United kingdom Provost promotes interdisciplinary approach
T
he British are coming. The British are coming. Actually, they’re already here. Brits occupy top positions in American television, publishing, business and now, the academic ranks at Slippery Rock University. Philip Way, provost and vice president for academic affairs and a Great Britain native, joined SRU in February. He has emerged as an ardent advocate for bridging the divide between academic fields through interdisciplinary teaching. The collaborative approach to higher education enables academic departments to learn from each other’s strengths and find 16
The ROCK
Fall 2013
a common language for student success. This “united kingdom” offers graduates a wider knowledge base and better employment preparation for a pluralistic world by providing a more varied undergraduate experience. “It is certainly important for students to get a good grounding in at least one discipline, but if they add a second or a third discipline, that would prepare them well for whatever job they do or if they go to graduate school,” Way said. Interdisciplinary approaches have existed in the Western world since the ancient Greek philosophers. It is not a new concept.