Good news for students who hate math!
The California State University system is ditching the intermediate algebra prerequisite for the general math classes.
This would mean even students who weren't majoring in math or science related fields had to complete and pass the course before they could finish the math requirement.
Starting next fall, students whose majors aren't science or math related will be able to fulfill their math requirements without the intermediate course.
CSU’s associate vice chancellor for academic programs and faculty development Christine Mallon says this will increase graduation rates.
“What that means for students is they have more choices.”
By 2025, CSU wants 40 percent of its freshmen to earn their degree in four years, one of the holdups being remedial math education.
Chancellor of California’s community colleges, Eloy Oakley says intermediate algebra shouldn't be required to earn an associate’s degree, either, unless the student is pursuing a math-heavy degree.
“College-level algebra is probably the greatest barrier for students — particularly first-generation students, students of color — obtaining a credential. If we know we’re disadvantaging large swaths of students who we need in the workforce, we have to question why. And is algebra really the only means we have to determine whether a student is going to be successful in their life?”