The International Adventure learning community provides a 100% virtual experience in which first-year international students can take courses in common, connect with one another, receive support from upper-division peer mentors, and explore career options from anywhere around the world.
Four options are available for this virtual experience:
Business: course options for Pre-Business majors
Computer Science: course options for computer science majors
Engineering: course options for Engineering majors
General: course options for all majors
Contact:
For more information about this exciting opportunity, please contact Suzanne Härle at sharle@iastate.edu
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.
First-Year Software Engineering students are eligible to join.
Program description
The Software Engineering Learning Community is a non-residential, course-based learning community program for first year software engineering students. Students will take a set of required courses with other software engineering students. Fall semester, students will take first semester course, S E 101: Software Engineering Orientation. The goal of this course is to provide an engaging learning environment for first semester freshman to learn policies, procedures and expectations at Iowa State University. Students will find resources for personal and academic success, as well as learn about educational requirements. Students will also be enrolled in common courses and participate in structured activities.
During spring semester, students will participate in S E 166: Software Engineering Careers. The goal of this course will be for students to learn of the career opportunities for Software Engineering majors and interact with potential employers. Students will continue to take common courses and participate in activities.
Living Options
None
Signing up
Students will have an opportunity to register for this learning community during June Orientation.
Mechanical Engineering Learning Teams (MELTs) are non-residential, course-based learning communities for mechanical engineering (M E) students. The participants in the learning team enroll in the same sections of a set of required first-semester courses with other M E students in the fall. One of these shared courses is a seminar course (M E 190) led by a peer mentor. M E 190 meets twice a week and includes a variety of structured activities from industry panels to a design competition to exam review days all meant to help M E students learn more about being successful in college and the M E profession. Our peer mentors are upper-level M E students who are academically successful, want to help new students, and have had professional experiences such as internships, study abroad, club leadership roles, and/or research.
Each MELT includes up to 20 students led by their assigned peer mentor. Due to the differing academic levels of our freshmen students, we offer learning teams linked with each of the math courses from MATH 143 (Pre-Calculus) through MATH 265 (Calculus III). Each of the 16 MELTs have a unique schedule combination, maximizing scheduling flexibility for students and allowing for increased participation.
MELT participants build social and academic support groups with other M E students to help their transition into the ISU community and the M E department. Learning team participants also interact with M E faculty, staff, and upper-level students. The MELTs program is a voluntary full-year program: linked courses and M E 190 in the fall and programming activities in the spring.
Living Options
This is a course-based learning community; thus there are no living options. MELT participants are free to live wherever they wish.
Signing up
Students who are interested in being in a MELT please notify an M E adviser during June summer orientation when setting up your Fall schedule.
First year students (direct from high school and transfer) who declare Materials Engineering as their degree program
Program description
The Materials Science & Engineering Learning Community allows first-year students and transfer students in their first year at ISU to join the strong camaraderie and collaboration that make up the culture of the MSE department. We believe it is important and exciting to have a learning community which serves as a gateway into the MSE “family.”
The mission of the MSE learning community is to embrace and nurture all new students who declare Materials Engineering as their degree program. Since the Mat E first-year population grows as the year progresses, we are happy to operate a year-long learning community experience, as this allows us to include those students who choose Mat E as their curriculum even after the school year begins. We do this by offering clustered course options in the fall and spring semesters and by selecting upper-level Mat E students to serve as peer mentors to support those who are transitioning to ISU and the MSE department.
Living Options
Nonresidential
Signing up
Students enroll during orientation. Please contact Andrea Klocke (aklocke@iastate.edu) for more information.
"I think the best part about joining a learning community is getting to know people who will be in your classes for pretty much your entire college career. I met many people in my learning community, and made some amazing friends who are in most of my classes still in my Junior year, and who I get closer to every semester." MSE Peer Mentor, Jacob
"Students should join a learning community because they are the foundation of your college career. Leaning communities get you involved with other students who are in the same class as you. This allows students to easily meet each other and form study groups. Learning communities are also externally important for networking and creating friendships. Interacting with students of either the same or different major allows students to form friendships that could last a lifetime. Also, the advisors of the learning community are a great network source, as they have had previous students going through the same thing you are. Learning communities helped me become the best I could be." -Michael
A student should join a learning community because it will not only provide personal development but professional development as well. Students will make endless personal and professional connections that will ultimately lead them onto a path of success. Students will be mentored and led by successful upperclassmen students and an instructor who has a passion to serve the learning community and provide students with the necessary resources to be successful. I believe joining a learning community is vital to success and would highly recommend it.—Christopher
Majors Eligible to Join
Any engineering major .
