Frequently Asked Questions
The LINC info session was held on October 17, 2023. Stay tuned for details on the next one!
Who is eligible to participate in the LINC Initiative?
Any full-time faculty member who will be teaching an undergraduate course during the 2024-25 AY is eligible to participate. Note that faculty can be from any unit in the university as long as they are scheduled to teach an undergraduate course in the 2024-25 AY.
When is the workshop?
The workshop dates for the 2024-25 academic year will be May 8-9, 2024.
What will the workshop cover?
Major topics to be covered during the workshop include: What is interdisciplinarity? What do we mean by inclusive excellence and full participation? How can we put these values to work in the classroom? In addition, faculty participants will work with their LINC partner (faculty will be paired in advance) on developing common ground and ideas for LINC activities.
Do I need to develop a new course, or significantly modify an existing course?
No. The purpose of LINC is to connect existing courses, although we also anticipate that participation in LINC will facilitate the faculty member creating a more interdisciplinary and inclusive syllabus for their existing courses. However, changes to existing syllabi may be quite modest as long as the course now includes a few LINC activities.
Do I need to need to have a partner to participate in the LINC workshop?
No. But if you have identified a partner, please mention it in your application. If you do not have a partner, the LINC Team will help you identify an appropriate partner before the workshop begins so that you can develop your LINC courses together. Students are also a great source of information about possible LINC pairings – they often see connections in their classes that could lead to a productive LINC partnership!
Can a partner be in the same department, if they are in different subfields?
No. We really want students to see connections between different departments, divisions, and fields of study. We want LINC courses to showcase connections among and across diverse fields of study and welcome proposals from the sciences, social sciences and humanities. We are especially interested in proposals that might cross these divisions but this is not a requirement.
Do the courses need to be offered at the same level, e.g. both introductory or both upper level?
Not necessarily. Be creative in thinking about ways that students from different courses taught at different levels productively interact.
What if my course is already cross-listed with another department?
As long as you are LINCing with a second course in another department, it does not matter if your course is cross-listed.
Will there be funds available for some of the LINC activities?
We hope to be able to make some funds available for activities that LINC classes, and we will work with faculty to find alternative funding if needed.
Can LINC activities be developed for outside of regular class time?
Yes, this is a possibility, but to be inclusive we ask that these outside days and times be listed in Course Atlas so students know in advance of enrolling.
Will I be compensated for participating in the LINC workshop?
Faculty selected to participate in the workshop will receive their stipend at the end of May.
How many participants will be involved in the fall workshop?
We expect to support 10 participants, for a total of 5 LINC teams this year.
Do the LINC Courses need to meet on the same days and at the same times?
Although this would be helpful to implement some joint course activities, it is not required.
How many, and what kind of LINC activities are expected to be done during the semester?
We encourage faculty to be creative in developing LINC experiences, but we envision such activities as overlapping readings, group discussions, or projects.
How are LINC courses different from sidecar courses?
Sidecar courses are taught as related to, but independent of, the parent courses and carry an additional academic credit. See the description of Sidecar courses. In contrast, LINC courses do not carry additional credit, but rather engage the faculty and students already enrolled in both courses in a few activities that link the course material together in some way to provide new perspectives.
Do I need my chair’s approval to do a LINC course?
We encourage interested faculty to discuss this opportunity with their chair. We reiterate that teaching a LINC course will not change what the faculty member teaches through their home department but enhances that course offering through LINCing with another course.