“Some of the Rooms Are Occupied by Squirrels”

This chapter will present the findings of a two-part data collection process (survey and interview), which seeks to understand the degree to which the communication intensive (CI) course offerings at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are contributing to the meaningful integration of STEM and the humanities that is implied by the Institute’s “New Polytechnic” paradigm seated in interconnectedness, or meaningful disciplinary integration. CI classrooms are key sites of disciplinary confluence, and this chapter aims to illustrate what that confluence “looks like” across the Institute. Insofar as CI offerings are clustered in predictable schools and departments, it is important to examine our underlying assumptions. Understanding the range of diversity that characterizes the faculty’s collective view of pedagogical effectiveness is central to maintaining a productive communication intensive program. Without this understanding, we may be missing important opportunities to support the diverse student needs that characterize “The New Polytechnic.”