Community colleges around the globe are tasked with creating a comprehensive curriculum, and Fayetteville Technical Community College is no different. We have created programs and coursework meant to enrich the lives of our students and to help them reach their goals, with the understanding that all students come through our doors differently prepared for the rigors of such study. In the mathematics department, we have developed a new approach to the curriculum under the advice of the North Carolina Community College System. This approach is commonly referred to as RISE, which is short for Reinforced Instruction for Student Excellence.

The RISE program at FTCC places students in a series of courses based on their past experiences with mathematics content. Students exhibiting proficiency with pre-college skills are placed directly into a first-year mathematics course. However, not all students have a skill set that is college ready. Researchers have argued for years that some students do not need a full treatment of pre-college coursework — simply a level of support to reinforce their efforts in a mathematics course, while others may need a deeper treatment. In recognition of these arguments, in the Fall of 2019, FTCC began offering support courses to supplement students needing that little bit of a push, while also creating a new precollege course with content mastery at its core. All courses in the RISE program are taught by our world-class faculty and are offered both on campus and online.

Since the implementation of the RISE program at FTCC, our students have experienced unprecedented success. More students are completing their mathematics requirements at a faster pace while maintaining the standards of excellence espoused by the administration of the college. Students say that the support they get through the faculty working with the RISE program provides “just-in-time” remediation, boosting their knowledge of the material and building their confidence as budding consumers of mathematics. Although we are still in the initial phase of this program, we fully expect to see our students progress into other courses with a firm foundation in mathematics and ultimately leave our institution prepared to use this skill set in the career of their choice.

At FTCC, we strive to make your dreams a reality. Whether you are a seasoned academic or relatively new to higher education, we have a pathway built just for you. Learn more about all the programs we have to offer at FTCC by visiting our website at www.faytechcc.edu. FTCC offers over 280 academic programs of study in the fields of arts and humanities, math and sciences, business, computer technology, engineering/applied technology, health and public service. There’s something for everyone, and your dreams are our mission at Fayetteville Technical Community College.