Argument and Inquiry (A&I) seminars are designed to provide students with an introduction to college-level work, as well as an understanding of the meaning and value of a liberal arts education. Like all Carleton courses, A&I courses develop habits of critical and creative thinking, encourage intellectual independence, and foster a community of learning within the classroom. In addition, all A&I courses have certain other essential elements:
- They clarify how scholars ask questions and how they find and evaluate evidence in addressing those questions,
- They are discussion-based,
- They are writing-rich (see Writing Rich guidelines), and
- They include attendance at — and some discussion of — the A&I convo, which addresses the nature of liberal arts education.