The learning community gives new students a way to meet peers and professors in psychology and to have a support system to help through this new chapter in life! Overall, the learning community was an amazing experience and it’s something I recommend to every new psychology student! -Sydney, 2015-2016 community member, 2018-2019 peer mentor
Majors eligible to join
First-year majors in psychology.
Program description
The Psychology Freshmen Learning Community is designed to assist first-year Psychology students in making a successful transition to college. Instead of taking the required orientation course, Psych 111, learning community students will take Psych 112, Psychology Learning Community Seminar. Psych 112 is a two-semester, one-credit seminar led by a faculty member.
The goals are to provide an environment where students can connect with each other and with faculty, learn strategies that foster personal development, and develop critical thinking skills as they explore important psychological topics. Psych 112 includes orientation sessions that cover academic program planning, campus resources, and research conducted by current ISU faculty members, in which students can participate, beginning their sophomore year. The seminar also includes a variety of topics relevant to psychology. Depending on the instructor, the esminar themes may include “Introduction to Careers in Psychology”; “The Psychology of Happiness and Well-being”; "A Bright Future for Every Child: Overcoming the Effects of Poverty on Children"; or "Study and Communication Skills for Pscyhology." The seminar includes readings, discussions, class activities, and self-discovery exercises. In the spring semester, students engage in active learning in the community with several hours of volunteer work.
Students will 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 ISU campus, provide academic support, and facilitate social activities within the learning community. Students will enroll together in classes that fulfill degree requirements.
Students take Psych 112 together in the fall and spring. In addition, in the fall, learning community students take several other courses together, including Introductory Psychology (Psych 101, if needed) and the Introductory Psychology Lab (Psych 101L), as well as English Critical Thinking and Communication (Engl 150; if needed). In the spring, students take Introduction to College-level Research (Lib 160); Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition (Engl 250); and Moral Theory and Practice (Phil 230) together. All of these courses are required for graduation. Special small enrollment learning community sections of Engl 250 and Phil 230 provide academic background for in-depth discussion of issues related to the material covered in the Psych 112 seminar.
Living Options
You will have the opportunity to live together on the same floor in a residence hall, which makes it easy to organize study groups, social activities, and informal get-togethers. Half or more of learning community members chose the residential learning community option. You may also live elsewhere, but still participate in all other components of the learning community.
Signing up
You may indicate a preference for the residential component of the learning community when you complete your housing contract. You will have the opportunity to register for the learning community seminar (Psych 112) and join the learning community during orientation. For questions about eligibility and registration, contact Undergraduate Psychology Advising at psychadv@iastate.edu.
Incoming students majoring in Physics and Astronomy.
Program description
Studying physics is both exciting and intellectually challenging. The Physics and Astronomy Department is at the forefront of figuring out how the universe works, with faculty and students engaged in revealing the core mechanisms of biological systems, to the understanding the most explosive events in the life and death of stars. Our goals for physics undergraduates is that they develop a firm understanding of physics through their course-work, student research, field trips, and meeting with visiting scientists. To ensure students are welcomed into the department’s intellectual life, we have created a Physics + Astronomy Learning Community. The Learning Community is a place where beginning students can discuss physics, both current research topics as well as their coursework, interact socially with faculty, partner with peer mentors who can lend advice, and form strong bonds of friendship with like-minded physics students on field trips to regional national labs. The Learning Community is centered around Phys 199 “An Introduction to Physics” and members of the LC will be in the same section of their calculus course so they can build strong connections between their mathematical skills and physics.
"Esprit de Corps" definition: devotion to one's society, fraternity, team-spirit, fellow-feeling. This special undergraduate program will give you the opportunity to explore a music major in a uniquely supportive environment with mentoring from successful upper classmen, meetings with professors outside of class, and a comprehensive orientation program. You will have access to free tickets to attend professional concerts at Stephens Auditorium and other regional theatres and will find a close-knit support group to help you with such courses as music theory, music history, ear-training and sight-singing.
Living Options
Non-residential LC
Signing up
Eligible students should notify the Music Office (294-3831) or the Learning Community Coordinator.
“The learning community not only provided me with a family, but also gave me the courage to talk to professors more and to branch out more with the different subjects of mathematics,” Kelsey Christensen
Majors eligible to join
Mathematics, Statistics, and Actuarial Science.
Program description
Mathematics and Statistics Learning Community members will work to build community by taking classes together, forming study partnerships, and getting to know one another via supplemental activities.
This learning community will provide supplementary activities outside class aimed at easing the transition to campus, exploring campus resources, investigating major-related organizations, interacting with university faculty and staff members as well as opportunities to meet professionals visiting from other mathematics and statistics institutions and organizations.
As the group matures, students may further develop their professional skills by organizing events for their peers to attend or by engaging in service projects.
Members will experience educational, professional, service-related, and social benefits.
