All undergraduate courses at the University of Michigan will transition to an alternative grade policy, according to an email sent to students from Acting Provost Susan Collins on Friday evening. In place of a letter grade, students will now receive a “Pass” or “No Record Covid” on their permanent transcripts.
Students who receive a “Pass,” or “P,” on their transcript will get full credit for the course, with a grade cut-off of C-, the traditional grade minimum for a student to earn course credit. Additionally, students who wish for their “P” to be converted to a letter grade will have the option to do so if they submit a request by July 1. According to Collins, more details regarding the “P” to letter grade conversion will be communicated in the coming weeks.
Students who receive “No Record Covid,” or “NRC,” on their transcript will not receive course credit, but their grade point average will not be affected.
Collins wrote the University will also implement a more flexible course withdrawal policy. The new policy allows students to withdraw from a class up until April 21 without the course appearing on their transcript.
The new grading policy will also apply to undergraduates enrolled in graduate classes; however, classes graded before March 10 will not be subject to this policy. In the email, Collins wrote the University plans to share additional information about graduate and professional classes within the coming week.
“While other institutions across the nation have adopted similar policies on grading, it is undoubtedly an unprecedented step for the University of Michigan,” Collins wrote. “But these are unprecedented times, and I appreciate your flexibility.”
Prior to the University’s announcement, students had complained about the uncertainty regarding grading as other colleges had discontinued the use of letter grades. Scott DeRue, dean of the Ross School of Business, told students earlier Friday afternoon during a virtual town hall that the college would move to the Pass/No Record system, signaling that other deans across campus would follow suit.
Daily News Editor Barbara Collins can be reached at bcolli@umich.edu.