(Association for Interdisciplinary Studies, 1986) Miller, Raymond C.; Klein, Julie Thompson
In proposing interdisciplinary programs to deal with the problems caused
by specialization, it is important to understand the development of the modern
university between the middle of the nineteenth century and the present. The current
organization of knowledge is the result of several changes in the university. These
include increasing secularization and diversification of the curriculum and the rise of
the contemporary discipline as a new social institution. A variety of existing
programs, including those at Pennsylvania State University, demonstrate the
interdisciplinary interactions that can take place among students, faculty, and
researchers.