Living Options
Non-residential
Signing up
First year students who have declared their primary major as statistics or mathematics will automatically be signed up in the learning community. Transfer students in mathematics and statistics and first semester freshmen in LAS open option may sign up for the learning community during orientation.
First-year students majoring in Journalism and Mass Communication
Program description
This learning community serves first-year students who plan to major in journalism and mass communications. It will help them become better consumers and creators of news, 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 advertising or public relations, 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 JL MC 240.
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.
Students participating in the Earth, Wind and Fire learning community will have the opportunity to develop stronger connections with fellow students and the faculty and staff in the Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences. The main goal of the Earth, Wind and Fire learning community is to build a community of students and faculty and to increase students’ retention to and recruitment into the programs by providing strong interaction with faculty, upperclassmen (peer mentors), study sessions and supplemental instruction. Students will be required to take the two orientation courses MTEOR/GEOL 112 and 113 that will provide the environment for the community-building activities.
We look forward to welcoming you to Iowa State University.
Living options
None
Signing up
Freshmen/first semester students in the LAS Open Option may sign up for the learning community during their summer orientation. Students who have declared their major as meteorology, geology, or Earth science will automatically be signed up for the learning community.
Our learning community was established in fall 2004 to foster relationships, provide academic support for incoming freshmen wishing to major in Computer Science, and to help new students transition into a new environment and lifestyle. The first-year courses (Com S 227 and 228) have relatively large enrollments and our learning community provides a level of interaction between students that is not always possible in the classroom. We do this by having students take their first programming, math, and orientation course in a small cohort of students, and work with a peer mentor who is an upper-level student in Computer Science.
Many students come to the computer science major with few clear ideas about what it means to be a computer scientist, while others have taken programming courses in high school and explored computer science on their own. Some students are intimidated by the experience level of others, while some are looking for greater challenges. By living in close proximity to one another, friendships can form despite differences in skill levels, as those differences diminish throughout the school year. The learning community sponsors social and informative events in and outside the orientation class where peer mentors help build a sense of community, become a resource for students, review current topics, provide guidance on homework, and discuss both elementary and advanced computer science topics.
Living Options
The Computer Science Learning Community offers an residence hall opportunity in Friley and Helser Halls. This allows students to live, study, and socialize together.
Signing up
To sign up for our 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.
New Communications Studies (first-year and transfer) students are eligible to join.
Program description
The Communication Studies Learning Community serves first-year and transfer students who are new to Iowa State and to the Communication Studies Program. Our Learning Community was developed to help students connect with other students in their major and identify campus resources that can help them be successful. The Communication Studies Learning Community is tied to the Communication Studies 104 Orientation course as well as Introduction to Communication Studies (ComSt 101).
Living Options
Non-residential
Signing up
Students will have an opportunity to register for this learning community during June Orientation.
The best part of learning community is all of the connections I've made. I met some of my best friends when I was taking it as a freshman and I continue to meet new people all the time. It has also allowed me to connect with a lot of professors who have been valuable resources to me throughout my college career. - Kate
Majors eligible to join
The Chemistry Learning Community is intended for first-year and transfer majors in chemistry, but is open to any student with an interest in chemistry.
Program description
The Chemistry Learning Community (CLC) seeks to build a community environment that fosters the educational and emotional growth of chemistry students. Because of the importance of research in chemistry, the CLC is centered on a research theme. The CLC holds weekly meetings and activities with freshmen and transfer students throughout the year. Students enroll in Chemistry 101A (fall only) and Chem 101B (spring only) “Chemistry Learning Community Orientation.” We will introduce students to support services, resources, and opportunities at ISU including AccessPlus, Canvas, and the Society of Chemistry Undergraduate Majors (SCUM) – our chemistry club. We will develop team-building, problem-solving, and professional skills, provide educational and service-based field trips, and invite faculty to discuss their research. We will also have some activities just for fun!
Our goals include:
building a supportive community for our freshmen and transfer students by creating and promoting connections between the majors, peer mentors, faculty and staff,
exposing freshmen and transfer students to undergraduate research opportunities, and
helping students learn coping, problem-solving and communication skills.
Living Options
This is a non-residential learning community.
Signing up
All incoming first-year and transfer chemistry majors will automatically become part of the Chemistry Learning Community when they register for courses at summer orientation. Be sure to show up in August for the learning community orientation events which will be held just prior to the start of classes.
Multicultural students (American Indian/Alaska Native, African American, Asian American, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latino/a, Multiracial) in any College of Liberal Arts and Sciences major.
Program Description
Are you looking forward to building a community with students of color this fall?
Do you want to learn more about campus resources and opportunities to get involved?
Would you like to develop a great relationship with a current multicultural student leader who could serve as your peer mentor, and become a life-long friend?
BOLD is a fantastic opportunity for first-year and new transfer students who are striving for academic, social and professional success. The BOLD Learning Community is designed to support the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ diverse student population with representation and retention, and you can be a part of it!
The BOLD Learing Community offers three main components:
Orientation course in the fall and seminar course in the spring
