About DISC

The Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum (DISC) coordinates Islamic Studies courses between University of Michigan, University of Illinois, Indiana University, University of Maryland, Michigan State University, University of Nebraska, Northwestern University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania, Purdue University, and Rutgers through the Big Ten Academic Alliance CourseShare program.  Our courses are taught by Islamic studies experts via synchronous videoconferencing technology and provide a unique opportunity to engage with students at other campuses. DISC is funded by the Mellon Foundation and is housed at the University of Michigan’s Global Islamic Studies Center, a member of the International Institute.

Mission


DISC aims to develop a collaborative program of instruction in Global Islamic Studies across the institutions of the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) to provide students with a truly global perspective on Islam and the Muslim world.

Vision


The Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum (DISC) will bring together distinguished and diverse faculty from the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) member universities with expertise on Islam and the Muslim world to have a transformative impact on Islamic Studies. DISC will enrich the intellectual environment at BTAA universities through the academic recognition of the diversity within Islam and the expansiveness of the Muslim world, aggregate expertise from across BTAA institutions, build a scholarly community across these universities based on collaboration, and provide courses and programming that provide students with a robust Global Islamic Studies curriculum.