innovation task force Obstacles to innovation A proposal. Innovation Task Force. Charged with proposing mechanisms for enhancing academic innovation at DePaul Two main areas - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
A Collaboratory to Support Interdisciplinary ProjectsRobin BurkeGreg ScottMess HallMay 19, 2014
Outline Innovation task force Obstacles to innovation A proposal
Innovation Task Force Charged with proposing mechanisms for
enhancing academic innovation at DePaul
Two main areas Curriculum Delivery
The Role of Faculty
Tenure-Track Faculty Essential, but Expensive Long-term investment Profitability depends on “filling the seats” Passive Depreciates over time Fungible Consumer of institutional
resources
Alternative Metaphor
Tenure-Track Faculty Essential, but Expensive Long-term investment Source of energy Fuels the institution
Key findings I DePaul is relatively nimble
much easier for us to introduce new, high-quality programs
new programs tend to grow both students and revenue
But the process is unfocused, “hero-driven” support for new programs is lacking
marketing is a weak spot
Key findings II Cross-disciplinary collaboration is
particularly hard Many structural disincentives
college-centered metrics majors, FTEs, etc.
college-centered resource allocation budget, faculty lines, space, etc.
But the future is interdisciplinary
Deans’ concept AVP for Innovation
external market research: what are the needs?
internal capabilities: what can we do?
resources funding to the deans to launch and market programs
Top-down process administrators are visionaries faculty are implementers
Not interdisciplinary
An Alternative View Support faculty collaboration esp. across
disciplines Attack structural obstacles directly Let innovation arise from creative
interchange
CIRSCI Collaboratory for Interdisciplinary
Research, Scholarship and Curricular Innovation
Support faculty (esp. across colleges) to work jointly on research and curriculum projects
Email me [email protected] for a copy of the proposal
Four strategies Relax the rules
make it possible to experiment Make time
lower the cost of innovation Make space
need to be together to work together Don’t break what’s working
federate existing interdisciplinary centers
Fiscal Reality Difficult to get resources in the current
climate But innovation doesn’t come for free
Signs of progress Faculty Council Resolution on Collaboration
Approved by Faculty Council March 5 Approved by the Provost March 24
Main points QIC / URC set-asides for cross-college projects University-wide programs (Liberal studies, Honors and
Study Abroad) should support collaborative courses Faculty Council will work the Academic Affairs:
a number of potential initiatives including: “exploring ways to create free-standing units at the
university level (rather than in a particular college) to house collaborative work”
Discussion Let’s talk about collaboration
what do we need? how do we get there?
Resolution Approved by Faculty Council March 5 Endorsed by the Provost March 24