The coordination of curricular programs is currently at the heart of the work of The Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. Our role in the past decade, first within the Fuse Nexus and then into the Center, has spanned the spectrum: from conceptualizing, creating and implementing curricular frameworks and types of courses, to coordinating existing offerings in efficient ways, to enhancing and systematically organizing proposals for individualized study and beyond. Although limited in scope—in part because it takes time to develop and implement new programs, in part because unforeseen challenges always pop up within academic settings—these programs have created possibilities for students and faculty.
These series of curricular offerings, integrated into the overall learning landscape at Pratt, have allowed faculty to work across disciplines and encouraged students to engage in different types of learning. The academic programs allow students to reconnect with peers in other departments at a later stage of their four-year undergraduate experience, while providing a space for fluid and agile curricular innovation, thereby keeping the Institute at the forefront of higher education innovation in the art/design and integrative realms.