Student Support

Academic advising and course help

Your academic advisor is there to help you make the most of your experience at Iowa State from the beginning.  Academic advisors help prospective students and their families learn about the mathematics program, help new students become oriented to the department and university, and support current students throughout their time in the program if they have questions, concerns, or seek help planning for the future. Your advisor can support you by connecting you with resources on campus and in the community and by helping you to develop decision-making, problem-solving, and self-advocacy skills.

Course help

Help is available for specific math courses throughout the semester. Click on a course below to view help room locations, dates and times. Please check the top of your Canvas course page for classes not listed below.

• Math 1500/1510
• Math 1650
• Math 1660
• Math 2650

Office hours

Math help is also available during regular office hours. A list of office hours by instructor is available.

Richard Sprague Undergraduate Math Majors Resource Room

The resource room is open 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. Undergraduate majors may arrange hours outside of this with the Math Office.

Named in honor of Professor Richard Sprague, this resource room was dedicated in May 2006. Professor Sprague received his B.S. in 1949 from Maryville (in Tennessee), then his M.S. in 1952 and his Ph.D. in 1961 both from the University of Kentucky. He came to Iowa State in 1961 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 1967. Professor Sprague had a special interest in mathematics education and a special concern for undergraduates. He was active with Pi Mu Epsilon (the mathematics honorary society) and gave much appreciated talks on such subjects as “Pigeon-Hole, Shepherd, and Ice Cream Parlor Principles” and “Applications of Modular Arithmetic”. He retired in 1995.

The room is perfect to:

• meet other math majors
• find a quiet place to sit and work between classes
• relax and play games (such as Chess or Go)

Career planning

Be sure to check out LAS Career Services to help you develop your career skills. Whether you need help with a resume, writing a cover letter, work on your job interview skills or negotiate a job offer, LAS Career Services has the resources to help you land that job and succeed.

Scholarships

In addition to scholarships offered through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, we recommend using the Iowa State University One App system to apply for a variety of other scholarships and grants. The deadlines for each scholarship varies with the award. Department undergraduate scholarships and graduate studies scholarships and grants are also available and can be applied through OneApp.

Connections and experiences

The Mathematics and Statistics Learning Community works to build community among mathematics and statistics students by taking classes together, forming study partnerships, and getting to know one another via supplemental activities.

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.

Math Club is a student run organization that enjoys mathematical puzzles, games, and engaging conversations with mathematicians. Equipping Math Teachers is a student run organization that aims to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics.