This learning community is available for Aerospace Enginering (Aer E) students who have completed Engl 250. Students in this learning community will enroll in Aer E focused sections of Engl 314 (Technical Communication). By enrolling in the learning community linked sections of Engl 314, students will learn technical communication focused on the types of reports, documentation, and presentations that they will be using in upper level Aer E courses and within the aerospace engineering industry.
Living Options
None
Signing Up
To register for this learning community, students should work with their academic advisor.
All transfer students in their first semester with a major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS).
Program description
The purpose of the CALS Transfer residential learning community is to assist new students in making a successful academic, social, and personal transition to Iowa State University. Activities include guest speakers, agriculture tours and social activities. Students in the CALS Transfer learning community will also enroll in a common section of ENGL 302 (Business Communication). The learning community will have a transfer student peer mentor that will support students with the transition to Iowa State University.
Living Options
Housing in Frederiksen Court, the University owned apartments, is required for transfer students who participate in this learning community. CALS Transfer men and women are housed in separate 4 person (1 per bedroom) apartments.
Signing up
To sign up for a residential learning community simply click on the “Learning Community” tab when filling out your Department of Residence contract on AccessPlus. You can go in and update or change your learning community preference information at any time up until the deadline without losing your “priority date.” Registration for ENGL 302 takes place during transfer student orientation.
The
purpose of the Environmental Engineering Learning Community is to help
new first-year and transfer students transition to collegiate life at Iowa State,
explore professional opportunities in the environmental engineering field, and connect
with other students in the major. Students will be placed in teams, led by peer mentors who will help them get acclimated to campus and engage with students in groups as well as one-on-one, both in and out of the classroom. The Learning Community will help students develop the personal and leadership skills needed to succeed in the major and future careers. The course component of Learning Community (Env E 120) will include activities such as Career Fair preparation, course planning and registration, work site tours, and faculty interactions. This learning community is designed to allow students to enroll in a number of common courses with peers in their major.
Living Options
None
Signing up
New student orientation and regular course registration.
All Data Science majors and students in Open Option are eligible to join.
Program description
The Data Science Learning Community is designed to assist Data Science majors in their transition to Iowa State University by providing a support framework of knowledge, resources, and people. All Data Science majors will enroll in the same DS 110 orientation course and will have other clustered courses with members of the learning community. Students have close connections with a Data Science peer mentor in the orientation course and other meetings designed to assist in learning about data science, group interaction skills and academic problem solving in order to increase success and retention.
Living Options
None
Signing up
Students will have an opportunity to register for this learning community during the class registration portion of summer orientation.
First-year students majoring in Advertising or Public Relations, and Open Option students
Program description
This
learning community serves first-year students who plan to major in advertising or public relations. It will help them become better
consumers, creators, and brand storytellers, and it will promote connections with
other students in the major, as well as with faculty and staff in the
Greenlee School. A second learning community in the Greenlee School
serves students planning to major in journalism,
and the two Greenlee learning communities will have opportunities to
interact, especially through social events.
All students will be
enrolled in one of two sections of JL MC 110 set aside for the learning
community. Most will also find themselves in class together in JL MC 101
and ADVRT 230 or PR 220.
This learning community will also introduce
participants to opportunities for working with student media, clubs, and
other organizations that will foster and showcase their skills during
their four years in the Greenlee School.
This learning community is for new Linguistics majors as well as any student who is interested in language and how it works, seeking especially students in World Languages and Cultures, International Studies, U.S. Latinx Studies, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Science, and Open Option.
Program description
The Science of Language Learning Community is a non-residential learning community for students who are interested in languages, linguistics, and language science. The goals of SOL are to foster community among undergraduate linguists, develop critical thinking skills around language, broaden linguistic understanding of language as a science, and to help students become aware of possible future directions in these fields. As part of SOL, students will take three linked courses together: LING/WLC 119 Introduction to World Languages, ENGL 214 Introduction to Technical Communication, and LING 101 Introduction to the Study of Linguistics. SOL fulfills multiple LAS requirements including up to 6 credits towards Arts and Humanities requirements as well as International Perspectives.
Living Options
None
Signing up
New students will have an opportunity to register for this learning community during orientation and class registration. Transfers and Change of majors can sign up during fall class registration by contacting the coordinator.
All multicultural students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are eligible.
Program description
The FOCUS Learning Community is a multicultural peer mentorship program that is designed to support incoming students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The program provides academic, social, and professional connections to aid in the successful transition to college. Students will participate in enriching activities that will help them develop a strong sense of community.
Benefits of FOCUS
Receive one-on-one guidance from a peer mentor
Successfully navigate your first-year experience
Increased opportunity for academic success
Attend fun monthly social events to build community and strong connections
Develop a strong network of peers to support you through your academic journey
Living Options
No residential options are affiliated with the program.
