President's letter to Academic Council Chair Cowan, February 15

TO ACADEMIC COUNCEL CHAIR MICHAEL COWEN

FROM UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESIDENT RICHARD ATKINSON

I am writing to ask the Academic Council to consider recommending to The Regents two changes in the University of California's admissions policies.

The first change is that the University require only standardized tests that assess mastery of specific subject matter rather than undefined notions of "aptitude." If this change were adopted, the University would no longer require applicants to take the SAT I, i.e., it would become optional rather than mandatory. This means that the three SAT II subject matter tests now required of all applicants would substitute for the previous requirement of both the SAT I and the SAT II. Staff analyses indicate that high school grades, coupled with the SAT II, are the best predictor of academic performance at UC and that the SAT I contributes very little additional information. Thus, the proposed change in test requirements would not impair the ability of admissions officers to evaluate an applicant's readiness for UC-level work and would not result in any diminution in the quality of admitted students. Rather, the proposed change would strengthen student preparation because it would establish a demonstrable relationship between what is tested and what students study in high school.

The second recommendation is that all campuses move away from admissions processes focused on quantitative formulas and instead adopt evaluative procedures that look at applicants in a comprehensive, holistic way. While this recommendation is intended to provide a broader and fairer basis for admissions decisions, it would also help ensure that standardized tests are not given undue weight in admissions decisions but rather are used to illuminate the student's total record.

In the short term, these proposals will not result in major changes in determining which students are admitted and which are denied. In the long term, however, they will help strengthen high school curricula and pedagogy, create a stronger connection between what students accomplish in high school and their likelihood of being admitted to UC, and focus student attention on mastery of subject matter rather
than test preparation. These changes will help all students, especially low-income and minority students, determine their own educational destinies. They will also lead to greater public confidence in the fairness of the University of California's admissions process.

Analyses of specific issues raised by these proposed changes will be shared with you as they become available. We will also work with UC faculty experts in testing to formulate standardized tests that assess mastery of subject areas specified in UC eligibility policies.

I respectfully request that the Academic Council refer this proposal to the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools for its consideration. Provost King and I would be glad to meet with BOARS to discuss this matter.