Guiding Directives

When designing a custom program of study, IDS students narrow their field or topic of interest by identifying and selecting guiding directives in the form of "wicked problems," "vital questions," and "sticky ideas." These guiding directives serve as a framework for the IDS major’s course selections; furthermore, they energize the student’s research inquiry, culminating in a substantial final project.

Wicked Problems

"Wicked problems," as defined by Jeffry C. Davis in Interdisciplinary Inclinations, are “complex issues that elude easy categorization, ones that do not allow for a simple solution because the pursuit of any response inherently causes more complications; problems that cannot be adequately addressed by one academic discipline” (p. 193). Each IDS major chooses a wicked problem to address through interdisciplinary inquiry. The following are a few examples of wicked problems: 

Vital Questions 

Vital questions “often address wicked problems and lead to the consideration of how people should live and be human; questions that defy brief or simple answers; questions that challenge personal commitments and life values” (p. 192). The following are a few examples of vital questions:

Sticky Ideas 

Sticky ideas are messages that “are memorable and have coherence with other ideas” (p. 192). Such ideas are foundational, important, connected to higher beliefs, and hinge on the doorframe of values. The following are a few examples of sticky ideas: