University provides sweeping changes to academic deadlines, policies in response to COVID-19 outbreak

In light of changing circumstances due to the coronavirus pandemic, the university has extended the deadline to opt in to Pass/Fail and Credit/No Credit grading for spring 2020.

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Inga Musselman released an email statement acknowledging several changes being made to the academic policies for both undergraduate and graduate students. For the spring 2020 semester, students are allowed to drop courses without it counting towards their six-hour drop limit, and these withdrawals will be considered as “nonacademic.” Students can choose to withdraw from the term by April 22.

“As The University of Texas at Dallas has had to rapidly shift to a new temporary normal, it has been very encouraging to see how our faculty, staff and students have responded with flexibility, ingenuity and a genuine concern for others,” the statement read. “Decisions have been made at an extraordinary pace and, throughout the process, we have prioritized the health and well-being of the community.”

Several policy changes and choices for students have been made specifically concerning C/NC and P/F options, which allow students to take classes without affecting their GPA. Undergraduate and graduate students can elect to use C/NC and P/F, respectively. Normally, no more than 20% of a UTD student’s coursework can be C/NC or P/F, however, limits on C/NC and P/F for students graduating this semester have been suspended. Rules on what courses are considered for C/NC and P/F are suspended for all students for the rest of the semester.  In addition, students can add a course for the second 8-week session by the April 30 deadline. 

Students had previously started a petition to allow for C/NC and P/F grading, receiving over 2,000 signatures. Another student petition asking for a Double-A policy, in which students only receive either an A or A- for each class, has over 4,000 signatures.

The email statement added that these temporary changes and students’ choices to elect these changes may have effects on financial aid, academic standing and scholarships, and that students should consult with an academic advisor before electing to make these changes. The statement said instructions on how to opt in would be posted to the university’s coronavirus update page. We will add to this story as information comes in.