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Lack of funds among problems
stifling interdisciplinary classes
By Sandy Johnstone
Ot ttw EimhM
Bridging gaps between
departments with individual
courses seems like an obvious
way to fill educational holes, but
the problems facing interdisci
plinary classes often convert
gaps into caverns.
The most obvious problem is
budgetary With departments
already pared to the bone, some
professors have difficulty ra
tionalizing interdisciplinary
courses to the administrative
hierarchy when basic classes
are in jeopardy
“(Funding) is not an insur
mountable problem but it is not
easy to solve and we can't ig
nore it," says Robert Berdahl,
dean of the arts and sciences
college
So professors who want to
teach interdisciplinary courses
often must add them to their
regular load
The funding problems are
compounded if professors want
to team-teach a class. Hassles
arise about which professor’s
department will get credit for the
class Because each person
may put in as much time as for a
regular class, it is hard to ra
tionalize giving half credit for it
to each department, say several
University professors
But the problems don’t stop
with money.
Steven Lowenstam, head of
the humanities department, is
not sure interdisciplinary
courses are the best courses
because the professor may not
have enough knowledge of both
fields
Richard Stein, associate
English professor, adds the
students may have problems
Emerald graphic
PART III
INTERDISCIPLINARY
COURSES
because they may know much
about one field but only a little in
the other.
Considering all the
headaches professors seem to
inherit when teaching interdis
ciplinary courses, is it worth it?
‘‘Yes,” most would answer.
Professors who have taught in
terdisciplinary courses are
enthusiastic about them even as
they admit they were a hassle.
Professors center interdisci
plinary courses on the research
they're working on, so the
classes are more dynamic.
Carolin Keutzer, a psychology
professor, and Amit Goswami, a
physics professor, teach a
consciousness research class,
based on research they are col
laborating on
And while they enjoy teaching
together, both say teaching in
terdisciplinary courses can be
difficult when departments do
not want to release them from
their normal schedules.
Some professors have prob
lems finding someone compati
ble who shares their interest
Besides his work with
Keutzer, Goswami also has
taught an interdisciplinary
course called the Physics of
Science Fiction, which looks at
physical principles that are par
aphrased in science fiction li
terature.
"When the opportunity arose
and the physics department was
looking for new ideas in the
early 1970s, it was just a natur
al,” says Goswami. The first
time he offered the class in 1973
about 15 students enrolled, and
in 1981 the class attracted more
than 100 students
Goswami says using literature
and writing as part of the grad
ing process was a new exper
ience He says he stressed
physics over literature, but class
discussions on the literature of
ten arose
Clarence Thurber, interna
tional studies program director,
taught a course fall term on
world value systems that in
cluded about a dozen faculty
guest lecturers
Thurber says problems do
crop up when teaching such a
course International studies
grant money enabled him to
avoid money hassles, but he
confronted textbook availability
and organizational problems
But Thurber remains positive
about his interdisciplinary
course “Students are eating it
up."
Panel to contrast two religious sects
Fundamental differences between
Christianity and Judaism will be discussed by an
interfaith panel in a series of three monthly
dialogues beginning Wednesday
"In an informal seminar setting we hope to
probe those places where Christians and Jews
view theological and ethical issues very similarly
and also where they view them differently," says
Tom Heger, campus Presbyterian director
The discussions, titled "Living Toward the
Faithful Vision of a Good Society," will be held
Wednesdays in the EMU during the lunch hour
"There is no real dialogue" between the
Jewish and Christian faiths in this community.
Heger said He said he is hopeful the discussions
can develop an ongoing forum for Christian
Jewish talks.
The four panel members are Heber, Myron
Kinberg, Rabbi for Hlllel, a student Jewish organ
ization, Stacey Loeb, Hillel staff member and
Stewart Shaw, campus Methodist director All are
members of the Campus Interfaith Ministry
Only three of 10 faiths are participating in the
dialogues because "if we had waited for everyone
at Campus Interfaith Ministry to get on board it
never would have happened." Heger said
The topic of the first discussion is "Founda
tions of Faith " Differing Jewish and Christian
perceptions and interpertations of the "Messiah"
will be addressed
Heger termed the "Messiah" as God's
promise to his or her personal intervention in
human history " He said each panel member
would probably offer his or her own definition,
however
February's discussion is titled "Social and
Political Ethics." "Personal Ethics” will be dis
cussed in March
Oregon daily . .
emerald
The Oregon Daily Emerald is published Monday through ^ iiday
except during exam week and vacations, by the Oregon Daily
Emerald Publishing Co at the University of Oregon Eugene
OR 97403
The Emerald operates independently of the University with
offices on the third floor of the Erb Memorial Union and is a
member of the Associated Press
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