Lansing, Mich. — MCAN, in collaboration with Almy Education and Sova, launched the first cohort of its Gateway Course Redesign Faculty Academy, an 18-month, faculty-driven initiative designed to support colleges and universities in rethinking and restructuring key gateway courses at scale. Grounded in national research and best practices, this academy is built for faculty, by faculty.
“Michigan’s colleges and universities play a vital role in equipping students with the degrees and credentials that open doors to economic mobility and align with the state’s changing workforce needs,” said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, MCAN executive director. “When gateway courses — core subjects like English, math, biology, and chemistry — are redesigned to reduce barriers and prioritize student success, they can boost achievement, strengthen retention, and increase completion rates.”
Through expert-led technical assistance, tailored support, and cross-institutional collaboration, the Academy equips teams to redesign gateway courses with equity and effectiveness in mind. Participating institutions were awarded $10,000 in implementation funding to help bring their course redesign efforts to life.
"We were drawn to the Gateway Course Redesign Academy because it’s not just about redesigning a math course, but it’s about bringing a whole cross-campus team together to rethink placement, courses, and processes in a way that centers students,” said Dr. Jennifer Gorman, assistant professor of mathematics at Lake Superior State University. “With so many of our students being first-generation, this work matters a lot to us. The Academy’s support will help us build on the discussions we’ve already been having and move forward with this important work.”
Participating Institutions:
- Albion College
- Baker College
- Bay College
- Calvin University
- Central Michigan University
- Grand Valley State University
- Kellogg Community College
- Lake Superior State University
- Montcalm Community College
- Oakland Community College
- Oakland University
- Rochester Christian University
- Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College
- Western Michigan University
For more information about the Gateway Course Redesign Faculty Academy, please contact Jamie Storey, MCAN director of higher education innovation.
Fourteen public, tribal, and independent colleges and universities will engage in intensive scaled redesign of foundational courses to remove barriers and center student learning