When entering into UK, students are often overwhelmed at the possibilities and opportunities before them. From 16 colleges offering events, lectures, a seemingly endless list of courses and disciplines, living-learning programs and countless others, it seems that UK has everything students look for. However, there doesn’t seem to be many surprises.

Within the 16 colleges and professional schools, there doesn’t appear to be a need unmet. From art administration and agriculture to STEM and communications, lack of programming is not an issue students face. Despite this, there are many avenues that are left unexplored.

College is about exploring your goals and interests. What is a finance major, aspiring to attend law school, with a love of journalism to do? Walking into the Grehan Journalism building without ever having any meaningful contact with the journalism staff or students in order to seek out opportunity can be overwhelming.

Why is it, then, that there exists little undergraduate programs of study that capitalize on intersections such as these? Granted, programs of this nature are rare, as they require innovation, but when they are present, often they are treasured by both institutions and students.

One such program that is offered by UK is the Scholars in Engineering and Management program, or SEAM. According to the College of Engineering’s webpage, SEAM is “a collaborative program between the College of Engineering and the Gatton College of Business, accepting both engineering and business applicants” that offers “cross functional classes and activities.”

Similarly, Transylvania University offers a major entitled Philospohy, Politics & Economics. The university takes pride in this offering, stating “Transylvania’s PPE degree program offers a distinctive interdisciplinary course of study found at few other American universities.” While it is easier for a liberal arts institution to implement such programs, it is not impossible for others.

There is endless potential for collaborations between the many colleges and programs at UK, allowing for experiences students wouldn’t find many other places, yet a lot of this potential remains untapped. There is a divide between the many institutions at UK that undermines the ability of colleges within a single university to interconnect, foster community and offer ingenious opportunities. This need not be the case.

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