COVID-19 Information

March 31, 2020

Dear SIUE Community,  

We hope this note finds you safe and healthy. For our students, we hope that you are making the transition to remote learning successfully. Please continue to reach out, and we will do our best to support you and your learning.

 We recognize that this semester has brought tremendous challenges on every front. While we are working hard to continue to deliver the high quality instruction to which we are all accustomed, this abrupt transition to remote learning and the stress that each of us may encounter given the broader conditions of the COVID-19 outbreak require that we provide some additional safeguards.  As such, SIUE is offering the following guidance in the attached document for grading for the Spring 2020 semester. 

Students, if you have questions about how you might utilize the described changes, please reach out to your advisor.

We are grateful for the feedback we received in shaping these guidelines and the spirit of support and student-centeredness that led to its development.  

Best wishes and stay healthy, 

Randy Pembrook, Chancellor

Denise Cobb, Provost and Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs

Grading Guidance

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is announcing a temporary suspension of certain academic policies for Spring 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For courses and grades associated with the Spring 2020 semester only, the following modifications to the University’s P/NC policy (https://www.siue.edu/policies/1j4.shtml) shall apply to eligible undergraduate courses for the full term (16 weeks) or the second eight-week part of term.  Graduate courses or courses that count for graduate credit are excluded.

Synopsis of the Plan

• At the end of the Spring 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, after consultation with their advisor, students may choose to convert their letter grade into a Pass/No Credit (P/NC) option.
• Certain programs will be excluded, and students should carefully consider the possible short- and long-term implications of switching to a P/NC option.  In particular, courses in professional programs (i.e., School of Nursing, School of Pharmacy, School of Dental Medicine, and certain pre-requisites in some accredited programs) are excluded from these temporary academic policy modifications.
• Courses that are part of a program that allows the student to apply for licensure or certification should be reviewed carefully to ensure that students do not harm their future opportunities.
• For eligible undergraduate courses, any letter grade of a “C” or better may be converted to a “Pass.” 
• Courses converted to P/NC can be used to fulfill major, minor and General Education requirements when a “P” grade is earned, and accreditation/licensure/certification standards allow.
• Any letter grade of a “D” or “F” may be eligible to be converted to No Credit. In this case, the course will not satisfy prerequisite or degree requirements.
• Courses converted to the P/NC designation will be excluded from the calculation of term and cumulative GPA.
• If a student elects to convert a course grade to the Pass/No Credit option, this choice becomes permanent and may not be reversed.

Important timelines

• Spring 2020 degree candidates who are enrolled in eligible classes have until Monday, May 18 at 4:30PM to request class(es) to be recorded as Pass/No Credit in lieu of the assigned grade.
• Degrees will not be awarded until all grades are finalized after May 18.
• All other students enrolled in eligible classes will have until Friday, May 29, 2020 at 4:30PM to request class(es) to be recorded as Pass/No Credit in lieu of the assigned grade.

Other Important Considerations

• Students should understand that there may be short-term and long-term implications to financial aid, future educational or career goals, etc., in electing to convert course grades to Pass/No Credit.  While SIUE will do our best to support students, the University cannot control the positions of external organizations.
  • Before making any changes, it is critical that all students discuss the issue of converting grades to the Pass/No Credit option with their academic programs and advisor and refer to the guidance document (forthcoming) provided by the University, so that they can make informed decisions.  Students pursuing academic programs that lead to certification or licensure will need to get prior permission from their program director/department chair and advisor. A form will be developed to facilitate this process.  
• Students who receive an Incomplete for a Spring 2020 course will not have an opportunity to later convert this to a Pass/No Credit option.
• Students should also consider potential financial aid implications and consult with the Office of Financial Aid, as needed.  To qualify for financial aid, students must make “satisfactory academic progress” (SAP) by maintaining a GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale to maintain eligibility and successfully completing 67% of all coursework. 
  • Pass/No Credit courses will not count in the students’ cumulative GPA for SAP purposes.
  • A “P” grade counts positively towards a student’s completion rate, while a “NC” grade counts negatively towards a student’s completion rate.

Final Note

In making these changes, the University sought feedback from the Faculty Senate President, Graduate Council Chair, Faculty Association President, Student Government President, deans, administrators, faculty through their chairs, and faculty and staff posting on the online discussion board. Based on this collective guidance, we have chosen the path that we believe will do the least harm to students while honoring the feedback we have received.