Project on Disciplinary Innovation: Course Threads

The Project on Disciplinary Innovation, commonly known as “Course Threads,” is intended to invite new ways of thinking about interdisciplinary faculty research and the relationship among undergraduate courses across departments in the humanities and related fields at UC Berkeley. Each thread is driven by faculty interest in some innovative research field not otherwise reflected in the formal program options available to undergraduates. But rather than generate new programs, interdisciplinary majors, or official requirements, the aim of this project is to establish a flexible model for cross-disciplinary education by bringing to light some of the hidden conceptual "threads" that connect courses across existing course and disciplines.

Threads are identified by a group of faculty and are comprised anywhere from 15-50 courses in different departments as well as by an annual symposium. For students, the possibility of following a particular Course Thread or path of interest, once marked by the faculty, will be an option to choose, not a requirement. All undergraduates are eligible. Students interested in participating will simply be asked to sign up with the Townsend Center, to enroll in at least 3 courses from the Thread over the course of their studies at Berkeley, and to participate in at least one year-end symposium. After successful completion of these steps, students will be awarded a certificate of completion.

Faculty who are interested in participating in the formulation of a new Course Thread are asked to identify a topic pertinent to a range of disciplines. The proposal should include a brief description and intellectual justification for the proposed Thread topic, as well as an identified range of faculty whom they intend to recruit for a research group on the Thread (see application guidelines below). The faculty group will meet periodically during the spring semester to compile a working bibliography of the topic, to examine existing course offerings and materials that fall within the intellectual parameters of the topic for suitability, to establish contact with colleagues who are teaching related topics, and to identify digital and other materials that they and their colleagues are using in courses that could be posted on a Thread web site. Each group will be assigned an undergraduate apprentice to help with logistics and with compiling the required materials.

Course Threads currently in preparation:
Cultures in Transit
Human Rights
Historical and Modern Cities
Visible Language

Course Threads are also a project in the Townsend Humanities Lab. Sign-in to the Lab to browse Course Thread descriptions, course lists and other materials.

Download Proposal Guidelines:
PDF
Microsoft Word

Extended Proposal deadline: Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at 5:00pm

For questions about the program, please contact Fellowships Coordinator Bridgette Lehrer at blehrer@berkeley.edu.