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UC-Berkeley math prof forced to teach fractions because standards have fallen so far
New York Post • • nation
Key Points:
- UC-Berkeley mathematics professor Zvezdelina Stankova criticized the university's admissions standards, stating many students are significantly behind in math, requiring her to teach middle-school level algebra and fractions in college calculus classes.
- Stankova attributes the decline in student preparedness to UC Berkeley's removal of standardized testing (SAT/ACT) from admissions, a policy made test-blind through 2025 following the COVID-19 pandemic and equity concerns.
- Diagnostic exams show a sharp drop in calculus readiness, with only 44% of students prepared for calculus between 2021-2023 compared to 71% before 2020, and over one-third having severe math deficits by 2022-23.
- Unlike peer institutions such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and Yale that have reinstated standardized testing, UC Berkeley has maintained its test-blind admissions policy with no changes expected until 2028.
- Stankova and thousands of faculty members have called for restoring standardized tests to uphold academic standards, warning that the current approach risks undermining student success and the university's reputation.
