Pittsburg State Policy on Grading for Graduate Courses for the Spring 2020 Semester Policy

Applies to: Pittsburg State University students enrolled in graduate courses for Spring 2020 semester.

Policy:

Graduate Council Resolution 20-01

The following policy is being recommended by Graduate Council for the Spring 2020 semester at Pittsburg State University in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The transition to online delivery for courses that were originally intended to be taught in a traditional face-to-face environment along with personal and professional challenges to faculty and students has led us to recommend allowing students the option of choosing a modified pass/fail grading system. This policy will be in effect for courses for graduate credit including, online, hybrid, and courses that were originally offered as face-to-face courses.

WHEREAS, For all courses not already designated as Pass/Fail, instructors will report to the Registrar all final course grades following the normal ABCDF grading scale.

WHEREAS, Students will have until May 8, 2020, to request conversion of any individual course grade to a Pass/Fail. There will be no limit on the number of courses for which a student may request moving to Pass/Fail.

WHEREAS, Students who select the Pass/Fail option for a course(s), a grade of ‘A’, ‘B’, or ‘C’ will be recorded as ‘P’ and a grade of a ‘D’ or ‘F’ will be recorded as fail.

WHEREAS, All courses can be selected for the Pass/Fail option.

WHEREAS, The maximum number of Pass/Fail hours allowed in a student’s candidacy plan will be increased from 6 to 9 for any student who select the pass/fail option.

WHEREAS, The request will be made to the Registrar’s Office and the changes will be reflected on the student’s permanent transcript with no notation of the original letter grade.

WHEREAS, Students should be strongly encouraged to carefully consider any request to convert a letter grade to a Pass/Fail designation. As such, it is important that students consider advice from their departments/advisors before making decisions. Potential implications may include, but are not limited to,

• Students may need certain grades in certain courses to take professional exams and for admission into other Graduate programs
• Grades of Pass/Fail could affect acceptance to graduate or professional programs.
• Eligibility for professional licensures could be affected.
• Students receiving Veterans’ Educational Benefits should keep in mind that the VA will not pay for repeating a course unless a higher grade is required.
• An international student who is being sponsored may want to check with the sponsor prior to selecting the Pass/Fail option to ensure there are no restrictions.
• Student-athletes are encouraged to contact the athletic compliance officer prior to selecting the Pass/Fail option

WHEREAS, Despite the encouragement to seek advice from your department/advisor, it is the student’s sole responsibility for any issues that arise from selecting the Pass/Fail designation.

THEREFORE BEIT RESOLVED, That the Pittsburg State University Graduate Council adopt the Policy on Grading for Graduate Courses for the Spring 2020 Semester