May 26, 2020
Dear DePaul community,
Last week, Academic Council recommended, and I approved, the
Student Government Association's (SGA) resolution calling for an extension of the deadline for choosing the
Pass/D/Fail grading basis until after letter grades are posted. Hence, the deadline for students to declare their choice of grading basis has been extended to 11:59 p.m. on Monday, June 22, 2020. This change will enable students to make a more informed decision about which grading basis they prefer for each of their classes.
To faculty: The extension of this deadline means that you will submit letter grades, A though F, for all students, whether or not a student opted for Pass/D/Fail earlier in the quarter. Once students review their grades, they will have the opportunity to change the grading basis, if they so choose. Please make sure to submit your grades by the June 19, 2020 deadline so that students are able review the grade and act on their choice of grading basis.
To students: The extension of this deadline means you will now be able to review the letter grade for each class in Campus Connect prior to making a final decision on the grading basis you prefer.
The process for changing the grading basis will be different from the current process. The new process in Campus Connect will be available June 13, 2020. Click
here for the new instructions.
Please note that there are only three days between the June 19, 2020 deadline for faculty to post grades and the June 22, 2020 deadline for you to change the grading basis for any specific course. Hence it is important for students to consider the implications of adopting the Pass/D/Fail option
now in order to determine whether this option may or may not ultimately be in your best interest. Do not wait until grades are posted to consider these factors:
-
Does your degree lead to any sort of external licensure? Check to see if the license requires a letter grade.
- Will you be applying to graduate school? If so, check to see if the program(s) where you plan to apply will accept grades of Pass.
- Are you applying for a scholarship, whether at DePaul or elsewhere? Check to see if there are GPA requirements.
- Are you trying to improve your GPA to get off probation? It may be to your advantage to stay with the traditional letter grades. Please schedule an appointment with an academic advisor in your college for specific GPA calculations.
- Do you receive financial aid? If you are not meeting minimum GPA requirements as outlined in the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy for financial aid then you will need to earn favorable letter grades to improve your GPA. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid if you have questions.
- Does your employer reimburse you for tuition? If so check to see if they require a letter grade.
You can find the full set of FAQs on Pass/D/Fail on the
Classes and Academics for Students page of the COVID-19 website. Enabling students to review their grades before deciding on a grading basis will help conclude Spring Quarter on the best possible note. Many thanks to SGA for your work on this resolution, and to faculty and students alike for your flexibility as we approach the end of this challenging quarter. Special thanks to the Office of the Registrar and Information Services for making this change possible.
Sincerely,
Salma Ghanem
Interim Provost