Your Pass/Fail FAQs For the End of the Semester
By: Emmy Goyette
If you’re like me, you’ve spent the past couple weeks wondering exactly AU’s new pass/fail plan for the fall semester is, and exactly how it will work. While we all would like to understand how we’ll be able to use pass/fail at the end of the fall semester, the emails and guides from AU can sometimes be difficult to parse. In search of answers, I emailed Jessica Waters, Dean of Undergraduate Education, with some commonly asked student questions. Waters was able to provide me with some clarity and information on AU’s current pass/fail policy for undergraduate students. I know my fellow students share many of my questions, so here is a quick guide to pass/fail based on combined answers from Au’s comprehensive COVID-19 FAQ and Dean Waters herself.
Q: How many days do I have after classes end to change to pass/fail? Does this start from December 11th, or from when my professors post my final grade?
A: AU would like students to wait until after they receive their final grades to make decisions on pass/fail, so there will be a 5 day period in January for informed grade type changes. Information about this period will be communicated to students in the near future by email from the University Registrar. Students scheduled to graduate in December will have an earlier window!
Q: Do I get 2 pass/fails in both the fall and spring, or does using 2 now mean I don't get any in the spring?
A: Undergraduate students will receive two pass/fail options in the fall, as well as two pass/fail options in the spring.
Q: Are these pass/fails different from the 4 usually allotted during an AU college career?
A: Yes, they are, as they are part of AU’s COVID-19 academic plan.
Q: How many major/minor requirements can I pass/fail?
A: Undergraduate students can elect P/F for one major/minor/core course requirement in the fall, and one in the spring.
Q: Are habits of mind considered major requirements?
A: Habits of mind are considered core requirements, and undergraduate students can elect P/F for one major/minor/Core course requirement in the fall, and one in the spring. This means you can choose between a P/F option for either a minor requirement, a major requirement, or a habits of mind requirement each semester.
Q: How will using the pass/fail option affect student scholarships?
A: Since each student is in their own individual situation with financial aid, the university recommends that students contact financial aid themselves to find out how P/F may affect them,
And finally…
Q: Do I still get credit for my pass/fail courses?
A: Yes, undergraduate students do.
I hope that this serves as a quick and easy guide for my fellow Wonks looking for answers about AU’s pass/fail plan for the year! From all of us at the Rival, good luck on finals! We will get through this week together.