First-year College of Agriculture students living on two floors in Maple Hall are participating in a unique learning atmosphere as part of the hall’s new community-based living.

“Agriculture Community Encourages Success” is a team of 50 first-year agriculture students who live on the fourth and fifth floors of Maple Hall.

“It gives students with similar backgrounds or interests the chance to live together,” ACES adviser Helen Olson said. “Surely they can find someone that they feel comfortable with right away. When they first get here, it is easier for them to adjust to college life, and the transition to college life is a little bit smoother.”

Students were educated about the community at summer orientations, said Eric Hoiberg, associate dean of academic and state programs in the College of Agriculture.

An overwhelming number of parents were excited about their children living in this kind of environment, he said. “It gives their sons and daughters their own identity,” he said.

In college settings similar to Iowa State, learning communities “provide an anchor [students] need in a larger university,” he said.

Olson said each floor has a peer mentor. “The students like the interaction with other students, rather than acting only with advisers,” she said.

Peer mentors help the students organize activities through four committees — on-campus educational, off-campus educational, social and recreational and community service.

Some of their activities include community service at Roosevelt Elementary School, football tailgates and various speakers from the College of Agriculture, said Emily Traeger, fourth-floor peer mentor.

Traeger, sophomore in agricultural business, said there is a lot of enthusiasm for the program and the activities.

“The committees are giving them an opportunity to take leadership roles and help in the decisions of what they want to do,” she said.

Lindsey Black, co-chairwoman of the community service committee, said she likes the opportunities to staying involved in the community.

“It forces you to get out and do community service which I enjoy,” said Black, freshman in agricultural business. “When I first heard about ACES, I thought it was a good way to meet other people interested in agricultural careers. I think it’s turned out to be more than I expected in a positive way. I had no idea that the people I would meet would be so much fun. It seems I meet someone new almost every day.”

Amanda Klauenberg, freshman in animal science, has built a community of people within the ACES circle by living on the women’s floor (fourth) and near the men’s floor (fifth).

“With the meetings we haven’t done all that much, but living on the floor and near the guys’ floor has allowed me to grow within my own community, and I have found study buddies,” she said.

As a part of the learning community, students are encouraged to take English 104 and 105; Economics 101 and 102; and Biology 201 and 202 or a combination that is relevant to the major with other community members. Dan Liebsch, freshman in animal science, said he is getting to know many people because of this class situation.

“I found friends I like to study with, go to class with and have fun with,” he said. He is planning his next semester’s classes with his community teammates.

Learning communities continue to bring positive results among the students and on the university level. Retention has risen since the development and incorporation of learning communities, Olson said. “We think the difference is in the learning communities,” she added.

Hoiberg said he sees a learning community as an enrichment of education and learning experiences for beginning students.

“Given the kind of success we’ve seen, we want to continue commitment to possibly building more in the future,” he said.