Events will continue to unfold over S20, and the combined outcomes of the pandemic and economic recession are hard to predict with any certainty. We are all doing our best to come up with policies that will take into account the inequities as well as additional anxieties and stresses that are being generated or amplified by the evolving situation. Even as we do this, we remain committed to our students’ learning, and to providing every opportunity we can for continued excellence and success in future pursuits.
Cornell faculty offer about 4,000 courses, and give out about 80,000 grades each semester. Faculty enter grades in the PeopleSoft environment, which comes with its own time-bound technological challenges that need to be taken into account in shaping our final decision.
Option 0. Current Cornell S20 Grading Policy
S/U option is allowed for all courses (where S ≥ C-). The grade of S will satisfy requirements for entering majors and minors in all Colleges, and count towards graduation requirements. The Deadline for declaring S/U for a course is April 21, 2020.
| Arguments For | Arguments Against |
|
Student centered, gives choice to student and preserves student agency and control in difficult, uncertain and variable environments. Does not disadvantage students on merit-based scholarships that have GPA requirements for each semester Allays concerns over admissions to competitive professional and graduate programs. |
Amplifies inequality as unusual and fast-changing circumstances constrain student agency in many ways including difficult home situations without private spaces for study, forced to spend time in sibling and elder care, parental job losses, grief due to pandemic and economic recession.Produces additional anxiety and stress because of perception of invisible boost/penalty that students taking courses for letter grades will receive. May reduce the quality of grade-related feedback students receive and could reduce incentives to produce quality work. Magnifies competitive and stressful work environments in virtual instructional settings that are difficult to control. |
Option 1. Universal S/U
Mandated grading policy that requires all courses taken during S20 to be on a S/U basis (where S ≥ C-)
| Arguments For | Arguments Against |
|
Acknowledges constrained agency and lack of choice for many students. Creates an equal playing field for all students regardless of challenges they may be facing due to changing family and care-giving circumstances. Reduces anxiety and stress related to competition among students who may be disadvantaged by virtual instructional environments that they have no control over, and the issue of the invisible boost/penalty. |
May reduce the quality of grade related feedback students receive and could reduce incentives to produce quality work. Students receiving a D grade would receive a U and therefor no credit in a mandatory S/U course. Disadvantages students on merit-based scholarships that have GPA requirements for each semester. Disadvantages students applying to competitive professional and graduate programs. For last two points: it is unclear what requirements agencies and graduate schools will impose, though current conversations suggest that accommodations will be made to take into account the unprecedented situation presented by the pandemic and recession |
Option 2: Universal Pass/Fail
Mandated grading policy that requires all courses taken during S20 to be on a Pass/Fail basis.
| Arguments For | Arguments Against |
|
Same as Universal S/U but with two additional advantages. Anxiety and stress further reduced Students receiving D grades would Pass and receive credit. |
Cornell does not currently grant P/F grades and it would take a monumental amount of time and resources to enable this in the current technological environment, without any guarantees that we would be successful in the short time frame available. Beyond tech concerns, issues with courses are not designed for this assessment option, and incentives for work will be greatly diminished. Disadvantages noted in Option 1 for students on merit based aid or interested in applying to competitive graduate programs remains. |
Option 3: Opt in/out after final grades
Student can choose to opt in or out of S/U after receiving final grades for the course.
| Arguments For | Arguments Against |
| Combines all benefits of current grading policy with the additional benefits of allowing students to make a choice throughout the semester, until after all assessments are complete. |
Same as Universal S/U |
Option 4 Allowing for the ‘uncovering’ of final grades
Universal S/U or P/F prevails but allow grades in certain courses to be uncovered for
letter grade after the semester ends.
This builds on all Options but is heavily reliant on technological systems that are
currently in-use and on time as well as resources available to make the shift. Universities
currently using this option, also tend to have regulations about which courses it can
apply to and so on. There is very little experience of applying this universally
across all coursework for a semester.
