If there is one thing everyone can admit, it is that COVID-19 has impacted everyone in the world, including students, very heavily. While we received a Pass/Fail option during the 2020 Spring semester at MSU- many of the repercussions (having to start up working again to catch up for the months lost, storms bringing unstable WIFI to areas of NJ, personal family and mental health matters associated with a pandemic, etc.) are just starting to come to their full weight in our lives.

Although we are just nearly approaching on midterms in the Fall 2020 semester at MSU- I, my room mates, and my peers I have surveyed have already received an increased amount of work to make up for not meeting in class- along with the other currently chaotic aspects of our life that we must balance with this. Being virtual due to a pandemic does not mean that we have extra time to do additional work, but rather less due to the conditions the pandemic has presented. 

I am writing this Petition to the Montclair Dean of Students to offer a Pass/Fail option this upcoming semester, not as a complaint but as a way to show administration how impacted the lives of students are by the current work load we are receiving along with following complicated meeting schedules, and other changes we have had to adapt to in this semester. In addition, I am bringing this issue to light to show that the fall out of the original explosion of the COVID-19 pandemic is just beginning to fall on all- including heavily on students who are just trying to survive in this time. I understand hat administration has no way of knowing the difficulty students are experiencing in their current virtual experience, and am more writing this petition to provide the MSU administration with a bit of understanding for consideration. 

The ultimate goal of this petition is for the Montclair Dean of Students to provide the option for a Pass/Fail grade this Fall 2020 Semester, with these considerations in mind. Providing the option for a Pass/Fail will only help many of us who still are struggling to balance a pandemic, increased work for school, work, home, family, health, etc- and will not excuse those who have still failed their courses. Many students during this time will already have to graduate during less than vibrant conditions to enter their industries- and the least help we can provide is to ensure their GPAs are based solely on their academic ability and not on the external factors we cannot control. 

Thank you in advance for signing and contributing for a more understanding MSU grading policy.