Restructure the General Education Requirements

Mills College has historically been a place of innovation, and while it continues to foster it, the college could emphasize this aspect by eliminating the separation between departments and divisions, a separation that hampers creativity and innovation.

The undergraduate general requirements would be a good place to begin. One suggestion is to revamp all of them using the idea of "cross-pollination" (in other words, taking an interdisciplinary approach). Our students would fully taste the benefits of the liberal arts college if their Gen Ed requirement courses were co-taught through a whole semester.

There could be a possibility of special funding for courses co- taught by faculty from more than one division or department; a pilot program might involve only a small number of courses, with proposals judged on the basis of curricular innovation and "cross-pollination" among divisions. There might be outside funding sources for these courses.

While such a program would require a small financial investment, it could be done with relatively little expense, and if it is successful it could become a marketing tool for Mills. We would continue to make our mark as innovators by creating new bridges through various departments. These new courses, to truly reflect the "cross-pollination" concept, would have to be fully integrated into the curriculum of each collaborator.