ECU students create petition before pass/fail option granted

As a result of the COVID-19, East Carolina University students were forced to switch to online course instruction. Students then came together to create a petition demonstrating their aspirations for a pass/fail option at ECU and fortunately received the result they were looking for.

With an anonymous creator, the petition stated that allowing this option for all students will help deviate some of the stress students may be feeling about the measures taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The petition also stated that this alternative course of action will also allow the ECU community to focus on taking the necessary precautions they need to to remain safe during this time.

After the petition was made and received numerous signatures, Angela Anderson, acting vice provost for Academic Success and assistant vice chancellor of University Registrar, said since the global health pandemic has deeply impacted all of ECU students and faculty, the pass/fail option will be being made available for the spring semester of 2020.

 “We were beginning to hear from students about not finishing the academic semester, due to the changes associated with COVID-19. As we want to see our students be successful, it is important to be creative and look for solutions for them during these unprecedented events,” Anderson said.

Though over 5,000 signatures were collected on the petition, Anderson said she did not know of the petition that was circulating around to ECU students and other individuals until there were already conversations about the pass/fail option. 

“I was not aware of the petition until after plans were underway. It’s always good to know that we were working towards an outcome that our students were in favor of. It’s a win/win for our institution,” Anderson said.

Anderson said student’s final grades are determined by their overall performance in their courses and the pass/fail option will allow students to choose which courses they want to be graded as pass/fail. Obtaining a D or higher in a course will be considered as passing and anything lower is failing. These grades will not affect a student's GPA, but they will count toward their earned semester hours if they pass, according to Anderson.

Students may convert to the pass/fail option after final grades are posted for the spring semester. June 30 will be the last day for students to decide how they want their courses graded, according to Anderson.

“The option to elect to receive a pass/fail grade will be available on May 13, which is after all grades are due for spring 2020. The grade entry deadline was pushed back to May 12th at noon, due to faculty requests for additional time,” Anderson said.

The staff and faculty implementing this option, Anderson said, will work with the PiratePort team to make it available for students to see their spring courses and grades at the end of the semester.

Students will also be able to choose which courses they want to be converted to the pass/fail option at the end of the semester, according to Anderson.

 “There were multiple ECU staff and faculty involved in the decision making process, including myself, Provost Hayes, Chancellor Mitchelson and Faculty Senate Chair Popke,” Anderson said.

Anderson said she hopes students will not give up on what they have already accomplished in their courses thus far in the semester. She said she hopes students will continue to put their best efforts forward for a successful remaining semester in light of the pass/fail option.

The Dean of ECU’s Graduate School, Paul Gemperline, and the Graduate Council conversated with Anderson and Hayes and came to the conclusion that the pass/fail option will also be made available for graduate students for the spring of 2020, according to Anderson.

“It is a difficult time for everyone. Like most, I worry for those most vulnerable right now – COVID-19 has already impacted our area and nation. I wish we were all still on campus and am looking forward to a return to normal operations for students, faculty and staff,” Anderson said.

Students should refer to the Registrar’s website for information about the pass/fail grading accommodations and the coronavirus. Anderson said her team is working on updated pass/fail FAQs that will be added to this website.

Sophomore major in sports studies, Christian Weaver, said the petition for the pass/fail option was beneficial because it brought forth student’s opinions for the selective opportunity to choose what courses they would want to list as pass/fail without it affecting their GPA. Weaver said he has signed the petition along with many of his friends.

“I agree with ECUs decision in terms of the pass/fail option. However, it doesn’t really help those students who are in good academic standings in their classes. If someone starts not doing well in a class because they had no face-to-face help, then that’s when they would resort to do the pass/fail option, so it doesn’t affect their GPA,” Weaver said.

Weaver said he doesn’t mind his classes before virtual, but he is concerned about those students who don’t have access to Wi-Fi. Weaver said those students might be more inclined to choose the pass/fail option because they might not get the grade they attended since they don’t have full access to ECU’s resources. 

Those students also may not be able to attend a virtual class that might be on WebEx or Zoom, two platforms that are being used by ECU faculty to conduct their classes, according to Weaver. He said if students can’t attend a virtual class for the remaining semester, that’ll definitely take a toll on their grades. 

“This is a very hard and difficult time for all of us right now but at the moment we need to focus on being with our families, staying safe and protecting ourselves inside. We also need to focus on our schoolwork because unfortunately, we still have to do online classes, but we can at least be fortunate enough that we are getting an education,” Weaver said. 

Junior major in psychology, Mollie Buhr said the pass/fail option is a great way to help students feel relieved about their courses and grades. Buhr said she signed the petition because she wanted to participate in something that would positively affect many ECU students.  

Buhr mentioned that she is in favor of ECU’s decision to follow through with the pass/fail option.

“If a student is struggling with a specific online course, the pass/fail option is a safe option.It creates an almost safety net for students,” Buhr said.

Buhr said it has been a struggle since classes started being online, but she said she knows ECU is doing the right thing. Buhr also said she is looking forward to Aug when campus and campus resources will be made available again.