U of A students petition pass/fail grades during coronavirus pandemic

Last week, the University of Alberta announced that during the COVID-19 pandemic, all students will receive a credit (CR) or no credit (NC) grade for all Winter 2020 courses in lieu of letter grades.

Now, students and faculty are asking the institution to make pass/fail grading optional so that students have a choice as to whether or not they receive a grade.

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A petition has been made in response to the university’s decision, requesting that the credit/no credit grading system be made optional, as some students would prefer receiving grades for their work.

The petition, which has been signed over 12,500 times as of Tuesday, was penned by a student to University of Alberta President David Turpin.

“The University of Alberta has made the decision to award all students the same pass or fail grade for the 2020 Winter semester,” reads the petition.

“This change will erase the hard work of students who have exerted their intellectual might all semester to achieve their desired mark. The University must allow students the option to accept their grade while also providing the option to receive a NR/CNR for the students who desire this outcome.”

Many students have commented on the petition, stating that they have worked hard for their grades and worry how the changes will impact their GPA.

Students’ main request is that they be given a choice as to whether to receive the credit or no credit or to accept their grade for the semester.

The university did not respond to Daily Hive’s request to comment at the time of publication.