Many colleges adopted pass / fail policies in the spring to give students breathing space in the midst of COVID-19 disruptions. Students are again lobbying for such policies for the period that is rapidly ending.
Some institutions gave their students this grace months ago. Some responded to the latest calls for this. Still, in general, students seeking pass-fail policies this semester are encountering much more opposition from their institutions, including faculty members.
Opponents of the extended pass and fail policies do not attempt to argue that this turned out to be a typical autumn term. But they say that pass / fail policies can do more harm than good in terms of student success. Some also say that the policies that involve allowing students to change their grades throughout the semester are unethical. Proponents of passing / failing in the fall still encourage students to do the best they can, but want to give them options.
No Pass-Fail
The College of Charleston said recently that it would not extend the pass-fail policy from spring to fall, as advocated by many students. In a message from the campus explaining the decision, Provost Suzanne Austin and Simon Lewis, an English professor and Senate faculty lecturer, wrote that they were “confident that extending the term for withdrawing from a course will better help students who have struggled academically because of the pandemic in the fall of 2020. ”
Charleston’s analysis of intermediate grades “shows a notable increase in As, Bs and Cs compared to previous years and, in turn, a higher average of combined grades across the student body,” Austin and Lewis wrote, calling his decision of “Right”, if not “universally popular … Despite current stress levels, we see no reason to anticipate a sudden decline in this level of achievement.”
The change in classification “was never intended as a long-term, multi-semester strategy, especially for primary, secondary and general education courses,” they added. “That’s why it wasn’t adopted for the 2020 summer sessions – with the continued understanding of the importance of earning grades for your specialization, competitive internships, scholarships and awards, admission to graduate programs and various opportunities of job.
Faculty members, however, “were encouraged to be flexible with their assignments, attendance policies and grades, and that flexibility resulted in some very positive results during a difficult period.”
Neighboring Clemson University and the University of South Carolina made similar decisions, despite student demands.
Elsewhere, Baylor University, Texas, said it would take a Student Senate resolution in favor of “under guidance” passing and failing grades. Northern Kentucky University told students last week that it will also not adopt the pass-fail policy that students are asking for, as the “traditional grade structure is the option that best leads to student success”.
At North Dakota State University, the Faculty Senate presented a government-backed student proposal last week to extend the typical September pass / fail period until the end of the semester.
Ken Lepper, a professor of geosciences, described the idea as “truly horrible”, according to the local WDAY. “If they know the grade, it is clear that they will choose the pass / fail option,” he said.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill also denied pressure from students to extend the pass and fail selection period already extended beyond the last day of classes on November 17.
Carolina’s autumn 2020 grade policy “gave undergraduate students the option to designate any of their courses as pass-fail” until November 17, said Leslie Minton, a spokesman, and “provided more flexibility than than the standard pass-fail policy, “which limits students to only one pass / fail course per term and requires students to choose pass-fail for the first five days of school.
The University of Wisconsin at Madison is resisting general requests for approval / disapproval from student groups.
“Pass / fail assessments can have negative impacts on everything from eligibility for scholarships to graduate education,” said Meredith McGlone, a university spokeswoman.
Instead of passing / failing, Madison is encouraging students concerned with their grades to contact their advisors to discuss options, which include appealing for passing / failing a specific course based on personal difficulties.
But what counts as personal suffering in a pandemic, especially a profoundly unfair pandemic, as described by the National Institute for the Assessment of Learning Outcomes? This is what calls for a student-led petition in Madison, seeking a broad pass-fail policy for undergraduate students.
“Just like last semester, we, as students, faced many challenges when attending school during the pandemic. Having classes at home is incredibly difficult ”, as well as decreasing support from colleagues, says the petition. “With the stress of the pandemic and the move to the Internet this semester, it is important for the University of Wisconsin-Madison to support its undergraduate students in any way they can … This is a kindness that we can all benefit from.”
Madison is also facing pressure from all ten student body presidents, who have asked their institutions to adopt comprehensive pass-fail or satisfactory-unsatisfactory options, considering how the drop occurred. A recent letter from the presidents to the Big Ten Academic Alliance and administrations cites concerns about students’ mental health and the results of student research in favor of passing / failing the requirement for a “more inclusive rating model”.
“Our universities have repeatedly mentioned the abnormality of this semester, as well as the many stressors that students face, but have not taken steps to reduce these stressors,” says the letter. “We ask that you promote equity, prioritize student well-being and improve the student experience in higher education institutions during this period.”
Listening to Students
Some institutions are listening. Earlier this month, the University of Michigan announced a new grading policy for the fall and winter periods, under which undergraduate students can choose to keep their grades in traditional letters for each course or select “pass” for AC grades and “no COVID registration” for D’s or below. Students can also leave a class until the end of the semester, without appearing in their transcript.
In a campus memo, Dean Susan M. Collins said: “We recognize the enormous stress that accompanies balance courses, the realities of COVID-19 and the myriad of other events that have shaped the term.” The grade modification aims to give students “additional flexibility to successfully complete the semester and stay on track towards their goals”.
Michigan urges students to discuss the possible implications of their decisions with their mentors. Students have until July to opt for the autumn grade policy and until November next year for winter grades, so there is time to weigh the options.
“The university remains committed to continuing to hear feedback from the community and to taking action to support students appropriately as we move forward,” said Collins in his memo.
Pennsylvania State University also recently extended its alternative spring rating system for the second semester, to “provide flexibility to undergraduate students who may be facing significant academic challenges due to circumstances beyond their control related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic” . The decision followed a recent Senate vote by the Penn State Faculty on the matter, during a special meeting convened to discuss a related resolution by student senators.
Students can keep their grades with letters or choose to have one or more grades replaced by those that have no impact on their average grade: satisfactory, pass or no grade. The deadline is January 12, and the university encourages students to discuss their choices with their advisors.
“We know that this pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges for many in our community and we are committed to helping our students and teachers succeed,” said Dean Nick Jones in an announcement. “Penn State student senators successfully advocated on behalf of their peers and constituents with the College Senate.”
In another example, California Community Colleges extended its normal pass / fail period until the end of December. She made that decision in September, citing the state of emergency.
Graduate students are further removed from the pass / fail discussions. But the Rackham Graduate School of Michigan will provide graduate students with a unique option to change any or all of their letter grades from A-plus to B-minus to S for satisfactory. “NRC” for COVID without registration for grades C + or below, announced in August, remains an option for them.
Vocational schools are also removed from pass-fail conversations. But even these programs were impacted by COVID-19, with implications for student performance. Above the law recently reported that law students at a civil procedure course at New York University were asking for approval and disapproval because they had three different professors this semester. There is no direct link to COVID-19, with the original professor allegedly suffering a fall. But the pandemic cannot have helped the situation.
“We do not have a coherent program and it is not clear what cases and concepts we should cover,” says a letter signed by most students in the class. “This is exacerbated by the TA review sessions that cover material that we don’t cover in class. There have also been times when our teachers contradict each other. “
A university spokesman declined to comment.