Residential Learning Communities & Theme Houses

Residential Learning Communities (RLC)

RLCs are small groups of students who live together on designated houses or floors. Students share academic interests, classes, living spaces and develop friendships as part of an innovative program in cooperative learning. As such, most RLCs are limited to students in certain majors.

RLCs are an excellent way to make friends and enhance your academic success. Additional benefits include:

  • Developing academic and social support systems quickly
  • The opportunity to have more collaborative interactions with others on campus (students and faculty may seem more approachable)
  • Living with others who share your academic interests makes learning more fun and creates opportunities to extend the learning outside the classroom through study group formation, informal conversations and programming activities
  • Many learning community programs hire upper-class students who are familiar with the curriculum and who serve as mentors to students
  • Research shows that learning community students graduate from the university at higher rates than non- learning community students

Not all academic programs offer RLCs. Non-Residential Learning Communities offer many of the same benefits as RLCs with the exception of students living in close proximity to each other. Students may live in different houses, buildings or even off-campus. Their points of connection result from in class and out-of-class activities sponsored by the learning community coordinators. New students interested in joining a non-residential will have the opportunity to do so during Orientation.

Refer to the Learning Communities Website for more detailed information about learning communities including college contacts, mentor information, and research reports.

Available Learning Communities Location Coordinator Email
Aerospace Engineering Helser Nataliya Altukhova - Brad Eilers natalt@iastate.edu - eilersb@iastate.edu
Agriculture Community Encourages Success Maple Cynthia Haynes chaynes@iastate.edu
Agriculture Education Studies Larch Ben Chamberlain bchamber@iastate.edu
Agriculture- Biosystems Engineering Helser, Maple Lindsay Frueh Lindsay@iastate.edu
Business Learning Teams Elm, Welch, Willow Kathy Weaver kweaver@iastate.edu
Chemical Engineering Friley Janessa Boley boleyj@iastate.edu
Common Threads Maple Chris Wise clwise@iastate.edu
Computer Engineering Learning Teams Friley Anthony Moore awmoore@iastate.edu
Computer Science Friley, Helser Steve Kautz smkautz@iastate.edu
Design Exchange Friley, Linden Malinda Cooper macooper@iastate.edu
Electrical Engineering Friley Anthony Moore awmoore@iastate.edu
Food Science and Human Nutrition Eaton Mickie Deaton mjdeaton@iastate.edu
Honors Cluster Friley, Geoffroy, Larch honors@iastate.edu
Honors House Barton, Lyon, Martin honors@iastate.edu
Leadership Through Engineering Academic Diversity Friley LeQuetia Ancar lancar@iastate.edu
Natural Resource Ecology & Management Willow John Burnett jburnett@iastate.edu
Psychology Learning Community Geoffroy, Larch psychadv@iastate.edu
Science of the Environment and Sustainable Systems (SoESS) Larch Kurt Earnest kearnest@iastate.edu
Women in Science and Engineering Buchanan, Eaton, Elm, Friley, Geoffroy, Helser, Martin, Oak, Willow Carly Miller millerc@iastate.edu
Women in Science and Engineering Transfer Learning Community Frederiksen Carly Miller millerc@iastate.edu

Theme Houses

Theme houses provide opportunities for students with common interests to live together and pursue those interests through organized programs and activities. While there are no academic or major requirements, ROTC Theme Houses requires military affiliation and Cross Cultural Theme House requires residents to live with a roommate from a different country.

Available Theme Houses Location Coordinator Email
Air Force ROTC Larch Carla Schaefer afrotc@iastate.edu
Allergy Alert & Aware House Martin Administrative Services Office housing@iastate.edu
Army ROTC Willow Trevor Thien tathien@iastate.edu
Cross Cultural Theme Wallace Kurt Earnest kearnest@iastate.edu
Navy ROTC Larch Matthew Burchill burchill@iastate.edu
Spectrum Maple Lisa Ludovico housing@iastate.edu