Complex Problem & Enduring Question Courses
First year students are invited to enroll in AVŐďËů College’s innovative Complex Problem and Enduring Question University Core courses. These courses are collaboratively taught by faculty members from different fields and are designed to engage students in interdisciplinary explorations of topics of critical importance. These include areas such as migration, social inequalities, technological change, compassion and belonging, and justice and the common good, to name a few.
Complex Problem and Enduring Question courses extend inquiry beyond the classroom to labs, Reflection sessions, conversations with outside speakers, and off-campus field trips, creating an intensive shared learning experience for both teachers and students. They exemplify AVŐďËů College’s distinctive approach to Core education by establishing a foundation for students’ intellectual development and preparing them to become engaged, effective world citizens.
Spring 2027 Complex Problem and Enduring Question Courses
Complex Problem Courses
Complex Problem courses are six-credit courses, team-taught by professors from different academic fields. Students meet multiple days each week for lectures and once per week for lab. Students and faculty also gather for weekly Reflection sessions, in which they integrate the content of the course with their lived experiences. Each paired Complex Problem course fulfills up to three University Core requirements.Â
If you have any questions about these courses or how to register, e-mail core@bc.edu.
Take Me to the River: The History and Science of U.S. Waterways
EESC1721 + HIST1737
▶ Fulfills 1 Natural Science + History II + Cultural Diversity
Noah Snyder, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Conevery Bolton Valencius, History
Kathryn Bruce, Core Fellow
From colonial grist mills to modern megadams, from Civil War battles of ironclad steamboats to contemporary battles over environmental legislation, rivers course with the lifeblood of American history. In this course, we will use telling moments in the history of U.S. waterways to explore how Americans have encountered, managed, and lived next to rivers. We will also build from these episodes to investigate the science of hydrology, watersheds, climate change, and sediment management. As we trace the role of waterways in U.S. policy-making, energy production, and governance, we will also pay attention to how waters touch the American spirit—through imagination, exploration, baptism, and the Blues.
Lecture:
- TTh 3:00 – 4:15 p.m.]
Lab (Choose 1)
- M 12:00 – 1:15 p.m.
- M 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
- W 12:00 – 11:15 p.m.
- W 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Reflection
- T 6:00 – 7:15 p.m.
Code and Consequences: An Introduction to AI and Its Societal Impacts
CSCI1702 + UNAS1744
▶ Fulfills Mathematics + 1 Social Science + Cultural Diversity
Jessica Finocchiaro, Computer Science
Brian Smith, Lynch School of Education and Human Development
Taylor Beauvais, Core Fellow
This course provides an introduction to how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are reshaping our world. Students will learn how algorithms, data, and computing power come together to influence our lives, from what we read to what we buy to how we learn. Through discussion and debate as well as hands-on analysis using computing tools such as the Python programming language, we will delve into topics such as the environmental costs of large data centers, legal issues related to training AI, and the adoption of AI companions. In the end, students will gain critical perspectives necessary to participate responsibly in conversations about the future of AI. No prior coding experience is needed.
Lecture:
- TTh 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Lab (Choose 1):
- M 12:00 – 1:15 p.m.
- M 12:00 – 1:15 p.m.
- F 12:00 – 1:15 p.m.
- F 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Reflection:
- T 6:00 – 7:15 p.m.
Enduring Question Courses
Enduring Question courses are two linked three-credit courses taught by professors from different academic fields. The same 19 students take both courses. Four times during the semester, students and faculty gather for Reflection sessions, in which they integrate the content of the course with their lived experiences. Each pair of Enduring Question courses fulfills up to three University Core requirements.Â
If you have any questions about these courses or how to register, e-mail core@bc.edu.
Memory, Disruption, Hope: Literary Perspectives (CLAS1708)
Memory, Disruption, Hope: Philosophical Perspectives (PHIL1730)
â–¶ Fulfills Literature + 1 Philosophy
Thomas Epstein, Classical Studies
Vanessa Rumble, Philosophy
Is memory merely a storehouse for empirical experience or something more, something different, perhaps a key to the very possibility of meaningful experience?
These paired courses explore memory as a personal, social, and intellectual-spiritual life force. While it can be argued that memory is at the root of both literature and philosophy, memory as an object of literary expression and philosophical reflection gained particular momentum from the 19th century forward. We will explore some of the history and sources of this newfound focus on memory and apply our insights to both personal and collective experience. We will look at the crucial role played by the past in the very possibility of framing a future and observe how literature and philosophy approach the phenomenon of memory differently. Activities will include visits to museums and historical sites.
These course lectures meet:
- TTh 12:00 – 1:15 p.m.
- TTh 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Reflection will be held four times during the semester:
- T 6:00 – 7:50 p.m.
