Business Learning Teams (BLTs)
What is a BLT?
A BLT (Business Learning Team) is a group of freshmen and transfer business students who take the same sections of three courses during the fall semester and some of these students live near one another in the residence halls.
How do I sign up for a BLT?
Participation is optional, however if you sign up you will be expected to participate fully in the team activities. You can register for a learning team when you apply for housing, or online in the spring. Some teams have a residential component, meaning students live on the same floor in the residence halls, while others do not have this component. Space in teams is on a first come, first served basis.
Other than a few group meetings, members are not required to "do" anything outside of class with the other members of your team unless you have a group project. However, we ask our learning team members to do at least a few of these things together with other members of their team. (Your team's peer mentor will also help organize some of these activities)
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Walk to and from class
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Attend class
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Share meals
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Work on projects
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Help each other with homework
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Form study groups
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Socialize outside of class
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Discuss issues outside of class
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Attend campus activities
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Three courses from this list will be on BLT schedules. All BLTs will include BusAd 102 and one or more other courses. All these courses fulfill graduation requirements in the College of Business. Some of the courses may be linked.
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Business Orientation
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Computer Applications
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Principles of Microeconomics
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Critical Thinking and Communication |
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Discrete Mathematics for Business and Social Science
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Business Statistics
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Introduction to Sociology
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Linked courses are courses from two different disciplines that the instructors have chosen to integrate. For example, in a composition course you might write about a topic being discussed in your business orientation course. Linked courses help you make connections between seemingly unrelated topics, increasing your understanding of the material and its application.
A residential learning team is a more formal BLT with a direct tie to a specific residence hall on campus. A limited number of spaces on a particular floor are requested for members of the BLT. The residential learning team will have a peer mentor (former BLT student) living on their floor, as well as other Iowa State students and a resident assistant.
Students are contacted by their peer mentor before the start of classes and have a chance to meet everyone in their BLT at a kickoff event early in the fall semester.
There are three types of mentors: student, faculty, and staff. All the BLTs will have at least one mentor from each of these groups. The student mentor is a student who was on a BLT in a previous year. The faculty mentor is a member of the College of Business faculty who volunteers to serve in an advisory capacity for learning teams. The staff mentor is a professional advisor from the Union Pacific Undergraduate Programs office.
How long does a learning team last?
Typically, BLTs are only for the fall semester. However, many of our learning team members choose to continue the team relationship beyond that first semester. We offer a few teams in the spring semester for those who wish to continue their team experience.
Our students have told us that BLTs make the transition to Iowa State University easier. It is an easy way to meet friends and makes walking into class the first day a little less intimidating. It also provides students with a support network of students, faculty, and staff, and makes ISU a "smaller" place.
"Makes things easier and more comfortable."
"There are people who care and it makes the university smaller."
"I don’t feel so alone; I’ve made friends very easily."
"I think the learning team is a positive experience. It allows you to get involved with other people and relate to them in many classes."
