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Interdisciplinarity at the University of Ottawa

At their annual retreat in December 2001, deans and members of the Administrative Committee decided to strike a task force that would study interdisciplinarity at the University of Ottawa and produce a discussion paper on the vision, coherence, objectives, relevance and governance of interdisciplinary programs and initiatives.

The task force was chaired by Susan Mann and its report is available online. The recommendations that follow have been approved by the Senate at its meeting of April 7, 2003.

In its discussions, the Academic Planning Committee recognized the following principles and believes they provide a solid conceptual framework for the recommendations:

• The Mann report proposes interdisciplinarity as a project, that is a course of action the University would like to take. The report also puts forward an institution-wide structure for future interdisciplinary activities, from both the teaching and research points of view.
• The University of Ottawa is a comprehensive university offering a wide range of outstanding undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. As such, it provides fertile ground for especially innovative interdisciplinary projects. (Source: Parameters Defining the University of Ottawa, 1998).
• We need to ensure that a number of clearly identified authorities at the University are given the responsibility of overseeing current and projected interdisciplinary activities, including both their management and their promotion.
• We also have to make every effort to give approved interdisciplinary initiatives the resources they need.
• Current disciplinary cores / centres of excellence must not be undermined; interdisciplinarity must instead be promoted as a complement to our current strengths.
• Many existing programs are intrinsically interdisciplinary; they have become so over time through either faculty or departmental structures. These channels of interdisciplinarity must be both preserved and enhanced.
• The University’s research centres and institutes are ideal settings in which to conduct interdisciplinary research.

RECOMMENDATIONS ON INTERDISCIPLINARITY
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA

I. PROVIDING A FRAMEWORK FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES

1. That the University’s interest in promoting and facilitating interdisciplinary initiatives be clearly indicated by a formal mandate of responsibility to the following people: vice-presidents (Academic and Research); associate vice-presidents (Academic and Research), deans and vice-deans (Programs and Research).
2. That the University community be kept informed of progress in interdisciplinarity through an annual report to Senate from the vice-presidents (Academic and Research), and reporting by Associate Deans at the Faculty level.
3. That the vice-deans (Programs and Research) and the Chief Librarian, individually and in concert across faculties, be the facilitators and problem-solvers for interdisciplinarity.
4. That regularly reviewed Strategic Areas of Development serve as an important vehicle for the promotion of interdisciplinary research.
5. That the University continue to promote organized interdisciplinary research activity in the form of institutes and centres, and ensure their quality and visibility.
6. That the collaborating units of all interdisciplinary programs, institutes and research centres specify formally their on-going commitment.
7. That all interdisciplinary programs be attached to and governed by one or more faculties.
8. That each interdisciplinary program have an active program committee with set guidelines for its operation.
9. That each interdisciplinary program (or group of programs) have a designated student advisor, within the parameters of the Connexions project.
10. That the functions of an interdisciplinary program director be akin to those of a departmental chair in the following regards: – participates in hiring, tenure and promotion recommendations, and – recommends courses to be offered, all in accord with collective agreement considerations.
11. That the different stakeholders of the University foster a sense of belonging among students in interdisciplinary programs.

II. EXPANDING INTERDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITY

12. That individual interdisciplinary courses (at least two disciplines) be developed as optional courses for any program and that students be encouraged to include some such courses in their programs.
13. That the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies facilitate graduate individualized interdisciplinary training within existing programs.
14. That the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies encourage centres to participate in the development of graduate programs.
15. That the University consider developing a University of Ottawa-specific honours undergraduate interdisciplinary program for a select group of motivated bilingual students (including international ones) who want a broad interdisciplinary, inter-faculty education at the B.A. level in preparation for, as an example, public service and international agency careers. Such a program should be in the image of the University of Ottawa, draw on and combine its strengths and ensure that the graduates appreciate global issues from a variety of perspectives. The program and its students could be “housed” in a virtual or real “college” (Bytown College?) which might in turn develop into the University’s College of Interdisciplinary Studies.

III. INVESTING FINANCIALLY IN INTERDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITY

16. That the promotion of interdisciplinary teaching or research be included as a criteria for the allocation of University research chairs.
17. That the University and/or faculties add new faculty positions for the express purpose of being partly in an interdisciplinary program and partly in a disciplinary program so that the impetus for interdisciplinarity come from the faculties also; that candidates be sought specifically for such collaborative ventures and that the collaboration be specified in the hiring contract.
18. That the University create an Interdisciplinary Program Development Fund to enable such things as the following to happen:
    – faculty training in interdisciplinary teaching;
    – interdisciplinary course, curriculum and program development;
    – visiting experts in interdisciplinarity (e.g. Schneider, Newell, Klein, Browne);
    – “graduate workshops” (modelled on those of the University of Chicago and perhaps as an elaboration of the existing Conférence interdisciplinaire annuelle de l’Association des étudiant(e)s diplômé(e)s.
19. That the University increase its contribution to the Interfaculty Collaborative Research Initiatives and that some of that money be earmarked for seed grants for the preparation of major interdisciplinary research grant proposals to outside agencies.
20. That the University reward interdisciplinary work with prizes (perhaps as part of the “Excellence in Education prizes”) and awards for outstanding achievement in interdisciplinary teaching, research, program development, thesis preparation.
21. That a new award be created for a team which distinguished itself in interdisciplinarity.
22. That the current needs and future potential for interdisciplinary programs and research be also part of the initial planning and design of any new building and of any building refurbishment project at the University of Ottawa.

IV. RESOLVING PRACTICAL ISSUES

23. In order to facilitate collaboration among participating units in an interdisciplinary program, the University should review the distribution of BIUs between “corridor” and “teaching” for such programs.
24. That the faculties ensure due recognition at the individual, unit, and grants administration levels of out-of-faculty thesis supervision and research collaboration.
25. That all space allocation decisions take into consideration
    a) the needs of existing interdisciplinary programs and research;
    b) the potential for interdisciplinary development when people and units are placed in non-traditional proximity.
26. That the interests of interdisciplinarity be an additional incentive to the University’s on-going efforts at harmonization of all academic program requirements, rules and procedures with a view to fewer and simpler such requirements, rules, procedures and more flexibility between and among faculties and programs.
27. That revisions to the collective agreement be undertaken to allow for / ensure
    a) joint chairs and joint appointments for those professors who wish to be formally attached to two different faculties;
    b) sensitivity to the nature and demands of interdisciplinarity in hiring, evaluation, tenure and promotion procedures and decisions.

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