Photo: Julie Leopo/EdSource

Photo: Julie Leopo/EdSource

Kilmer Salinas
April 16, 2020

With the switch to online courses beyond higher education during the electric current health crunch, many higher and university students in California take criticized the learning experience and said regular A-F grades should be replaced by a pass/neglect evaluation system this spring. Some students want at to the lowest degree an selection to choose between the two types of grades until regular contiguous instruction resumes.

Campuses across the nation and state are responding in a broad diversity of ways. UC Berkeley is switching to pass/no pass this semester but will allow students to request a letter of the alphabet grade. UCLA is keeping letter grades but assuasive students to opt for pass/no laissez passer for as many courses equally they desire, unlike the usual one per term allowed. California Community Colleges are waiving the borderline for students to select a pass/no laissez passer grading option instead of a traditional letter class. Cal State campuses are studying how to aggrandize the number of courses a student tin can have as credit/no credit and also how far to extend the deadlines for such choices.

Kilmer Salinas, a member of EdSource's California Student Journalism Corps, asked California college students their opinions of this controversial and complicated result. Some responses take been edited for length.

Erica Beas. Junior at Cal State LA. From Downey. Majoring in Telly and film media.

Every bit long as laissez passer/no pass does not affect my GPA, I tin't complain given that this is a unique semester.

It will be unfair to those students who have put in more effort and worked to turn in every assignment and nourish every course vs students who have slacked off this semester, and who will probably end upwards passing.

Although we are told that nosotros volition be able to resume classes via Zoom, this won't use to my video production class. That's a critical office of my major requirement. All the work that I have put into my production packet won't exist executed this semester, which is disheartening.

Aaron Causapin. Senior at Cal Country LA. From West Covina. Majoring in kinesiology, rehabilitation and therapeutic exercise.

I program to be an occupational therapist subsequently getting my bachelor's degree in kinesiology. So far, I am only struggling with one class, and doing very well with my other three classes. Information technology is difficult to study at home since I help out with taking care of my grandmother who has Alzheimer's Affliction. Not having access to the third-floor tranquillity area of the library makes information technology hard to focus on studying.

The laissez passer/no pass grading system will do good me — knowing that my GPA won't be injure from not getting actually high grades, I tin focus more on working and saving coin. I think about students will appreciate it. Non having face-to-face and easily-on interaction with classmates and professors affects student learning and outcomes.

One flaw of the pass/no laissez passer organisation is that students' efforts to become practiced grades volition be wasted, because it volition non improve their GPAs. Merely the pass or no laissez passer grading system will assist alleviate some stress from school.

Stephanie Ibarra. Sophomore at UC Merced. From Los Angeles. Majoring in sociology.

A pass/no pass system will  give students less to stress about during this time of uncertainty, and will help those who are struggling with their mental health, their family and their health. It can have a positive outcome.

A flaw that this can have is that those who already have the grade they want in a class tin see that grade taken away with the laissez passer or no pass system.

Still, I think that this was the best determination for our wellness as students. It can also be an easier mode of passing classes without having the letter of the alphabet grades bear upon the states so much.

This (terminate of in-person classes) has affected my professional career because I was involved in organizations on campus that I enjoyed going to and I hoped to expand my professional person career with, so with this halt during this semester, it is harder to do that or continue with the events I was planning on attending. This has as well put a concur on a potential internship that I was looking frontwards to. In terms of my grades, I think this will accept an impact due to the fact that I am very much a visual learner and by not beingness in my classes, this can potentially hurt my GPA, which is something that I have been trying really hard to get upward.

Dennis Gonzalez. Senior at Cal Poly Pomona. Majoring in political science at Cal Poly Pomona. From Echo Park, Los Angeles

I grew into the addiction of submitting all assignments and completing assigned readings. My work habits will allow me to pass, withal, not all courses contain equal content workload. Some courses are less enervating. For instance, Vector Dynamics requires more comprehension to grasp the concepts and utilise it properly [as compared] to a social science course.

[A] flaw of "pass or no pass" is the possibility of not existence proficient in the content of the form. Secondly, the decision falls on the professor based on a vague system rather than a constructed indicate organisation. Not to mention, the possibility of a class curve boosting one's chance to pass. Perhaps this laissez passer or no pass organisation generates the most likelihood of passing, merely it wipes out the extra endeavor and motivation to go an A in the grade.

Maritza Garcia-Ortiz at UC Merced. From Granada Hills. Majoring in sociology.

This sudden cease has been really atrocious. I cannot role at dwelling; anybody hither uses Wi-Fi, so my internet is slow. When nosotros accept lectures online, my professors cut off or information technology sounds like autotune.

To me pass/no laissez passer is the best transition to consider in these circumstances. I wouldn't heed it at all. Before they sent us home, I actually told a couple of my friends that college institutions should consider this method because students are facing distress over this.

It would be beneficial to me because, as of now, I am passing all my courses. I [have] heard from a scattering of students that they as well agree [that] if this grading organization does go through, it would better. I believe it would be worth it for all students.

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