Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, Denison University has been forced to take drastic measures and as a result must carry out the remainder of the 2020 spring semester via online classes. Many academic institutions, such as Bucknell University, Georgetown University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Northwestern University have adopted a pass/fail opt-in option for their students. Denison University should follow suit and enact a pass/fail option for students to choose to take some or all of their classes pass/fail. Effectively, students would be able to take between zero and four classes pass/fail. Offering a pass/fail opt-in option for classes of a student's choosing for the semester will help to alleviate some of the stresses caused by the spread of COVID-19. It would behoove Denison to follow in the footsteps of these institutions to help ensure the mental and physical well-being of their student body. 

Denison students are autonomous thinkers, discerning moral agents, and active citizens of a democratic society. They are driven and passionate, and even so, under perfect conditions, the amount of work and engagement can be exhausting. Clearly, these conditions are far from perfect, and thus, we must provide support for the student body. The next step for Denison University is to let students be able to opt-in to make their classes pass/fail in order to make a truly equitable policy for this trying and uncertain period. 

At this time, students especially are under unfamiliar and stressful pressures. For example, students have been forced to terminate their semesters early, which has involuntarily placed students into difficult situations. The hasty departure from campus was both physically and mentally draining, on top of the schoolwork that students were still expected to complete. In addition, many students have situations that forced them to call a potentially less than ideal place home. This results in unmet needs, both in an academic and a more general sense. For instance, a lack of Wi-Fi would prohibit students from watching lectures or completing homework. Much more importantly, due to the vast spread of COVID-19 many businesses have been shut down leaving families without income pushing them under financial strain, creating stressful living environments for students. The lack of essentials such as food and water could be life threatening. It is obvious that these conditions deserve an adjustment. 

This pass/fail option would alleviate the stress of essentially forcing the students to prioritize academics over concerns that they, themselves may find more pressing. However, GPA is an important factor in determining scholarship eligibility and is a crucial component for any student wishing to pursue graduate studies. This is why allowing students to take classes pass/fail is necessary-- it will minimize the impact of this world-wide pandemic on our academic experiences and career successes for all students. 

Mitigating the unnecessary stressors of the semester would not discourage students from doing well in their classes. Instead, it would allow them more leeway in order to ensure the fulfilment of their needs. We gratefully acknowledge that Denison University has done much to help support the student body. However, it is still imperative for Denison to immediately enable students to opt-in in making their classes pass/fail. We can confidently say that this solution is in the best interests of the Denison student body, faculty, and the University.