North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina

In 2018, the University of North Carolina System (UNC System) engaged with the Charles A. Dana Center to mobilize mathematics faculty in North Carolina to dramatically improve student success. The UNC System comprises all sixteen public universities in the state as well as the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Aided by resources, support, and services provided by the Dana Center, the UNC System established a state task force charged with the creation of formal recommendations on the implementation of mathematics pathways in North Carolina.

To support the UNC System, the John M. Belk Endowment gifted nearly $1 million to help implement recommendations from the UNC System’s Math Pathways initiative. “When our data show only two–thirds of UNC System students are passing their college algebra courses at several of our institutions, we know there’s work to do,” said UNC President Margaret Spellings. “The John M. Belk Endowment’s gift will allow us to implement the recommendations coming from our math faculty and administrators, and turn our gateway math courses from stumbling blocks to building blocks.” 1 

Members of the North Carolina Math Pathways Task Force meet during a convening.

1 The University of North Carolina System. (2018, May 24). John M. Belk endowment awards $3 million gift to advance student success.

Lead Agency

Math Task Force Facilitator

  • Michelle Solér, Director of Competency–Based Education and Assessment, University of North Carolina–General Administration

Math Pathways Task Force Co–Chairs

  • Tracey Howell, Director of Math Help Center and Math Emporium Lab and Associate Director of Research and Instruction in STEM Education Network, University of North Carolina–Greensboro
  • Tamar Avineri, Instructor of Mathematics, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
  • Thomas C. Redd, Associate Professor of Mathematics, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

North Carolina Community College System Office

  • Rinav Mehta, Math Chair, Central Piedmont Community College

Math Pathways Advising Council Co–Chairs

  • Melinda Anderson, Associate Provost, Elizabeth City State University
  • Richard Gamble, Senior Academic Advisor, Western Carolina University
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Task Force Members
Name Title Institution Committee Service
Yufang Bao Math Professor Fayetteville State University  
Daniel Best Math Faculty Western Carolina University  
Banita Brown Assoc. Dean University of North Carolina at Charlotte Communication
Beth Bumgardner Math Faculty University of North Carolina at Charlotte

 

Click "See More" button to view all UNC System Math Pathways Task Force Members. 

Name

 Title Institution Committee Service
Jo-Ann Cohen Math Professor North Carolina State University  
Elizabeth Creath Math Faculty University of North Carolina at Wilmington Summit
Alina Duca Assoc. Professor of Math North Carolina State University  
Peter Eley Interim Chair and Professor, Math Education Fayetteville State University  
Katie Floyd Math Faculty University of North Carolina at Pembroke  
Richard Gay Associate Dean University of North Carolina at Pembroke  
Taylor Gibson Math Dean North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics  
Mark Ginn Vice Provost Appalachian State University Defining the Problem
Linda Green Assoc. Professor of Math University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill  
Johannes Hattingh Math Chair East Carolina University  
Ellen Hilgoe Assoc. Director NC EMPT East Carolina University  
Frank Ingram Assoc. Dean Winston Salem State University  
Kenneth L. Jones Math Chair Elizabeth City State University  
Mohammad Kazemi Assoc. Math Chair University of North Carolina at Charlotte  
Jeff Lawson Professor and Math Department Head Western Carolina University  
Eric Marland Professor and Math Department Chair Appalachian State University  
Katie Mawhinney Math Faculty Appalachian State University K-14
Valentin Milanov Associate Professor Fayetteville State University  
Radoslav Nickolav Math Chair Fayetteville State University Advising
Viji Sathy Assoc. Professor of Psychology AUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill %nbsp;
Dipendra Sengupta Math Professor Elizabeth City State University  
John Smail Associate Provost University of North Carolina at Charlotte  
James Smiling Math Faculty University of North Carolina at Pembroke  
April Talbert Instructor and Director East Carolina University  
Guoqing Tang Math Chair North Carolina A&T State University  
Dan Teague Math Faculty North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics  
Matt TenHuisen Prof/Assoc. Director CTE University of North Carolina at Wilmington  
Richard Townsend Math Faculty, Gen Ed Chair North Carolina Center University  
Dong Wang Math Professor Fayetteville State University  
Coral Wayland Assoc. Dean University of North Carolina at Charlotte  
Tracy Foote White Asst. Math Professor Winston Salem State University Design
Cathy Whitlock Math Faculty University of North Carolina at Asheville  
Dan Yasaki Assoc. Math Professor University of North Carolina at Greensboro Student Support

