This project team at College of the Canyons seeks to overcome barriers for underrepresented populations by building upon and enhancing the successful transitions from Pre-Calculus to Calculus I while introducing culturally-sound strategies to overcome ethnic and gender disparities. Overall project goals include addressing disparities in student success rates and enrollment in Pre-Calculus and Calculus I courses by ethnicity and gender by examining pathway transitions and exploring new instructional and student support strategies, and providing Math faculty with professional development and a community of practice (CoP) to support the exploration and integration of equity-minded best practices and strategies to increase student engagement and a “sense of belonging.” The project will explore new methods to deliver Pre-Calculus coursework for STEM students, which includes examining the feasibility of creating other “discipline-focused calculus” courses designed for specific STEM majors.
