Hundreds of University of California faculty members asked UC system leaders to reinstate SAT/ACT testing requirements for STEM admissions, warning that math preparation gaps have widened sharply even within the same classrooms. In an open letter, the professors cite a University of California San Diego Senate-Administration workgroup report showing the number of first-year students with below-middle-school math skills rose nearly 30-fold since 2020. The faculty also pointed to classroom impacts, saying instructors are effectively reteaching earlier material while simultaneously covering prerequisite science and engineering coursework. UC officials said the system will continue focusing on strengthening instruction and support rather than reinstating tests, while the UC Academic Senate’s admissions board is scheduled to meet June 5. The exchange highlights the continuing political and academic tension over admissions signal quality, placement design, and how much remediation systems should absorb.