Ekker, Stephen C.Garner, Shirley Nelson2007-07-112007-07-112006-03-27https://hdl.handle.net/11299/378Documents (Preliminary report and executive summary) describe methods to create more flexible, relevant, and interdisciplinary graduate programs at the University of Minnesota.The Discipline Evolution Task Force identifies the following five recommendations as having the greatest potential for transforming the University commensurate with its Strategic Positioning goals: • Establish a named and high-profile institute, modeled after the Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University... to support interdisciplinary scholarship at the University of Minnesota. • Create internal faculty exchanges whereby faculty members work in a department or program other than their own for a semester or two.... • Establish a program similar to the faculty exchange program for graduate students to enable them to develop interdisciplinary expertise.... • Seed and, when appropriate, provide long-term support to new and transformational research initiatives that bring together teams of highly talented faculty and students.... • Implement meaningful systems for assessing existing centers, including the expectation that new and existing centers will close after five years unless there is a cogent rationale to continue them....en-USgraduate programsinterdisciplinaryReport