30 INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES EMPOWERS STUDENTS TO BE THE ARCHITECT OF THEIR OWN FUTURE The Interdisciplinary Studies Program at Valdosta State University allows students to design and personalize their own majors and study a variety of disciplines instead of just one. For many students, such freedom is key to ensuring they accomplish what they came to college for — walking across the stage at graduation armed with a quality education and the ability to change the world. “When you are studying what is meaningful to you, you are more likely to finish and cross the finish line,” said Dr. Lai Orenduff, dean of undergraduate studies and assistant vice president for academic affairs. “We know that all students are unique and come to us with varying degrees of educational background.” Some students, Orenduff said, have known exactly what they wanted to study since they were young, but there are others who cannot decide on a major, either because they are interested in many different fields or they simply do not know what they want to do. Additionally, some students think they know what they want to study and then discover along the way that their initial career path is no longer appealing to them. “This program offers the students who are not zeroed in on one discipline to design the type of academic program that better suits their educational needs,” Orenduff said. “The student is able to learn how the focus areas work or complement each other to reach a better and more thorough understanding of our world.” WRITTEN BY JOHN STEPHEN A Customized Education