The pass/no pass grading system will likely not be available to Ohio State students this semester, pending Board of Trustees approval Feb. 25. Credit: Lantern File Photo
The pass/no pass grading system will likely not be available to Ohio State students this semester.
The proposed replacement emergency grading system would automatically convert a D-plus and D letter grades to an Emergency Pass, or PE. Lower grades would become no pass for certain courses when exceptional circumstances are declared by the Senate or provost, according to an email from Provost Bruce McPheron Thursday.
The Emergency Pass mark would not be available for courses where a passing or certain grade is required to move on to a sequential course, or courses required for academic program admissions, according to the email.
According to the email, the system would go into effect when “exceptional circumstances are declared by the Senate or the provost in coordination with Senate leaders,” such as a university state of emergency or the COVID-19 pandemic.
There are still procedural steps before these changes become reality. Although the resolution was approved by the University Senate, it still needs to be approved by the Board of Trustees Feb. 25 to go into effect.
Alicia Bertone, dean of the graduate school and Beth Hume, dean of undergraduate education developed the new policy with the Council on Enrollment and Student Progress, according to the email.
The resolution approved is similar to one of the Undergraduate Student Government President Roaya Higazi and Vice President Caleb Hineman’s major policy goals for the spring semester in the sense that the new emergency grading system will go into effect whenever Ohio State enters a state of emergency.
However, their plan, which was expected to be finalized in the coming months, would have kept the current pass/no pass structure in place, which gives students the ability to opt in.
Higazi and Hineman could not be reached for comment by the time of publication.
On that pass/no pass scale, a course grade of D or higher could count for credit but could not factor into students’ GPAs. Students could take general education and elective courses for pass/no pass, but individual colleges had to opt in to the system for major and minor courses.
