With growing concerns regarding COVID-19, Bridgewater State University has decided to move to an online classroom format for all classes for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester. While we commend the administration for making this tough decision for the safety of our campus community, there is no doubt that this change will have negative academic consequences for many students. Many students rely on in-person instruction and do not thrive in an online setting, through no fault of their own. While we can't control the closure of in-person classes at BSU, there are ways to lessen the unfair drop of students grades. Creating an opt-in option for a pass/fail grading system can increase fairness to those who struggle with online settings while decreasing students anxieties and fears in the uncertainty of the COVID-19 condition. Adding this option, we would be positively following in the footsteps of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Smith College, who both recently made the switch to a pass/fail grading system.

It is important to take note of the fact that certain students may want their GPA to be affected by this semester. Therefore, these grade system changes should be opt-in. Additionally, irrespective of a student’s choice (i.e. pass / failing or letter grade), the class shall still count towards degree requirements. 

We will face many challenges in the coming months, but BSU Bears are a strong community and we know we can make it through this uncertainty together! Go Bears!