On March 16, 2020, the University System of Georgia has announced that all classes will be online-only for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester (and possibly the summer semester) in all University System of Georgia institutions, including Georgia State University. There is a multitude of reasons why a pass/fail grading system is needed.

There are classes that are cumbersome or impossible to do online, such as art, theater, film, and certain science classes. For example, a theater class requires you to act in front of other individuals on a stage. Also, a film class requires you to be able to rent out a camera and be able to find a location to film. Without access to cameras provided by the university, most of us will not be able to complete our assignments without buying a camera from a store (keep in mind that most of us are indigent).

The other issue with the transition to online classes is that a certain number of students have lost their motivation to take their classes. The reasons are: they do not have access to a quiet (or healthy) environment to study, do not own the necessary materials, do not have access to resources, or they feel uncomfortable taking online classes in general. The transition also increases stress on some students as they are more accustomed to taking classes in person.