Committee History
In March 1994, the CHS Deans Advisory Council appointed an Interdisciplinary Education Committee to "make recommendations on interdisciplinary learning activities; curricula to parallel the development of the Integrated Health Sciences Facility; administrative faculty governance processes that will facilitate and reward ongoing and emerging efforts in interdisciplinary education; and the potential use technology can play in these interdisciplinary efforts." This group, subsequently renamed the Integrated Health Sciences Curriculum Task Force, submitted a preliminary report to the Council later in 1994 and a Task Force Report in May 1995 containing several recommendations for advancing interdisciplinary education in the health sciences. The group was later renamed the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Curriculum and Student Affairs committee to reflect its focus on both curriculum and personal development from an interdisciplinary perspective. The new Health Sciences Council is strongly committed to interdisciplinary education and has established this new committee to encourage greater educational collaboration in the health sciences. In 2004 the committee was rechristened the Interprofessional Health committee to better reflect its increasing scope (and to be easier to remember and to say).
Charge
1. Serving as an umbrella committee for interdisciplinary educational efforts in both graduate and undergraduate areas.
a) Developing interdisciplinary modules or courses for incorporation into the curricula of the health sciences schools. Serving as liaison to the various schools for interdisciplinary efforts.
b) Develop criteria to be met by courses that seek to be identified as interdisciplinary for the purposes of the education of health sciences students. The Committee will have the responsibility for applying these criteria in the identification of interdisciiplinary courses in the timetable, as well as identifying which interdisciplinary courses or activities will be assigned to the "protected" timetable slot in the schedule. This time slot will be available beginning with the Fall 2004 academic year when the health scheices learning center is scheduled to open.
2. Promoting interdisciplinary continuing education for practitioners.
3. Working on ways to reward faculty for interdisciplinary educational efforts (possibly with the Teaching Academy).
4. Reviewing problems involving service courses offered by one health sciences unit for the students of other health sciences units, and recommending approaches to solving such problems.
5. Serving as a forum for addressing issues relating to the education of health professions students which affect multiple health science units (e.g., immunization requirements, mental health leave).
6. Reporting annually on its accomplishments to the Health Sciences Council.
Membership
Each health professions school would be represented by a senior level administrator dealing with academic affairs and/or student services and two faculty members. One administrator/faculty member from the Physician Assistant Program, one administrator/faculty member from the Physical Therapy program, one administrator/faculty member from the Occupational Therapy program, one administrator/faculty member from the School of Social Work, one staff member from the Ebling Library, and one staff member from the University Health Services would also be appointed to serve on the Committee. These appointments would be for three-year terms. In addition, one student representative from each of the three health professions schools may be appointed to the committee. Student appointments would be for one-year terms.
Operations
The Committee may establish subcommittees or working groups to address specific issues or areas. The Committee may invite others (faculty, staff or students from any health professions program including those located in the School of Education) to participate in committee activities including membership on subcommittees or working groups. The Committee's chair shall be determined on an annual basis by the Health Sciences Council. The school/college/program of the chair shall provide staff support for the Committee.
Revised 6/04
