The COVID-19 pandemic has caused thousands of college students across the country to continue their collegiate careers via alternate methods of instruction. While Clarkson University faculty moved quickly to put all courses online and adapt syllabi plans over Spring Break, they understood that students were going through a lot of change in their own lives, too, with each student having a very different learning environment at home — both physically and emotionally. To minimize the impact of all of these changes on a student’s GPA, Clarkson undergraduate students have the option to receive either Pass/No-Credit or an explicit letter grade at the end of the semester. Students will be able to see their grade and make the final choice.
“We recognize the impact that COVID-19 is having on our students. We want to help ease some of the burden that these changes may be having on them and let them focus on truly learning the substance of material in a way that prepares them for future success. Pass/No Credit has always been a grading option at Clarkson for select courses, but in these uncertain times the University is waiving certain regulations on selecting the P/NC grades and extending the deadline to opt into the grading scale until the end of the term, allowing undergrads to review their grades before making a decision,” said Provost Robyn Hannigan. “We hope this takes some stress out of the equation as our students finish the spring 2020 term,” she said.
In order for students to receive a “P” in a course, they must have completed the course with a letter grade of C or higher. Pass grades do not have any impact on the student’s GPA, and the credits are counted toward graduation requirements. Students who earn “P” grades have successfully completed the course and do not need to retake it. The University will retain the original letter grade should a student ever need to access it for graduate school entrance and ask for it be reinstated. The University is putting a note on the transcript that reads “Spring 2020 was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic” to make it clear in the future why the transcript may include more than one Pass grade rather than only a letter grade.
A student who opts for the P/NC grading scale will earn an NC grade for any course in which their letter grade is lower than a C (that is, a C-, D, or F). No Credit grades have no impact on the student’s GPA, however, the credits are not counted toward graduation requirements. If the course in which an NC grade is earned is required for graduation, then it must be retaken at a later date.
Importantly, as students move towards their next career stage, they may find that a letter grade is required for admission to a professional program or for some other reason. If at any time, a student seeks to revert a grade to a letter grade they may do so through the Office of the Registrar.
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