Many students are considering opting into a satisfactory or no-credit grade option this semester, as their grades have been impacted due to the outstanding circumstances that online learning brings.
Ohio University offered the S/NC grading system last semester when students were sent off-campus after coronavirus first struck the nation, forcing colleges to move to a remote learning format. The grading system will carry over for all undergraduate students during this Fall Semester, whether they are learning remotely or in-class.
While most classes are offering this grading option, there is a small list of courses that are not allowing students to opt for a satisfactory or no-credit grade.
These courses are exempt from the S/NC grading system due to the essential aspect that a traditional A-to-F grade has in terms of “programmatic accreditation, licensure or similar reasons,” according to the exempted course list.
Yang Chen, a sophomore studying finance, graphic design and commercial photography, is considering the S grade for two of his classes, he said in an email.
“The calculation heavy classes like accounting and finance are not designed for the remote classes,” Chen said in an email. “I have a hard time following the instructors, and when I could not figure out some things, it’s difficult to reach out and ask the instructors, especially for some instructors who do not reply to emails very often.”
Students whose classes are not included in this list are able to opt-in for the new grading system.
“I’m not alone. I have some friends who are in the accounting classes right now, and they are suffering,” Chen said in an email.
Students that have earned an A-C letter grade must manually opt-into the S grade. Any version of a D will automatically be assigned the S grade. An F is given NC, however, students who never attended class or who have stopped attending are not eligible.
Satisfactory grades will not impact the GPA of the student, but it will fulfill the requisites of the course, even when a minimum grade is required, according to the coronavirus response website.
Conversely, students that are assigned the No Credit grade due to an F in the course will not receive credit for the completion of the course. These grades will not impact the student’s GPA. However, if a student never attended class or stopped attending class, the grade will affect the GPA of that student, according to the coronavirus response website.
Blake Zahorchak, a freshman studying business economics, is not considering using the grading system himself due to his current grade status, despite all of his courses offering the option.
However, Zahorchak understands the benefits of the system for students who are struggling with the challenges that online learning brings.
“I could see how it is helpful and I could see how some kids might get behind and it might not be all their fault, they could just be stressed out from many different things,” Zahorchak said.
The S/NC grading option is not available until grades are finalized.
Classes that offer the method will have a check box next to the course in the MyOHIO Student Center. Students will check the box for the S/NC grading system. Once students opt-in the decision is final, according to the coronavirus response website.
The last day for students to opt-in for a S grade is Friday, Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. Eastern time.
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