With the ramifications of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic still affecting students, Shippensburg University officials will offer students the pass/fail grading option for the fall 2020 semester as they did last spring.
Officials also extended the withdrawal period, according to Thursday’s email announcement from SU Provost Tom Ormond.
Ormond cited the ongoing disruption the COVID-19 coronavirus has caused this semester as the reason for why officials decided to adjust the grading scale. Officials previously implemented the grading change during the spring 2020 semester to help students cope with the sudden change to all online classes.
A pass/fail option will allow students to replace an “A, A-, B, B-, C+ and C” grade with “Pass” and replace “D” with “Pass*.”
According to the email, grades that are replaced with the pass/fail option will not count toward a student’s GPA. However, any “F” grades will lower the students GPA, the email said.
Students will be able to choose the pass/fail option beginning Dec. 10 at 8 a.m. until Dec. 15 at 3 p.m. The email encourages students to speak with their faculty advisers about whether or not to take a pass/fail grade. Officials reminded students to keep their academic status in mind when deciding if the pass/fail option is right for them. Scholarships, financial aid and major requirements could be impacted by pass/fail grades.
Officials also extended the withdrawal period for all fall 2020 courses to Dec. 8. The final day of classes is Nov. 20, with final exam week running from Nov. 30-Dec. 4.
For more information about the changes, visit ship.edu/registrar/registrar_news/.
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