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First Year Seminars have been found to positively impact student experience and retention in universities, especially in large-outcome measures such as grade point average, retention rates, and ultimately, graduation rates. Common learning experiences, a high-impact practice, such as course readings, a syllabus template, and discussion topics help to positively impact student learning. To evaluate authentic student learning, a campus First Year Experience rubric and Signature Assignment (SA) were developed for a more comprehensive assessment. With the integration of the SA into the course, assessment was refined through a multi-year process. Designed around key learning outcomes, the SA provides instructor and disciplinary flexibility and may serve as a potential model for other institutions looking to standardize the learning outcome evaluation across courses.

Although designed with good intent, remedial math courses have delayed or terminated many students' college careers. Taking remedial courses can delay enrollment into courses for their major, or may, psychologically, result in students feeling unprepared for college. Despite the original intentions of developmental math programs, there is a growing body of evidence that remedial math courses are not effective in improving outcomes for students with the weakest math skills. With the elimination of remedial math courses, a multiprogram effort, PLUM (Placement, Learning, and Understanding Math) was created to empower students with sufficient knowledge and to detail a pathway to be successful in their quantitative reasoning courses. This was accomplished by tools to inform and empower first-time college students. After a brief historical background of the problems to be addressed, the philosophy and design of PLUM is detailed.

The article provides an answer to a question on videos on bone smashing that has been trending on social media.