Latest Embarrassing CHE Op-Ed: Make All Courses Pass/Fail

[spork]

"So eventually all transcripts will only contain A's and S's. The only thing to distinguish students by will be the ratio."

De facto, you may well be right. And that's like what we have today, just A's and B's. Because of various kinds of pressure, none of this may matter. We're definitely all in the top 10%!

It's become apparent that no one in a position of authority decided, before the pass/fail policy was announced, what effect a "pass" (or a "fail," for that matter) will have on a student's GPA -- despite GPA determining eligibility for scholarships, study abroad, etc. 

[Caracal]

"So eventually all transcripts will only contain A's and S's. The only thing to distinguish students by will be the ratio."

De facto, you may well be right. And that's like what we have today, just A's and B's. Because of various kinds of pressure, none of this may matter. We're definitely all in the top 10%!

It's become apparent that no one in a position of authority decided, before the pass/fail policy was announced, what effect a "pass" (or a "fail," for that matter) will have on a student's GPA -- despite GPA determining eligibility for scholarships, study abroad, etc.

I'm confused, isn't this obvious? A pass has no effect on GPA. You get the credits, and that's it. Presumably a fail counts as an F. Isn't that how it always works?

[Hegemony]

Yes, it also appears perfectly obvious to me. A Pass does not count as an A. It does not count in the gpa at all. This is standard.

[marshwiggle]

Yes, it also appears perfectly obvious to me. A Pass does not count as an A. It does not count in the gpa at all. This is standard.

So, does it matter if half of a students' grades are "Pass"? At what point, if any, does "pass" merely mean "D that won't count as a D"? Will grad schools and employers not care about how many a person has?

[namazu]

So, does it matter if half of a students' grades are "Pass"? At what point, if any, does "pass" merely mean "D that won't count as a D"? Will grad schools and employers not care about how many a person has?

At some schools, only grades of C- or above are equivalent to a pass, and a D grade is a failing grade.  Other schools have a pass/D/fail system. These practices are not universal. Many/most schools include a guide to interpretation of their transcripts with the transcripts they send.

Most schools that I'm familiar with have limits on the number of credits that can be earned (in general, and/or in the major field) under P/F grading.  Some mandate that required courses be taken for a letter grade.  Whether some of these policies will be temporarily waived (and how accreditors will handle it), I don't know.

I imagine that grad schools and employers will make some allowances for the coronavirus-affected terms, which represent only a fraction of a student's university education.

[FishProf]

Grad schools and Professional schools will probably make those accommodations, when they have to do so to fill out classes.

Will a Medical School take a student with P grades in required courses from this semester instead of one with A or B grades in those same courses in the same semester.

I worry, but my crystal ball is inscrutable at present.

P/F without context may not be the panacea everyone is hoping for....

[Hibush]

Grad schools and Professional schools will probably make those accommodations, when they have to do so to fill out classes.

I heard today that some selective grad schools (such as UC Berkeley) will put on their application websites that, as part of their holistic admissions review, they will take into account the circumstances in evaluating P grades in the S20 term.

Holistic in this case probably means that a student taking a rigorous curriculum, getting a 3.8 GPA before and after this term, and all P in this term will be credited with doing OK.

[Antiphon1]

I imagine most grad schools will rely on the standardized tests (MCAT, LSAT, GRE, etc...) to identify any potential deficiency.  Worst case is some students may be admitted provisionally and/or be required to pass a subject area test before being officially admitted.  These students might also be asked to take leveling classes.  Admittedly not a perfect solution or outcome, but perhaps a humane reaction in an imperfect time. 

[spork]

Yes, it also appears perfectly obvious to me. A Pass does not count as an A. It does not count in the gpa at all. This is standard.

It's only standard if your academic administrators announce it to be standard. Here no one has announced anything other than that students now have the option of choosing to be graded pass/fail, with a deadline for deciding this set for the last week of classes. Neither students nor faculty know what effect if any this will have on a student's GPA.

[jerseyjay]

It seems to me that this really will not have much effect on most students, except, perhaps, to take some pressure off in the face of really extraordinary circumstances.

If a student has middling grades up to now, it is hard to imagine that his or her grades will be much better after this semester.

If a student has good grades up to now, I would imagine that his or her grades would also be good after this semester.

There are, of course, some students who are taking important classes this term. I happen to be teaching the senior seminar in this term, which requires the students do a research paper. It is not clear to me how many, if any, will be doing this class pass/fail. My guess is that many of the really good students will still do pretty well in the class. Their transcripts will still be full of good grades up to now, even if they do take the P/F option. Most of the middling students will do not so well, but will probably still pass. Their transcripts will be full of lower grades up to now, even if they take P/F option.

But I have some students who are good students who will certainly do worse than they would have done otherwise, for various reasons (illness, no library, unemployment, over employment). I have no desire to fail these students or delay their graduation.

If such a student were to apply to graduate school, I would think that other criteria (letters, test scores, overall performance as an undergraduate) would be taken into account.

I am not sure how many, if any, students are going to get into Harvard for grad school who otherwise wouldn't, and how many are not going to get in, who otherwise would have.

[namazu]

Here no one has announced anything other than that students now have the option of choosing to be graded pass/fail, with a deadline for deciding this set for the last week of classes. Neither students nor faculty know what effect if any this will have on a student's GPA.

Does your school ever offer a P/F option under other circumstances?  If so, how does a grade of P or F ordinarily affect a student's GPA?

[spork]

Here no one has announced anything other than that students now have the option of choosing to be graded pass/fail, with a deadline for deciding this set for the last week of classes. Neither students nor faculty know what effect if any this will have on a student's GPA.

Does your school ever offer a P/F option under other circumstances?  If so, how does a grade of P or F ordinarily affect a student's GPA?

Who knows? For years, we've had a revolving door of administrators, with none of these policies being documented, and a do-nothing system of faculty governance.

[namazu]

Here no one has announced anything other than that students now have the option of choosing to be graded pass/fail, with a deadline for deciding this set for the last week of classes. Neither students nor faculty know what effect if any this will have on a student's GPA.

Does your school ever offer a P/F option under other circumstances?  If so, how does a grade of P or F ordinarily affect a student's GPA?

Who knows? For years, we've had a revolving door of administrators, with none of these policies being documented, and a do-nothing system of faculty governance.

That's mighty unfortunate!

[spork]

Two weeks left in our extended semester, and I'm encountering students who don't realize that opting for pass/fail when already at a C+ in a course confers no benefit.

[Caracal]

Two weeks left in our extended semester, and I'm encountering students who don't realize that opting for pass/fail when already at a C+ in a course confers no benefit.

What do you mean? If their GPA is higher than a 2.3 than of course it would be to their benefit to take the credits and not lower the GPA?