Memorial Union
The Memorial Union completes the college experience by developing leadership, community, and career readiness. As the living room of campus, the "MU" serves students and the campus community through a variety of programs and activities.
515-296-6848; www.mu.iastate.edu
Arts, Entertainment, Recreation:
- CyBowl & Billiards: bowling, billiards, video arcade, table tennis
- Maintenance Shop: live music, comedy, open mic nights
- Student Union Board: weekly films, comedy, music, diverse programs, special events, much more
- Art exhibits, art gallery, and art-for-rent
- Workspace: art and crafts classes for fun, studios for work in wood, jewelry, pottery; button maker
- TVs, lounges, study spaces
Student Organizations
- Student organization offices and meeting space; recognition process.
- Leadership skills development, training, and events.
- Community-service opportunities and trips
Dining & Shopping
- Food Court & MU Market & Café
- Panda Express
- University Book Store
Study Spots
- Multicultural Center
- Lounges: Main, West, Pride, Commons & more
Services
- Meeting rooms, catering
- Event Management Office
- Parking ramp
- Soults Family Visitor Center
- ATMs
- M-Shop Ticket Office
- Student Legal Services
- Military-Affiliated Student Center
- Center for LGBTQIA+ Student Success
- Sorority and Fraternity Engagement
- Student Government
- University Lectures
- International Students and Scholars Office
- New Student Programs
- NCORE/ISCORE
Distinctive Feature
- Gold Star Hall, a living memorial to Iowa State service personnel lost in the nation's conflicts
- The Zodiac, it is advised to walk around the Zodiac to avoid any unlucky event
Memorial Union Student Engagement
Director of Student Engagement, Associate Director, Memorial Union
Kristine Heflin
Assistant Director - Student Organizations, Leadership and Service
Kevin Merrill
Service Learning and Student Organizations Coordinator
Tim Reuter
Leadership and Student Organizations Coordinator
Hayley Goddard
Coordinator for Art Programs and the Workspace
Letitia Kenemer
M-Shop and Entertainment Coordinator
Jim Brockpahler
CyBowl and Entertainment Operations Specialist
Nichole Woods
Coordinator For Student Activities
Erin McCollum
Student Government Advisor
Sophia Sarver
Office Coordinator
Brigitte Milhous
Memorial Union Student Engagement is committed to helping students learn inside and outside the classroom by offering countless ways to get involved at Iowa State through leadership, service, arts, entertainment and recreation activities.
Student Engagement includes: the Workspace (arts studio), the Maintenance Shop (entertainment venue), CyBowl & Billiards (recreation center/ bowling alley), Cyclone Cinema, leadership and service programs, art galleries in the MU, and management of the recognition of over 800 campus and student organizations. For a complete list of recognized organizations, visit http://www.stuorg.iastate.edu.
The staff provides assistance to student and campus organization leaders, members and advisors on an individual or group basis. Available on the Student Engagement website are resources for student and campus organizations including the event authorization process, publicity and promotion ideas, constitution writing guidelines, and officer transition information. MU Student Engagement is home to the Student Consultants that provide hands on support for students interested in leadership and service opportunities and student organization officers looking to better their clubs. In addition, Student Engagement offers a 3-credit course called Leadership ISU, where students learn leadership capacity through a series of activities and seminars, as well as many other leadership conferences and retreats. Reservations for the Lynn Fuhrer Lodge are managed by this office as well.
MU Student Engagement coordinates the Co-Curricular Transcript (CCT), an online system to help students manage their experiences, achievements and involvement while as an Iowa State student. Faculty and staff can add verified entries while students can add their own self-managed entries as well. Entries are added to one of the following categories: Campus Involvement, Community Service, Honors and Awards, Internships and Study Abroad, Leadership Experience, On Campus Employment, Publications, Recreational Activities, Research, and Seminars and Workshops. From there students can create customized and comprehensive transcripts to use when applying for jobs, internships, scholarships, graduate school or leadership opportunities.
Annual events include: Fall ClubFest & Spring ClubFest (organization involvement fairs), WelcomeFest (Ames and ISU opportunity fairs), ISU AfterDark (substance-free alternative program- six times per year), Iowa Student Leadership Experience (one-day leadership conference), and Winterfest (celebration of all things winter).
More information is available at the Memorial Union Student Engagement, located in the East Student Office Space in the MU (across from Panda Express); online at www.studentengagement.iastate.edu or by calling (515) 294-8081.
Lectures
The Committee on Lectures, funded by Student Government, brings to campus dozens of distinguished speakers in national and international affairs, the sciences, and the arts. In addition to giving formal lectures, many speakers meet with students for small-group discussions. Through the Lectures Program, students have access to a broad range of presentations, including popular culture, educational and economic topics, social issues, music and comedy, and technological and scientific development. Past speakers include writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, physicist Michio Kaku, activist Edward Snowden, attorney Gloria Allred, U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, and U.S. Senator Ben Sasse. The Committee on Lectures also co-sponsors events hosted by student organizations and academic units.
Students are encouraged to contact the Lectures Program office and become involved in the planning of these events.
Honor Societies
Honor societies at Iowa State University provide opportunities for students who excel in the classroom and want to network with others in their major. Members of these honor societies are eligible for transcript recognition through the Office of the Registrar. The complete list of honor societies can be found on the student organization website.