Complex Problems

The AU Core First-Year Seminar

Contact Us

202-885-3869

core@american.edu

Contact:
Brad G. Knight
Director, AU Core

Anderson, Room 108 on a map

AU Core 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016-8145 United States

Complex Problems Seminars

Complex Problems Seminars, taken in the fall or spring of your first year at American University, use real-world problems or enduring questions to cultivate your intellectual flexibility for future work at the university and beyond. Each of these small, 3-credit seminars is taught by a leading, full-time professor at AU and offers opportunities to consider a variety of perspectives and practice scholarly methods of inquiry. The seminars include unique co-curricular experiences, sending you off campus or bringing area experts to the classroom to foster connections among ideas and experiences. In each seminar, a Program Leader (a sophomore, junior, or senior student) partners with your instructor to provide academic and social support, and to encourage classroom, community, and campus engagement.

Find Your Seminar

Browse the catalog of seminar descriptions before registering for Complex Problems. The detailed descriptions allow you to find an available seminar that sparks your curiosity, speaks to your passions, or challenges you to consider new ideas.

This chart is automatically sorted to show the classes which will be offered in the upcoming academic year. Click the arrows next to a seminar title to read the full description.

Complex Problems Seminars

See the Schedule of Classes for detailed information about the upcoming seminars.

CP Communities

Learning Outcomes

You will have the chance to demonstrate all of the following learning outcomes in your Complex Problems seminar. The topical nature of these seminars means that you will engage with the learning outcomes in the context of the course.

Diverse Perspectives

A. Complexity. Identify and engage with complexity (or gray areas) within issues or contexts by explaining the factors influencing different positions

B. Multiple Perspectives. Use multiple perspectives to refine your understanding of an issue or context

C. Awareness. Investigate the sources of your own groups’ norms and biases

D. Civility. Demonstrate civility through argumentation or intellectual exchange

Communication

A. Audience. Identify the audience to make choices about how to communicate your ideas

B. Sources. Integrate materials or sources to develop and refine your ideas

C. Organization. Use organizational strategies to develop a clear purpose or aim

Critical Reading

A. Summary. Summarize an author’s or authors’ message, main points, and supporting ideas

B. Response. Engage with a “text” by responding to it

C. Conversation. Put “texts” into conversation with other “texts”

Reflection

A. Feedback. Incorporate feedback from faculty, staff, or peers in subsequent work

B. Metacognition. Practice metacognition by reflecting on feedback and your revision processes

Integrative Learning

A. Connect. Connect experiences and academic learning

Student Experiences

Amelia Rowniewski, a first-year public health major at American University, delivered a presentation titled 'Bite Sized Nutrition Banter' at the Mathias Student Research Conference on April 6th. The research delved into the awareness levels among American University college students regarding the nutritional public health implications of wasted food. This project stemmed from her final assignment in the Fall 2024 Complex Problems course, 'Food for Thought: Why Waste?'.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the Complex Problems course because I was able to spend time with my classmates, whether we were volunteering, exploring museums, or having meaningful conversations about a topic we were all interested in.”

– Abby Kleman, Class of 2022