Faculty Cultures and Interdisciplinary Studies

Interdisciplinary is an increasingly important trend in American higher education. New courses focused upon social problems, intellectual themes, or human experiences have been introduced at hundreds of schools;' ethnic studies programs are increasingly common;2 many cluster colleges offer alternative liberal arts curricula which frequently are interdisciplinary;3 and students are increasingly permitted, under independent study arrangements, to construct their own courses or even entire programs from materials and courses not offered by any single department. The success of these attempts to reform undergraduate educa-