College Student Leaders Call on Grad Schools & Employers to Accept Pass/Fail Grades During COVID-19
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
More than 100 student body presidents and representatives from public and private colleges and universities from across the United States released a letter today urging graduate schools and employers to evaluate Spring 2020 applicants with the widespread effects of COVID-19 in the mind.
The list of representatives of the colleges includes all of the Ivy League universities, UC Berkeley, Washington University, NYU, Notre Dame and dozens of others.
The letter released on Tuesday is titled "Admissions & Postgraduate Opportunities In Response to COVID-19," and calls on employers, graduate schools, and governing bodies like the Association of American Universities to:
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST● Not penalize students who have opted, or were required, to take classes pass-fail
● Not rescind pre-existing offers solely based on Spring 2020 grades
● Lighten or remove GPA cutoffs for eligibility of specific programs
● Lower thresholds for standardized test scores and prioritize holistic applicant review for both undergraduate and graduate admissions
“By standing together as a united collective and calling for these critical policies, we hope graduate schools and future employers will prioritize equity and accessibility in wake of this unprecedented pandemic," said William Zhou, Brown University's Student Body President.
“Many students are struggling to transition to online learning, especially students who come from underprivileged backgrounds. We need to ensure that we are extending empathy during this difficult time, and reducing academic stress for students during this period of uncertainty," said Ranen Miao, Student Body President of Washington University in St. Louis.
“We wanted to especially emphasize that students who are most likely to opt-into taking classes pass-fail are often those who are most acutely affected by COVID-19 or hold historically marginalized identities. As a result, preference for letter grades this semester unjustly disadvantages the most vulnerable students,” said Zhou.
