Pass/No Pass Policy for Spring 2020


A message from Dean Schadler:

May this memo find you healthy and settling in to your new routine. We miss being on campus and miss seeing you – we miss all the interpersonal interaction, the laughter, and the sharing. We hope to see you back on campus this summer or this fall!

I am writing to follow up on Provost Prelock's Spring 2020 Academic Accommodations for Students. The most important takeaway is: "students are responsible for understanding the implications of their decision to move to Pass/No Pass for courses related to their program's major requirements, progression standards, and accreditation and licensing requirements."

There are also some important implications for CEMS described below. As always, we encourage you to communicate with your academic advisor regarding policy and course requirements. You are being given an important responsibility to carefully weigh the potential impacts of these options (Pass/No Pass in particular).

The Provost stated that "Courses in which students earned a Pass (P) will count towards major, minor, and degree requirements, with the exception of courses in which a specific grade is required for progression or licensure requirements." What does this mean for me as a CEMS student?

  • Many CEMS courses have prerequisites that require a minimum letter grade. For example, CS 110 has a prerequisite of "CS 020 or CS 021 with a grade of C- or better." These minimum grade requirements still hold. In order to enroll in CS 110 in fall 2020, a student may not take CS 020 or CS 021 as P/NP. Many other CEMS courses have similar rules, so please refer to the list of relevant courses on the CEMS website.
  • Courses that serve as prerequisites that do not require a minimum letter grade, can be taken P/NP. For example, ME 014 serves as a prerequisite for ME 101. A student who takes ME 014 as P/NP and receives a grade of Pass in ME 014 has met the prerequisite and is eligible to enroll in ME 101.

The Provost also stated "Colleges will waive academic dismissal decisions based on performance this semester. Academic Probation policies are college/school specific." What does this mean for me as a CEMS student?

  • No CEMS student will be eligible for dismissal at the close of the spring 2020 semester.
  • Students on Academic Trial are eligible to take Pass/No Pass and will be given an additional semester to achieve Good Academic Standing.

While we want you to feel comfortable taking advantage of this flexibility, focusing on learning and earning the best grade you can is still important. There are still opportunities for making Dean's List, applying to medical and graduate school, etc. You must weigh your best interests against your capacity to have the most successful semester possible.

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