Board meeting draws dozens of speakers as updated guidance on STEM prerequisites sparks debate

Updated guidance from the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office on AB 17o5 and STEM placement touched off hours of public comment at the Board of Governors meeting on Jan. 14, with faculty, students and civil-rights advocates sharply divided about whether colleges should offer preparatory courses such as trigonometry and precalculus before students enroll in calculus 1.

The board heard packed public testimony both supporting and opposing the chancellor's December memo, which allows colleges to validate preparatory STEM courses for students who demonstrably need them while preserving students' right to enroll directly into calculus when appropriate.

Supporters at the meeting said the guidance returns agency to students and campus faculty while giving colleges flexibility to serve diverse learners. Anna Matthews, government relations director for the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges, said the memo 'embodies our commitment to equity' and gives historically underrepresented students additional routes into STEM majors. Catherine Stitt, AB 17o5 coordinator and math faculty at Diablo…