Pass/No Credit Option Available to Students for Spring 2020

March 30, 2020
Categories: Faculty & Staff, General Info, General News Tags: Faculty & Staff, General Info

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Faculty Executive Committee has voted to create an exception to the UNC Charlotte grading policy for Spring 2020. This change gives students the option to request Pass/No Credit grades to replace standard letter grades for any or all of their Spring 2020 courses after the completion of the semester. Students should continue to be active in classes and complete all course requirements through the remainder of the semester.

Faculty will provide letter grades for semester-long work as usual at the end of the semester. Students have the option to replace standard letter grades for their Spring 2020 courses with Pass/No Credit (for undergraduates) or Pass/Unsatisfactory (for graduate students). No Credit (N) is not an option in the graduate grading scale.

To replace a grade, students must use the P/N or P/U grading election option in Banner Self Service available through My UNC Charlotte. Students should not send grading petitions to their advisor.

Students who wish to replace a letter grade will need to make this election in Banner Self Service by June 1, 2020. The details of the Pass/No Credit accommodation in the Exceptions to the Grading Policy for Spring 2020 may be viewed here.

FAQs for Spring 2020 Undergraduate Course Grades:

Will I see my letter grade for a course before I decide whether or not to request the Pass/No Credit accommodation?
Yes, instructors will post letter grades by May 12. Students can review their grades and then decide whether they wish to elect the Pass/No Credit accommodation for a course.

My major has GPA requirements for entry or to continue in the program. How will a grade of Pass (P) be used in eligibility calculations?
For some majors, a certain course grade is required in prerequisite courses, in addition to a cumulative GPA requirement. Students should consult with their academic advisor or program director for advice about progression requirements for the program to ensure that they are prepared for the next course.

If a student plans to later seek admission to graduate school or another professional school, how will Pass/No Credit impact future admission?
Students are encouraged to make an informed decision of how a Pass (P) grade, instead of a letter grade, may impact future plans. Students should seek guidance from their academic advisor or program director and consider all implications before requesting Pass/No Credit accommodation. However, given the multiple unknowns involved, students will be able to petition to have a P grade revert to the original letter grade with associated changes to GPA.

I am in an Honors program. Will the Pass/No Credit accommodation have an impact on those requirements?
Honors programs have requirements related to letter grades to be eligible to graduate with honors or be admitted or continue in an honors program. Depending on individual circumstances this requirement may be adjusted, but it requires recommendation by the director of the honors program and approval by the Honors Council.

I am on track to graduate with Latin Honors (Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude, etc.). Will the Pass/No Credit accommodation have an impact on my eligibility?
No. Students are eligible to graduate with Latin Honors provided they have earned 48 credits at UNC Charlotte even if some of those credits are graded on a Pass/No Credit basis.

Will the Chancellor’s List and Dean’s List be available for Spring 2020 semester?

Yes. The Faculty Executive Committee approved an exception to the Academic Policy allowing students to be eligible for Chancellor’s List or Dean’s List if they have earned at least 9 credit hours (instead of 12) in courses graded A, B, or C. This allows students to accept a Pass (P) grade in some courses, as long as the student accepts letter grades in at least 9 credit hours. This exception applies only to Spring Semester 2020. This exception can be found in the Academic Honors policy here as well as in the current Catalog.

If a student chooses the Pass/No Credit option and receives No Credit in a course(s), how will this impact their financial aid package?
For students in good academic standing, grades of P and N will not impact financial aid eligibility because an exception in how the university has to calculate Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is being allowed due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, students who are on Academic Probation or Continued Probation may need to file an appeal to remain eligible for financial aid if their grades in the Spring do not get them back to Good Academic Standing.

I’m a Veteran using the GI Bill to pay tuition. How will the Pass/No Credit grading option impact me financially?

If you opt to take No Credit (NC) for a course grade, then you will either be required to pay all of the funds back from the first day of the term (including BAH, tuition, fees, book funds, etc.) or you may be allowed to repay prorated debts through the last day of attendance. This is determined by the Veterans Administration not the UNC Charlotte Veteran Services Office.

Those choosing to take the Pass option will not be impacted. The only reason the No Credit (NC) option poses a potential issue is that it does not count towards your degree AND there are no consequences (an F grade). Students using Vocational Rehabilitation (Chapter 31) will be best served by consulting directly with their Vocational Rehab Counselor.

Students can reverse their earlier decision by submitting an academic petition:

But, this is only if they have already made their election and wish to reverse it. If they have not yet made their election, they follow the guidance in previous communications.

What if a student has already used the allotted number of Pass/No Credit course attempts?
Undergraduate courses selected for Pass/No Credit in Spring 2020 will be excluded from the maximum four attempts stated in the Undergraduate Catalog and will have no impact on the student’s GPA.

How should a student request the accommodation for Pass/No Credit or Pass/Unsatisfactory for Spring 2020 courses?

