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*updated April 29, 2020

The Faculty of Arts has tried to anticipate your questions on the final grade options made available to students because of the interruption of the 2020 Winter term related to COVID-19. If you do not find an answer in the FAQs that follow, please reach out to an Arts Academic Advisor by email prior to the May 10, 2020 deadline for selecting final grade option(s):  Arts_Inquiry@umanitoba.ca

Please note: “regardless of any choice made with respect to course grading, students will remain obliged to meet all existing admission, prerequisite, progression, degree, and graduation policies and requirements that may apply to them.” (approved by Senate Executive Committee, April 1, 2020)

Q1: What is the difference between “excluding a grade from my GPA calculation” and choosing the “Pass/Fail” grading option?

A1: In both cases, your grade will be excluded from your GPA calculation.

If you choose to exclude your grade from the GPA calculation but not select the Pass/Fail option, AURORA will still use the grade you earned when it checks for prerequisites and program declaration requirements – it just won’t count the grade in your overall GPA calculation.

Choosing the Pass/Fail option excludes the course from the GPA calculation AND also removes the letter grade you earned from sight. AURORA won’t use a “P*” grade the same way it uses a traditional letter grade for prerequisites and program declarations.

A “P* (Pass)” grade is NOT equal to a “C” or better.

Q2: If I choose the Pass/Fail grading option for my Intro course, can I use that course with a final grade of “P*” to declare my Major or Minor (Concentration)?

A2: No. Any Arts regulation requiring a minimum grade for program entry or prerequisite purposes still needs to be met. If you choose to have your course grade changed to a “P*” you will not be able to use that course to:

• Declare an Arts General Major.
• Declare an Arts Single or Double Advanced Major.
• Declare an Arts Minor or Concentration.

You can select the “Exclude grade from GPA calculation” option and still use that course and grade (provided it meets the listed minimum) for program entry and / or prerequisite purposes.

For courses where the P* option has been selected as the final grade, the letter grade earned by the student will not be retained, nor will it be associated with a student's performance in the course.

A “P* (Pass)” grade is NOT equal to a “C” or better.

Q3: If I choose the Pass/Fail grading option, can I use my “P*” grade to satisfy the prerequisite for advanced level courses?

A3: No. Any student wishing to satisfy a prerequisite must obtain the minimum grade required in the prerequisite course, as indicated in the course description. If a course is being taken to satisfy a prerequisite for any related course or program, and you receive a final grade that achieves that prerequisite, you should not opt for the “pass” option or you will have to retake the course in order to progress.

Even if you had earned the minimum prerequisite grade required prior to selecting the Pass/Fail option, you may not use any course with a grade of “P*” as a prerequisite to other courses.

You can select the “Exclude grade from GPA calculation” option and still use that course and grade (provided it meets the listed minimum) for program entry and / or prerequisite purposes.

A “P* (Pass)” grade is NOT equal to a “C” or better.

Q4: If I choose the Pass/Fail grading option for courses in my target Honours field, could that prevent me from entering my Honours program of choice?

A4: For any course(s) a student selects to exclude from their GPA calculation (either letter grade or P* grade), these courses will NOT be used in establishing whether or not a student is eligible to enter an Honours degree program (minimum B average, B+ average for Psychology). Minimum letter grades will still be required for prerequisite purposes.

Q5: What happens if I fail a course during the 2020 Winter term?

A5: If you should happen to fail a 2020 Winter Term (or 2019 Fall/2020 Winter Term spanned) course, the final grade for that course:

• Will appear on your transcript as “F*”; and,
• Will remain on your record; and,
• Will NOT count in the calculation of your GPA; and
• Will NOT count in the end of term assessment toward your maximum number of allowable F grades.

Q6: Will a grade of “F*” in the 2020 Winter term be used to assess my academic progress?

A6: No. “F*” grades accrued during the 2020 Winter term (including spanned courses that end during the 2020 Winter term) will not be counted toward the maximum number of allowable F grades used by the Faculty of Arts when we assess a student’s eligibility to proceed.

