University of Manitoba - Graduate Studies -

 

COVID-19: GRADING OPTIONS

Pass/Fail Grading Options for spanned Fall 2019/Winter 2020 and Winter 2020 courses

FGS Pass/Fail Grading Options (PDF)

Explanations from the Faculty of Graduate Studies, Louise Simard, Acting Dean, April 15, 2020

Standard:   accept the letter grade received
Option 1:    accept the letter grade received, but exclude it from UM GPA calculations
Option 2:    choose to have grades recorded as “Pass” (PASS* on the transcript) or “Fail” (FAIL* on the transcript). Grades will be recorded as a “PASS*” only if the original letter grade is a “D” or higher. The asterisk refers to grades assigned during the COVID-19 crisis.

Retaining standard letter grades is the recommended choice for graduate students.
Note that the only advantage of choosing Option 2 is that the course will be excluded from GPA calculations; however, courses recorded as PASS* cannot be used to meet pre-requisite/program/graduation requirements.

Voluntary Withdrawal (VW): The VW date for Winter 2020 term courses is May 10, 2020. Final grades will be recorded prior to the VW date. Graduate students can choose to VW a failed course (see “D” or “C” and “F” below).

Declaration of grading choice (including VW) is on or before May 10, 2020. Students must declare using UMLearn. Instructions on how students can delcare their grading choice will be provided within UMLearn on May 1, 2020.

Outcomes linking specific letter grades with either Option 1 or Option 2

For Letter Grade Courses If your final grade is a “D” or “C” If your final grade is a “C+” or higher
  Option 1 Option 2 Option 1 Option 2
What will be recorded on my transcript? D* or C* PASS* C+* or higher PASS*
Will this grade be included in UM GPA? Excluded from UM GPA Excluded from UM GPA
If this course is a pre-requisite, can it be used to progress to the next level? No, a course with this recorded grade
cannot be used as a pre-requisite		 Yes, if the appropriate letter
grade is achieved		 No
Can this course be repeated to meet program requirements? Yes, if recommended No, only failed courses
can be remediated		 No, only failed courses
can be remediated
Can this grade be used towards my program/graduation requirements? No, the FGS minimum
requirement is a “C+”		 No Yes No
Can this course be considered for admission to another program (UM or elsewhere)? Yes No Yes No
  Alternative Option    
VW on or before May 10, 2020

Letter Grade of “F”

  • If a student receives an “F” grade, it will be recorded on the transcript as “F*”. The asterisk refers to grades assigned during the COVID-19 crisis.
  • A grade of “F*” will be excluded from UM GPA calculations.
  • A grade of “F*” will be included for adjusted Admission GPAs, i.e. last 60 Credit Hours.
  • Remediation (i.e. repeating or replacing a course with another) may be recommended by the Department/Unit and FGS.
  • Alternative option - a student can VW an “F*” course on or before May 10, 2020.
  • Incomplete courses will be designated “F*I”.

FAQs

Do graduate chairs/advisor have to approve a graduate student’s choice before declaring a grading option?
No, students can declare directly through UM Learn on or before May 10, 2020. Instructions on how students can declare their grading choice will be provided within UMLearn on May 1, 2020. It is highly recommended that graduate students retain the standard letter grade. However, if considering Option 1 or Option 2, graduate students are strongly encouraged to seek the advice of their advisor/co-advisor or Graduate Chair given the potential negative impacts of such a choice towards fulfilling pre-requisite/program/graduation requirements.

Do Pass/Fail Grading Options apply only to courses offered at the University of Manitoba?
Yes, these options apply only to letter grade courses recorded on a University of Manitoba transcript.

Are the Alternate Grading Options available to students enrolled in a Joint Masters Programs?
The University of Manitoba Pass/Fail grading options can be applied to all letter grade courses appearing in a University of Manitoba transcript; this includes the Joint Masters Programs (i.e. University of Manitoba and University of Winnipeg). The University of Winnipeg grading options cannot be applied to courses appearing in a University of Manitoba transcript.

If an undergraduate student excludes a grade from their GPA calculation, will it be considered as part of the 60 Credit Hours used for Graduate Admissions calculations?
Option 1:  If choosing Option 1 (letter grade*), the letter grade will be used in adjusted GPA calculations for graduate admissions.
Option 2:  If choosing Option 2, the course will be excluded from GPA calculations for graduate admissions as a “PASS*”does not have an associated letter grade. However, if the course is required for admission to the graduate program, the student would not meet admission requirements.

Will the time required for graduate students to remediate GPAs below 3.0 in the Winter 2020 term be extended beyond Winter 2020 if a graduate student declares a “PASS*” or “FAIL*” grade?
Remediation and time extensions will be determined on a case-by-case basis by FGS in collaboration with the Department/Unit delivering the graduate program. Graduate students are strongly discouraged from declaring a “ PASS*” or “FAIL*” option.

Will a Pass/Fail course be considered for admission to another program (UM or elsewhere)?
No, a Pass/Fail course does not carry a letter grade.

Will a Letter Grade* course (Option 1) be considered for GPAs calculated for UM award applications?
No, the letter grade will not be used in GPA calculations for UM award applications.

Will a Pass/Fail course be considered for GPAs calculated for ranking UM award applications?
No, a Pass/Fail course does not carry a letter grade, thus, cannot be used in GPA calculations for UM award applications.

Will all grades received in Winter 2020 or spanned Fall 2019-Winter2020 courses receive an asterisk designation?
No, the asterisk will only be applied to grades that are excluded from GPA calculations (Option 1) or recorded as “PASS” or “FAIL” (Option 2).