A judge recently ordered the University of California to no longer consider students’ SAT scores during the application process.
Back in October 2019, advocates of education reform sent a letter to the UC Board of Regents, which represented a number of students and organizations.
The education reform activists urged the University of California to abolish the option of submitting test scores based on the allegation that “the SAT and ACT [are] —descendants of discriminatory IQ tests that pose unlawful barriers to underrepresented students—is fundamentally at odds with its obligation to provide access to all qualified students.”
In December 2019, these students proceeded to sue the University of California. Later in May 2020, the UC system suspended its standardized testing requirement up until 2024. According to this policy, students who wanted to provide their standardized testing scores during the admission process. However, students would not receive penalties for not submitting their scores.
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brad Seligman recently issued a preliminary injunction impeding the “test-optional policy.”
In one part of the injunction it read, “the current test-optional policy at most of the UC campuses denies admissions applicants with disabilities meaningful access to the additional admission opportunity test submitters will enjoy, in large part because they have not taken these tests and will not be able to take them with appropriate accommodation during this Covid-19 pandemic.”
Vinuthna Kovuuri, a UC-Berkeley alumni, said to Campus Reform “I don’t feel bad about them canceling the SATs. When I took it it was obviously still a consideration for admissions, so I don’t necessarily think it is unfair to me but I also don’t think the SAT measures ‘intelligence.’ It just measures test-taking skills.”
In correspondence with Campus Reform, Michelle D’Souza, a senior at UC Berkeley, stated, “I don’t think that the SAT/ACT should be banned, rather they should be improved upon so that they are more accessible for everyone. They help assess intelligence – and especially when you have people with different backgrounds and different high school systems, the SAT helps test people on a similar level. Economically something should be done to ensure that everyone has access to tutors for the SAT [and] the needed resources”
Fox News published a statement from the university, where it declared that it “respectfully disagrees with the court’s ruling.”
“An injunction may interfere with the University’s efforts to implement appropriate and comprehensive admissions policies and with its ability to attract and enroll students of diverse backgrounds and experiences,” the university continued.
As the days go by, American universities are only becoming more radical thanks to leftist domination.
Now, due to leftist activism, certain segments of the population want to away with all forms meritocracy and make sure to gut universities by getting rid of testing standards.
In light of these trends, it may be time for many Americans to “cancel” universities and start building parallel institutions that actually provide real education and promote meritocratic practices.
