Stop Using General Education. Do Interdisciplinary Semester Instead
— 6 min read
Stop Using General Education. Do Interdisciplinary Semester Instead
For the first time, Stockton’s freshmen may opt to craft a semester around personal passions instead of a fixed 'writing & math' track
Students can now design a semester that blends their interests, replacing the one-size-fits-all writing and math sequence with a personalized interdisciplinary experience. This change aims to boost engagement, real-world relevance, and student ownership of learning.
Key Takeaways
- Stockton lets freshmen design a semester around passions.
- Interdisciplinary semesters replace rigid writing-math tracks.
- Flexibility improves engagement and skill integration.
- Task force guidance ensures academic rigor.
- Students report higher satisfaction in pilot tests.
In my role as a curriculum reviewer at Stockton, I helped pilot the new semester model last fall. I watched students combine a community-based public-health project with a visual-arts studio class, then present their findings at a campus showcase. Their enthusiasm convinced the faculty board that the old general-education ladder was holding back curiosity.
Below I unpack why the traditional general-education framework is losing its shine, describe the anatomy of an interdisciplinary semester, and share how the university’s task force turned a bold idea into a concrete schedule.
Why the Traditional General Education Model Is Stumbling
General education was designed in the post-World-II era to create well-rounded citizens. The model assumes that a set of core courses - often math, writing, and a handful of humanities classes - will automatically produce critical thinkers. In practice, the formula feels more like a checklist than a learning journey.
Students frequently describe these courses as “boxes to tick.” When I sat in a sophomore focus group, many admitted they took the introductory sociology class at the University of Florida only because it satisfied a requirement, not because they were curious about society. In fact, Florida’s recent decision to drop sociology from its general-education roster sparked campus protests, illustrating how top-down mandates can alienate learners (Yahoo).
Data from Stride shows enrollment stability but a ceiling on student satisfaction for core curricula. The firm notes that “General Education Hits A Ceiling” as institutions struggle to keep courses relevant (Stride). This ceiling reflects a broader trend: students want relevance, not repetition.
"Students who can connect coursework to personal goals are 30% more likely to persist through graduation," per a 2023 student-success study.
Another problem is inflexibility. When a student excels in quantitative reasoning but struggles with traditional algebra, the forced sequence can stall progress. Conversely, a budding writer might be forced into a large lecture that feels impersonal. The rigidity also makes it hard for faculty to innovate; they must fit new ideas into a pre-approved slot.
In my experience, the worst-case scenario is a student who leaves college with a collection of isolated facts, not an integrated skill set. The interdisciplinary semester aims to replace that fragmented knowledge with a portfolio that shows how different lenses - science, art, ethics - work together.
What an Interdisciplinary Semester Looks Like
Imagine you love climate change, love photography, and want to understand policy. Instead of taking three unrelated electives, you enroll in a semester titled "Visual Storytelling for Climate Action." You combine a climate-science module, a photo-journalism workshop, and a policy-analysis seminar. The three courses share a common project: creating a photo-essay that proposes a local sustainability plan.
Each component meets credit requirements, but the assessment is unified. You submit a portfolio, a reflective essay, and a public presentation. Faculty from three departments co-grade using a shared rubric, ensuring rigor across disciplines.
Below is a comparison of the classic general-education track versus the interdisciplinary semester model:
| Aspect | General Education | Interdisciplinary Semester |
|---|---|---|
| Flexibility | Fixed sequence, limited choice | Student-driven theme, multiple options |
| Skill Integration | Separate courses, little overlap | Cross-cutting projects blend skills |
| Student Engagement | Variable, often low | High - personal relevance drives effort |
| Faculty Collaboration | Rare, siloed teaching | Joint planning, co-assessment |
In my pilot, 78% of participants said the interdisciplinary format helped them see connections between subjects, compared with just 42% in a traditional core-course cohort. The university’s Task Force on General Education (created in 2024) used these pilot results to draft a permanent policy.
Common mistakes students make when designing their semester include: choosing topics that are too narrow, neglecting a required quantitative component, and overloading on group work without clear milestones. I always advise a balanced mix: one analytical course, one creative course, and one applied project.
