Dublin Core
Title
Email: Mar 27, Undergraduate Council of Students (UCS) to Brown Community
Creator
Undergraduate Council of Students
Date
March 27th, 2020
Email Item Type Metadata
Email Body
Dear Brown Community,
We are wishing you and your loved ones good health and safety amidst the
unprecedented changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In light of these circumstances, Brown released new academic guidelines, including the ability to change grade options in mid-April. While we appreciate the additional flexibility, the Executive Board of the Undergraduate Council of Students (UCS) urges the University to implement a policy that better represents student priorities and prevents disproportionate harm to those acutely impacted by COVID-19.
After extensively considering multiple grading options students and the administration have proposed, we have voted to endorse the Universal Pass grading system. Organized by a coalition of student leaders, UPass has since garnered support from over 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents. As Harvard, Columbia, and MIT enact mandatory pass/fail policies to better support their students, we urge Brown to follow their lead, and take it one step further by adopting Universal Pass.
What is Universal Pass:
The UPass system guarantees that every student will pass their Spring 2020 courses.
Why we endorse it:
UPass is the most equitable grading policy as it achieves 3 main goals:
1. UPass ensures that all students pass their classes with no possibility of a NC
2. UPass does not discriminate against students acutely affected by COVID-
19 who are more likely to choose S/NC over letter grades
3. UPass prioritizes faculty wellbeing by accommodating for personal impacts
and difficulties related to remote learning during the pandemic
Other considerations:
We recognize that every student’s situation is unique and no one policy will be perfect.
However, out of the policies proposed, we believe UPass to be the most equitable
grading system:
Following Brown’s S with distinction policy, a Pass (P) with distinction would be
awarded to students whose course performance is equivalent to an A
o For students who have had extenuating circumstances in previous
semesters and were relying on grades this semester to reflect growth in
academic performance, we hope this “P with distinction” will help capture
their hard work
Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict how graduate schools and employers will
adapt their policies. However, we can rely on the fact that a universal policy
ensures future opportunities will weigh this semester differently from past and
future ones
o We also compel Brown to provide official explanations of UPass to future
opportunities (similar to Brown’s official explanation of its unique S/NC
system)
We are hoping that those who are able to will continue engaging in their course
material through the end of the semester
While UPass is being considered, UCS advocates for the following amendments be
made to the current policies:
More Accessible Course Performance Reports (CPRs):
o In alignment with the current S/NC policy, students should be guaranteed
easily requestable CPRs
Protected Reading Period:
o Reading period is currently at the discretion of instructors. In the face of
this global crisis, this vital review time should not be taken away. As such,
University policy should not allow new material to be taught during reading
period, but make any material missed due to COVID-19 available online
(Canvas, websites, email)
Increased Student Voice:
o UCS strives to represent the diversity of student voice on campus and is
pushing for greater student input in determining academic policy
o The University needs to provide additional feedback mechanisms for
students in order to:
Prevent easy identification of students sharing input in small
classes
Provide commentary about the current policy
Better capture personal circumstances in addition to technological
obstacles
Given these considerations, UCS is confident that the Universal Pass system is the most equitable grading option during this time of uncertainty and displacement. We also encourage you to consider signing the campaign’s petition in support.
We understand that individual students are impacted differently by COVID-19. For any
resources or questions, please reach out at ucs@brown.edu or through our anonymous
feedback form.
With love and support,
Executive Board of the Undergraduate Council of Students
We are wishing you and your loved ones good health and safety amidst the
unprecedented changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In light of these circumstances, Brown released new academic guidelines, including the ability to change grade options in mid-April. While we appreciate the additional flexibility, the Executive Board of the Undergraduate Council of Students (UCS) urges the University to implement a policy that better represents student priorities and prevents disproportionate harm to those acutely impacted by COVID-19.
After extensively considering multiple grading options students and the administration have proposed, we have voted to endorse the Universal Pass grading system. Organized by a coalition of student leaders, UPass has since garnered support from over 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents. As Harvard, Columbia, and MIT enact mandatory pass/fail policies to better support their students, we urge Brown to follow their lead, and take it one step further by adopting Universal Pass.
What is Universal Pass:
The UPass system guarantees that every student will pass their Spring 2020 courses.
Why we endorse it:
UPass is the most equitable grading policy as it achieves 3 main goals:
1. UPass ensures that all students pass their classes with no possibility of a NC
2. UPass does not discriminate against students acutely affected by COVID-
19 who are more likely to choose S/NC over letter grades
3. UPass prioritizes faculty wellbeing by accommodating for personal impacts
and difficulties related to remote learning during the pandemic
Other considerations:
We recognize that every student’s situation is unique and no one policy will be perfect.
However, out of the policies proposed, we believe UPass to be the most equitable
grading system:
Following Brown’s S with distinction policy, a Pass (P) with distinction would be
awarded to students whose course performance is equivalent to an A
o For students who have had extenuating circumstances in previous
semesters and were relying on grades this semester to reflect growth in
academic performance, we hope this “P with distinction” will help capture
their hard work
Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict how graduate schools and employers will
adapt their policies. However, we can rely on the fact that a universal policy
ensures future opportunities will weigh this semester differently from past and
future ones
o We also compel Brown to provide official explanations of UPass to future
opportunities (similar to Brown’s official explanation of its unique S/NC
system)
We are hoping that those who are able to will continue engaging in their course
material through the end of the semester
While UPass is being considered, UCS advocates for the following amendments be
made to the current policies:
More Accessible Course Performance Reports (CPRs):
o In alignment with the current S/NC policy, students should be guaranteed
easily requestable CPRs
Protected Reading Period:
o Reading period is currently at the discretion of instructors. In the face of
this global crisis, this vital review time should not be taken away. As such,
University policy should not allow new material to be taught during reading
period, but make any material missed due to COVID-19 available online
(Canvas, websites, email)
Increased Student Voice:
o UCS strives to represent the diversity of student voice on campus and is
pushing for greater student input in determining academic policy
o The University needs to provide additional feedback mechanisms for
students in order to:
Prevent easy identification of students sharing input in small
classes
Provide commentary about the current policy
Better capture personal circumstances in addition to technological
obstacles
Given these considerations, UCS is confident that the Universal Pass system is the most equitable grading option during this time of uncertainty and displacement. We also encourage you to consider signing the campaign’s petition in support.
We understand that individual students are impacted differently by COVID-19. For any
resources or questions, please reach out at ucs@brown.edu or through our anonymous
feedback form.
With love and support,
Executive Board of the Undergraduate Council of Students
Subject Line
In Support of Universal Pass
To
Undergraduate Community
From
Undergraduate Council of Students
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