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.
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
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/GEN114X is taught in the Fall to students in their second year at ISU (sophomores or recent transfer students).
Note: students are not required to have taken BIOL/GEN113X in order to enroll in BIOL/GEN114X.
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.
The Program for Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) is a supportive community dedicated to making STEM equitable and welcoming for all. The goal of WiSE is to provide the network and resources WiSE students need to excel in their studies, approach their career with confidence, and become advocates and leaders. Female students in a STEM major are automatically in WiSE.
This course equips WiSE students with skills needed to persist and thrive in their chosen STEM major at Iowa State and beyond. Students explore experiences of diverse women leaders in STEM fields, engage with peers across STEM fields, and develop community in small groups with peer leaders. This course also fulfills the U.S. Diversity requirement.
*this includes women who are cisgender, trans, of trans experience, etc.
Monthly events featuring food, speakers and activities! A great way to meet with other WiSE students and pursue personal and professional development.
Living Options
Residential clusters are designed to help students connect and build community with other female students in STEM. WiSE residential clusters options exist for first-year and transfer students.
All women in STEM are automatically in WiSE and will receive our newsletter, The Hoot, to their Iowa State email. Follow us on social media (@wise_isu) for the latest events and programs. Students are encouraged to stop into the WiSE Office at 218 Carver for studying, snacks and conversation!
Our NREM Freshmen Learning Community program is a full year, residential based learning community. Students enroll in a cluster of courses that satisfy our degree requirements (Biology 211, 211L, 212, and 212L, NREM 110, 111 and 120 among others). The learning community is intended to assist students in their academic pursuits by providing study groups, interactive visits with our faculty and natural resource professionals, and optional field trips and community service projects. Peer mentors (upper-class NREM students) coordinate activities and are available for advice and direction. The group meets weekly in a classroom setting for a one-credit class (NREM 111).
The NREM Transitions Learning Community is designed for students transferring to the department and needing the second-year series of courses (Vertebrate Biology, Ecology, Statistics, etc.) and interested sophomores continuing their studies. The NREM Transitions Learning Community is open to NREM students regardless of where they choose to live. We meet once per week in a classroom setting and have optional field trips and community service projects outside of the class time. Students earn one credit for the successful completion of this program. There are two peer mentors who are available to assist students and help coordinate study groups for common classes.
The goals of both learning communities include developing your study skills, creating a strong sense of belonging within the department and the university, providing a positive social setting and improving your time management skills.
Living Options
Participants in the NREM Freshmen Learning Community live on a coed floor in Willow Hall.
Members of the NREM Transitions Learning Community may choose to live on or off campus. Unlike the freshmen program the NREM Transitions Learning Community is not residential based.
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.
Sign up for the NREM Transitions Learning Community is done at the time of class registration. See the contact person for details and course availability.
In the Microbiology learning community, students are enrolled in common course sections so you will see familiar faces between classes. A former student called Microbiology the Swiss army knife of majors, because it prepares students for such a variety of careers. So whether you know what you want to do or aren’t sure, we will help you navigate your experience in Microbiology at ISU. As you hear professors share their career path and research in the orientation course, you’ll also plan out your 4-year program of study and refine your own resume. You will get better acquainted with other Micro students and have the guidance and wisdom of current Micro students - the Micro peer mentors.
During the spring semester, Microbiology students will continue to have access to the peer mentors for guidance pertaining to academics, class questions, or a friendly person to listen to concerns. We strongly encourage students to get involved with the Micro Club, which puts on a fall Micro workshop for high school students and participates in Science Nights at local elementary schools teaching basic microbiology. They also have social events and activities including making soda, pouring jello plates, and creating agar art. Join us to learn how microbes DO rule the world.
Living Options
Non-residential LC
Signing up
Freshman/first semester students may sign up for the learning community during their summer orientation.
The Technology Learning Community (TLC) helps you explore options and make the transition to ABE and Iowa State successfully. Students in the TLC learning community get a head start on their college careers by getting involved in their major and ABE faculty as soon as they step on campus. (ABE - the department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering - is the home department for AST and ITec.) Upperclassmen serve as Peer Mentors to help guide TLC students in their transition into Iowa State. TLC students take courses together and enhance their skills in mathematics, physical science, problem solving, and competencies necessary for career success. Social activities and the ITec and AST student clubs help round out the TLC learning community experience.
Living Options
Our freshmen/sophomore ABE Living Community is located on the 3rd and 4th floors of Maple Hall, and 4th floor of Helser.
Signing up for the ABE Living Community
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.
In a large university environment, it is essential that students develop a sense of belonging early in their academic career. The goal of the Horticulture Learning Team is to provide this connection, which in turn promotes development of social skills, communication skills, and study skills. This learning team is for first-semester, first-year students majoring in horticulture. The courses on the team's schedule meet the degree requirements for horticulture. Students will also benefit from participating in the Horticulture, Landscape and Turf Clubs, career exploration activities, social activities, industry field trips, and an orientation class. One of our student’s favorite activities is the “Project Glean”, a service learning project where the students pick, grade, and package apples at the Horticulture Research Station and then donates them to charity. Another favorite is the faculty/student dinner held in the first semester to get to know the instructors of their classes and who the professors are in the department of horticulture.
Living Options
This is a non-residential learning community.
Signing up
Please contact the Horticulture Learning Community Coordinator, Barb Clawson.
First-year, transfer, and continuing students majoring in Global Resource Systems.
Program Description
The GLOBE learning community serves all students majoring in Global Resource Systems. Emphasis is placed on supporting first-year and transfer students in their transition to university life and in making connections with faculty and peers.
New first-year and transfer students enroll in GLOBE 110 and GLOBE 290 their first fall semester. Peer mentors assist students in these courses as well as promote active learning and participation through other program activities.
Students consistently list their favorite learning community activities as participating in service-learning projects, meeting visitors from other countries, and planning their curriculum to study abroad.
