Information related to the impact of COVID-19 on grading during the spring 2020 term.
Spring 2020 Pass/Fail (P/X) Policy
In response to the extraordinary circumstances impacting the spring 2020 semester related to the global COVID-19 pandemic, a special grading policy will be in effect for all courses for this semester only.
Faculty members will submit a conventional letter grade to the Office of the Registrar for all students enrolled in their courses. This letter grade will automatically be converted to a grade of “P” (Pass) or “X” (Fail) for the spring 2020 term. A “P” earns credit toward graduation, while an “X” does not earn credit. Neither “P” nor “X” will impact a student’s term or overall GPA.
Students who prefer to retain a conventional letter grade will have the opportunity to elect the submitted letter grade. Grades will be made available online prior to the deadline to choose between P/X and a conventional letter grade so that students can make an informed decision. Details for making a change from P/X to graded will be posted to this page as soon as possible.
Conversion of Grades to P/X
| Letter Grade | Conversion |
|---|---|
| Letter grade of “D-” (D minus) or better | Recorded as “P” |
| Letter grade of F | Recorded as “X” |
A course with a grade of “P”:
- counts towards the total credits required for graduation
- counts towards graduation requirements that typically require a letter grade, including:
- Common Core
- Areas of Inquiry
- Foreign Language
- Writing
- Major or Minor
- requirements that would ordinarily only be satisfied by earning a grade above a minimum grade requirement, including those established by Departments and Programs
- counts towards any future prerequisite requirements this course satisfies, including those with a minimum grade requirement
- will not factor into your term or cumulative GPA
- will replace the grade for any course being repeated in Spring 2020, and the previous grade will be removed from the previous term GPA and cumulative GPA
A course with a grade of “X”:
- will not earn a course credit toward graduation
- will not satisfy any relevant graduation requirements
- will not satisfy any future prerequisite requirements
- will not factor into your term or cumulative GPA
- will not replace a previous grade for courses being repeated in Spring 2020
Student Choice of Grade Mode
All courses for the Spring 2020 semester will be converted to the “P/X” grade mode, including students on Approved Programs and Colgate Study Groups.
Students may elect to have a course recorded on their transcript with a conventional letter grade, on a per-course basis. In doing so, normal University policies regarding credit, requirements, and GPAs will apply.
Considerations for P/X Grade Mode
Students should consider the following when deciding which grade mode they prefer:
- Students should consider whether or not a conventional letter grade will be an important factor in opportunities beyond Colgate (e.g., employment or advanced study)
- Courses and their graded add-on components (e.g. labs) must have the same grade mode. If you opt to take the lecture of a course for a conventional letter grade then any graded add-on components must also use the conventional letter grade mode
- Students are encouraged to consult their academic adviser before making a decision.
Deadlines for Grade Mode Changes
Seniors have until 8:00 p.m. EDT on May 13 to make changes to their grade mode choices.
All other students have until 8:00 p.m. EDT on May 26 to make changes to their grade mode choices.
Approved Program and Study Group students will be emailed after the registrar’s office has received the grades. If we receive conventional letter grades, you will have one week to choose to have the conventional letter grade recorded on your Colgate transcript.
Grades will be made available online no fewer than 24 hours prior to the deadline so you can make an informed decision.
After the established deadline, all changes to grade mode are final. If you have concerns about which grade mode is right for you, please contact your faculty adviser.
- Log into the Colgate Portal
- On the Registrar tab, click the link “Change Spring 2020 Grade Mode”
- Select the term (Spring 2020) and click Submit
- If a grade has been submitted, it will appear in the Grade column for the corresponding course (just before the Grade Mode column). If the grade column is blank, your instructor has not yet entered your grade. You can change the grade mode through the established deadline, whether or not your grade has been entered.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the link to “Change Class Options”
- Identify the course you want to change, click the corresponding Grade Mode box, and choose “Graded”
- Repeat with other courses, if desired
- Click “Submit Changes” at the bottom to execute the change(s)
To confirm the change:
- After you click Submit Changes, click the link at the bottom of the page: “Student Detail Schedule”
- Note the grade mode in the Grade Mode column