The spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) has upended life not just globally but also locally here in Edmonton, Alberta. People have put their blood, sweat and tears into into their work, school and life in general only to have it all change because of a pandemic outside of their control.

Yes, some students want to keep Grading on the traditional 4 point scale. They have worked very hard for the Grade this semester and want it to be acknowledged for their effort. This is a fair and relevant concern. However, please think of your fellow students and faculty who don't want the same thing. Some reasons to NOT keep a 4 point grade scale this semester include:

1) What if a professional who has come back to school to study at the U of A part time has a large amount of stress in their life right now? What if they have lost or have the chance of losing their job? What if they need to focus more on taking care of their family instead of studying because K-12 School and day care have been cancelled? Please see the links below:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5498467​

https://www.google.com/amp/s/globalnews.ca/news/6707350/coronavirus-covid-19-alberta-university-students-child-care/amp/

2) What about a member of the U of A faculty that has had their job and life changed? What about Graduate students that have had their programs or research postponed? For example, think of a professor that is teaching more than one class. That professor now has to change their lesson plan and update the syllabus in every class. If the 4 point grading scale was kept in place, how much extra marking do they have to do? They have enough stress on their plates dealing with changes in child care and lifestyle due to COVID-19. They also have to deal with the stress of funding changes at the U of A that may remove jobs. Please see the link below:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5497371

3)It is up to the individual student to put in effort to study and learn. The A+ at the end of the term shouldn't be the only reason why a student puts in effort to learn the course material. School is so much more than chasing that A+. Love of learning and trying to become better at your profession are also good reasons to try hard in your programs. You only get out of school what you put in and an A+ doesn't change that. Yes, programs are competitive. However, an CR/NCR policy will not affect GPAs.

Please consider the stress that others are feeling due to the changes that COVID-19 has brought. A CR/NCR policy will not affect GPAs. However, it will also remove a huge amount of stress from the lives of many who will be able to focus their time elsewhere in this time of turmoil.

Thank you for your time and consideration.