For the third time, the University of California recently rejected a proposal to add earth and space sciences as a way to fulfill the system’s laboratory science admissions requirement. Once again, California students are being denied the opportunity to expand their academic possibilities. Not only do earth sciences allow students to use scientific concepts in a more applied setting, but they require a basic background in the existing requirements anyway. The importance of biology, chemistry and physics is undeniable, but earth sciences can be just as important – and in some cases is more useful for students than the other three.
The University of California’s admissions requirements for high school classes are divided into seven academic categories, known as the “”a-g”” eligibility requirements. The stated purpose of the requirements is to “”ensure that students can participate fully in the first-year program at the university in a wide variety of fields of study.”” The laboratory science, or “”d,”” requirement demands that students be familiar with at least two out of three of the foundational sciences: biology, chemistry and physics. For a course to be approved as fulfilling the “”d”” requirement, it must utilize elementary algebra, teach the scientific method and include hands-on scientific activities. Currently, the University of California can approve earth science classes if they provide suitable coverage of chemistry and physics.
The UC Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools, the body that oversees all matters pertaining to undergraduate admissions, said that courses in biology, chemistry or physics are required because they are the essential core for additional study in any science or engineering. However, many new freshmen entering the UC system do not come in as science or engineering majors. For these students, understanding the scientific method and the use logical reasoning are more important than any specific subject matter. An earth science course would be just as useful for this purpose as any of the currently accepted subjects.
It is true that understanding the fundamentals of science, such as chemistry and physics, is important as a stepping stone for advanced studies as well as general knowledge about the world we live in. However, demonstrating knowledge of chemistry and physics is required for even a basic earth science class. There’s no reason why the UC system shouldn’t consider earth sciences as a way of fulfilling the laboratory science admissions requirement.
The exclusion of earth science classes negatively affects California students. Cash-strapped schools do not bother with accrediting their earth science classes, so many students who might otherwise be interested in a basic earth science class do not enroll because they need to fulfill both graduation and UC requirements within four years. Others feel that taking a course not accredited by the UC system is simply a waste of time and effort. Additionally, a great many schools do not offer earth science classes, as limited budgets often resullt in the elimination of non-UC spproved electives.
The UC Office of the President Director of Undergraduate Admissions Susan A. Wilbur said to the Guardian in a Jan. 16 article that the UC system was not doing anything to encourage high schools to provide more courses in earth science. Perhaps because of this lack of exposure, only two UCSD freshmen registered as earth science majors in the 2005 fall quarter. Because of the limited interest in earth science at the university level, the UC system is less inclined to require basic education in earth sciences in high school. It’s an ugly cycle.
Furthermore, California’s unique position as a hotbed of seismic activity and the constant threat of earthquakes makes understanding earth science more important for students here than in many other states. The state has a particular need for people who understand seismology, and the UC system should be promoting the study of earth sciences in high school and college to facilitate their training.
While the university can take various measures to encourage schools to offer earth sciences and encourage students to take those classes, the most effective way to accomplish that is to add earth sciences as a way of fulfilling the “”d”” admissions requirement. Earth science is no more or less of a scientific subject, and to treat it any differently is detrimental to both students and the UC system.
