The Rise of Interdisciplinary Programs (1967-1980)
AU created its first Interdisciplinary Studies Programs in response to student protests.
The CTA was established in 1968 to encourage cross-field collaboration of faculty and graduate students.
This 1969 class was the first interdisciplinary program at AU and encourage student poltical participation.
Students demanded studies courses from the administration in the late 1960s through the A New AU group.
With the success of the Third World Liberation Front in securing black studies and other interdisciplinary programing at San Francisco State University in 1968, American University students began to take a new role in shaping academic focus. The A New AU organization was founded in order to establish interdisciplinary programs at AU and was largely successful. There methods included student strikes, sit-ins, and public demonstrations including the "Tell it to George" campaign. The first interdisciplinary course was The University and Revolution taught in 1969 by Professors Gary and James Weaver. By 1971 the first interdisciplinary major had been officially instated and the rest of decade is characterized by cross-field collaboration and diverse programming between colleges, faculty, and students.