Despite some recent meaningful changes, for many students, the undergraduate mathematics requirement remains outdated and not aligned with 21st century academic disciplines. In many colleges and universities, collegiate mathematics remains virtually unchanged since the 1950s, which has consistently translated into barriers that continue to impact academic and labor market attainment prospects of hundreds of thousands of students every year. For example, students who begin their undergraduate education at community colleges and state universities continue to struggle at completing their college-level mathematics requirement, which is one of the most significant academic barriers students face when earning their undergraduate degree. Another important barrier faced at college entry is placement into developmental mathematics, which typically is associated with a lower likelihood of continuation.

Current reform efforts are addressing how mathematics curriculum is a barrier to student success by creating multiple mathematics pathways. Multiple mathematics pathways will help students meet their college-level mathematics requirement by allowing a more relevant math for their degree program that may not require remediation before entering college-level work.

The purpose of this study is to understand how Cecil College is addressing this challenge by redesigning their developmental math sequence and creating multiple math pathways for students, from 2014 to 2018. A qualitative case study methodology is used to understand how the administration and faculty at Cecil College worked together to create multiple math pathways. The results provide a picture of how Cecil College redesigned developmental math and created multiple pathways and how the administration and faculty worked together to overcome challenges.

The following research on Cecil College adds to the literature by describing the process a community college undertakes to bring meaningful changes that are programmatic and institution-wide and designed by the entire faculty to ensure students are able to be successful, transfer, and not be stuck in a year of developmental mathematics. The research also highlights the role that administration plays in making certain students are being given the proper advisement and support services.