The 25th Annual Conference for the Association of Integrative Studies (AIS) will be held at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center Oct. 9-12. Hosted by the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies in the College of Urban, Labor and Metropolitan Affairs at Wayne State University, the theme of the conference is "Integration, Collaboration and Partnership: Expanding the Scope of Interdisciplinary Studies."

Highlights of this year's conference include an arts pre-conference workshop in collaboration with the Detroit Institute of Arts. The keynote address will be delivered by Carol Geary Schneider; current president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the leading national organization devoted to advancing and strengthening undergraduate liberal education. Schneider's speech titled "New Frontiers in Integrative Learning" addresses the theme of the conference by encouraging a rethinking of liberal education.

Schneider will also participate in a book conversation moderated by Julie Thompson Klein, professor of humanities in Wayne State's Department of Interdisciplinary Studies and past president of AIS. Klein also is the author of several pioneering works in interdisciplinary studies. Schneider and Klein will discuss a set of three publications in the "American Commitments" series published by the American Association of Colleges and Universities.

This year will mark the third time Wayne State University has hosted the conference, an event that coincides with the 25th anniversary of AIS and the 30th anniversary of the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies. Faculty and staff are excited about bringing this national conference back to the Motor City where visitors can enjoy outstanding museums, excellent theater, world-class music and varied ethnic restaurants.

Conference participants will explore many attractions such as the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Science Center, Detroit Opera House, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, casinos in Detroit and nearby Windsor, Ontario (Canada--just a tunnel or bridge away), the Bonstelle and Hilberry Theaters of Wayne State University, Fisher Theater, Comerica Park, Ford Field and more.

For more information about this event please visit the Conference Website.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.

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