COVID Grade Adjustment

Adjusted Grading Policy for Academic Year 2020-21 for Undergraduate Students

  1. All courses for the fall 2020 semester will remain set to the traditional grading modes (i.e., A-D, F, WF, IN) normally designated for each course.
  2. Once grading is closed on January 4, 2021, students will be able to see grades received for each course they have completed.
  3. From January 7–January 14 requests for up to six credits of undergraduate coursework with A–D grades can be elected by the student to receive a grade of Satisfactory (“S”). Courses in thesis and capstone are excluded, as are courses with grades of Incomplete, F, or WF.
  4. During the window referenced above, the Director of Records and Registration and the Director of Financial Aid will review “S” grade requests daily. Their review will focus on whether changing to an “S” grade could have a negative impact on the student’s financial aid, with special attention to veterans, athletes, and students with F-1 visas, as well as to NASAD, CIDA, and ACBSP regulations.
  5. For those cases without negative impacts, “S” grades will be automatically assigned. For those cases where there may be negative impacts, the directors will contact the students for further discussion.
  6. If the review determines that there are no negative consequences, the Office of the Registrar will convert the letter grade to a grade of “S” for those students who have opted for “S” grading at the end of the semester.
  7. Once an “S” grade is assigned, it cannot revert back to the original A–D grade.
  8. Once the window ends on January 14, 2021, requests to change grades to “S” will not be considered.
  9. The Office of the Registrar will then close out the fall 2020 term and recalculate GPAs.
  10. “S” grades are not computed into the grade-point average, but credit is awarded, and the “S” grade will appear on the transcript, along with the proper notation on the transcript. “S” grades meet course prerequisite and graduation requirements.
  11. Reviews for probation, dismissal, and dean’s list designations will not be processed for the academic year 2020-21.
  12. Review of December 2020 degree candidates will be completed, as scheduled, by January 21, 2021.
  13. It is strongly recommended that students seek advice from their academic department on the impact of an “S” grade on future transcript reviews.