To replace a grade, students must use the P/N or P/U grading election option in Banner Self Service available through My UNC Charlotte. Students should not send grading petitions to their advisor.

Can a student choose to take an Incomplete (I) grade instead of Pass/No Credit?
The grade of I is assigned at the discretion of the instructor when a student who is otherwise passing has not, due to circumstances beyond his/her control, completed all the work in the course. Students must consult with the course instructor before the semester ends and should consider all implications, including extra work load. The missing work must be completed by the deadline specified by the instructor, and no later than 12 months. If the I is not removed during the specified time, a grade of F, U, or N, as appropriate, is automatically assigned. The grade of I cannot be removed by enrolling again in the same course, and students should not re-enroll in a course in which they have been assigned the grade of I.

Can a student use grade replacement to replace a grade from Spring 2020? Will this count in the total number of grade replacements allowed?
Yes, students will have the ability to use grade replacement to replace a grade received — P/N or a standard letter grade — earned in Spring 2020. Undergraduate courses in Spring 2020 will be excluded from the maximum two courses allowed for grade replacement.

Which grades am I not able to change?

You will NOT be able to change your course grade in these cases:

  • courses for which a P/N or P/U were determined before the start of the semester;
  • courses completed in session A;
  • courses from which you withdrew;
  • courses for which have not yet been graded; and
  • courses for which you have been found responsible and given a grade penalty for an academic integrity violation.

How does the Pass/No Credit option affect undergraduate students on academic probation?

Courses selected for Pass/No Credit in Spring 2020 will have no impact on an undergraduate student’s Spring semester GPA or overall cumulative GPA. Under normal circumstances, an undergraduate student on academic probation whose cumulative GPA remains below 2.0 at the next evaluation is suspended from the University, unless the student’s GPA for that semester is at least 2.3, in which case the student remains on probation instead. Because of the extraordinary circumstances due to COVID-19 this spring, UNC Charlotte will not be implementing the usual academic suspension process at the end of the spring 2020 semester. Any student on probation from fall 2019 who does not meet the cumulative requirements for good academic standing, at the end of spring, will be classified as “Special Probation.” Students who were in good standing prior to Spring 2020 whose cumulative GPA fell below 2.0 this semester will be placed on Academic Probation as normal. Students on Academic Probation or Special Probation at the end of spring will be allowed to continue into Fall 2020. Students remaining on probation at the end of fall 2020, will be suspended. While we are confident that students who were at risk of academic suspension can rebound, we encourage you to reach out to your advisor if you need assistance.

I received a scholarship from UNC Charlotte that requires a minimum GPA for it to renew the following year. How will the new Pass/No Credit grading option for the spring semester impact my GPA, and is my scholarship in jeopardy of not being renewed next year?

If you received a UNC Charlotte institutional scholarship that requires a minimum GPA in order for it to renew each year, you are expected to earn the minimum GPA requirement for the spring 2020 semester, for the 2019-20 academic year, or as a cumulative GPA (which includes your grades during the spring 2020 semester). Your grades are reviewed at the end of each academic year to determine if you are eligible to continue to receive your scholarship for the next year.

  • Courses selected for Pass/No Credit in Spring 2020 will have no impact on your Spring semester GPA or overall cumulative GPA. Refer to this Exception to UNC Charlotte Academic Policy and Procedure: Grading to learn more.
  • If you do not meet the minimum required GPA, you will be placed on scholarship probation for one academic year, but you will still receive your scholarship for the probation year. After the probation year, your grades will be reviewed. If your GPA is not at the minimum required level by the end of the Spring 2022 semester, your scholarship may be withdrawn.

By August 1, 2020, you will be notified by email if your scholarship for the 2020-21 academic year will be renewed or withdrawn. If you are offered a renewal scholarship for the 2021-22 academic year, you must accept your scholarship offer in the NinerScholars Portal in order for payment to process to your student account.

Levine Scholars should contact the Levine Scholars Program Office directly for information specific to renewal of their scholarship. Recipients of the Crown, Freeman, Johnson, Martin, or Albert Engineering Scholarship should contact the Honors College directly for specific renewal information.

Students awarded a scholarship by an organization outside UNC Charlotte, which contains a GPA requirement for renewal, may contact the awarding organization directly with any questions.

How does the Pass/Unsatisfactory grading option work for Graduate students?

All graduate students will have the option to select Pass/Unsatisfactory for each of their Spring 2020 courses. Please note: No Credit (N) is not an option in the graduate grading scale.

Graduate students are required to have a 3.0 GPA in their program of study in order to graduate. Graduate students are held to a higher standard and, as a result, are suspended when they earn a grade of U or an unacceptable number of C grades. A student can elect a Pass (P) grade to replace a C grade this semester. Students who earn a U or an unacceptable amount of C grades will be suspended or terminated, as appropriate. This process will not change for spring, and suspensions or terminations will be effective for Fall 2020. Graduate students are advised to consult with their program director before making a grade change selection, if relevant.