California State University trustees heard strong opinions from parents, professors, and advocates at a public forum to discuss a plan to add a year of math or math skills to the Cal State admissions application.
Most of the four dozen people who addressed the trustees during the public comment period at Thursday's forum in Long Beach forum said the proposed admission requirement would shut out students in high schools with few teachers qualified to teach advanced math or classes that use math skills, like coding. The proposed change would disproportionately impact students of color, they argued.
Cal State Chancellor Tim White said the change would help students.
"We believe that additional quantitative reasoning preparation in high school increases the likelihood that a student will stay enrolled at the university," he said.
The proposal goes to the full board of trustees next month with a possible vote in November.
