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The need for more interdisciplinary collaboration throughout the University of Maine was stressed at an installment in the Interdisciplinary Research Initiative discussion series on Thursday in Stodder Hall.
Linda Silka, director of the Margaret Chase Smith Public Policy Center, facilitated the discussion.
Members of the faculty and administration, as well as others affiliated with the campus, met to brainstorm strategies for implementing UMaine President Paul Ferguson’s Blue Sky Project, overseen by the Strategic Planning Initiative.
The goal of the SPI is to create a realistically ambitious report of changes to improve all aspects of the university. According to a message from Ferguson posted on the SPI’s website, the Blue Sky Project will be unveiled in April.
The project seeks to establish a firm understanding of the state of the university, collaborate on a vision for UMaine’s trajectory over the next five to seven years and place all that information in a fiscally responsible framework.
This is not the first discussion the university has had of this nature, but enhanced cooperation between all university departments and offices is expected to yield different results this time.
“The great thing is we are doing this together again,” Silka said.
The Interdisciplinary Research Initiative works toward cooperation between departments. Some areas have historically had joint appointments.
“In the library, we have been in collaboration on many projects and it has enriched us. But collaboration is hard,” said Gretchen Gfeller, head of public relations for Fogler Library.
Dan Sandweiss, dean and associate provost for graduate studies, praised graduate students for pushing faculty toward change.
“Grad students take us on that journey faster than we are ready,” he said.
“Students have a much broader thought on what they want to bring to their world,” said graduate student Jane Forrester-Winne.
It was suggested during discussion that the faculty that has been around the longest is the most resistant to change, and the idea of focusing on interdisciplinary research is no exception.
“Reach out to those pulling back to give them that support system to branch out,” Gfeller said, suggesting a way to increase the campus’ comfort with research or programs that cross disciplinary lines.
Not all faculty members have the same types of appointments. Some spend more time teaching in the classroom, while others spend the majority of their time doing research. The time commitment associated with both can make it difficult for departments to collaborate.
Also discussed were faculty members who work on outside projects with other departments in their free time, even though they do not believe that project will contribute a tenure appointment. Findings are often published outside a contributor’s discipline. This can make it difficult for a committee to look at a joint project.
A higher emphasis on research between departments would benefit all faculty because they would be “free to be rewarded on a broader continuum,” Sandweiss said.
When it comes to graduate students looking toward interdisciplinary studies, the question of which department “owns” the students comes into play. One of the main concerns is which program guidelines a student will follow in order to earn a degree. Sandweiss said in these cases the faculty must “take the time to design the program that will fit the student.”
One faculty member pointed out that students between disciplines often lack camaraderie. There are few people to discuss their ideas with, and they don’t feel at home in either discipline.
The School of Policy and International Affairs is unique in that it has no faculty. Instead professors from other areas come together in order to instruct students.
“Everything we do is interdisciplinary,” said James Settele, deputy director for SPIA, which offers 20 courses at the graduate level.
Tracking the background of new hires was a recurring theme throughout the discussion. Settele estimated 90 percent of new hires come from a background of interdisciplinary research. In order to promote interdisciplinary research at UMaine, Sandweiss suggested that “every new hire should be a joint appointment.”
Another point raised was the need for a database of research occurring within the university. The database would be an easy way for faculty, staff and students to access people conducting similar studies. Researchers would be able to update the database as needed.
Attendees were asked to submit their one-page ideas to the Blue Sky Project website, where they will be visible for others to read and comment on. According to Silka, the leadership team “will be looking for synergies and commonalities.”
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