Program Description
Get the LEAD edge! The LEAD Learning Community is structured to support multicultural engineering students taking basic program courses (Chemistry, Math, and Physics).
The LEAD Living and Learning Community offers four main components:
Orientation courses in the fall (Engr 104) and spring (Engr 105)
Peer mentoring
A residential/living component
Course-clustered “learning teams”
The LEAD Learning Community is designed to assist in the development of the academic, professional and social support network of multicultural (African American, Latino/a American, Asian American, Native American, & Multi-racial) engineering students. LEAD Learning Community participants engage in professional development seminars, industrial plant visits, out-of-class community building activities, informal opportunities to interact with faculty and staff in the College of Engineering, and leadership and community service/volunteer experiences. In addition, LEAD members are assigned academic peer mentors who facilitate daily study sessions and assist with their transition to Iowa State University and the College of Engineering.
Students who choose to participate in the residential component of the LEAD Learning Community get the added benefit of living on the same residence hall floor with other multicultural engineering students and having the support of a residential peer mentor that lives on the floor and assists in the facilitation of extra-curricular activities.
Living Options
The LEAD Residential Learning Community is offered in conjunction with the ISU Department of Residence and is housed in Friley Hall on Meeker House.
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.”
Once enrolled in the residential option of the LEAD Learning Community, registration for the course-clustered learning team takes place during summer orientation in the month of June.
Learning communities are a great way to meet new friends, adjust to college life, and learn about the college/area in general. I personally still am friends with quite a few people from my learning community that I was in during my Freshman year. I think learning communities are a great thing for everyone to join. – Cole
The best part of being in a learning community is building an academic network of students. This helps academic performance since you have people to go to for help. Also helps make school a more enjoyable place since you’ll know people wherever you go. – Meghan
Majors eligible to join
Students transferring in or continuing within the Industrial Engineering major.
Program description
The IDEAL Transitions Learning Community provides academic and social support systems for Industrial Engineering students. Students have the opportunity to take common courses and participate in social, professional, and study group experiences lead by peer mentors.
Living Options
This is a non-residential learning community.
Signing up
Students will have the opportunity to register during the Fall/Summer and Spring registration periods.
IDEAL works to assist new Industrial Engineering students while they are transitioning into college life through academic and social support systems. This will be accomplished by developing a supportive network of students, peer mentors, faculty and staff. The IDEAL Learning Community students take clustered courses to build interactions based on similar academic interests, while learning together to enhance their experience.
Living Options
None
Signing up
All first-year students who declare Industrial Engineering as a major before or during the school year automatically become members of the IDEAL Learning Community. They receive information through mailings and at summer orientation.
“The best part of being in a Learning Community is the connections you make with other students and your peer mentor. Many of these connections and friendships will carry throughout your college career.” –Megan
“In my opinion, the best part about being in a learning community is having the opportunity to spend time with a wide variety of people who are in a similar situation as you are. In college it is so important to have a good support system, and learning communities are a wonderful place to find that.” – Michelle
Majors eligible to join
Undeclared Engineering
Program description
The Engineering Exploration learning community is designed for first-year Undeclared Engineering students. It provides a sense of community and academic support with clustered first year engineering courses. Students have close connections with engineering peer mentors in a small learning community class designed to assist in learning about engineering, group interaction skills and academic problem solving in order to increase success and retention. It is our hope that students get more connected to ease their transition to ISU.
Living Options
None
Signing up
Engineering Exploration students will be able to sign up for a learning community when they meet with an adviser during orientation.
Open to all majors, the emphasis of the problems and demos are based on interesting problems in Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Program description
EELC offers a great environment to know your peers and many people in the department including professors, advisors, juniors and seniors. Students will take classes together in the first terms, such as: Math 165 Chemistry 165/or 155 EE 185 Engr 101
And in the second term: Math 166 Physics 221 EE 186 EE166
The students have opportunities to work with mentors, as well as help sessions for math and chemistry and physics. The learning community emphasis team work, group projects and group activities that will enhance students social and educational lives within the univeristy. Activites are encouraged, mentors are available but not mandatory.
Living options
Students have the option to live-in with CprE learning community students in Friley Hall.
Signing up
You need to sign up after you take the math placement exam. Your academic advisor can sign you up.
