Integrated Studies Program Description and Information

 

General Information

An extraordinary option for students, the Integrated Studies Program (ISP) offers a cluster of 3-5 courses each semester; all courses help students fulfill Essential Studies requirements necessary for all University undergraduate degrees. Each semester usually includes credit from at least three of the four Essential Studies categories: Communication, Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities, and Math/Science/Technology.

Work and study in the program are organized around a central theme, and carried out in a variety of small group settings in which discussion among and between students is encouraged. Close contact between students and faculty members is a strong feature of this learning community; students spend the entire semester together studying the same materials and they form close relationships with each other as well as getting to know several faculty very well.

The program emphasizes work on the University's Essential Studies goals: communication (oral and written), thinking and reasoning, information literacy, and diversity. Integrated Studies works well with University majors at UND that want students with strong abilities in communication and critical thinking; it is also particularly good for deciding students and is recommended for students interested in Education, Communication, Interdisciplinary Studies, or pre-law studies.

Enrollment in the program is limited to maintain a low student/faculty ratio: permission of the department is required to register. Students interested in more information on the Integrated Studies Program can call 701-777-3622, write to 221 Centennial Dr Stop 7117, Grand Forks, ND 58202-7117, or e-mail the program's administrative assistant, Yvonne Holter. The Program's office is located in 253 O'Kelly Hall on the University campus. Visitors are welcome to observe class meetings; please call to arrange a convenient time.

Students interested in reserving a place in the Integrated Studies Program for an upcoming semester can call our office, send us a note with their name, address, and phone number, or use the on-line reservation form.

 

A Little History

Two Humanities professors, Dr. Patricia Sanborn and Dr. Jerry Lawrence, received a significant grant from the UND Office of Instructional Development and then a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities in the mid-1980s to develop a new first year coordinated studies general education learning community at UND: the Integrated Studies Program.  ISP was established as a program offered through the Humanities Program at UND.  Over the nearly 25 years that the program has been offered, many students have enjoyed and benefited from the close knit community which develops when students spend several hours a week together in the same classes, study the same material, and discuss their ideas with each other.  In addition, faculty from many departments have participated over the years including English, Chemistry, Geology, Anthropology, Sociology, Biology, Nursing, Physics, Humanities, Philosophy, Music, Art, Economics, Languages, Theatre Arts, Indian Studies, and History.  While they are teaching in Integrated Studies, they generally participate in all aspects of the program, becoming learners as well as educators.

Over the years, the program has been nationally recognized and received awards for its excellence in providing a high quality educational experience.  The faculty team continues to focus on providing the best experience possible, and constantly reevaluates whether curriculum is meeting the highest standards.  The curriculum is regularly revised to meet the needs of current students and to reflect the changes in both national and global societal issues.

 

A Peek at Life in Integrated Studies

The main differences between ISP classes and traditional classes are in the format of the class meetings and in the way the subject matter is connected together rather than studied as unrelated areas defined by disciplinary boundary lines.

Class format: Most class meetings are conducted in a small group discussion format.  Since students spend a great deal of time together, they get to know each other well enough to feel comfortable discussing a wide range of topics. 

Connecting information: To help show the connections between ISP courses and life beyond college, students are encouraged to think about readings, films, research, and activities in the context of the semester's theme, which varies from semester to semester.

Rather than have separate lecture periods for each course in which a student is receiving credit, the Program uses a combination of several small discussion group meetings and one or two large group meetings each week. 

• Seminars are the heart of the program: Small group meetings of 15-20 students and one faculty member, seminars engage students in discussion of an assigned reading.  During discussion, faculty encourage students to explore their ideas and questions related to the reading and connect the reading to other material that has been studied during the semester.
• Cooperative Learning Units (CLUs) are the research foundation of the program: CLU meetings also involve 15-20 students and one faculty member, but the discussion is related to research topics that students have gathered information on and prepared to share with the group.  CLUs are usually used to provided additional information or context to other material being studied.  For example, if we are reading a book about civil rights, students may have a CLU which asks them to bring in information on various aspects of the civil rights movement in the U.S.
• Writing is an important component: In writing groups, students may brainstorm ideas for papers or work on peer editing each others' papers.  A variety of different writing activities occur during a semester, formal and informal, but all are designed to help students think about semester material in another way and to build their abilities to communicate effectively.
• Science activities are incorporated throughout the semester:  Science is integrated with the other material of the semester just as social science and humanities are, but science often also lends itself to hands-on activities in addition to seminar discussions or CLU projects.  In ISP, science is studied from a broad perspective: students think about questions and issues such as energy, environmental issues, genetics, illness and aging, planetary motion, and evolution, to name just a few.
• Program Meetings are large group meetings:  During program meetings, there may be a guest speaker, a film, a presentation by a group of students, a mini-lecture, a writing workshop, a panel discussion, or any of a number of activities which provide additional information to the whole group.
• Field Trips:  ISP takes a field trip each semester.  The fall semester is usually a three-day camping trip, and the spring trip is generally a single day event.