The current interest in interdisciplinary studies recognizes the value of tearing down some of the walls between disciplines in order to address the problems students face in making connections between disciplines, recognizing commonalities and distinctions in ways of thinking and knowing, and transferring what they learn in one context to another context. The greatest impediments which prevent faculty from teaching in an interdisciplinary context are not knowing what to do and not feeling comfortable teaching out of field. The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) seeks support for seven intensive six day workshops over three summers (1998, 1999, and 2000) serving over 100 faculty teams (some 210 faculty) from mathematics and partner disciplines. Each of the seven workshops will focus on the interdisciplinary curriculum materials combining mathematics and a partner discipline. For example, one workshop will focus on mathematics and biology and another on mathematics and economics. A participating institution will send a team of faculty from each of the disciplines being studied. The team will study and work together on interdisciplinary materials and develop materials to use at their home institution. Each team member will study in both of the workshop subject disciplines, be introduced to interdisciplinary materials in those disciplines developed at one or more of the Mathematics Sciences and Their Applications Throughout the Curriculum (MSATC) projects, and develop new materials under the guidance of experienced interdisciplinary teams from the MSATC projects. Each workshop will be led by an interdisciplinary team of faculty from one of the MSATC projects with an additional stimulus - a keynoter from the partner discipline. Teams will be chosen based upon a commitment to introduce interdisciplinary materials and teaching at their home institutions. A balance will be sought to reflect different types of institutions and the populations they serve.
