Spring 2020 COVID-19 Undergraduate Grading Policy

For information about Graduate program grading policies, click here
 

On the recommendation of the Academic Coordinating Council Executive Council and the Faculty Senate Executive Council and with the approval of the Provost, the University will move to a Pass/No Pass (P/NP) quarter for all students, with the student option of requesting letter grades at the quarter’s conclusion.

Requesting letter grades: Faculty will maintain rank grading (ABCDF) records during the quarter, but the default reporting of grades for students will be to receive either a P or a NP. Students will have until 6/5/2020, Friday of Finals Preparation Week, to request their letter grade be reported to their transcript, rather than their P/NP grade. Students may be advised to request their letter grade if required for accreditation or other purposes.

The handling of D grades and F grades: For this spring 2020 quarter, all grades of D+ and above will receive a P unless a student requests their letter grade.  A grade of D or D- will be recorded as a NP, which will not earn credits or be reflected in the GPA. A student may elect to have a D or D- reported to their transcript, which will earn credits and be reflected in the GPA. A grade of F will be recorded as NP on the transcript, will not receive degree credit, and will not be reflected in the GPA. Departments requesting a different minimum grade for credit may petition their Dean and will announce the course grade rubric before the start of classes.

Credit: A grade of P during spring 2020 will count towards curricular, major, continuation, and graduation requirements.

Rationale: The coronavirus pandemic has led the university to shift to remote learning, a modality that is new for many faculty and students. These uncharted learning conditions, coupled with the current social and economic instability our students are currently experiencing, will create a challenging quarter. This policy offers a simple and consistent approach to assessment which should alleviate student anxiety and encourage a focus on learning.