President amends grading policy to support students during transition to online learning

Austin Community College (ACC) will offer a Pass/No Pass option for students this spring semester in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) impact on classes. ACC President/CEO, Dr. Richard Rhodes, signed an emergency order to approve the change on Tuesday, March 31.

The college remains closed to students and the public until May 31 in an effort to limit the number of people on campus to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 within our community. Most courses transitioned to online formats beginning March 30. All face-to-face courses and services are suspended for the semester. 

“We are facing unprecedented times that ask us to be flexible and understanding. There are many students who are concerned about this transition, and we’re listening,” says Dr. Rhodes. “It is our mission to make sure every student gets the support they need to finish the semester strong. That means we need to evaluate our standard way of grading to give students more options during this time of uncertainty. We hope this change relieves some of the pressure our students are facing. ”

Students may choose a Pass/No Pass option after receiving grades at the end of the semester. According to the policy change for the semester:

• Students will have until May 29, 2020 to elect a Pass/No Pass grade in lieu of an A, B, C, D, or F letter grade.
• There will be no limit on the number of courses that students may convert to Pass/No Pass.
• Grades of A, B, and C may be converted to a Pass grade. Grades of D or F may be converted to a No Pass grade.
• A grade of Pass/No Pass will not count toward or against a student's grade point average (GPA); however a grade of Pass will count toward a student’s earned semester hours.
• All academic transcripts will have a note added to Spring 2020 indicating the Pass/No Pass grading option is due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Students are encouraged to meet virtually with their ACC advisor for 1-on-1 support navigating their best option. Advisors will help explore how Pass/No Pass may impact course transfer, financial aid, veterans' benefits, and more.

For more information on ACC’s response to Coronavirus, visit austincc.edu/coronavirus.