The University of Lynchburg announced on Friday that it would temporarily offer flexible grading options for the spring semester. Students had been petitioning for pass/fail grading due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We realize that this semester has been unlike any other with our move to exclusively online coursework. We recognize the stress that you might be experiencing,” Provost Allison Jablonski wrote in an email.
To help ease that stress, flexible grading options will be offered to undergraduate students for the Spring 2020 semester only. Students may decide until May 1 to accept a traditional letter grade or a pass/fail assessment on a course-by-course basis.
Not all classes are eligible for the pass/fail option, including practicums, clinicals, and courses requiring a grade to advance to the next course level. In addition, some undergraduate students (e.g., students using VA education benefits, students taking courses this semester to replace a grade from a previous semester, etc.) may not be allowed to opt for a pass/fail grade.
In particular,
- Courses will count toward applicable program requirements or general education requirements if a passing grade is earned.
- A “passing” grade will require earning a letter grade of A, B, C, or D.
- To qualify for Dean’s List honors or Honorable Mention honors, a student must obtain at least 9.0 hours of graded coursework (A, B, C, D, F). The remaining hours may have P grades. These honors will be awarded once all incomplete grades have been changed to a grade of A, B, C, D, F, or P, and the student has met the requirement of at least 9.0 hours of graded (not P) coursework.
- Students must communicate their decision to opt in to pass/fail grading to their academic advisors and submit the appropriate form to the registrar’s office with academic advisor’s approval.
- There will be no change in the current grading policies for graduate students.
For more information, visit the University’s COVID-19 FAQ page or contact the Office of the Provost at provost@lynchburg.edu.
