Dear University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Administration:

We write to add our voices to those of many concerned UNC undergraduate students regarding the deadline to declare a pass/fail grade for a course. By setting the pass/fail declaration deadline prior to final exams, the university is forcing students to make serious decisions about their future without all of the pertinent information.

In these volatile times, we are experiencing a range of hardships that affect our ability to succeed. For many students, this final exam season is their first, and trying to establish an accommodating environment has proven stressful. A second wave of COVID-19 cases is creating a heavy distraction for everyone. We also did not have significant breaks or reading days prior to exams causing many of us to feel overwhelmed. Any and all of these issues play a role in our ability to perform on final exams even if we have been otherwise successful this semester.

We call on the UNC administration to extend the deadline to make pass/fail declarations until after final exams are completed.