Fall 2020 Grading Modifications
On December 18, 2020, the University made temporary modifications to its grading procedures that apply to eligible undergraduate and graduate courses, regardless of course length, for the Fall 2020 semester. These temporary changes to our grading practices reflect the extraordinarily challenging circumstances that students experienced during this semester, given the COVID-19 pandemic.
Synopsis of Plan
- At the end of the Fall 2020 semester, faculty will submit course grades to the Registrar as originally defined in their syllabi, just like any other semester. Once these grades are recorded by the Registrar, grades of “F” will be automatically converted to “No Credit” for all eligible courses, unless a student requests to opt out of the conversion.
- Courses in professional programs (i.e., School of Nursing (both undergraduate and graduate programs), School of Pharmacy, and School of Dental Medicine) are excluded from these temporary academic policy modifications.
- Grades of “F” that are the result of sanctions associated with academic misconduct will not be converted to “No Credit.”
- Courses with grades of “No Credit” will not satisfy prerequisite or degree requirements.
- Courses converted to the “No Credit” designation will be excluded from the calculation of term and cumulative GPA.
- Students should be aware that “No Credit” grades have a similar effect on financial aid eligibility as a grade of “F”. See below for more details about financial aid and “No Credit.”
- Students will have until January 15, 2021, to “opt out” of the conversion from “F” to “No Credit.”
- When a successful course completion is needed in order to meet licensure requirements, a grade of "No Credit" will have a similar effect as a grade of "F" in that neither grade would count toward completing licensure requirements. If you have questions about licensure issues or concerns about future plans, please consult with your advisor and program director.
- If a student does not opt out, the grade change from “F” to “No Credit” becomes permanent and may not be reversed.
Important Timelines
Students who want to opt out of this conversion must contact the Office of the Registrar in writing by January 15, 2021. The request may be made by sending an email from your SIUE email account to siuerecords@siue.edu.
Questions to Consider
- Do I need to contact the University to have an “F” converted to a “No Credit” grade?
No. The conversion will take place automatically. Students will only need to contact the Registrar if they do not want a grade of “F” converted to “No Credit”. You may contact the Registrar at the following email account: siuerecords@siue.edu - Will faculty members have to approve the conversion?
No. Faculty of record for the course will submit letter grades to the Registrar. The conversion will take place automatically for eligible courses. - If I opt out of the conversion, can I change my decision later?
No. Once changes have been processed, the choices will be permanent. - What happens if I do not take any action before the deadline?
Since the conversion is an “opt out,” students who do nothing prior to the deadline will have grades of “F” converted to “No Credit.” Therefore, if you do nothing, your transcript will show “No Credit” as the grade, instead of “F”. - Can I opt out of the conversion to No Credit after January 15, 2021?
No. In order to accurately process records, students are expected to make opt out decisions by January 15, 2021.
GPA, Academic Standing, Incompletes, Prerequisites and Transcripts
- How does No Credit affect my term and cumulative GPA?
Grades of “No Credit” are not used to calculate a student’s term GPA (Fall 2020) nor a student’s cumulative GPA. - How does this affect someone who is enrolled in a course as a repeat for grade replacement?
Grades of “No Credit” will not replace a previously assigned grade for GPA calculation. If you elect to retain the grade of “F”, the “F” will replace the previously assigned grade for GPA calculation in repeated classes. - Will the class with the “No Credit” grade still show on my transcript?
Yes, all courses completed at SIUE are recorded on transcripts. The course will not display the original grade assigned. The only grade displayed on the transcript will be NC (No Credit). - If I receive an “incomplete” grade for Fall 2020 and upon final completion of the course requirements I receive an “F,” will this grade be converted to “No Credit”?
Grades of “F” assigned after term completion will not automatically convert to “No Credit.” Students wishing to explore the option of converting grades of “F” assigned after term completion should send an email to siuerecords@siue.edu within two weeks of final grade assignment. If the class is eligible, the grade may be converted to “No Credit.” - I am in a program and I can only fail a course or courses a particular number of times before being removed from the major. If my grade is converted to No Credit, how will this affect me?
