Subcommittes > Interdisciplinary Affairs Committee

Interdisciplinary Affairs Committee

Membership:
Regina Schwartz, (Chair) regina-s@northwestern.edu
Phyllis Zee p-zee@northwestern.edu
Joe Barton j-barton@northwestern.edu
Mary Dedinsky m-dedinsky@northwestern.edu
*Robert Nelson r-nelson@northwestern.edu
*Michael Leff m-leff@northwestern.edu
Tom O'Halloran t-ohalloran@northwestern.edu

Proposal for Interdisciplinary Hiring

Rationale:

While there are several effective initiatives for interdisciplinary studies within the Weinberg College--these include joint courtesy appointments for faculty and interdisciplinary programs like Comparative Literature and Women,s Studies--the university currently has no mechanism for hiring leading interdisciplinary scholars who could bring to it much distinction. Furthermore, young fields of study are constantly emerging that serve many already existing disciplines, rather than just one, and the current departmental hiring structure does not enable the university to be as responsive as it could be to these emerging fields. This proposal for Interdisciplinary Hiring is intended to:

• Allow hiring of scholars of distinction and visibility who can reconfigure conventional fields of study into new associations.

• Allow flexibility and responsiveness to changing approaches to knowledge.

• Allow openness to emerging fields.

• Expand the breadth of impact of a new faculty member

• Serve as a stimulating mechanism for hiring

Proposal:

1. To hire senior scholars of distinction and visibility who can help to create bridges between departments/schools.
2. To hire associate faculty in small groups whose field is emerging and who can together offer the university presence in that emerging field.
3. To invite prominent scholars for successive years (in the model of Habermas, appointment here). Such faculty, often not hirable because of commitments in other countries or to other professions, can offer energizing expertise to many scholars across disciplines.

Structure:
We suggest a standing Interdisciplinary Committee devoted to hiring, with three year staggered terms. The committee will include two to three outside Advisory members. The Committee will be appointed by the Provost upon recommendation from the Deans.

Activity:
1. The Committee will solicit proposals for distinguished senior hiring, associate hiring in emerging disciplines, and distinguished visitors. In its design, the Committee will thereby be responsive to faculty.
2. The Committee will meet annually with the Deans to negotiate positions and space, responding to the Deans, annually determined priorities.
3. The Committee will search and recommend using appropriate ad hoc subcommittees. All appointments will additionally require the faculty vote of at least one department, but the candidate will be "shopped" to another or even three departments.
4. Three to five positions will be targeted for the Interdisciplinary Committee.
5. The appropriate method of Promotion of interdisciplinary scholars will be determined by the Provost in consultation with the Deans and the Interdisciplinary Committee.