How can a large undergraduate institution with a diverse student population continuously ensure that first-year courses engage, support, and prepare all students for the academic and social challenges of pursuing their degree? We describe how a carefully planned, collaborative, and embedded approach to a large-scale assessment has supported curricular, pedagogical, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Our key findings are based on 6 years of a course learning outcomes assessment in a general education course taken by all incoming first-year students in their first quarter (about 4,000 students taught by nearly 80 instructors every year). We conclude with the implications for STEM and general education courses.