Revert Barnard College's P/D/F Policy
The Issue
TL;DR: Barnard College of Columbia University recently announced a change in their P/D/F policy, limiting students to only one P/D/F course per term. Many of us are concerned about the sudden change, as it puts some students, especially those experiencing health issues and those who will search for jobs or apply for graduate school during their senior years, at a severe disadvantage and exacerbates their workload and stress levels. We are requesting that the previous P/D/F policy be reinstated for the classes of 2024 through 2026.
On April 11th, 2023, the Registrar of Barnard College of Columbia University sent all of its undergraduate students an email with reminders about the Fall 2023 registration period. At the conclusion of the email was a bullet point announcing an unexpected change to the school’s P/D/F policy which specifies that, starting from the fall semester of 2023, “the p/d/f limit will change to a limit of one course per term” for all Barnard students. This is a modification from the previous policy that states, “Students may elect P/D/F grading in a maximum of 23 points (22 points for students entering as transfers)…No limitation is placed on the number of Pass/D/Fail grades that may be recorded in a single term, except those rules that apply to Dean’s List eligibility (a minimum of 12 letter-graded credits each semester), eligibility for financial aid, or the overall 23-point p/d/f maximum.”
We, the undersigned, are writing to express our concern about this sudden change in the P/D/F policy, as we believe that it poses an unfair disadvantage to students who have planned their undergraduate degree paths with the previous policy in mind.
This change disproportionately affects students with prolonged health issues, as they would have otherwise been able to rely on having the option to P/D/F multiple classes in order to manage their academic workload while focusing on their health and recovery. For these students, taking classes for an incomplete grade may not be a viable option, and limiting the number of courses they can P/D/F per term may significantly impede their ability to complete their degrees.
Moreover, many students have structured their term schedules with the expectation that they would be able to elect P/D/F grading for multiple classes in a single semester. For instance, students who seek competitive internships and research positions during the fall term could have relied on the option to P/D/F more than one course during the fall.
This policy change is likely to exacerbate the workload and stress levels that Barnard students often experience during the fall and spring semesters of their senior years, as many will be engaged in the graduate school application process or the job application process for new graduate positions—and for several graduating classes, this will likely be during a period of economic downturn. Numerous students have carefully planned our schedules with the intention of utilizing P/D/F credits during our senior years, and this sudden change in policy implies that we will have fewer options for managing our workload and stress.
This abrupt modification is especially unfair to rising seniors in the class of 2024, as many of us have only just finished our major requirements and had put off taking enrichment courses that we were hoping to complete during our senior year, once we had developed a clearer sense of our post-graduation plans.
As students of Barnard College, we respectfully request that the previous P/D/F policy be reinstated for the classes of 2024 through 2026. Many of us were anticipating the opportunity to apply for more than one course per term with a P/D/F option, and we hope that this will be seen as a reasonable compromise that acknowledges the effect of the sudden policy alteration to our academic plans.
We also request that the college provide an explanation of why this policy change was necessary, why it was implemented with such short notice, and why it is effective starting in the Fall of 2023 for all graduating classes (rather than a change that was effective from the class of 2027 or 28 onwards).
We thank you for your consideration and understanding of this matter and eagerly the College’s response.
The Issue
TL;DR: Barnard College of Columbia University recently announced a change in their P/D/F policy, limiting students to only one P/D/F course per term. Many of us are concerned about the sudden change, as it puts some students, especially those experiencing health issues and those who will search for jobs or apply for graduate school during their senior years, at a severe disadvantage and exacerbates their workload and stress levels. We are requesting that the previous P/D/F policy be reinstated for the classes of 2024 through 2026.
On April 11th, 2023, the Registrar of Barnard College of Columbia University sent all of its undergraduate students an email with reminders about the Fall 2023 registration period. At the conclusion of the email was a bullet point announcing an unexpected change to the school’s P/D/F policy which specifies that, starting from the fall semester of 2023, “the p/d/f limit will change to a limit of one course per term” for all Barnard students. This is a modification from the previous policy that states, “Students may elect P/D/F grading in a maximum of 23 points (22 points for students entering as transfers)…No limitation is placed on the number of Pass/D/Fail grades that may be recorded in a single term, except those rules that apply to Dean’s List eligibility (a minimum of 12 letter-graded credits each semester), eligibility for financial aid, or the overall 23-point p/d/f maximum.”
We, the undersigned, are writing to express our concern about this sudden change in the P/D/F policy, as we believe that it poses an unfair disadvantage to students who have planned their undergraduate degree paths with the previous policy in mind.
This change disproportionately affects students with prolonged health issues, as they would have otherwise been able to rely on having the option to P/D/F multiple classes in order to manage their academic workload while focusing on their health and recovery. For these students, taking classes for an incomplete grade may not be a viable option, and limiting the number of courses they can P/D/F per term may significantly impede their ability to complete their degrees.
Moreover, many students have structured their term schedules with the expectation that they would be able to elect P/D/F grading for multiple classes in a single semester. For instance, students who seek competitive internships and research positions during the fall term could have relied on the option to P/D/F more than one course during the fall.
This policy change is likely to exacerbate the workload and stress levels that Barnard students often experience during the fall and spring semesters of their senior years, as many will be engaged in the graduate school application process or the job application process for new graduate positions—and for several graduating classes, this will likely be during a period of economic downturn. Numerous students have carefully planned our schedules with the intention of utilizing P/D/F credits during our senior years, and this sudden change in policy implies that we will have fewer options for managing our workload and stress.
This abrupt modification is especially unfair to rising seniors in the class of 2024, as many of us have only just finished our major requirements and had put off taking enrichment courses that we were hoping to complete during our senior year, once we had developed a clearer sense of our post-graduation plans.
As students of Barnard College, we respectfully request that the previous P/D/F policy be reinstated for the classes of 2024 through 2026. Many of us were anticipating the opportunity to apply for more than one course per term with a P/D/F option, and we hope that this will be seen as a reasonable compromise that acknowledges the effect of the sudden policy alteration to our academic plans.
We also request that the college provide an explanation of why this policy change was necessary, why it was implemented with such short notice, and why it is effective starting in the Fall of 2023 for all graduating classes (rather than a change that was effective from the class of 2027 or 28 onwards).
We thank you for your consideration and understanding of this matter and eagerly the College’s response.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on April 16, 2023