Notice Board

Two important changes for undergraduate and graduate students were approved by General Faculties Council at its meeting on March 24, 2020.

Professors will assign letter grades for Spring 2020 courses. However, General Faculties Council (GFC) has approved a broader use of the Credit/Non-Credit designation, allowing students more flexibility regarding their Spring 2020 final grades. The February deadline for students to choose the designation has been extended by over three months, may be used to replace any final letter grade, and courses with a Credit designation may be used to meet more degree requirements than is usually permitted. There are no limitations this term on the number of courses for which the Credit/Non-Credit designation can be used. In a second decision, GFC approved the extension of the withdrawal and the withdrawal with cause deadlines by six weeks to May 15, 2020, giving students and advisors even more flexibility.

Choosing to apply the Credit/Non-Credit option is in the students’ hands and it can be used for almost any Spring 2020 course. Students may choose to:

1. Keep the final letter grade earned in the course (A, B, C, etc.). This grade is included in their grade point average.

OR

2. Opt for the Credit (CR)/Non-Credit (NC) designation. CR or NC replaces the final letter grade on the transcript and is not included in the grade point average.

• Credit (CR) – Indicates that the student passed the course. CR permits the student to receive academic credit for the course toward their degree requirements and use the course to meet prerequisite requirements.

• Non-Credit (NC) – Indicates that the student failed the course.  NC means the student will need to repeat the course should it be a requirement of their program or a necessary pre-requisite course.  The benefit of the Non-Credit designation is that it does not negatively affect the student’s grade point average as it is not included in the calculation of the grade point average. It replaces the failing grade on the transcript.

* Importantly, students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisors before making a decision as there could be longer-term implications that should be considered when weighing their options.

The Credit/Non-Credit designation cannot be used for courses graded using Pass/Fail or if the course ended prior to the cancellation of in-person classes on March 13, 2020.  This approval for Spring 2020 replaces the Credit/Non-Credit policy in both the undergraduate and graduate calendars for this term only (Spring 2020).

The new deadline to request the Credit/Non-Credit designation is May 15, 2020 or within 10 days of receiving the final letter grade, whichever is later. Students have until this deadline to make this decision, giving them time to understand the key information required to make a good choice. To choose this option, students submit their requests to the Registrar’s Office using this online form by the deadline.

For more important information about the changes, please visit: https://www.uleth.ca/sites/ross/files/imported/academic-calendar/Special-Grading-Changes-for-Spring-2020.pdf