CAREER-RELEVANT MATHEMATICS PATHWAYS: ON THE ROAD TO STUDENT SUCCESS

Abstract

UMBC, a diverse public research university, has a reputation for producing highly capable undergraduate scholars. Unfortunately, many students place into mathematics courses at a lower level than those that offer degree credit or an “M” designation, which is a requirement of the General Education Program (GEP). This chapter provides an in-depth description of the institutional transformation process from a singular mathematics course pathway designed for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors to one that includes an alternate pathway based on career-relevant mathematical skills for non-STEM majors. This new pathway development involved the creation of a course entitled Quantitative Literacy, which is intended for students who place into a developmental math course (based on the university math placement test) and are pursuing a major that does not require calculus or an algebraintensive course. Quantitative Literacy focuses on algebraic and numeric skills in the context of applications and problem-solving to prepare students for either Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences or Contemporary Mathematics, both of which carry GEP credit and an “M” designation. Data analytics are used to explore the impact of the new Quantitative Literacy course on the progression of non-STEM majors. Challenges and opportunities will be addressed as career-relevant pathways proceed to full institutionalization.