We, the members of the student body of Louisiana State University, are advocating for change to Louisiana State University's grading policies in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the first week of March, COVID-19 cases in the state of Louisiana have grown exponentially. In the past 24 hours from the time of writing this petition, there have been 600 new cases and 20 new deaths. Major outlets are considering Louisiana the new epicenter for the spread of the virus.

Unfortunately, the spread of the virus has had an unexpected impact on our student body.

With all lectures, discussions, tests, and labs going completely online, our classes are becoming a much more daunting task. Students no longer have access to in-person office hours, study sessions, SI sessions, and tutors. These resources are vital to our success in the vast majority of classes at LSU. Without access to the needed support, obtaining grades that can maintain our current GPAs is much more difficult.

In addition, the stress from this pandemic continues to affect students' studies. Students have been sent home into situations that may not be conducive to studying. Some students lack access to reliable internet, making online study difficult. Many families are feeling the pressure from being forced from work, quarantined, and dealing with apocalyptic conditions at supermarkets and any public environments. The added stress of this kind of unnatural home environment is making continuing our studies as normal near impossible.

This global health crisis deserves an emergency response. Many of LSU’s peer institutions have implemented the grade relief that we are seeking. We are asking for Louisiana State University to prioritize our students’ mental and physical health by offering an emergency Pass/Fail grading option for every course this semester. Help us maintain the GPA's that are so vital to our futures.