TLDR: SIGN THIS PETITION ASAP IF YOU WANT BROCK TO BRING BACK ALTERNATIVE GRADING (C/D, N/D, WDD)

This has been a hard year on students, who have faced more 'unprecedented times' than any other generation. The return-to-campus and transition into hybrid learning have been anything but smooth, and students are the ones paying the price for this clumsiness. 

Under section 3.C.6.5 of the Faculty Handbook, implementation of alternative grading is considered following a disruption of five or more working days in addition to a modification of the teaching term and/or examination schedule. Brock announced this 'modification of the teaching term' on August 27th, where they last minute decided to shift everyone online for 3-9 days, depending on the program. Some students got a mere 72-hour notice of the change in delivery. These 3-9 days are in addition to days missed for quarantining, missed days for vaccines and side effects, missed days for failing an all-to-vague screening, and more that were all brought on by the ongoing pandemic and Brock decisions on how to handle it. 

Brock administrators are dragging their heels over paternalistic concerns over students making poor decisions that could impact their futures, as well as the de-valuing of a Brock degree. However, the Office of the Registrar has done its due diligence in ensuring that all students are well informed of the impact using alternative grading could have on GPA, co-op, professional program requirements, scholarships and OSAP, immigration applications, and post-graduate opportunities The fact that other universities such as Carleton, Laurier, Toronto, and Calgary have already implemented alternative grading also shows that the Brock degree continues to remain on par with other universities. 

Brock has no reason to not continue Alternative Grading. The pandemic and its subsequent complications are ongoing, the concerns of faculty fail to outweigh the benefits, and above all else, students are asking for help. Brock takes pride in its reputation for being #1 in the country for student mental health support, and we are asking for Brock to live up to that.