Attending University of Waterloo – rightfully dubbed a tech school – as an Arts student is an interesting experience. Waterloo’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and arts programs have very distinct cultures. But what I have begun to experience within my own program, and what I hope to see in other programs, is an interdisciplinary culture that connects the strengths and expertise of multiple faculties.
When I decided to study English, many people thought that meant only literature. Now, I realize there are so many more applications for the study of the English language than I previously believed. In my first year, the Rhetoric, Media and Professional Communication program was introduced, previously called Rhetoric and Professional Writing. This degree combines classic core English classes in literature and criticism with digital media studies and classic and contemporary rhetorical studies. This new program will introduce me to other disciplines such as digital arts and web development through courses in information design, visual rhetoric and media theory.
As technology changes, so do the fields we study. For example, Waterloo’s nanotechnology engineering program has only existed since 2005, the first of its kind in Canada. Just as the STEM fields have changed to support emerging technologies, so have arts disciplines, particularly communications. As we disseminate information through new mediums and screens, we need to adapt the way we communicate accordingly. As new fields of study emerge, I feel that interdisciplinary skills will become increasingly important, prompting even greater collaboration between disciplines. When we collaborate with experts in fields beyond our own and engage with types of thinking that we are not used to, we can realize endless possibilities.
At the Beyond 60 kick-off lecture that took place in January, I was pleased to hear the panel discussion on turning STEM into STEAM, recognizing the importance of arts disciplines alongside STEM disciplines and how each can lend skills to the other. In the University of Waterloo’s next 60 years of innovation, I predict a greater emphasis on interdisciplinarity and a resulting emergence of new and exciting fields of study.
About the author
Nicole Bennett is a second-year student in the Honours English Rhetoric, Media and Professional Communication program at the University of Waterloo, scheduled to graduate in 2020. She grew up in Elmira and attended a French high-school in Cambridge. Bennett always thought she would work in book publishing, but is now also considering careers in online content writing.