Undergraduate Affairs
The policy and FAQs for students can be found at http://undergrad.aa.ufl.edu/for-students/covid-19-and-academic-policies/.
An S grade is equivalent to a C (2.) or better, while a U grade is equivalent to C- or lower (https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/academic-regulations/grades-grading-policies/). Therefore, a student earning the equivalent of a C-, D+, D, D-, or E in a course would earn a U grade in an S-U grading framework. Regardless of whether a student earned an S or U grade in the course, the grade for that course does not calculate into the GPA.
No. UF does not offer Pass-Fail grading, in which a grade of “Pass” would include all grades that are D- and above and a grade of “Fail” would include E grades.
The grade roster on which you submit your grades will include only S and U options for those students selecting this grading structure for your course. The grade roster for students electing to remain in letter grading will have letter grade options available, as normal.
Yes, we ask that you continue to compute all of your students’ grades numerically in the same way for your records with the grading scale or key posted in your course syllabus. If a student has earned a numerical score that would have been letter-graded as C or above, you should enter an “S” grade. All numerical scores equating to C- or below should be entered as a “U” grade for students opting for S-U grading.
Yes, for Spring 2020 only, required courses and courses for general education and writing credit can be taken as S-U-graded.
In some cases, an I grade is unavoidable. In general, however, assignment of incomplete grades is strongly discouraged.
No. This emergency policy covers only Spring 2020. Students are expected to have had the time to adjust to the online environment before Summer A/C classes begin.
A student may still opt for S-U grading if accused or responsible for an Honor Code violation. However, students should carefully consider the academic sanction pending or issued, and their current performance in the course before opting for S-U grading.
Honor Code & Course Dropping
Eligibility to drop a course related to Honor Code allegations or violations remains unchanged. A student who has a pending Honor Code allegation is not eligible to drop a course until the matter is resolved. If the outcome of an Honor Code violation is an academic sanction of a Course Grade Penalty, the student will not be eligible to drop the course.
Yes. Students are advised to continue full participation in all of their classes, whether S-U-graded or letter-graded. We are reminding them that material learned in their classes this semester is foundational for success in more advanced classes so they need to fully engage in your class. Also, we are reminding students that the S grade means they must earn a numerically equivalent grade of C or better. Opting for the S-U grading framework might ease their concerns about not being able to earn an A or B in the class, but they still need to strive to earn enough points to at least warrant a C grade.
We encourage you to ask that the student refer to the following web site so that they can review the policy and FAQs: http://undergrad.aa.ufl.edu/for-students/covid-19-and-academic-policies/. This web site also refers the student to additional guidance prepared by many of their departments/colleges. The student is also encouraged to connect with their academic advisor if the written resources do not answer all of their questions. Some students who desire to pursue professional education will be concerned about professional schools accepting courses with S grades, as well as their ability to sit for professional exams. These students should consult their department/college guidance and be encouraged to connect with their prospective professional school to find an answer prior to requesting this grading option.
Best practices for advising indicate that you document the conversation (e.g., using advisor comments) and provide a follow-up copy in an email to both the student and you.