I hope this day finds you in a positive mood, looking forward to a brighter day, and adhering to all guidelines regarding your health and well-being, including Governor Pritzker’s “Stay at Home” directive, which has been extended until at least April 30.
I also hope you remain engaged in your academic progress, as we complete week two of our alternate teaching and learning model for Illinois State. What we might have considered unimaginable at the beginning of the Spring 2020 semester is now posing challenges that must be addressed expeditiously to alleviate, to the greatest extent possible, our sense of anxiety, uncertainty, and disruption.
I am proud, and I am grateful that students have responded to this unprecedented COVID-19 crisis with diligence, integrity, and perhaps most of all—a spirit of flexibility that will help ensure positive outcomes for all of you.
It is regarding the subject of flexibility that I write to you today to announce the temporary modification of portions of University Policy 2.1.12—the Pass/No Pass-Credit/No Credit policy, to be accompanied by a change in the date for WX and Pass/No Pass decisions.
The policy will be placed on hold for the remainder of the semester and reinstituted for Summer 2020. The decision to allow this level of flexibility is a direct acknowledgement of our unprecedented situation. We expect the alternative courses to maintain the highest quality instruction possible, and we also expect students will continue to seek the most from their courses.
The following are the temporary modification guidelines for students:
Pass/No Pass:
Extending the option for Pass/No Pass to Monday, May 4.
- Allowing all courses to be taken as Pass/No Pass
- for undergraduate students a “C” or better becomes a Pass
- Allowing graduate students to take all courses as Pass/No Pass.
- for graduate students a “B” or better becomes a Pass
- Allowing students on probation to take courses as Pass/No Pass and extend their probationary period by one semester.
- Courses taken as Pass/No Pass will meet pre-requisite requirements for upper level courses and permit students to enroll in such courses with a grade of “P” so as not to lengthen progress toward degree completion.
- ISU transcripts will include information on the transcript key to indicate the extraordinary circumstances encountered in the Spring 2020 semester.
Important Notes:
Beginning Monday, April 6, students will have the ability to withdraw from a Spring 2020 class or change a graded class to the Pass/No Pass grading option. Instructions for making these changes, as well as a FAQ reference, will be provided on the Office of the University Registrar website. Please review the FAQ and consult with your advisor before choosing to withdraw from a class or elect the Pass/No Pass option.
We strongly encourage students to communicate with your academic advisors prior to making decisions, to ensure that you understand the options, benefits, and potential drawbacks of Pass/No Pass grading.
Students will be able to change a Pass/No Pass decision from May 14 through May 18 with a final closure of the grading system on Monday, May 18, at 8 a.m.
Students will not be penalized for classes graded as Pass/No Pass. Courses taken as Pass/No Pass will meet pre-requisite requirements for upper level courses and permit students to enroll in such courses with a grade of “P” so as not to lengthen progress toward degree completion.
Withdrawal:
- Extending the deadline to drop individual classes to Monday, May 4, at 8 a.m.
- Extending the ability to withdraw from the university from April 10 to Monday, May 4.
Incomplete:
The University’s Incomplete Policy will remain unchanged. An incomplete (I) will be assigned to a student who is doing passing work but finds it impossible, because of reasons beyond the student’s control (such as illness), to complete the required work by the end of the term. The student must have attended class to within three weeks of the close of the semester. The student should contact the instructor to request an (I). For more information on the Incomplete process, consult the University Catalog: https://illinoisstate.edu/downloads/catalog/undergrad.pdf (page 24)
Again, I appreciate your patience and flexibility in working through this uncommon process. If you have specific questions, please contact Registrar@IllinoisState.edu.
