As university master planners and administrators declared the construction of a new health science building as the university’s number one priority going into the 2015 legislative session, some faculty and administrators are working to promote the school’s liberal arts mission by instituting and promoting learning communities, or interdisciplinary classes.

Three classes have already been added for the fall 2014 semester with a fourth class awaiting approval. These learning communities will join two classes so that incoming freshmen enrolled in the political science class will be simultaneously enrolled in the respective English course.

“Learning communities are something that have been going on in higher-ed for a long time. Literally decades,” Keith Lamb, vice president of student affairs and enrollment management, said. “So it’s not a new fad or anything, and quite frankly it’s something that we need to do here.”

Lamb said the initial courses will only be offered to freshman core classes because he hopes the interdisciplinary courses will increase engagement of incoming students.

“Since learning communities have been going on for a number of years there’s a lot of evidence that suggests it does a few things when they’re constructed properly,” Lamb said. “We want our incoming students to engage with the campus life and with faculty a little quicker than they have in the past and we have not created a structure, until now, that allows them to do so.”

Lamb said, the three approved classes include: a political science course paired with English, Intro to Mass Communication paired with Sociology, and Foundations of Business paired with English.

“What that does is it allows the faculty members to work together on themes when appropriate. You may look at that subject matter through a political science lens or you may look at it through an English lens and kind of see how problems can be looked at through different disciplines,” Lamb said. “I think that’s one of the hallmarks of a liberal arts institution: interdisciplinary work.”

While learning communities are still being implemented, Todd Giles, assistant professor of English, is already working to promote interdisciplinary education in his courses.

“My class is focused on American literature and art and music but being more well-rounded makes for more critical thinking, for more compassion, and thus I think better citizens,” Giles said. “This is, in my mind, what a liberal arts education is all about. It’s not about just coming to school to learn a specific trade, which I have no problem with students who come in and already know, ‘this is what I want to do for a living,’ but the importance of a liberal arts education is for broadening one’s world view.”

Giles’ Post-WWII Literature and Art course works like a traditional literature class, but extra instruction on art and history will provide further context and instruction for the students. Giles said he invited Ann Marie Leimer, chair of the art department, to teach his students how to look at art.

“The reason Dr. Leimer is here in this class today is because she’s an art historian,” Giles said. “I know the period I study really well, historically, but she has the tools as an art historian to help my students learn how to look at abstract art at a level that I don’t because I’m not trained in that.”

Cody Parish, senior in English, and enrolled in Giles’ course said traditional literature classes aren’t necessarily missing art or history instruction but as long as it’s planned right, will benefit the students.

“I had an inside scoop that it was going to be interdisciplinary and that’s really what excited me about it,” Parish said. “I really enjoyed the idea of having an art-driven literature course combining different disciplines.”

Parish also agreed with Lamb’s sentiment that Midwestern is behind the curve in offering courses like this, saying it could increase enrollment.

“That’s something that you see at a D1 school that is innovative and we need to bring that to MSU. If we’re going to increase enrollment, increase retention,” Parish said. “We need state-of-the-art classes, and those classes now are moving towards interdisciplinary work, especially at a liberal arts college like MSU. We need to bring those classes that students want to have.”

Lamb said learning communities have been around for so long that a lot of evidence exists to support their implementation, such as the skills students gain from interdisciplinary coursework.

“Being able to work on a team and work with others and being able to see problems from different viewpoints. That’s part of changing your view and challenging your values, and all of that happens in college,” Lamb said. “I hope that our faculty see it that way too, and I hope they enjoy the ability to work with faculty in other disciplines on shared issues.”

Giles said he sees himself as a proponent for the liberal arts and humanities, so he offers students extra credit to branch out from their chosen discipline and attend theatrical productions or gallery openings.

“It’s not about the extra credit, it’s about inviting students to get the full liberal arts experience,” Giles said. “It’s about thinking outside the confines of our little disciplines and utilizing the resources on campus.”

Rachael Krygsman, senior in English, is also enrolled in Giles’ class and said she admires his passion for promoting well-rounded learning, but he alone can’t facilitate such a dynamic shift in MSU’s academic landscape.

“A good body of students would have to desire this. It needs to catch on pretty fast and there needs to be pressure on the professors,” Krygsman said. “In your college years you’re just too young to get stuck into one set idea. You need to be open.”

While Giles can’t do it alone, Parish said the assistant professor is on the right track.

“Dr. Giles has yet to have a class not make it seems, and he always incorporates art elements and music elements in his classes, so obviously something is going right,” Parish said. “There should be some pressure from at least the department to branch out. I know there are professors here who have been teaching the same courses with the same books year after year after year, and they’re not changing it. I think part of that is because there’s not pressure to be creative.”

While some professors may fear backlash from their department superiors, Provost Betty Stewart said faculty should have no concerns as long as students are learning.

“Some faculty at Midwestern may not be interested in participating in learning communities while others may be very much interested,” Stewart said. “Regardless of their interests, we are all at the university to help educate students. If learning communities help students succeed, then we have done our jobs as educators.”