Fall 2020 Pass-Fail Policy Approved

A pass-fail grading policy for the fall 2020 semester was approved unanimously by the Faculty Senate Rules Committee on Aug. 10.

Continuation of the public health emergency created by the Covid-19 pandemic means that the campus will not be returning to normal operations in the fall 2020 term.  Almost all instruction will continue to be remote; most students will continue to work on their courses from home. Though faculty and returning students have had time to adjust to remote instruction, the economic and other stresses of the pandemic have not disappeared. To alleviate some of the stress students may experience, the university will operate under a partial alteration of undergraduate grading mechanisms.

Modified Grading for Undergraduate Students and Undergraduate Courses for Fall 2020

(includes UG students in 500 level courses): 

1. All letter grading only courses will be changed to letter grading with pass-fail option.  
2. Students will be allowed to select pass-fail grading for up to three courses  
3. The deadline to declare pass-fail will be extended to Friday, November 20th.  
4. The current University policies restricting the number of pass-fail courses a student can take in a given semester and restricted usage of pass-fail courses for satisfaction of major, School/College, and University requirements including the General Education and Writing curriculum will be suspended for the Fall 2020 term. 
5. Undergraduates enrolled in graduate-level courses (600 or above) follow the graduate grading rules in which, for most courses, a SAT (satisfactory) grade is available instead of the elective pass-fail option available at the undergraduate level.  Undergraduates enrolled in graduate-level courses must make arrangements with the instructor prior to the end of the semester to receive a SAT instead of a letter grade.
6. Actual course grades may be needed by the student for application to graduate school, medical school, professional programs, other post-baccalaureate purposes, and to meet scholarship eligibility requirements.  Students have up to six months after graduation to select a letter or pass grade before their university record/transcript is “frozen” and no further changes are allowed.  After this period, if a student has a course in which a pass grade was received but requires a letter grade (see potential reasons above), the student may request an official letter from the Registrar’s Office indicating the letter grade that was submitted by the faculty member.