By Victoria Durgin, Co-editor-in-chief
Students will be able to choose whether to be graded on a traditional letter system or on a pass/fail scale for any class.
This decision came nearly two weeks after Susquehanna sophomore Jack McLaughlin posted an online petition urging faculty to consider pass/fail grading.
“Students are going to face many unusual hardships during this time and learning at home as many students have learned is not the most conducive environment for learning or working,” McLaughlin said.
He also said that his goal in starting the petition was to help all students during the uncertainty around the global and national spread of COVID-19.
The petition quickly gained traction online and was referenced by Susquehanna President Jonathan Green in his first “Fireside Chat” video posted on YouTube.
From there, the decision was in the hands of the faculty.
At a meeting on March 30 the faculty officially voted to allow grading on a pass or fail system for the spring 2020 semester only.
According to an email from Provost Dave Ramsaran, students will have the opportunity to select which, if any, classes they want to be graded as pass/fail. If students want to do so they will need to fill out an online form.
If students take no action their classes will be graded on the typical letter grading system.
Grades for all classes will be entered as usual by faculty. The registrar will then convert grades for requested classes into the pass/fail designation.
Erik Viker, professor and head of the theatre department said the choice is an important one to offer because not all students have equal access to internet and online learning tools.
“Offering the choice allows students to decide what’s best for them. I see no downside to this,” Viker said.
This sentiment was echoed by Kathy Straub, the head of the environmental studies department.
“The pass/fail option is a good way to support student learning in this unprecedented situation, but still allows students who want to earn a letter grade to do so,” Straub said.
Creative writing professor and department head Glen Retief, who also supports the decision, said he does not think the grading change will lead to a change in how classes are taught by professors.
“Grades will be entered as normal. For some students, that grade will be converted by the registrar’s office to a P or an F. For others, the grade will stand. I don’t think it will make any difference,” Retief said.
Craig Stark, head of the communications department, said the decision will impact students in publications and practicum requirements within that department.
“The biggest impacts are going to be in the production-based courses and the student media outlets that rely on department equipment and lab space to get things done,” said Stark.
“I’ve been in touch with those instructors and advisors however, and have let them know the department supports them in how they decide to handle things for the rest of the semester.”
Retief also said he thinks the pass/fail option creates equal opportunity to success for all students even as classes transition to an unfamiliar format.
“Grades at SU presume a somewhat level playing field: everyone at least has the opportunity to live on campus, use campus Internet, computer labs, and the library and so on. That even playing field just vanished, so this decision attempts to respond to that fact,” Retief said.
To McLaughlin, the fact that faculty are thinking about students is appreciated but not surprising.
“I feel SU tried their best to help out its students and this was one big way they could take stress out of people’s lives,” McLaughlin said.
Stark said he thinks the most important thing now is for students to weigh their options.
“The big thing now is for students to make sure they completely understand their options and abide by the rules set forth by the Provost’s Office,” said Stark.
According to Ramsaran, the online form needed to have a class graded will be available to students on mySU and needs to be completed by May 1.
