Responding to COVID-19 -- UC Berkeley Must Inflate NOW: “As For All” #AFA 

Tuesday, March 17th, 2020 at 9:30PM

We are in the midst of daunting times- with instruction going digital, students scrambling for basic needs, many escaping from home, and hundreds trapped within Berkeley with no place to go.

COVID-19 has created an unprecedented crisis for UC Berkeley students, for which many have had their access to the university and academic success hampered due to inequities in resources, failure to comply with disability accommodations, increased joblessness, the need to support our families, and a continuous battle with remote learning.

Given the current climate, it is not reasonable to expect students to produce adequate work or perform at their optimum, when they are fearing for their lives, battling what could be toxic home lives, and managing with mental strain and stress. 

We need As now! The extension of P/NP and late drop deadlines is not enough, nor is P/NP across the board P/NP mandate. We have students who are being faced with withdrawing from the school, faced financial cripplement, and faced with the possibility of having to take additional semesters to get off of academic probation or fulfill graduation and professional school requirements.

 

The pandemic continues to exacerbate both the physical and mental health of students and their family, and health comes before academics, as to how one can perform at the highest degree with deteriorating wellness and consistent worry.

We advocate for the modified Triple-A Model, with the first 30% of the class to receive at A+, the middle 30% an A, the bottom 30% an A-, and the last 10 percent B+. We stand by the decision as to the best decision to prioritize student wellness and commitment to academics. We ask that Berkeley continues to be the leader in the university response to COVID-19.

Other petitions have been heard at universities across the nation, but this petition would be one that would fundamentally change the landscape of higher education.

We call on UC Berkeley Chancellor, Carol Christ, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, Paul Alivisatos, UC Vice-Chancellor of Administration, Marc Fisher, UC Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education, Cathy Koshland, and The Courses of Instruction Committee (COCI) of Academic Senate to hear our demand.

We also call for other Universities of California to advocate for the implementation of such a policy across the board, and for the UC Regents to recognize and acknowledge our plea.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE UPDATED AFA DEMANDS:

Support the adoption of an A+/A/A-/B+ grading system for the Spring term of the 2019-2020 academic year in order to both alleviate extenuating stress from students amidst a global pandemic and ensure that all students are not unfairly penalized for their academic efforts.

Strongly encourage the University of California, Berkeley to consider this grading system while evaluating the future of Spring 2020 grading, or a modified version of this with grade bins ending at a B-, and adjusted distributions. 

Urge Administration to Enforce All Faculty Members to Comply with Individual Students’ Accommodations Through the Disabled Students’ Program (DSP)

Postponing the Deadline to Opt into Pass/No Pass Grading Until At Least May 5th.

Lifting the ⅓ cap on pass/no pass enrollment for all students enrolled at the beginning of the Spring 2020 semester.

Giving Students an Additional Late Drop Opportunity and Extending the Late Drop Deadline Until At Least May 5th

Remove Graduation, Major, and Academic Standing Requirements Around Opting Into Pass/No Pass Grading.

Create a notation on UC Berkeley transcript to indicate class during the COVID-19 crisis and campus shutdown

Recommend A More Lenient Grading Curve to Faculty.

Suspend or Discourage Real-Time Attendance Requirements and Graded Attendance.

Call for all exams to be made take-home, and to put and end unfair online testing requirements.