Signing up
Contact Jahmai Fisher, fisherj@iastate.edu, to learn more about the program and how to get involved.
"The best part of being in a learning community is the mentor/mentee connection that you can make and getting to know other students in the same boat as you." - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student
New transfer students in Psychology are eligible to join.
Program description
This semester-long learning community assists students in their transition to Iowa State and the Psychology department through opportunities to connect with peers, faculty, and resources on campus during their first semester. Students in the Psychology Transfer Learning Community enroll in the common course Psych 112, Section C, which is designed specifically for students transferring from other colleges or universities to Iowa State University (other new students will take either Psych 111 or other sections of Psych 112 for new freshmen). Completing this course and its related activities allows students to make meaningful connections with other psychology students, better understand departmental and college requirements, learn about opportunities and careers related to Psychology, and familiarize themselves with campus resources and services.
Students will also work with upper-level Psychology majors who will serve as peer mentors. The peer mentors will link students to resources within the department and across the Iowa State campus, provide academic support, and facilitate social activities within the learning community.
Living Options
None
Signing up
Students are able to join the Psychology Transfer Learning Community at the time they sign up for classes by adding Psych 112, Section C to their schedule. Contact the Psychology Advising Office for help to add the class.
Primarily for Biology and Genetics majors, but open to all students interested in exploring careers in the life sciences, including Biochemistry, Environmental Science, and Open Option.
BIOL/GEN113X is taught in the Spring to students in their first year at ISU (freshmen or transfer students).
BIOL/GEN114 is taught in the Fall to students in their second year at ISU (recent transfer students and interested first-year students also welcome).
Note: students are not required to have taken BIOL/GEN113X in order to enroll in BIOL/GEN114.
Program description
Do you want to:
Get to know new friends in a small classroom setting (40 students or less) while exploring careers in the life sciences?
Make connections with peer mentors who are knowledgeable and who remember what it was like to be new at Iowa State?
Develop academic and professional skills that will enable a successful Iowa State experience now and launch you into your future?
Have the ability to shape your learning community experiences based on your own interests and goals?
Participate in small group activities that engage you with students and professionals who are already pursuing careers that interest you?
You can achieve all these things and more by meeting for just two hours per week throughout the spring and/or fall semester in these low-effort, high-reward, one-credit, pass/not pass (P/NP) courses!
BIOL/GEN113X – 1cr, P/NP, Spring:
This course will help you discover where your interests lie within the life sciences, with a particular focus on Biology and Genetics. It will provide you with opportunities to explore different career paths through interactions with more senior students, faculty, and leaders outside academia. Activities will include workshops to develop professional skills, visits to labs on campus and conversations with the faculty, graduate students, and staff, and field trips to facilities both on and off campus (e.g. the ISU Research Park). It is also a great way to find study buddies for first-year life sciences courses and create long-lasting connections with other students who share similar interests with you.
BIOL/GEN114X – 1cr, P/NP, Fall:
This course is split into four sections, each of which gives students the opportunity to explore and get hands-on experience in a specific topic within the life sciences. Options include:
Save Planet Earth. An environmentally-themed section where students learn and connect via hands-on sustainability and conservation projects, as well as field trips to research sites around Ames.
Helping People: The Health Care Career Spectrum. Learn about the myriad of healthcare-related career options and meet with practicing professionals.
Exploring the Secret Life of Cells. Learn how basic cell biology research in different organisms can help us improve our world in areas such as medicine, agriculture, and technology. Experiences include hands-on lab activities and visits to research labs around campus.
Decoding the Genetic Mechanisms of Metabolism and Aging. Obtain authentic research experience and learning opportunities using cutting-edge genetic and cell biology approaches. Interrogate cellular metabolism, aging, and age-related diseases.
Bonus: Join study teams for Principles of Genetics and Organic Chemistry I
Living Options
None
Signing up
Students will have an opportunity to register for this learning community during class registration.
Freshmen and transfer students in Environmental Science
Program description
Science of the Environment and Sustainable Systems (SoESS) Learning Community is a two-semester, academically-linked residential learning team oriented toward meeting the scholastic and social needs of entering and continuing Environmental Science freshmen and sophomore students. The SoESS learning community aims to provide an engaging environment designed to foster student-to-peer, and student-to-community interactions by involving students in well-designed academic, community volunteer, and social activities pertinent to the fields of environmental science and environmental sustainability.
Living Options
The Science of the Environment & Sustainable Systems Living Learning Community is located in Larch Hall.
Signing up
To sign up for a residential learning community simply click on the “Learning Community” tab when filling out your Department of Residence contract on AccessPlus. You can go in and update or change your learning community preference information at any time up until the deadline without losing your “priority date.” Sign up for the learning community course(s) takes place at summer orientation.