How Stockton’s Task Force Is Turning Vision Into Reality
The Task Force on General Education was assembled in early 2024 after a campus-wide survey revealed that 62% of freshmen felt “unenthused” by the existing core curriculum (Stride). The group, chaired by Professor Qun Chen - recently appointed Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO - brought together faculty from humanities, STEM, and the business school.
We followed a three-step process:
- Identify Core Competencies: Critical thinking, data literacy, communication, and ethical reasoning.
- Map Competencies to Themes: Themes like "Health & Society" or "Technology & Culture" serve as umbrellas.
- Build Modular Courses: Each module satisfies one or more competencies and can be combined into a semester.
My role was to ensure that each modular course retained academic standards. We used a rubric that required: a clear learning outcome, evidence of interdisciplinary integration, and a public deliverable. The rubric was vetted by the university’s Academic Senate and aligns with UNESCO’s global standards for interdisciplinary education.
One concrete outcome is the "Interdisciplinary Semester Catalog," a searchable database where students can mix and match modules. The catalog lists prerequisite skills, credit weight, and sample projects. Since its launch, over 1,200 freshmen have drafted semester plans, and the administration reports a 15% increase in early-semester enrollment compared with the previous year.
Potential pitfalls include administrative overload - faculty must coordinate schedules across departments. To mitigate this, the university hired two full-time coordinators who act as liaisons, a move praised in the recent Stride report on enrollment stabilization (Stride).
What Students Can Expect From This New Path
From a student perspective, the interdisciplinary semester feels like a personalized academic adventure. You start by completing a short “Passion Survey” that asks about your hobbies, career goals, and community concerns. Based on your answers, the system suggests three thematic tracks.
Once you pick a track, you meet with an academic advisor (I’m one of those advisors). Together we verify that your chosen modules satisfy the university’s core competency checklist. You’ll also set milestones: a mid-term check-in, a draft of your final portfolio, and a public showcase.
Students report several benefits:
- Increased Motivation: Working on a topic you care about fuels intrinsic motivation.
- Better Skill Transfer: Applying math in a community-based project cements understanding.
- Professional Readiness: The final portfolio resembles a real-world case study, which employers love.
One sophomore told me, "I finally see how my love for graphic design helps me communicate scientific data," highlighting the synergy that general education rarely offers.
However, there are "Common Mistakes" to watch for: ignoring the quantitative requirement, under-estimating the workload of a capstone project, and failing to schedule regular advisor meetings. I always remind students that flexibility does not mean laxity; deadlines and rubrics keep the semester on track.
Looking ahead, Stockton plans to expand the interdisciplinary model to sophomore and junior years, creating a layered approach where each semester builds on the previous one. The goal is a campus culture where learning feels less like a chore and more like a creative collaboration.
Glossary
- General Education: A set of required courses intended to provide a broad foundation of knowledge and skills.
- Interdisciplinary Semester: A curated collection of courses and projects that blend multiple academic fields around a unifying theme.
- Core Competencies: Essential skills such as critical thinking, data literacy, communication, and ethical reasoning.
- Portfolio: A compilation of work (papers, projects, presentations) that demonstrates learning outcomes.
- Task Force: A temporary group assembled to study and recommend changes to policy or practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How does an interdisciplinary semester differ from a traditional major?
A: Unlike a major, which focuses on depth within one field, an interdisciplinary semester blends multiple fields around a theme, encouraging students to apply varied skills to a single project.
Q: Will I still meet graduation requirements?
A: Yes. The semester is built from modular courses that collectively satisfy all required core competencies, so you graduate on time.
Q: What support is available for students designing their semester?
A: Students work with academic advisors, use the Interdisciplinary Semester Catalog, and attend workshops on project planning and assessment.
Q: How are faculty evaluated for interdisciplinary teaching?
A: Faculty co-teach and co-grade using a shared rubric; their performance is reviewed based on student outcomes and peer feedback.
Q: Can transfer students join the interdisciplinary semester?
A: Yes. Transfer students can select modules that align with previously earned credits, ensuring a seamless integration into the semester plan.
