Dear Students:
The COVID-19 threat has had a significant impact on our faculty, our staff, and our students, including the transition to remote teaching and learning. This transition, made by necessity, has created a number of challenges. To address these challenges, we have adapted in ways that we could have never anticipated. One of those ways is to provide grading alternatives for the current academic semester by extending the availability of the credit/no credit option, which other universities refer to as pass/fail.
As I have said previously, this is a very complicated issue. I commend the many individuals, offices, and colleges that have worked hard to consider all options and their implications. Whether or not a student should take a course credit/no credit depends on many important factors, including academic standing, financial aid, and certain licensure requirements.
Because these are extraordinary circumstances, the extension of the credit/no credit option is available only for courses related to Spring 2020. Students will have between May 4 and May 13 to complete their request. Because of the complexity of this issue, we cannot have an automatic, blanket credit/no credit process for all students in all courses. Therefore, we are requiring students to meet with their advisors in order to complete their request. Students must fill out a form to request this through an approval process, after final grades are submitted.
Our top priority is that all students make the right decision for their long-term academic and professional success. Therefore, we will also provide enhanced advising and financial aid counseling for students who wish to explore taking one or more of their current courses credit/no credit.
I understand you may have questions about how the credit/no credit option affects you and the process that you will need to follow in order to request this option. Please refer to the documents on Ball State’s COVID-19 website so that you can fully understand the guidelines. You can also refer to the FAQ for additional information.
I am confident that this decision not only provides the needed flexibility, given our current circumstances, but it has been designed to ensure that our students will be well positioned to continue their course of study successfully.
In these difficult times, I am grateful for our talented and adaptable faculty, staff, and students. Your dedication to teaching and learning inspires me. You continue to demonstrate how We Fly.
Sincerely,
Susana Rivera-Mills
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Ball State University