College of Media, Communication and Information dean candidate Caroline Haythornthwaite speaks on February 17th in the British and Irish Studies room in Norlin Library. During the meeting, Haythornthwaite both spoke for herself, as well as answer questions from the audience. (Elizabeth Rodriguez/ CU Independent)

Caroline Haythornthwaite, the director of the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies at the iSchool at University of British Columbia, held a public session with faculty and students Tuesday.

Haythornthwaite proposed open faculty and curriculum meetings that would allow people to see what was happening behind the scenes at the CMCI.

“I think one thing that’s important is the sharing of what people are doing,” Haythornthwaite said. “This is an experiment and you are a participant in this experiment.”

Haythornthwaite said that the experiment should include classes that end early and have capstone projects to fill the rest of the schedule.

“Let the schedule fit the subject matter,” Haythornthwaite said.

Those courses, Haythornthwaite said, will be available to all students in the school.

“One thing people talk about is that the common curriculum is actually going to be a common curriculum,” Haythornthwaite said. “You’re not teaching about the liver. You’re teaching about the whole body, which includes the liver.”

Haythornthwaite said those classes will have to be staffed by talented educators, with less of an emphasis on the instructor’s area of expertise.

“Go out and hire the best,” Haythornthwaite said.

She said she is a strong believer in interdisciplinary education being able to help students obtain jobs after graduation.

“When you finish where do you want to get a job?” Haythornthwaite said. “Our graduates will be work ready because they’ve had a complete education.”

Contact CU Independent Breaking News Editor Sam Klomhaus at Samuel.Klomhaus@Colorado.edu.