For Fall 2020 only, the department or program will treat the course as if it had not been taken. - Could I receive a grade for my lab but get a “No Credit” for my lecture?
If your lecture and lab classes are each recorded separately, the “No Credit” grade will be assigned for the portion of the class graded with an “F.” If your lecture and lab is combined within one course, your final assigned grade will apply to the entire course. If this grade is “F”, it will be converted to “NC” for eligible classes. - What if my instructor makes a grading error that adjusts my grade?
If the grade is changed from an “F” that converted to “NC”, the new grade will take the place of the “NC.” If the grade is changed to “F” for an eligible class, you will be contacted to determine whether you would like the “F” converted to “NC” at the time of final grade assignment. - How does No Credit affect Academic Standing?
Courses with a grade of “No Credit” are excluded from the calculation of Academic Standing. In cases where a student received “No Credit” for all courses taken during the Fall 2020 term, the student will hold their current academic standing at the end of the term because changes in academic standing result from evaluation of calculated GPAs. A full term of “No Credit” would not result in a calculated GPA. Your academic advisor can help guide you through how your grades will impact your academic standing. We strongly encourage you to consult with your advisor, if you have concerns. - How does “No Credit” affect my eligibility for Deans List?
In order to be eligible for Deans List you must have a minimum of 12 hours calculated in your GPA. Since grades of “No Credit” are not calculated in the GPA, they would not be included in the 12 hours required. If you received “No Credit” for one class and still have 12 additional hours that are graded, you would be eligible for consideration.
Financial Aid
- How do I maintain eligibility for Financial Aid?
To qualify for financial aid, students must make “Satisfactory Academic Progress” by maintaining a cumulative GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale and successfully complete 67% of all coursework. While the conversion of the “F” to “No Credit” would have a positive impact on a student’s GPA, both the “F” and the “No Credit” grade counts negatively towards a student’s completion rate.
Example: If a student is enrolled in 4 classes during Fall 2020 and the student receives a “No Credit” (or opts to keep the “F”) for 2 of the 4 courses (the student passed the other courses with letter grades), the following will be true: When reviewing SAP, the “NC” grades count negatively; therefore, the students completion rate for the Fall 2020 term will be 50%. With the inclusion of the Fall 2020 completion rate at 50%, if the cumulative completion rate drops below 67%, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Warning. If the student is already on Financial Aid Warning, they will be Terminated from financial aid. If you are Terminated from financial aid, you can complete a “Financial Aid Appeal.” This form can be found on our website. - What will happen to my future financial aid when my “F” grades are converted to “No Credit”?
When your final Fall 2020 grades post, the Office of Student Financial Aid will evaluate your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) status. If your grades meet the requirements (2.0 cumulative GPA and/or 67% cumulative completion rate), your financial aid will continue. If your grades do not, you may be placed on Warning, or if already on Warning, you may be Terminated from financial aid. If your SAP status is updated to Terminated, you will not be eligible for financial aid (including federal loans) for the following semester. For full details on what aid is impacted, please see the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.
If you are Terminated from financial aid, you can complete a “Financial Aid Appeal.” You would need to submit the SAP Failed Warning form, a written statement explaining what led to your unsuccessful academic performance, third-party supporting documentation, and an Academic Plan that has been completed with your academic advisor (available for completion virtually). Per federal guidelines, COVID-19 related circumstances are considered for an appeal.
For additional information, please contact the 5 Office of Financial Aid: (618) 650-3880 or finaid@siue.edu.
Student Athletes
How does this affect student athletes?
Any Student Athlete who has earned an “F” this semester should meet/ZOOM with their Athletic Academic Advisor before January 15, 2021, and discuss the consequences of either accepting the grade change to “NC” or opting out of the grade change on their academic and athletic eligibility.
Veterans
How does this affect GI Bill recipients?
Typically, if a student received a grade of “No Credit” the student would be responsible for repayment of benefits. Although VA does not typically make payments for classes resulting in non-punitive grades (e.g. NC), if COVID 19 is reported as mitigating circumstances for the student’s receipt of a non-punitive grade, VA will pay for the class. Students requiring further clarification of this option should consult with Kevin Wathen: kwathen@siue.edu
