Shippensburg University will allow students the opportunity to choose which way they are graded for their spring 2020 courses.
SU Provost Tom Ormond sent out an email last Friday with details about the change. According to the email, students may keep the traditional letter grade given by their professor or make the class a pass/fail.
Students may decide to either keep the traditional letter grade they are given by their professor or make the class a pass/fail grade. The changed scale will be A, B, C, D (and applicable -/+’s). No credits earned (NC) will replace F, according to the email. However, the option for a pass/fail grade may not be available for all classes.
SU updated their FAQ page about the grade scale changes on Tuesday. According to the website, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has not decided if the pass/fail option will be available for classes that students need a "C" in for their major requirements.
Other students, such as those wishing to enter a teaching education program may not have access to pass/fail grades. The PDE requires students to have a 3.0 GPA before entering these programs and to maintain them throughout the program. More information about what classes will have a pass/fail option is available on the university's website.
Faculty members will submit final grades by 3 p.m. on May 14, at which point students will have one week to decide what is the best course of action for their grades. Requests for a pass/fail grade are due by 3 p.m. on May 21. If no request is made by the deadline, students will keep the letter grade they were originally given.
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