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*  Status as of October 1995:                                        *
*  Passed by the Senate and transmitted to the Administration        *
*   for approval and implementation                                  *
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MICHIGAN
TECHNOLOGICAL
UNIVERSITY                                    University Senate
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                          PROPOSAL 37-95

  STATEMENT OF THE VALUE OF INTERDISCIPLINARY SCHOLARSHIP AND TEACHING


MTU must play a role in developing both the tools and the understanding
needed to build a sustainable future.  Sustainable technologies will
require complementary, integrated contributions from a wide range of
disciplines.  Solutions to large scale problems are increasingly beyond the
scope of a single discipline.  Interdisciplinary scholarship and teaching
allow the rapidly expanding base of disciplinary knowledge to be integrated
and applied to new questions and situations of global importance.  Faculty
have a primary responsibility to lead students beyond the traditional
boundaries of their major disciplines and their familiar institutions into
a wider world of diversity and complexity.  Experience with interdisciplin-
ary projects and perspectives helps students find a place in the forefront
of pioneering efforts to solve society's complex problems. Interdisciplin-
ary research also provides opportunities for students to carry out
innovative projects as members of teams. Collaboration among faculty from
different disciplines contributes to a more cohesive university community
of scholarship.

Interdisciplinary scholarship and teaching are recognized as having special
value within the MTU community. The University acknowledges that additional
time and effort are required for successful interdisciplinary collabora-
tion, and is committed to rewarding these efforts.  In particular,
promotion and tenure evaluations shall recognize interdisciplinary teaching
and scholarship as indicators of leadership in going beyond traditional
boundaries, and worthy of special consideration.
                                                                  
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Development of Proposal

Apr 1995: MTU Initiative for the Environment Interdisciplinary Working
          Group forwards statement to the Senate for approval and inclusion
          in the Faculty Handbook.

Apr 1995: Senate Officers assign statement Proposal 37-95.

Oct 1995: Senate editorially amends and approves Proposal 37-95.

Oct 1995: Proposal 37-95 is transmitted to the Administration.
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