Q7: If I choose to exclude a grade from my GPA calculation and/or choose to have any of my courses graded as a “P*” instead of the letter grade I earned, will I still be able to graduate?

A7: Yes. Courses an Arts student may choose to exclude from their GPA calculation and/or choose to have marked using the “P/F” option can be used to satisfy degree requirements as along as the student has met the minimum grade requirements for courses in their program. For this purpose, it is important to be aware that a grade of “P* (Pass)” is NOT equal to a “C” or better.

Please note that if a student makes the choice to exclude a grade or selects to have any of their courses marked as “P*”, those courses will not be used for any of the following Faculty of Arts minimum average grade calculations completed during graduation checking:

• Minimum “C” average on the 90 credit hours that are used toward the 3-year B.A. General Degree.
• Minimum “C” average on the 30 credit hours used toward the B.A. General Major required courses.
• Minimum “C” average on the 90 credit hours that are used toward the 3-year BAIS degree.
• Minimum “C” average on the 120 credit hours that are used toward the 4-year B.A. Advanced Major degrees (both Single and Double Advanced programs).
• Minimum “C” average on the 48 credit hours required in the Single Advanced Major required courses.
• Minimum “C” average on the 42 credit hours required in both of the Double Advanced Majors required courses.

Q8: If I choose to exclude a grade from my GPA and/or I choose to have any of my courses graded as “P*”, can I still graduate from a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree program?

A8: Yes. The Faculty of Arts will not use any P/F grades or any grades of courses a student has selected for exclusion toward calculating the minimum 3.00 GPA required for graduation.

Individual departments often have specific minimum grade requirements for specific courses that will always need to be met. Students are encouraged to speak with an Arts Academic Advisor or the Honours Chair in their department prior to selecting the P/F grading option for any of their Honours course work.

A “P* (Pass)” grade is NOT equal to a “C” or better.

Q9: If I choose to exclude a grade from my GPA calculation, will it negatively impact my chances for any of the following: scholarships, prizes, bursaries, medals?

A9: Students who choose to exclude a grade from their GPA calculation may use the credit hours of that course to satisfy load requirements for any of the following: scholarships, prizes, bursaries, medals. Accordingly, the grade for the “excluded” course(s) will not be used in any GPA calculation described in the specific terms of reference for each scholarship, prize, bursary, or medal.

Q10: If I choose to have my course marked using the Pass/Fail option, can I use that course to satisfy the admissions requirements of another Faculty at the U of M? At another institution?

A10: No. Faculties or schools who require specific grades in specific courses will not accept a grade of “Pass” in any required course, unless they specifically say that they will in their admissions documentation.

A grade of “P*” does NOT equal a “C” or better.

Students should also think carefully about how their target faculty or school may adjust the grade point average of applicants to their schools or programs. Selecting a grade of “P*” in courses now could have unintended consequences related to the adjusted grade point average calculation of their target faculty/school/institution. Before choosing the Pass/Fail grading option, students are encouraged to contact the admissions office of their destination.

Students who choose to exclude an earned grade from their GPA calculation but also choose to have the earned letter grade remain on their record CAN use that grade to meet the course and/or adjusted GPA admission requirements of another Faculty at the U of M or another institution.

Q11: Can I choose one of the final grade options if I took a course on an Exchange Program during the 2020 Winter term?

A11: The University of Manitoba will not change a grade earned by a student at another institution; however, a student may choose to exclude the recorded grade from their U of M GPA calculation - as long as the course ended during the Winter 2020 term.

Q12: Can I choose one of the final grade options if I compete a course on a Letter of Permission during the 2020 Winter term?

A12: The University of Manitoba will not change a grade earned by a student at another institution; however, a student may choose to exclude the recorded grade from their U of M GPA calculation - as long as the course ended during the Winter 2020 term.

Q13: If I choose the Pass/Fail grading option for a course, can I use that course with a final grade of "P*" to apply for certification with an professional association after I graduate?

A13: It is best that you speak to your professional association of choice, if your goal is to enter into one of the professional associations that require specific grades.