As of March 16th, other schools in the DC area have announced that their classes will be totally online for at least a few weeks if not the entirety of the semester. Due to disruptions brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic, American University ought to allow students to choose to take some or all of their classes pass/fail. This policy has already been adopted by schools including Georgetown, and it behooves AU to do the same.

Students in particular are under unique pressures due to the disruptions of having to move home and taking classes online.

GPAs determine scholarship eligibility and are crucial for any student wishing to pursue graduate studies, which is why allowing students to take classes pass/fail is necessary to minimize the impact of this epidemic on our academic experience and career success.