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BU Cross-College Challenge Projects (OSC)

HUB XC 433

  • Creativity/Innovation
  • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • Research and Information Literacy
  • Teamwork/Collaboration

Are you looking to take on a real-world challenge, build your collaboration, leadership, and communication skills' Would you like to work with fellow students from across BU and with a community partner on an interesting and engaging project' Then the Cross-College Challenge (XCC) is for you! This particular course will focus on oral/signed communication within the communication Hub area. Each semester there are exciting new courses offered in areas such as social equity, data science, sustainability, public health, and more. XCC courses are open to juniors and seniors from all schools and colleges at BU. For specific course offerings visit: bu.edu/xcc. Create-Communicate-Collaborate. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Teamwork/Collaboration, Creativity/Innovation, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Research and Information Literacy.

FALL 2025 Schedule

Section Instructor Location Schedule Notes
A1 Amato CAS 223 W 6:30 pm-9:15 pm Project: Exploring World Cultures through Puppetry Arts Explore world cultures and current events through the lens of puppetry arts! Come tap into your creative, playful, and risk-taking selves. Learn a variety of world puppetry techniques and find your own voice through teamwork and collaboration. Experience the power of global storytelling to build bridges of intercultural communication. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Teamwork/Collaboration, Creativity/Innovation, Oral and/or Signed Communication, Research and Information Literacy.

SPRG 2026 Schedule

Section Instructor Location Schedule Notes
A1 Preston T 12:30 pm-3:15 pm Project: Border Studies Program/Projects: A Cross-College Challenge at the US-Mexico Border Why is the US-Mexico border so crucial to the national imaginary and political scene? How can we at Boston University make sense of challenges at the border and design projects that address them? The “Southern Border” is regularly cited as a “crisis” in the popular press, and border security and immigration policy are furiously debated but rarely changed. Each of the two main political parties in the US uses the border to advance its agenda, and activists sling slogans like “secure our borders,” “build the wall,” and “fight ignorance not immigrants.” US policies and practices at the border may contribute to human suffering, the rise of political extremism and bigoted nationalisms, and racial and class-based inequities. At the same time, border communities are unique and vibrant cultures, full of possibility, creativity, and hope for the future. “Border Studies: A Cross-College Challenge at the US-Mexico Border” provides an expansive, interdisciplinary introduction to the US border regime. Migrants and asylum seekers are supported by networks of nonprofit organizations that intersect with state and federal agencies. Students will have an opportunity to meet with service providers and practitioners during a weeklong trip to the Rio Grande Valley. After learning about their work, experiences, and challenges firsthand, students will develop projects to address a problem they identify with our partner, Rio Valley Relief Project. Course will meet in the CFD Seminar room, Center on Forced Displacement, Suite 121, 111 Cummington Mall. Interested students should schedule a conversation about the course by writing to cfd@bu.edu.

SPRG 2026 Schedule

Section Instructor Location Schedule Notes
B1 Kleiman T 12:30 pm-3:15 pm From Concept to Cart (C2C) : Starting a Consumer Products Business In this hands-on entrepreneurship course, students will learn about the building blocks that form a successful consumer products company. They will gain practical experience by conceiving and pitching a new consumer product. As the course goes on, they will continue to work on their projects using class insights and assignments to apply to their ventures in real-time. While many factors are similar to other entrepreneurial ventures, consumer products companies have some distinctive elements and functions that are key to success in creating a physical product. Students will learn to think holistically about all those success factors and gain exposure to real-life examples of entrepreneurs and their actions in building consumer product companies. The course is divided into three phases. Phase One will take students into the mindset of a person who wants to start a consumer product company. The second phase of the course will focus on exposing students to the wide range of competencies required in a consumer products company. Learning will be complemented by guest speakers with deep industry and market expertise relative to the topics presented in class, as well as case studies, multimedia assignments and group work. Students will be challenged to apply the topics discussed to their product ideas, their peers’ ideas, and real business cases. The final phase involves student presentations sharing the progress of their product development, their new venture (if they plan to pursue one), and the next steps to the “Board of Advisors.” The class and invited guests will serve as the Board for these presentations and determine “Go, No-Go” decisions related to the request for funding and other support measures presented by the business. This class is open to all majors and anyone interested in learning about new product development and innovation. *Note: Students do not need to have a new product idea to take the class, but they will need to join a team pursuing a project in the class to get the most from the experiential nature of the course.

SPRG 2026 Schedule

Section Instructor Location Schedule Notes
D1 Meusel R 12:30 pm-3:15 pm Project: The Art and Science of Technology Consulting The world is turning digital and the demand for technology consulting continues to grow as it enables this rapid transformation. An increasing number of BU graduates are taking roles as technology consultants, and this experiential course will prepare you for a career in technology consulting. It will allow students to understand the role and help prepare them to successfully interview for a technology consultant position upon graduation. Specifically, you will learn to convert customer problems into requirements; innovate with multiple solution options; and use data and analytics to inform recommendations. Even if you decide not to be a consultant, these are the skills that every company would love to see in employees. This course introduces practical concepts of consulting using an experiential project which is developed and implemented in collaboration with course faculty, and mentors from Innovate@BU. Each inter-disciplinary student team will act as a consulting firm, that understands and solves a given customer problem and proposes a solution and creates a detailed Requirement Specification for the customer.

Note that this information may change at any time. Please visit the MyBU Student Portal for the most up-to-date course information.