Teaching the orchestra, not just the conductor: Early undergraduate transdisciplinary education in public affairs designed for non-majors

Abstract

The constitutive relationship between expertise and policymakers has been undermined by recent US Supreme Court decisions functionally overturning Chevron deference. Rebuilding a mutually reinforcing system that generates rigorous evidence-based policy requires public affairs faculty to teach beyond their discipline. In this article, we outline a pilot course that brought together undergraduate students from multiple majors into a convergence classroom. Five faculty from overlapping disciplines, including one public affairs professor, focused on phosphorus sustainability as a topic to examine wicked problems and transdisciplinary interventions. One year after the course, an independent evaluation demonstrated that students reported retaining many of the ideas and skills from the course. They reported it also influenced their approach to upper-level courses and improved career preparedness. This preliminary evidence indicates that teaching students about the complexity of problems earlier in the curriculum may mitigate disciplinary “blinders” and better prepare students for transdisciplinary capstones or studio courses.

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