05/26/2025
DEI, Harvard, and Math.
Harvard University has implemented a remedial math program to address gaps in foundational math skills among incoming students. In the 2023–2024 academic year, the Harvard Math Department piloted a new introductory course called Math MA5, designed to rectify deficiencies in algebra, geometry, and quantitative reasoning.
This course runs alongside the existing Math MA and MB courses but features an expanded five-day-per-week schedule with additional support, including varied activities on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
According to Harvard’s Director of Introductory Math, Brendan A. Kelly, the program was introduced to address learning loss attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted high school education and left some students underprepared for college-level math. (Right…)
Students are placed into Math MA5 based on a pre-term skills check, and the course is embedded within the Math M curriculum, sharing the same problem sets, exams, and resources like the Math Question Center.
The introduction of Math MA5 has sparked debate, with critics arguing it reflects a decline in admissions standards, particularly linked to test-optional policies during the pandemic. Harvard reinstated standardized testing requirements for fall 2025 admissions, partly in response to such concerns.
Critics, including commentators like myself, Rikki Schlott and on X, suggest that the need for remedial math at an elite institution like Harvard points to broader issues in K–12 education and DEI admissions processes, while sophist supporters argue it ensures students can succeed in rigorous math courses.
You decide.
