I am calling for there to be a Pass/No Pass (PNP) Grading Option for the 2020 Fall Semester at UC Berkeley.

Fall 2020 should be PNP flexible--i.e. students should be able to choose between a PNP grade option, or a letter grade for all classes and major requirements. I am going to list several justifications: 

1. COVID in Fall 2020 has proliferated since Spring 2020. We had a PNP option for the Spring 2020 semester and nothing has changed since then. Trends indicate that COVID is going to get worse, especially with flu season and no vaccine. Students are still facing the same physical and mental health problems, and extreme stress in being a student with a full course load.  

2. California is burning to the ground which is coupled by life-threatening air quality. Toxic air quality will linger and peoples homes and lives are in danger. Recall, the PG&E power cut-offs that have not vanished since COVID appeared. This impact is actually magnified because classes are now online. 

3. Cal students are socioeconomically diverse with 27% of our 30,000+ students being pell grant eligible. The University needs to protect and stand up for minorities, and low income students who are suffering from the widespread, disproportionate impacts of 2020 and COVID-19.

4. Berkeley needs to look at other prestigious, highly academic institutions that have changed their grading policies in light of the current state. 

- Stanford: Revised grading for the ENTIRE 2020-2021 academic year

- Georgetown: Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory for Fall 2020. The choice to take a class S/CR/NC can apply to any course: Core, major, minor, certificate or free elective.

- Johns Hopkins: Business School: We will continue letter grades with an option to change to a pass/fail system for Fall 2020, School of Arts/Sciences: The default grading system will be S** (satisfactory) or U** (unsatisfactory) grades

These schools have made these changes despite not having nearly the same diversity, student population, or CA wildfire impacts. 

Those opposed to this petition, please reconsider and think how you and the Berkeley community have been affected by COVID-19. Many students do not have any option but to continue with the semester since they cannot take the semester off. This is not to mention the challenges for our high population of international students, who have to take synchronous online classes from other time zones, and are not able to take a semester off due to the potential readmission process. 

From internet bandwidth to potential financial and physical problems, students deserve an option for PNP during these trying times.

This petition is meant to challenge privilege, disparity, and fight for equal opportunity.