Successfully completing a Math course in the first year of college is a key indicator of future academic success. A provost-level task force—comprising representatives from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, the Academic Enhancement Center, and Academic Advising—will develop strategies for improving student success in gateway math courses. These strategies include revising course curricula and teaching practices to better engage students, increasing access to academic support services, and ensuring appropriate first-year math placement through advising.
The core KPI is the DFWI rate in gateway math courses: MATH 1401, 1001, 1111, 1101, 1113, and 2200. The institutional goal is to reduce the average DFWI rate across all gateway math sections—standard to below 25% and co requisite to below 35% —by the end of Academic Year 2027–2028.
In Fall 2024 (Year 0), the average DFWI rate across standard (non-co-requisite) sections of gateway math courses at GGC was approximately 29%, while co-requisite support sections averaged 43%.
Key milestones include scaling embedded tutoring and SI, redesign of co-requisite instructional models, and targeted faculty development in inclusive, student-centered pedagogy. Process indicators include tutoring utilization, faculty engagement in inclusive teaching pedagogy, and disaggregated DFWI rates to monitor gaps by course, student demographics, instructor of record, and instructional format.
As an initiating success strategy, the GGC-MATHS initiative has already produced encouraging early outcomes. Since Fall 2023, we have seen a notable reduction in DFWI rates across standard gateway math sections—from an average of 33% in Fall 2023 to 29% in Fall 2024. Co-requisite sections, while still showing elevated DFWI rates, also improved from an average of 57% to 43%, signaling the potential of targeted support and co-requisite reform efforts. Moving forward, we plan to expand faculty development around high-impact teaching practices and use disaggregated data to drive more precise interventions, such as increasing access to academic support services such as tutoring, supplemental instruction, and peer mentoring, and ensuring appropriate first-year math placement through improved advising and onboarding.
One major challenge is scaling support, especially in co-requisite sections where students often need the most help. Ensuring consistent access to tutoring, peer support, and embedded interventions across all gateway math courses will require strategic resource allocation and sustained collaboration.
Student engagement—particularly in support services—remains a persistent challenge. Encouraging students to utilize available resources early and consistently will require ongoing outreach, faculty advocacy, and culturally responsive practices that build trust and motivation.
Additionally, placement and advising reform may face logistical hurdles, such as aligning advising protocols with academic department expectations and ensuring buy-in for any placement assessment updates.
From the System Office, we would benefit from ongoing funding opportunities (e.g. STEM grants) for course redesign, academic support scaling, or student-centered technology would aid innovation and expansion.
Continuing to foster collaborative networks or communities of practice (e.g. Momentum Summit) with other USG institutions engaged in similar math success efforts would help us share ideas, refine our approach, and avoid duplicating efforts.
