The College of Liberal Studies is hosting a workshop to teach interdisciplinary techniques to OU faculty.
"Innovations in Interdisciplinary Writing and Teaching" will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, in the Forum A conference room of Thurman White Hall. Lunch will be served at noon in the Commons Restaurant. There is no charge for either the workshop or the lunch, and the first 50 attendees will receive a $50 gift certificate from the University Bookstore. Ninety faculty members have signed up for the workshop so far, said Frank Rodriquez, coordinator of Undergraduate Programs.
"The interdisciplinary writing and teaching workshop will be a participant activity to help faculty improve their teaching and writing from a holistic and interdisciplinary perspective," said Trent Gabert, associate dean of the College of Liberal Studies.
The college requires significant interdisciplinary course work in the areas of humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, Gabert said. The main purpose of the workshop is to teach faculty to become better instructors in interdisciplinary teaching, he said.
Liberal studies programs require the students to enhance their critical thinking, essentially to look at the big picture, Rodriquez said. Liberal studies students have an average age of 40, and most students have come back to complete their degrees, he said. These students can't follow the traditional degree format, which is why the college is called a "second-chance college."
The workshop will feature two guest speakers: Carolyn Haynes, director of University Honors Program at Miami (Ohio) University, and Marcia Seabury, professor of English and former director of the All-University Curriculum at Hartford University, West Hartford.
"The consultants will emphasize interdisciplinary teaching as part of scholarship, help instructors understand that disciplinary foundations form the basis of interdisciplinary teaching, learn techniques for searching for and using interdisciplinary literature in teaching and scholarship and how interdisciplinary teaching can be conducted effectively in online courses," Gabert said. "We are especially interested in the latter item as we will begin totally online bachelor and master-level degree programs in the College of Liberal Studies in the fall."
Faculty wishing to attend the workshop must R.S.V.P. to the college by contacting Lura Hindman at 325-1061 or (800) 522-4389, or by e-mailing her at lura@ou.edu.
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