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University College Program 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016 United States

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Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ - Joining University College (UC)

UC is for first-year students who live on campus and are not participating in another Living-Learning Community. Students from all schools and majors are eligible.

No! There is no extra financial commitment for participating in UC. Note that some optional co-curricular activities may ask a small fee for participation.

Space is limited in UC based on housing, and individual seminars are limited to 19 students. To secure a space in the community, please submit your course preferences early to UC via your AU portal. Once capacity is reached and/or the deadline is passed, students will be placed on the waitlist and accepted on a first-come first-served basis.

Please email universitycollege@american.edu to find out if space is still available.

FAQ - UC Seminar & Housing Placement

We will notify you of your seminar placement and housing area by the end of the day on Friday, May 10, 2024. Room and roommate assignments will be sent out by Housing & Residence Life later

When you submit the UC reservation form, you will provide your first choice seminar and two alternate seminars. Please note that you will only be able to choose a seminar that has available seats. We will plan to place you in your first choice seminar. However, if any changes are necessary, the UC office will contact you before moving you to one of your alternate choices.

After completing the reservation form, you will receive a submission confirmation email from the UC team. UC program staff will send official seminar placement confirmations by the end of the day on Friday, May 10, 2024

Seminar change requests are accepted for the following reasons:

  • Disability accommodations, with documentation from the Academic Support and Access Center
  • Academic scheduling requirements, with documentation from the student's academic advisor

Requests will be approved on a case-by-case basis pending seminar availability. To request a change for academic or accommodation reasons, please email universitycollege@american.edu to discuss your options.

 

You must live with students in your housing cohort based on your seminar placement. Within that group of students and following Housing & Residence Life policies, you are allowed to select a roommate. You will be given opportunities to connect and talk with students in your cohort, in the hopes that you find your roommate on your own. However, some students do choose to be randomly assigned within their cohort.

Students of AU Cornerstone are also University College students. AU Cornerstone students are a part of a UC cohort and will be housed with that cohort. Cohort placement is determined by your chosen Complex Problems seminar. Not all members of your UC cohort will be in AU Cornerstone. We will connect students after the deadline with others in their cohort. If you'd like to be with another AU Cornerstone student in your cohort, you can match with them during the roommate matching process.

FAQ - UC on Campus

UC Students will move in August 2024 on a specified date. More information will come later!

Based on cohort placement, UC students will be housed in a first-year residence hall. This information will be available on our website in early 2024.

All UC students can expect to live together on specific floors of first-year residence halls. If you require special housing accommodations, please contact Housing & Residence Life by email at housing@american.edu. Exceptions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

  • Actively participate in Complex Problems seminar.
  • Positively interact with peers, staff, and faculty.  
  • Attend co-curriculars hosted in both the Fall and Spring semesters.  
  • Maintain in good academic and social standing with American University.  
  • Reside in the LLC community throughout the entire academic year.  
  • Attend semester kickoff experiences. 
  • Attend summer engagement opportunities as available. 

Yes! UC students are encouraged to participate in student organizations, university athletics, community service projects, and other campus engagement opportunities.

You cannot participate in both UC and any of the following programs:

  • AU Honors
  • Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholars (FDDS)
  • Community-Based Research Scholars (CBRS)
  • Lincoln Scholars
  • Any program that requires a specific Complex Problems seminar and/or requires students to live together on campus

Starting in Academic Year 2023-2024, students can participate in the Lincoln Scholars Program in addition to UC. However, students may not participate in Cornerstone if participating in the Lincoln Scholars program.

Every year, students can attend our Ice Cream Social during Welcome Week. At the end of the Fall semester, students can also attend our Winter Wonderland themed event. Outside of those two signature events, we have offered the following programming in previous years:

  • New York City day trip
  • Washington Nationals game
  • AU women's basketball game
  • Flashback Friday movie night
  • Game nights
  • End of year block party

Though your residence hall floor will house only UC students, the south side of the American University campus is home to most first-year residential students, creating a diverse and inclusive atmosphere. To maintain your full-time status, you will also register for three or more courses which will include students from the entire American University undergraduate population.

Research and previous student experiences tell us that students who participate in a Living-Learning Community have better connections to their campus, stronger relationships with classmates and faculty members, and higher grades throughout college. In UC, you will complete an AU Core requirement in your first semester. Additionally, you can remain engaged with UC by applying for a Program Leader student staff position as an upperclassman.

Yes! Students who reserve their spot in University College can live in Black Affinity Housing (Roper Hall). This opportunity is available on a first come, first served basis.  

Not at all! It will actually add to your AU experience. Black Affinity Housing will require students to live in specific housing (Roper Hall) that is separate from University College. However, students in Black Affinity Housing can expect to be housed with and near other students who opted into Black Affinity Housing and University College.  

After completing the University College Reservation Form, please notify our staff about your interest in Black Affinity Housing by providing your name and AU ID number via e-mail (universitycollege@american.edu). Our team will work with the Housing & Residence Life Team to ensure your placement. Please note this opportunity is available on a first come, first served basis. 

FAQ - UC and Cornerstone

The AU Cornerstone Program is a part of the University College Living-Learning Community. Cornerstone is an enriching opportunity to jump start your professional career or international education. Cornerstone students choose to pursue a credited internship in D.C. or study abroad experience in Madrid (SIS Scholars) in the Fall semester or Greece during the Spring semester. Cornerstone students live and learn together in the first-year residence halls and participate in special programming that fosters a shared experience.

If you have submitted your reservation form to University College and are interested in joining the Cornerstone program, or if you would just like to learn more about the program, please email us at aucornerstone@american.edu

Students get to choose between the D.C. internship program, a study abroad program in Madrid during their Fall semester (for SIS Scholars only), or a study abroad program in Greece during their Spring semester. All three programs are a year long. In addition to dedicated faculty and advisors, and special programming, AU Cornerstone is the only opportunity for first-year students to intern or study abroad. 

To learn more about each program and the benefits, click here for Cornerstone's website.

University College students will receive an invite to join Cornerstone if our team in AU Admissions think they're a good fit for the program. AU Cornerstone accepts up to 190 students. Reservations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

If you're interested in joining the program but have not gotten an invite, or if you have other questions, email us at aucornerstone@american.edu.