Dear Paul
I have been involved with interdisciplinary units for some time and I can concur with the view that money is ften the reason why such units do not continue. Prior to becoming involved in my own interdiscilianry units, I was certainly aware of issues of transfer values between departments (worse between faculties where different rules apply!) and in many cases otherwise successful units foundered because one department or another didn't like paying up.
The current family of courses with which I have been involved has morphed and survived, though occasionally there have been quibbles about cash and 'ownership'. [I am attaching a PowerPoint presentation about the scope of these units]. The original unit in this sequence was supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering, so there was a bit of cash for developmental purposes but also kudos that participating departments could not afford to squander. The reports on that venture can be found at http://www.osier.ac.uk/164 and http://www.osier.ac.uk/165
You may also be interested in my chapter in Satu Peltola's "Wicked World: the spirit of wicked problems in the filed of higher education" http://theseus32-kk.lib.helsinki.fi/handle/10024/70069
or the chapter, with Charles Engel on "Dealing with Wicked Global Problems: An inter-disciplinary approach" http://celt.uwindsor.ca/ojs/leddy/index.php/CELT/article/view/3199
Do get back to me if I can help in any way.
Sincerely
Bland
C Bland Tomkinson BSc BA MEd PFHEA FAUA
Visiting Lecturer, University of Manchester
Special Consultant, South East University, Nanjing
Associate Editor, HERD
----Original message----
From : [log in to unmask]
Date : 04/03/2015 - 10:36 (GMTST)
To : [log in to unmask]
Subject : Key Issues in Setting up an Interdisciplinary Module
Dear All,
I've been asked to contribute to a budgetary costing proposal for a planned Faculty interdisciplinary module. The module is around the theme of Global Challenges, and it feeds into the strategy of producing graduates who are global citizens. The module will be at level 4 or level 5. Class size will be large >150
The deadline is very tight. I'm writing to ask if anyone has advice about key issues to be addressed and key costs to be identified.
Many thanks,
Paul
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