Marquette University is offering students the opportunity to choose a pass/not pass grading option for spring 2020 as opposed to traditional letter grades, according to a Friday news release.
The decision was endorsed by the Marquette University Student Government executive board, the University Academic Senate Executive Committee, the Academic Deans Council, the Academic Planning Group of the COVID-19 Response Team and the Provost Cabinet, the release said. The option is available to students until May 26, according to the release. Students can discuss the option with their assigned academic advisers.
The grading alternative applies to all undergraduate students but excludes students in the School of Dentistry, Graduate School, Graduate School of Management, Law School and Health Sciences professional programs.
The current A-F grading scale will remain the default system for students. Pass/not pass will be an option available to undergraduate students who choose it.
For those who choose pass/not pass, they will have the option to replace letter grades for certain courses with the following marks: Pass (P), Low Pass (LP) or Not Pass (NP). A grade of P earns the student credit and indicates the equivalent of the letter grade C or better. A grade of LP also means a student receives credit but indicates the equivalent of the letter grades C-, D+ or D. If a student receives a grade of NP, the student does not receive credit for the course for earning an equivalent of a letter grade below D.
The university extended the deadline for students to withdraw from courses. It moved to the last day of classes, May 1, from the original April 17 date.
This decision comes after university discussions about a pass/fail grading system earlier in the week. The new system is in response to the university’s move to a remote learning format for the rest of the semester following concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.
Students should consult with academic advisers about whether switching to pass/not pass will affect certification or licensure processes for graduate or professional programs, the release said.
“We are living in unprecedented times for Marquette University as we have quickly and unexpectedly adjusted to remote learning and working,” the news release said. “Please know that we appreciate the immense sacrifice this has been for everyone, and understand the anxiety, fear and many mixed emotions this unfortunate time in our lives has caused everyone, especially our students.”
This story was written by Alexa Jurado. She can be reached at [email protected].
