Arts Innovation And Integration Within Institutions Of Higher Education

This thesis explores the practice of arts integration and interdisciplinary collaboration between and among academic disciplines within institutions of higher education. Through the examination of the arts and integrative practices at three major universities, I discovered that arts integration is a practice that varies from institution to institution. As such, subsequent outcomes of the practice are similarly varied. Despite these variances, this qualitative research, which included interviews with leaders from several institutions of higher education as well as from organizations dedicated to arts research, led to a synthesis of common themes regarding the practice of integration, namely that leadership is critical in catalyzing, developing, and sustaining interdisciplinary curricula and research opportunities. Support also stems from co-curricular institutions, such as museums and galleries as well as arts-centric centers and institutes, which are housed within institutions of higher education. Additionally, employers across disciplines recognize that graduates need to possess a wide array of skills beyond any one discipline to be successful in today's workforce. As such, efforts at increasing integration of the arts across disciplines as well as increasing interdisciplinary collaboration in general have potential to meet these needs. Impediments to these practices, however, include lack of familiarity with the concept of arts integration, organizational culture, funding, and accreditation. Assessment and impact of arts integration are still areas that require further research, especially in terms of the impact the practices have on current students and graduates who have participated in integrative courses and interdisciplinary projects.