Fort Collins, CO – The Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities (UERU) is proud to partner with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) on a major research initiative aimed at addressing one of the most persistent barriers to college completion: introductory mathematics courses. This project will improve evidence around the scope and nature of this barrier, as well as examine effective strategies to reduce high failure rates in these critical gateway courses.
At research universities, introductory mathematics courses often post DFW (drop, fail, withdraw) rates exceeding 30%, significantly impacting students’ persistence and timely degree completion. APLU’s previous analysis of nine Big Ten institutions revealed that low-income and first-generation students consistently experience higher DFW rates than their peers. This collaborative research project will not only document the scope of the challenge but also highlight effective reforms that reduce achievement gaps.
As part of this initiative, UERU will help recruit 25 public institutions into a learning community focused on reforming gateway math courses, support APLU in developing case studies to showcase best practices, and co-host a preconference on the research findings at UERU’s 2027 National Conference in Seattle, WA. UERU will also contribute to an advisory committee guiding the research and implementation of new knowledge to improve mathematics course outcomes.
Over the next year, UERU and APLU will work together to answer several critical questions: How significant is the challenge of introductory mathematics? How does that challenge vary across student populations? Which institutions have successfully addressed this challenge, and what reforms have proven most effective?
This project is undertaken with support from the Gates Foundation and in collaboration with Project EMBER, a national movement to support every higher education student to succeed in mathematics in ways that align with their personal and professional aspirations.
APLU and UERU will share details in the coming weeks about how public universities can participate in this important research and highlight their success stories for the field.
For questions, please contact Julia Michaels (UERU) at julia.michaels@colostate.edu or Megan Tesene (APLU) at mtesene@aplu.org.
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The Association for Undergraduate Education at Research Universities (UERU, pronounced “You-Roo”) is dedicated to excellence and access in undergraduate education by sharing and developing expertise across member institutions and other higher education organizations. The UERU membership is comprised of 138 research universities across the U.S., which collectively serve nearly 3 million undergraduate students. UERU helps its members stay current and forward-thinking, fosters connections across academic units, and enlists leaders in common projects to meet the challenges and opportunities facing undergraduate programs. Learn more at ueru.org.
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