Crafting Alternative Futures: Communication, Agency, and World-Making (COMM2205)
Crafting Alternative Futures: Imagined Worlds in Literature (ENGL1739)
â–¶ Fulfills 1 Social Science + Literature + Cultural Diversity
Kalemba Kizito, Communication
Krithika Vachali, English
How can we harness the power of imagination to build alternative societies?
These paired courses invite students to explore the power of public imagination as a tool for constructing alternative societies. By working with critical, media, and communication theories alongside literature and film about speculative future worlds, students will interrogate existing systems and envision futures that challenge the status quo. Students will be encouraged to take agency in the process of creating new futures by collaborating on projects and crafting narratives and blueprints for societies that prioritize sustainability, equity, and the common good. Through the course, students will develop the tools to critically examine social, political, intellectual, and literary texts while learning to use persuasion to mobilize communities and take an active role in shaping the future.
These course lectures meet:
- MWF 10:00 – 10:50 a.m.
- MWF 11:00 – 11:50 a.m.
Reflection will be held four times during the semester:
- W 6:00 – 7:50 p.m.
Reckoning with Incarceration: Social Perspectives (COMM2183)
Reckoning with Incarceration: Biological Perspectives (UNAS1734)
â–¶ Fulfills 1 Social Science + 1 Natural Science + Cultural Diversity
Celeste Wells, Communication
Jessica Black, School of Social Work
How do stories concerning justice, retribution, and rehabilitation shape the physical, mental, and social health of individuals?
These paired courses will examine how the universal needs of justice and safety are institutionalized by legal, social, health, and cultural fields, and how victims, perpetrators of crime, and the families of both come to understand them. One course will explore the stories and unequal impacts of the retribution versus rehabilitation design of the U.S. incarceration model, while the other course will examine how experiences like toxic stress, social exclusion, and poor sleep impact physical and mental health on a biological level and throughout the lifespan.
These course lectures meet:
- TTh 12:00 – 1:45 p.m.
- TTh 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Reflection will be held four times during the semester:
- T 6:00 – 7:50 p.m.
How Sports Explain America: The History of Sports in the United States (HIST1718)
How Sports Explain America: The Sociology of Sports in the United States (SOCY1718)
â–¶ Fulfills History II + 1 Social Science + Cultural Diversity
Thomas Mogan, Associate Dean, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences
Kyoung-yim Kim, Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences
How have sports served to define and illustrate the essence of American society and culture throughout history and in contemporary times?
These paired courses will explore the complex relationship between sports and society. Through an interdisciplinary approach to history and sociology, students will analyze the evolution of sports, assess how they mirror the changing dynamics of American society and culture, and investigate the multifaceted roles sports have played and continue to play in shaping our society. By the end of these courses, students will understand how sports serve as a microcosm of American society and a platform for social change, fostering critical thinking and a deep appreciation of the nation's cultural fabric.
These course lectures meet:
- TTh 3:00 – 4:15 p.m.
- TTh 4:30 – 5:45 p.m.
Reflection will be held four times during the semester:
- Th 6:00 – 7:50 p.m.
Human/Nature: Connecting to the Living World Through Biology (BIOL1713)
Human/Nature: Connecting to the Living World Through Music (MUSA1703)
â–¶ Fulfills 1 Natural Science + Arts
Heather Olins, Biology
Anna Wittstruck, Music
How do humans connect to nature?
Throughout history, humans have explored, expressed, and attempted to understand our connection to nature. These paired courses examine the cultural inscriptions and values that have shaped our perceptions of our natural surroundings and that inform knowledge-seeking and expression. Students will explore themes of attention, objectivity, and how being part of the thing we study and/or create can influence the outcome of that investigative and creative process. We will analyze musical works that aim to represent the natural world and also think about the materials needed from the natural world to develop technologies for music making, from acoustic instruments to generative AI, and their environmental impact and sustainability. Theorizing humanity’s intrinsic love of nature, we will also consider our responsibility to the living world in the midst of threats to biodiversity.
These course lectures meet:
- TTh 10:30 – 11:45 a.m.
- TTh 12:00 – 1:15 p.m.
Reflection will be held four times during the semester:
- M 6:00 – 7:50 p.m.
The Formation of Early Christian Thought: A Philosophical Examination (PHIL1722)
The Formation of Early Christian Thought: A Theological Examination (THEO1722)
â–¶ Fulfills 1 Philosophy + 1 Theology (Christian Theology)
Sarah Byers, Philosophy
Paul Ulishney, Theology
How did Greco-Roman philosophy contribute to rational Christian theology?
These courses address the enduring question of the relationship between faith and reason. In the early Christian era, leading intellectuals attempted to integrate the Jewish and Christian scriptures and traditions with rational philosophy. They employed Greek and Roman philosophy to reflect upon foundational issues in metaphysics, human psychology, epistemology, ethics, and God’s action in time. We will examine important concepts, arguments, and theories of ancient pagan philosophers (Plato, Aristotle, Seneca, Epictetus, Plotinus) and trace their adoption and adaptation by leading Christians (Justin Martyr, Origen, Lactantius, Athanasius, Augustine).
