Coordinated through the Institute of Business and Interprofessional
Studies (IBIS), the Interprofessional Project (IPRO) course is an
undergraduate general education requirement through which all of
IIT's undergraduate students complete two semester-long, three
credit-hour multidisciplinary team projects. These team projects are
based on complex topics that integrate both technical and
non-technical issues that reflect the diversity of the workplace:
corporations, entrepreneurial ventures, non-profit organizations,
government agencies, and university researchers. Teams may include
students from all academic levels (sophomore through graduate
school), and across IIT's professional programs (engineering,
science, business, law, psychology, design, and architecture).
Integration of both vertical (bridging academic levels) and
horizontal (bridging professional programs) dimensions within a
project team experience through a two-course, general education
requirement is distinctive in higher education today. Approximately
35 team projects are completed each semester, organized as course
sections involving about 350 students and 35 lead faculty.
The learning objectives established for students completing two
interprofessional project courses broadly encompass the challenge of
working effectively as members of a team or in a mutually-shared
leadership role, including: (1) contributing specialized
disciplinary expertise and analytical skills; (2) applying project
management principles (setting goals, planning, organizing tasks,
assigning responsibilities, identifying resources, scheduling,
monitoring progress, synthesizing findings, drawing sound
conclusions, and making recommendations); (3) communicating
effectively through appropriate verbal, written, and visual formats;
and (4) recognizing and addressing ethical, social, economic, legal,
sustainable, and other critical issues as appropriate. Through these
projects, students develop a unique portfolio of practical
experiences that can have the tangible benefit of focusing their
attention on career directions that best fit their aptitude and
interest. Just as valuable, the grading, deliverables, and
assessment process are designed to emulate the type of project
responsibilities, cross-functional collaboration experience, and
team process evaluation that professionals encounter during their
careers.
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