Dear USC,

We are incredibly appreciative of the pass/no pass options that have been made available to us this semester (Fall 2020). However, unlike last semester (Spring 2020), the deadline to make this important decision is November 13, whereas our deadline last semester occurred after the release of final grades. It is unclear why the deadline has been moved up for this semester, but we implore you to reconsider this decision.

It is unreasonable to expect us to decide between a letter grade or pass/no pass option before we are completely aware of what our final grades will be. In certain classes, a single midterm and final exam are the only assignments that impact our grade. In other cases, project grades may not be released until after the November 13 deadline. Finally, some students may be bordering two different final grades, in which case the final exam is the decider of that result.

While students are mainly enrolled in classes to learn and appreciate new material, many also need to consider how GPA will impact their access to institutions after graduating from USC. These include grad school, law school, med school, and more common paths. The ability to select pass/no pass for a class may be the defining factor in what institutions we are accepted into after our time at USC.

Please consider offering the policy for last semester, when we could switch to a pass/no pass grade option after our final grades were determined. It is not sensible to expect students to decide whether a class should impact their GPA before they know how they have performed in that course. We appreciate everything that USC has done for us so far, and expect that you will understand our asking for this small favor, as well.

To our fellow students, we encourage you to share your story along with your signature. Fight on!