Dear UMKC Community,
The COVID pandemic has impacted the educational experience in profound ways this semester. Our campus community is resilient, and I have no doubt that everyone is doing their personal best to have a successful semester. Many institutions across the country have made the decision to temporarily modify academic grading policies to offer maximum flexibility to students, and I am writing to share with you our approach. We decided against a one-size-fits-all approach in favor of empowering students to choose an option that best fits their academic needs this semester.
Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) Option
This option will be made available for all undergraduate and graduate courses. Availability for professional degree courses (i.e., those that count toward the MD, PharmD, DDS, and JD) is at the discretion of the professional degree programs and will be communicated separately by their college/school leadership in the coming days.
All undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in courses (including online and self-paced) in Spring 2020 will be able to choose the CR/NC grade option for all courses that currently have an A-F grade option. Students can choose to retain the letter grade earned, or select CR/NC, in one or multiple courses, after final grades have been posted. (NOTE: Classes that ended prior to March 16, 2020 are not eligible to be changed to CR/NC grading.)
IMPORTANT: Students will be able to select the CR/NC option from 8 a.m. Monday, May 18, 2020, through 5 p.m. (CDT) on Friday June 5, 2020.
Basic Guidelines for CR/NC
• CR/NC grades are NOT included in semester or cumulative GPA calculations
• Any grade C- or higher becomes an “CR”
• Any grade D+ or lower becomes a “NC”
• “CR” receives course credit
• “NC” does not receive course credit
• The course instructor does not know whether students have chosen the CR/NC option at the time grades are posted.
• The course instructor will enter the appropriate letter grade (A-/+; B-/+, etc.) in the grade roster at the end of the semester.
• Once the course letter grade is submitted and the student chooses the CR/NC option, the grade will be converted to CR/NC in Pathways.
Additional Information About CR/NC Grading for Spring 2020
• Students should consult with their academic advisor and program faculty to determine the impact of choosing the CR/NC option. There are a variety of situations where a letter grade is required for accreditation, licensure, clinical work, to be removed from probation, to move to the next level in a course sequence, etc. We have attached a document to help guide your decision-making with your advisor and faculty.
• Students can choose the CR/NC grade in one or multiple courses. Because CR and NC grades do not factor into their GPA, students may be required to retake certain courses for a letter grade at a later date.
• Students do not need to take any action if they choose to keep the A-F grading option, or if the course was originally designed with CR/NC grading.
Refer to this step-by-step guide for detailed information on how to exercise this option.
In addition to the CR/NC option, the following policy modifications also will be made for Spring 2020.
Course Withdrawal
The last day to withdraw from a Spring 2020 16-week or second 8-week course without assessment will be extended to 5 p.m. (CDT) on May 8, 2020.
Late/Retroactive Withdrawal
Petitions for late/retroactive withdrawal can include the current pandemic as an “extenuating circumstance beyond the student’s control” without further documentation. The campus-level committee will expedite reviews at the conclusion of Spring 2020 to lessen impact on academic standing review.
Approved retroactive withdrawal petitions, under the pandemic extenuating circumstance, will result in an “X” by the assigned grade recorded on the student transcript for all approved courses, thereby removing the grade from the student’s GPA calculation.
Final Grade Submission to Pathway Deadline
All faculty are encouraged to meet the current deadline of May 19, but the final deadline will be extended to 5 p.m. (CDT) May 22, 2020. Students should note that although they can begin selecting CR/NC on May 18 if their grade has been posted, faculty have until May 22 to post grades. Please send any questions to telltheprovost@umkc.edu.
Sincerely,
Jenny Lundgren, Ph.D.
Interim Provost
