P/F grading and ENSP: Spring 2020
According
to the message you received from the Provost, all undergraduate courses in spring 2020
will be graded pass/fail. Students, however, do have the opportunity
to choose to receive an earned letter grade in each class and may make that
choice until the last day of spring semester classes.
I recommend reading this website carefully, there’s a lot of helpful information in it: https://ugst.umd.edu/keeplearning/grades.html.
The deadline is May 12 at 11:59 pm. The system will no longer work at midnight, 12:00am on May 13.
If you are concerned about your grade or are unsure of the option you want to take, you should speak with your instructor before deciding to opt out of P/F option. The deadline is May 13 at 11:59pm with no exceptions to the deadline. The deadline is firm.
If you are concerned about your grade or are unsure of the option you want to take, you should speak with your instructor before deciding to opt out of P/F option. The deadline is May 13 at 11:59pm with no exceptions to the deadline. The deadline is firm.
I recommend reading this website carefully, there’s a lot of helpful information in it: https://ugst.umd.edu/keeplearning/grades.html.
Some highlights:
What does this P/F grading policy mean for ENSP major requirements?
The requirement for a C-minus or better in major courses will be waived for the semester. Although ENSP does require a C- or better in all major courses, a “P” grade will be accepted for the Spring 2020 semester only.
How will this affect my GPA? What about cumulative credits?
A “P” grade does not contribute to a student's GPA, but an “F” does.
Courses that are completed with a passing grade of “P” will count toward the total credit hours, but will not be computed in the grade point average.
I’m planning to go to graduate school, will pass/fail grades impact my admission?
- Law School: Since there are no prerequisite courses necessary for applying to law school, the need for letter grades is not as imperative as it is for some other graduate programs. From a law school application perspective, students should primarily choose grading options that will most benefit their cumulative GPAs.
- Graduate School: Graduate programs are aware of the challenges that colleges and universities are facing with respect to grading and the completion of the spring 2020 semester. In fact, many U.S. universities are moving to a P/F option. It’s wise to follow the Law School recommendation (above): students should primarily choose grading options that will most benefit their cumulative GPAs. Again you have until May 12 to decide.
- Health Professions (pre-med, pre-dental, PT, etc): the campus Health Professions Advising Office strongly recommends that all students opt in to selecting the assignment of a letter grade for all math and science courses being taken to fulfill pre-health requirements. The same guidance holds for specific social science course requirements for nursing, PA, PT, pharmacy, and all other allied health schools. Choosing the letter grade option is the best and safest course to ensure that your coursework can be applied in the future to professional school requirements.
Students will have the opportunity to choose to receive an earned letter grade in each class and may make that choice until the last day of spring semester classes (May 12). A new website has created for this purpose - you can find it on THIS PAGE.
As with the state of
this pandemic, things on campus are changing every day. We’re all
receiving a TON of emails and trying our best to keep up. We’re going to see more updates to campus
policies and webpages as the days and weeks go on, so keep in mind that what I
am sending you right now could be subject to change. I’ve added some
other resources and updates on the ENSP Blog.