At the core of the University of St. Thomas community is a strong commitment to a unified mission and series of convictions. Among those convictions is a call to personal attention which states that: We foster a caring culture that supports the well-being of each member. While we are sincerely appreciative of the ongoing response of the university to honor this conviction during the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe there is still more that could be done. In staying true to this conviction, we believe that the university should further support the well-being of its students by offering change concerning the updated grading policy.
 
We believe the University of St. Thomas should extend the deadline to designate COVID S‑D‑R or standard letter grading to at least a week after faculty file grades for the semester using the standard letter grade scale.
 
            Other universities in the Twin Cities have adapted to the needs and requests of their students by allowing a pass/fail grading decision to be made after final grade postings. In fact, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities changed their decision date from April 30th to May 22nd in response to a student led petition. This petition is based on their work and success. Other institutions in our area that have implemented this approach, or a similar one, include Macalester College and Augsburg University. Other universities that share our Catholic identity have adopted it as well including the University of Notre Dame and Marquette University. Nationwide, some other universities with this change that were cited in the University of Minnesota petition are Carnegie Mellon University, University of North Carolina, Tulane University and University of Wisconsin-Madison. The many instances of universities embracing this policy demonstrate that a commitment to academic excellence can be maintained without compromising learning and support. Student will still have earned the grades that appear on their transcripts.
            When accommodating the changing needs of our community in the face of this pandemic, it is crucial to validate the mounting anxieties and pressures put on our students, faculty and staff with policies that reflect a compassion for these unimaginable circumstances. With continued uncertainty on the horizon about what it will be like to work, learn, and live during this pandemic and in its aftermath, we are asking for you to make one of our choices a little easier. When so much is out of our control, we ask you to exercise your control over the grading policy we will be subjected to. With so many losses to grieve, we don’t want to worry if our grades this semester will be enough for the jobs and graduate programs we will have to apply for in an economy weakened by a global pandemic.
            While students and faculty alike adapted to a rapid transition to virtual learning, this has not been without significant strain to their mental health, and overall well-being. We are proud and appreciative of the many ways the faculty and staff have changed with us to create the best possible learning environment, but even these efforts cannot supplement the value of the classroom experience that drew so many of us to the University of St. Thomas in the first place. We hope that with this in mind, you too will consider accommodating our request. When so much choice has been taken away from us, we are asking for flexibility and understanding regarding this choice that none of us wanted to have to make.