Current Signature Count: 1917
Updated 12/3/2020 at 12:00 am

In March of 2020, the university announced that the Spring 2020 semester would utilize an opt-in system of pass/fail grading for all students. Students would (a) be able to take any class they wanted pass/fail without contributing to the pass/fail limit of classes throughout the semester, (b) could withdraw from any class without a marking on their transcript, and (c) could change between audit, pass/fail, and grading markings for courses for a prolonged period of time.

10 weeks into the fall semester, it is clear that learning has not returned to normal. Students have been crushed by the persistent weight of Zoom fatigue, racial violence, COVID anxiety, and social inequities: grading has only contributed to the stress that has led to incredibly high levels of fatigue and mental illness during this pandemic. Students deserve additional academic accommodations for the remainder of this semester, and throughout the spring.

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We, the WashU student body, ask that WashU:

1. Allow at least one class this semester and in Spring 2021 to be taken pass/fail and count for major, minor, and distributional requirements
2. Extend the deadline to allow students to withdraw from classes at any point during the semester without receiving any markings on their transcript, and to change between grading classifications
3. Institute a wellness policy that offers students at least a week-long extension to all assignments due to personal or familial contraction of COVID-19, applicable to all classes
4. Create a reporting system to identify violations of these protections for students

We call on the University to acknowledge the state of mental health on campus, especially during COVID-19, and to adjust academic policies to accommodate for student needs.