 

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Formal Charge
Formal Charge

The charge statement of the University of North Carolina System Math Pathways Task Force, adopted in April 2018, was to develop recommendations and processes that supported the efforts of each UNC System institution to implement and scale mathematics pathways that yielded increased student success and learning in gateway mathematics and statistics courses. In addition to defined charge elements, a concerted effort was made by the Task Force to identify successful curricular and pedagogical strategies and models across the UNC System institutions and to disseminate those strategies and models to enhance student success and learning throughout the System.

In August 2019, the UNC System Math Pathways Task Force published its report – UNC System Math Pathways Task Force Recommendations – which identified eight recommendations, strategies and relevant resources to support System-wide implementation of mathematics pathways. These eight recommendations include:

  1. Design of Math Pathways. The Task Force recommendations that each institution develop campus-specific groups of disciplinary majors (i.e., degree clusters) and create visual representations highlighting each of the following: (a) available majors and degree options that can be obtained via each pathway, and (b) the math pathway required for each of those groups of disciplinary majors.
  2. Student Support. The Task Force recommends that, using disaggregated math course data, individual institutions regularly review their student support programs and adjust as needed.
  3. Curriculum, Pedagogy & Faculty Engagement (3a). As institutions develop or refine their math pathways and student support models, the Task Force recommends that each institution critically examine student learning outcomes, mathematics course content, and sequencing of courses to ensure that students’ mathematical experience is relevant and appropriate for their individual programs of study.
     
    Curriculum, Pedagogy & Faculty Engagement (3b). The Task Force recommends designing and implementing System-wide mechanisms for identifying and disseminating impactful, promising practices on the teaching, content, and delivery of lower-level undergraduate mathematics courses, including strategies for reducing disparities in student learning for diverse student groups, and on the training of faculty and graduate students to teach those courses.
  4. Advising. The Task Force recommends that each institution critically reviews and appropriately updates advising programs (e.g., structure, policies, and processes) to ensure effective advising of students into the appropriate mathematics pathway based on students’ academic and career goals. Advising programs that have proven effective can serve as models to other institutions.
  5. Placement. The Task Force recommends that each institution evaluate its current placement practices to determine effectiveness in initial math course placement. Each institution may consider different, and perhaps multiple, measures for each of its college-level mathematics courses, based on those measures deemed appropriate.
  6. K-14. The Task Force recommends strengthening partnerships among educational institutions in order to: analyze data that can affect seamless movement at each transition point (e.g., high school to college; community college to university), share best practices for teaching and learning, increase availability and diversity of academic supports, and increase opportunities for 9th-12th graders to engage with academic and professional communities.
  7. Transfer & Applicability. The Task Force recommends that deliberate collaboration and communication be established to ensure more seamless and effective student transfer and course applicability between and among UNC System and NCCCS institutions.
  8. Data & Assessment. In support of data collection and all recommendations in this report, we recommend that the UNC System Office add mechanisms by which to identify all gateway and entry-level mathematics and statistics courses in Student Data Mart16 and use it regularly to analyze and provide outcomes-based information to UNC System universities.

In spring 2020, the UNC System Math Pathways Task Force achieved a major milestone by securing System-wide agreement from all 17 UNC System institutions of their commitment to implement core elements of mathematics pathways. 

 

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Featured Resources
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Our Work at the State Level

Select a state to learn more about how local leaders are setting a vision for math pathways or read an analysis of math pathways work across multiple states.