MELTs (Mechanical Engineering Learning Teams)

First-year mechanical engineering students.

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 1900) led by a peer mentor. M E 1900 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 1430 (Pre-Calculus) through MATH 2650 (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 1900 in the fall and programming activities in the spring.

This is a course-based learning community; thus there are no living options. MELT participants are free to live wherever they wish.

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.