TCU creates School of Interdisciplinary Studies

This summer, following the university’s regular review of academic programs and structures, changes were made to a number of programs to ensure that TCU is creating opportunities that best facilitate student success. A significant change of note is the creation of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, which brings together both academic programs, to showcase best practices in research and teaching, and academic initiatives, to model innovative, high-impact practices for delivering new methods of study.

Comprising both the Comparative Race & Ethnic Studies and Women & Gender Studies flagship departments, as well as Ranch Management, Intensive English, FrogFolio/Forum and the Idea Factory, the school is a result of a task force formed in 2017 to provide advice on interdisciplinarity at TCU and analysis of peer and aspirant institutions with innovative interdisciplinary programs.

“Institutions of higher education bring together the best and brightest; however, they are often siloed, forcing faculty members to spend time and energy working to secure resources and students to miss out on interdisciplinary projects,” said Karen Steele, Ph.D., associate vice provost and dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies. “TCU’s leadership recognized the opportunity to reduce these barriers and foster lateral collaboration to draw upon the expertise and innovation of multiple disciplines.”

Students will learn by comparing and contrasting concepts across different disciplinary boundaries, then applying that knowledge to refine critical thinking and problem-solving skills—a liberal arts education model in action. Faculty will benefit from interdisciplinary collaborations that nurture leading-edge research projects, contribute to innovation in scholarship and build lasting partnerships with colleagues, providing a pathway to increased productivity and recognition. Steele believes the collaborative mindset of the school will help to “reinvigorate the home disciplines of our faculty.”

While the school is in its infancy, Steele plans to model best practices in interdisciplinarity to help transform TCU into a truly collaborative university with defined functions and plans for success. She has identified many opportunities for growth, including the addition of dedicated, full-time faculty for WGST and CRES, focusing on diversity in the recruitment and hiring process and the development of additional masters and doctoral programs.

The academic programs

CRES, which launched in 2017, studies diverse cultures and explores race and ethnicity as active, social, political, historical and cultural processes.

TCU’s Intensive English Program helps students to communicate thoughtfully and actively in English to advance their academic, professional and personal goals.

The Ranch Management Program trains students to meet the challenges of agricultural resource management, including commodity investment, agricultural marketing, international trade and ranch management.

Newly launched as an academic department, WGST has been putting women, gender and sexuality at the center of academic investigation at TCU for more than 24 years. Programs promote the analysis of gender with other identity categories, power in society and the means of advancing social justice and equality.

The academic initiatives

FrogFolio is an electronic portfolio where students can showcase their learning experiences and outcomes.

The TCU IdeaFactory is an innovative unit that helps students take ideas from concept to prototype and beyond. The interdisciplinary environment encompasses, for example, graphic design, web/app programming, preliminary market analysis, manufacturing and testing.