Ross A. Laird

I’ve been working with a group of instructors and administrators at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (this group includes Sibeal Foyle from the Fine Arts department, Genni Gunn and Sheila Hancock from the Creative Writing department, Don Hlus from the Music department, and Humanities Dean Linda Schwartz) to develop an undergraduate stream in Interdisciplinary Expressive Arts.The first course in this new stream begins in Fall 2008. If you are interested in finding out more about the program, visit (and join, if you want) the development group. These courses represent a significant milestone in education for students in British Columbia: never before have interdisciplinary expressive arts courses been offered at the undergraduate level in BC.

What are Interdisciplinary Expressive Arts?

Interdisciplinary Expressive Arts refers to a specific set of educational activities, goals and strategies. Based on innovative pedagogy and integrative approaches to learning, interdisciplinary studies involve the synthesis and synergy of various disciplines toward a cohesive, unified educational experience. Interdisciplinarity is much more than enrollment in courses from more than a single discipline. Authentic interdisciplinarity emphasizes the linkages between disciplines by focusing on contrasting and complementary aspects of diverse educational domains.

Interdisciplinary studies encourage students to develop broader intellectual skills, greater facility for critical thinking, and greater awareness of the social relevance of their education. Interdisciplinary students have the opportunity to develop exemplary skills in problem solving, insight, team-building, lateral thinking, and multi-modal learning styles. Interdisciplinary strategies involve approaching an issue or problem from various perspectives. This typically entails intellectual inquiries that range beyond the borders of any single discipline or domain. While still respecting the function of the boundaries between domains, interdisciplinary approaches recognize that those boundaries are essentially arbitrary and do not always serve the goals of learning. Global warming and the AIDS pandemic are two examples of contemporary issues that require interdisciplinary approaches.

Interdisciplinary Expressive Arts refers to interdisciplinary approaches that emphasize the integration of the domains of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Current educational opportunities in BC for undergraduate interdisciplinary training are sparse. BC universities have not taken advantage of the recent groundswell of interest in undergraduate interdisciplinary approaches.

Kwantlen’s new Interdisciplinary Expressive Arts program will offer foundational courses in Psychology, Visual Arts, Music and Creative Writing, as well as an integrative and interdisciplinary course in the application of these disciplines. Students will deepen their innovation and creativity and will learn skills to allow them to adapt to rapidly changing labour markets. In responding to demographic trends toward integrative approaches to the arts, culture, health, business, and community development, the program will offer students a solid career path as well as a number of choices for continued study.

The Interdisciplinary Expressive Arts (IDEA) stream will provide a destination for many types of students who are seeking an integrative, interdisciplinary, and supportive learning community.

The instructional strategy for courses in the Interdisciplinary Expressive Arts stream will emphasize three core values of interdisciplinarity: personal development, mentorship, and collaboration. Student-centred learning activities such as group projects, student seminars, presentations, and field trips will be utilized extensively. Some courses will be team taught; others will be offered as on-line, web-based courses. All courses, even face-to-face, will have a web presence.

Students will be exposed to discipline foundations before entering the interdisciplinary phase of the program. This progression will expose students to specific careers and options within disciplines and will provide them with a strong foundation for interdisciplinary work.

The Interdisciplinary Expressive Arts stream will allow students to design programs of study that will prepare them for careers or further study in areas such as social services, cultural industries, mental health, community service, primary and secondary education, professional arts, religious studies, business, and graduate school. In addition to providing opportunities for the many internal students who wish to continue their education at Kwantlen University College beyond the first two years of study, the Interdisciplinary Expressive Arts stream will provide opportunities for students completing two years of undergraduate work at any of the colleges in the province to transfer into the program when space is available. Internal and external demand for the program is expected to be strong because students throughout the South Fraser region value the quality instruction, smaller class sizes, and collegial interaction with faculty that Kwantlen offers.

Additionally, undergraduate students in BC who are interested in expressive arts therapies do not have the opportunity to complete an undergraduate degree in their chosen field of study. The BA, Interdisciplinary Expressive Arts will be highly attractive to these students, who are likely to commit to and complete the program before continuing their training at the graduate level.

Because of the breadth of the program, labour market opportunities are exceptionally diverse. Graduates of the Interdisciplinary Expressive Arts stream will enjoy a greater choice of employment possibilities than graduates from within single disciplines. Many will seek employment within the cultural sector (cultural industries, broadcasting, publishing, performing and Visual arts, festivals, heritage institutions, architecture, design, photography, advertising, community planning and advocacy, etc.) which accounts for more than $20 billion of Canada’s gross domestic product. Currently, growth in the cultural sector is more rapid than in other key sectors such as transportation, agriculture and construction.

According to Statistics Canada, the arts and culture sectors are expected to increase by about 45% in the coming years, soon becoming the second fastest growing employment sector in the country. Unlike many other industries, employment opportunities in the cultural sector tend to remain high even during periods of recession.

Statistics Canada emphasizes that "many of the jobs in the cultural industries are knowledge-based… [and] require creativity, critical thinking and the knowledge and skills to use advanced technology. People who are able to nurture this combination of creativity and high-tech skills are not only able to create the cultural products that add value to our lives, they are highly marketable in other fields. Cultural industries are a driving force in technological innovation. Compared to other sectors, more people working in culture fields are successfully self-employed."

Graduates of the stream (which will provide a BA, General Studies degree) who continue on to graduate school will be prepared to do so in fields such as Psychology, Visual Arts, Creative Writing, Music, Expressive Arts Therapies, and Interdisciplinary Studies. Among those who pursue careers as Expressive Arts therapists, the Canadian Occupational Projections System (COPS) projects an occupational growth rate averaging 1.8% per year through to 2011 (roughly 200 openings per year), which is faster than the average for all occupations in B.C.

The Interdisciplinary Expressive Arts program will also prepare students exceptionally well for the Professional Development Program in Education.

Creative and innovative program development represents the future of education both in BC and elsewhere. Increasingly, the university system is being called upon to be accountable to a public clamoring for the resolution of complex, interdisciplinary problems. Kwantlen’s Interdisciplinary Expressive Arts stream is a response to that call.

Course outlines for the first two courses in the IDEA stream are attached below.