Hundreds of University of California faculty members, with the largest chunk from UC San Diego, are urging the university system to restore standardized test scores in STEM admissions.
The group, which represents about 10% of the system’s total faculty, argues that growing numbers of unprepared students are straining instructors, renewing debate over whether test-blind policies expand access or open up spots to those who aren’t prepared academically.
The faculty-backed effort comes six years after the UC system suspended consideration of SAT and ACT scores, a move supporters said expanded access to higher education. Critics contend the change removed one of the few measures available to compare applicants from different schools and backgrounds.
Growing faculty support
Faculty across the UC system have signed onto the effort, which is focused on STEM admissions, those in science, technology, engineering and math. More than 1,400 professors – nearly 10% of the university’s roughly 15,000 active faculty members, according to the UC Office of the President – signed the letter.
UCSD faculty have emerged as some of the strongest supporters. On June 2, UCSD surpassed UC Berkeley in total signatures, with more than 350 faculty members backing the proposal. More than half of UCSD’s mathematics department signed on.
The UC spokesperson said leaders have been working with faculty for months on policies aimed at improving student preparedness, adding that “the focus is college readiness, academic excellence and student success, not defending the status quo.”
The faculty-led Academic Senate is conducting a broader review of admissions requirements, including standardized testing, according to the spokesperson. In addition, UC leaders have been working with faculty for months on policies aimed at improving college readiness.
Enrollment in UCSD remedial math courses by year. “No Placement” includes students not enrolled in a remedial course, but are required to take them. (Chart by Thomas Murphy/Data from Senate-Administration Workgroup on Admissions, November 2025 report)The UC Board of Regents retains final authority over admissions policy. Regents voted unanimously in May 2020 to suspend consideration of SAT and ACT scores following recommendations from the Academic Senate’s Standardized Testing Task Force.
Academic readiness
Supporters of restoring testing point to growing concerns about student preparedness, particularly in mathematics.
Akos Rona-Tas, vice chair of the UCSD Academic Senate and a sociology professor, said mathematics education provides skills that extend far beyond STEM fields.
“For that reason, poor mathematics education shortchanges all students, regardless of their intended major or career path,” Rona-Tas said.
The number of students enrolled in remedial mathematics courses grew from 54 to more than 700 in the three years after the UC system’s suspension of standardized testing, according to a UCSD report. The report also pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic and increased admissions from under-resourced high schools as reasons for the sharp rise.
Placements have remained elevated, reaching 1,160 students in 2024. UCSD’s math department offers Math 2 as a remedial course; the department later created a new course, Math 3B, to cover additional content. These remedial courses focus on middle and high school-level material.
Faculty who support the use of standardized test scores argue that they could serve as one additional tool to identify students who may need academic support before arriving on campus. They contend test scores should supplement, rather than replace, other admissions factors.
Others argue that standardized tests can hinder students from lower-income communities and may reflect unequal access to preparation resources more than academic potential.
What’s next
The debate comes as the UC system Academic Senate continues reviewing admissions practices through its Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools. The group is developing a roadmap for future admissions policies and partnerships with K-12 schools, reflecting ongoing faculty concerns about ensuring academic excellence for all students.
In March, UC Academic Senate Chair Ahmet Palazoglu directed the board to develop the roadmap for the 2026-27 academic year, outlining potential changes.
UC officials also point to broader student outcomes. The university says it maintains some of the nation’s highest first-year retention rates and two and four-year graduation rates across student backgrounds, despite pandemic-related disruptions and reduced access to academic support.
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