Whereas, the recent memo dated Feb 28, 2024 from the Chancellor’s Office regarding implementation of AB1705 eliminates access to precalculus courses for STEM majors at all California Community Colleges;
Whereas, data from the Chancellor’s Office is flawed because it is based on students who qualified to be in calculus and does not acknowledge students who do not have access to precalculus in high school, returning students such as veterans and working parents who have not taken math in recent years; nor does it recognize challenges of first generation, formerly incarcerated students, and foster youth, students with learning disabilities, students from under-resourced schools, or students who suffered learning loss due to pandemic learning conditions;
Whereas, precalculus is often required for other non-STEM majors such as anthropology, business, psychology, public health, and others;
Whereas, the elimination of access to precalculus is contradictory to providing opportunity for equitable outcomes for STEM majors and other students at community colleges;
Whereas, access to education, graduation, and transfer, and students’ choice is more restricted based on elimination of prealgebra and precalculus;
Whereas, the University of California and California State University systems and private colleges continue to offer and may require college algebra and precalculus;
Whereas, the elimination of prealgebra and algebra has already caused adverse effects for community college STEM and other students;
Whereas, the recent memo was not co-signed nor supported by the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC);
Whereas, students who failed calculus initially, who then took precalculus and have been successful in subsequent calculus classes, and students who passed precalculus after registering for calculus may be incorrectly labeled in the data, resulting in skewed data;
Whereas, the timeframe for the implementation of the CCCCO memorandum dated February 27, 2024 is unreasonably short;
Therefore, be it resolved, that CFT advocate for open access to precalculus courses be allowed for any student, while access to calculus courses also be allowed;
Be it further resolved, that flaws in the Chancellor’s Office data be acknowledged, that data be collected that reflect actual impacts of AB705 and AB1705, including drop rates, retention rates, completion and graduation rates, and that faculty and student voices are heard with regard to the impacts;
Be it finally resolved, that the CFT work with partners in order to arrive at valid solutions, including legislation, to sustain and expand equitable access to higher education opportunities.

Submitted by Higher Education Issues Committee