Guidelines for Interdisciplinary Minors and Majors

1. All interdisciplinary minors and majors should have either a required introductory course, capstone, or experience type course that pulls together the various interdisciplinary threads.
2. At least one-third (defined as such in the course syllabus) of the content of a course included in an interdisciplinary minor or major must be relevant to the subject of the minor and major.
3. Students must take courses from at least two disciplines or courses that are explicitly multidisciplinary.
4. A complete or substantial list of courses that constitute the interdisciplinary minor or major should be published in the catalog.
5. Proposals for interdisciplinary minors and majors must indicate, by signature of the department chair, an explicit commitment by the department to deliver courses designated as part of the interdisciplinary minor or major.
6. All of the guidelines above will apply to all new interdisciplinary programs and all existing programs. Existing programs have a period of two years to comply with these guidelines and must report their progress to the Speaker of the Faculty before the start of the second year.
7. Program directors for interdisciplinary programs should normally receive a stipend and/or course release.

Note: from item 6, April 2004 will mark the end of the two years allowed for compliance with these guidelines.

Guidelines approved by Senate April 2, 2002.