Newsom dodges question on UC math gaps amid professor warning

An open letter signed by 1,200 University of California professors, among them five Nobel prize winners and seven of the nine mathematics department chairs, warned that students are arriving with math deficiencies so serious that instructors must reteach elementary concepts while covering advanced material. Governor Gavin Newsom, when questioned about the letter, replied that he wanted to see the data before forming an opinion, despite a UC San Diego study documenting a thirty-fold increase in students lacking high-school-level math proficiency since the removal of standardized tests.

The report also noted that a significant portion of the remedial cohort were STEM majors, and that the admissions changes did not improve diversity metrics. While other universities, including the Ivy League, have reinstated test scores, Newsom offered no stance on re-introducing SATs for the UC system. The episode underscores ongoing debate over admissions policies and academic preparedness in California’s public universities.