Page 7 - Inroads 9-1-2015.indd

September 1, 2015 Features Page 7

Pathways to Interdisciplinarity

Dear IDS Nation: Welcome to the fall 2015 semester! We are looking forward
to seeing each one of you in our offices when you need advising and/or when you
have an idea for program improvements. This summer our IDS staff worked hard to
develop Integrative Learning Plans that emphasize our students’ interests in com-
munity service and in cultural, environmental and educational enhancements. Our
new IDS concentration titles will take effect in fall 2016. Here are the titles: Behav-
ioral Studies, Business and Urban Society, Community and Leadership Develop-
ment, Cultural and Environmental Studies, Public Health, Urban Education and
Family Development.
In addition, this summer I met with Professor John Hazlett, Director of Inter-
Dr. Elaine Brooks national Studies, in order to develop a new cross-enrollment course in methodolo-
Academic Director gies of interdisciplinary studies and international studies from an interdisciplinary

approach. IDS majors and IS majors will study interdisciplinary models that encompass a variety of disciplines:
anthropology, political science, cultural studies, and geography. The new Introduction to Interdisciplinary Stud-
ies course will become a required course for all majors in IDS and IS starting in fall 2016. Professor Hazlett and
I will team teach the new course, which will be taught online.
Our internship course, IDS 3096, has become a popular choice among our IDS majors. There are eight IDS
interns working this fall semester in many different community venues. This summer two interns in IDS 3096
successfully completed internships at Carver Theater and WGNO. IDS interns work 20 hours a week and com-
plete a weekly journal, which is incorporated into a 10-page paper or a portfolio that represents their internship
duties.
We are very proud of our IDS majors whose professional and academic achievements continue to enhance
our UNO community and the New Orleans region. Stay tuned as we have a few IDS events this fall that will cel-
ebrate our IDS students and the IDS degree program. We hope that you will be able to celebrate with us!

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In coming issues, we will discuss ways in which you can put StrengthsQuest to work for you. To learn more,
and to take the assessment, visit UNO’s StrengthsQuest page and like us on Facebook.