Abstract

The need to restructure and rethink higher education has been the subject of many essays and books. This essay argues that the century-old structure of organizing institutions around discipline-based departments needs to be changed so that the institution is organized in interdisciplinary groups around topics or questions. The disciplines themselves would not be abandoned, but, rather than cluster all the experts in one discipline together, scholars from multiple disciplines would work together to address pressing societal issues. The field of sport studies provides an example of this model. To examine and understand fully the implications of sport, a variety of disciplines ranging from medicine to philosophy to history are necessary. Thus, sport studies should be a model for the university of the future in which the institution emphasizes questions rather than disciplines.

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