The University of California (UC) announced Thursday that it is launching a comprehensive review of its standardized testing policy.The pivot follows a massive revolt by faculty members who warn they are being forced to re-teach middle school mathematics to incoming university students."The Board of Regents and University leadership take very seriously the critical issue of college preparedness, and the UC Academic Senate has proposed a comprehensive, data-driven review to support its recommendations to strengthen student readiness and success at UC," University of California President James B.
Milliken said in a statement."There are few things more important on our agenda."Milliken noted that the faculty-led Academic Senate review will focus on both preparation and admissions, including whether standardized testing should be reinstated as a requirement.
The UC Board of Regents and Milliken are expected to receive an initial update on the findings in July.CAMPUS GRADUATION CHAOS SHOWS HIGHER EDUCATION NEEDS A SERIOUS MORAL RESETThe University of California announced Thursday that it is launching a comprehensive review of its standardized testing policy, following a massive revolt by faculty members who warn they are being forced to re-teach middle school math to incoming students.(iStock)The sudden policy review comes just weeks after more than 1,400 faculty members across UC campuses signed an open letter demanding the reinstatement of SAT/ACT mathematics requirements, specifically for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors.
The petition has garnered massive institutional backing, including signatures from seven of UC’s nine mathematics department chairs.According to the faculty, eliminating standardized testing requirements has stripped admissions officers of an objective benchmark, masking severe academic deficiencies in incoming classes."We now observe preparation gaps so severe that instructors must re-teach middle school mathematics while...