More than 1,250 faculty members of the nation’s largest public university system are urging their leaders to reinstate the Scholastic Aptitude Test or the American College Testing exam ahead of the 2027–2028 academic year, saying too many students admitted to colleges and universities in the past five years have not met required math standards.

As of the morning of June 2, the open letter contained signatures from professors in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programs across California’s university system, in addition to seven of the nine mathematics chairs and 45 other STEM program chairs, according to the document released on the ucstudentsuccess.org website.

The Regents of the University of California eliminated the SAT and ACT requirement in 2020 but have accepted them as an “alternate method of fulfilling requirements for eligibility or for the course placement after matriculation at UC,” according to the university website.

Several other public and private colleges and universities eliminated the requirement in 2020 due to safety concerns and disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a means to increase the racial diversity of student groups that have historically performed poorly on those tests.

The tests assess math and verbal aptitude, and were designed to gauge a student’s chance of success in college programs. More selective colleges and universities traditionally required higher SAT scores.

President Donald Trump, in his efforts to eliminate DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs in higher education and promote fairness, has encouraged institutions to reinstate SAT or ACT requirements.

The letter, which was initiated on May 25, is addressed to the Board of Regents, the University of California system leadership, and the “people of California.”

It cited recent data from the University of San Diego admissions office that indicated one in 12 students admitted since 2020 performed math below middle school levels, while the number of students whose math skills fall below high school levels “increased thirty-fold.” It also said at UC Berkeley, the state’s flagship university, up to 30 percent of first-semester calculus students assessed within the past three years displayed “severe preparation deficits.”

“We now observe preparation gaps so severe that instructors must reteach middle-school mathematics while simultaneously teaching the material students need for sciences, engineering, economics, and other quantitatively demanding fields,” the letter said.

“Obscuring preparation gaps harms both students individually and the University collectively. It offers the appearance of access while undermining the chance of success.”

The document doesn’t say when the letter will be submitted.

The university system’s Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools is scheduled to meet on June 5. The agenda has not been released yet.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the University of California’s main office for comment.