These course lectures meet:
- TTh 9:00 – 10:15 a.m.
- TTh 10:30 – 11:45 a.m.
Reflection will be held four times during the semester:
- Th 6:00 – 7:50 p.m.
Poverty and Progress: Literary Perspectives on Causes and Consequences (ENGL1742)
Poverty and Progress: Critical Perspectives on Political Economy (UNAS1737)
â–¶ Fulfills Literature + 1 Social Science + Cultural Diversity
Gayathri Goel, Core Fellow
Peter Giraudo, Core Fellow
Why does poverty persist and how can we remedy it?
In an individualistic society such as ours, poverty is often framed as a personal failing. In these paired courses, however, we will look at some of the systemic factors, notably capitalism, as mechanisms that create and sustain a poorer class of people. We will also consider how poverty complicates narratives of markets as fostering progress and individual freedom. If freedom for some requires the regimentation and exclusion of the many, is it genuine progress? By examining enduring accounts of poverty, we will explore its origins as a mass phenomenon, consequences for civic bonds, and influence on political participation. In addition to making poverty visible, literary texts will also demystify the complex nexus of factors that produce poverty and inhibit true progress. Understanding what causes poverty is the first step in alleviating the suffering of the poor, so that everyone has the right to a life of dignity and fulfillment.
These course lectures meet:
Section 01
- MWF 12:00 – 12:50 p.m.
- MWF 1:00 – 1:50 p.m.
Section 02
- MWF 1:00 – 1:50 p.m.
- MWF 2:00 – 2:50 p.m.
Reflection will be held four times during the semester:
- Th 6:00 – 7:50 p.m.
Urban Paradoxes: Histories of Cities, Power, and Environment in the Americas (HIST1736)
Urban Paradoxes: Theories and Practices of City Infrastructures (UNAS1742)
â–¶ Fulfills History II + 1 Social Science + Cultural Diversity
Andrei Guadarrama, Core Fellow
Ethan Tupelo, Core Fellow
What makes urban life possible?
We live in an urban world, yet a majority of humans lived outside of urban areas until 2007. To understand this massive transformation in human experience, these courses will examine the social and material processes that make urban life possible, investigating core contradictions of the city—a site of economic growth and inequality, political freedom and oppression, environmental justice and disaster. Against interpreting urban growth, infrastructure, and markets as neutral, we will make visible the contingent power relations and systems that create, shape, and constrain human interactions and beliefs. These courses will combine sources from history and political theory, with emphasis on cities in the U.S. and Latin America in the 20th century. Students will engage in deep research of a particular city and think through solutions to ongoing problems of global cities.
These course lectures meet:
Section 01
- MWF 10:00 – 10:50 a.m.
- MWF 11:00 – 11:50 a.m.
Section 02
- MWF 11:00 – 11:50 a.m.
- MWF 12:00 – 12:50 p.m.
Reflection will be held four times during the semester:
- T 6:00 – 7:50 p.m.
Reflection and Formation
Reflection is a central element of student formation at AVŐďËů College and a fundamental component of the design of Complex Problem and Enduring Question courses. In Reflection sessions, students connect the content of the course to their lives beyond the classroom and to the larger University community. In this way, Reflection is intimately tied to the University Core Curriculum learning goal of teaching students how to “examine their values and experiences and integrate what they learn with the principles that guide their lives.” Â
Hands-On, Project-Based Learning
Weekly, 75-minute labs are a distinctive feature of Complex Problem courses that allow students to develop and synthesize disciplinary skills, integrating lecture material with active learning. Students collaborate in groups on hands-on projects that extend the course beyond the walls of the classroom and into the broader community.
Lab sessions in Complex Problem courses may include:
- A partnership with the City of AVŐďËů’s Environment Department where students develop plans for inexpensive ways that residents of various neighborhoods could reduce carbon emissions
- A collaboration with local anti-violence organizations where students helped to develop programming for survivors
- A podcasting project where students students research, develop, and record a compelling story about climate issues
- A mural project honoring the founders of #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo
- A comprehensive revitalization plan for a AVŐďËů neighborhood impacted by various forms of injustice
- An urban walk to learn more about tree equity
- Engineering design projects focused on improved accessibility on the AVŐďËů College campus
- Case study research and concept mapping of Marine Protected Areas around the world
- Op-ed writing about ocean and climate change issues
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Students visit AVŐďËů’s Chinatown to reflect on sites built by Asian immigrants and inhabited by Asian Americans
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Students program and evaluate a robot prototype
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Students meditate, pray, and reflect as they walk outside the Burns Library
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Students engage in a yoga practice on the Bapst lawn