TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — On Wednesday, Florida A&M University announced they will allow students to individually opt to receive letter grades or satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) for eligible courses taken during the spring semester.
The announcement comes as students and faculty begin online and remote instruction for the final weeks of the spring semester as a precaution to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.
The Satisfactory /Unsatisfactory Policy only applies to courses offered during the Spring 2020 semester. The grading policy does not apply to the College of Law.
They have until May 6 to decide how they want to be graded.
“These are extraordinary times, and undergraduate, graduate and professional students need as much support as possible,” said Maurice Edington, Ph.D., provost and vice president of Academic Affairs. “For numerous courses, teaching modalities and class requirements will be changing in an environment of high anxiety. Having flexibility in course grading will help ease some of the burdens on students during these stressful times.”
Deans, in consultation with faculty, may request that a course be designated S/U ineligible by April 1, 2020. All sections of a course must be either S/U eligible or S/U ineligible. Final decisions on requests to make courses S/U ineligible will be made by the Provost based upon justification that must accompany the request.
A student’s request to be graded with S/U will be automatically granted in S/U eligible courses, provided they submit the request between April 15 and May 6, 2020.
Courses offered by the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering will follow the FSU S/U Grading Policy (FAMU students enrolled in these courses should consult with the Office of the Dean).
Restrictions accompanying the current S/U grading policy will be lifted for the Spring 2020 semester.
Students who choose S/U grades will receive a statement such as:
“In certain circumstances, and for various reasons, faculty, advisors and other university officials may recommend that students NOT select the S/U option. Students on academic probation are strongly encouraged to consult with their academic advisor before making any decisions about the S/U option. Departmental policies, graduate/professional program admission requirements, and rules regarding external accreditations, among other factors, may influence the advice all students receive about this policy. However, the choice to select the S/U course grading option is the responsibility of the individual student.”
Additional guidance and information for students will be placed on the Registrar’s website on March 27, 2020.
