Office of Academic Compliance
Academic compliance refers to policies, procedures, and practices in place to ensure that actions regarding degree and certificate programs – from the content of the offerings, to how and where they are delivered – adhere to institutional, state, accreditation, and federal requirements and standards.

How will we use this information?

How do we improve students’ educational experiences?

Individual reports are shared with each of the schools and, when appropriate, reports are shared with each program that participates in the assessment. Programs are asked to consider this information alongside their disciplinary definitions of quantitative reasoning and their authentic assessments within the curriculum. Programs are asked to develop action plans if students are not meeting expectations. 

The faculty committee for quantitative reasoning assessment convened in Winter 2025 and reviewed the results. Committee members were encouraged by the results considering the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and its disruption to education. The comparable participant performance from this assessment to the previous assessment was noted. They expressed concern that particular populations underperformed.

Inclusive Excellence in STEM at Scale

The university sought out and was awarded two large grants from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Both initiatives complement the university’s goals to strengthen scientific and quantitative reasoning skills at scale for underserved populations. 

Driving Change

The HHMI Driving Change Initiative and UVA have provided $7.7 million for the University to effect genuine and lasting culture change so that undergraduate students from all backgrounds, particularly those who belong to historically excluded groups, will excel in STEM. Through this model, faculty are supported by an implementation team to create and execute pathfinder projects that are designed to improve student experiences and outcomes. Here are a few examples of what these projects look like: 

Math 

  • Piloted a collaboration with Georges Student Center to bring individualized development of student success skills to the Calculus I (MATH 1190) classroom. Enrolled students watch and reflect on the content of five study skills modules. Their written reflections related modules materials to their own class concepts and study habits. The peer-led learning coaches provide personalized feedback to each narrative to assist and encourage students in their academic journey. 

Chemistry 

  • Developed a learning community of first-generation students to provide additional support during the pivotal transition to college as a STEM major. 
  • Developed STEP (Science Transparency, Engagement, and Participation) videos that will reveal to first-year students the hidden information for engaging in undergraduate research. 
  • Generated testimonials and motivational and instructional materials to encourage transfer students to seek out RA and TA positions in Chemistry.    

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

  • Increased undergraduate student access to experiential learning and extracurriculars, as well as enhanced academic advising practices. 

Inclusive Excellence 3

The HHMI Inclusive Excellence 3 initiative involves 14 institutions, UVA included, in a learning community through which they have deep engagement with colleagues across the country. The initiative asks a fundamental question: What would it take for institutions to make a comprehensive shift from deficit- to achievement-oriented frameworks in their approaches to the introductory math and science experience?  

Faculty across 5 departments – applied Math, Biology, Chemistry, Math, and Physics – are participating in this initiative and redesigning introductory experiences to reflect an achievement-oriented framework. They are engaging in a range of learning opportunities and translating those into new ideas for reimagining their courses. Importantly, they are sharing and learning from each other, and collectively building a culture of equity and inclusion across STEM introductory experiences. Here are a few examples of what these projects look like: 

  • Integrating Pre-calculus - The Applied Mathematics program is incorporating a pre-calculus component into introductory Calculus courses to create a solid foundation for future courses. Students receive review materials and opportunities to pass a pre-calculus test.
  • Standards-based Grading - The Applied Mathematics program is creating a standards-based (a.k.a. mastery) grading scheme for Calculus I.
  • Expanding Active Learning - The Biology program is developing interactive elements, such as escape rooms, to help students engage directly with course materials, review lecture topics, and increase data literacy through real-time visualization of datasets.
  • Developing Highly Effective Exams – The Biology program is revising exam questions to reflect learning objectives, address all levels of Bloom’s taxonomy, and be equitable and effective for an introductory course.
  • Meeting Students Where They Are in Math - The Chemistry program is incorporating math skills into introductory chemistry curriculum using assignments that develop and refresh math skills throughout the semester.
  • Redesigning Math 1190/1210 – The Math program is improving students’ growth mindset through growth-based assessments and purpose mindset using math-in-context application days.
  • Making Physics Relevant – The Physics program is redesigning worksheets for pre-health courses to include conceptual and computational questions specific to life science topics.