On March 20th, 2020, USC officially announced that the pass/fail deadline would be extended to April 24th, 2020, as the current COVID-19 pandemic has put a great amount of stress upon students and their families. This gives students the option to opt into pass/fail grading, or remain with the letter grade system. However, this itself puts more stress onto students, particularly disadvantaged students. Pass/fail grading must be made mandatory for all classes in order to level the playing field in these unprecedented times. 

Several other universities such as MIT, Columbia, Northwestern, UC Berkeley, and many others have already made pass/fail grading mandatory for all students, and USC must follow. These universities recognized that by making pass/fail grading optional, it is single-handedly disadvantaging the students who choose to opt-in to this grading system, failing the entire goal of a pass/fail system. The university has given students a choice that might hurt them greatly in the future, because of the great amount of stigma that comes with making a class pass/fail. Medical schools, graduate schools, law schools, or any other post-undergraduate program will question why a student personally chose to take the class pass/fail. We as students should not feel guilty making a class pass/fail in circumstances where we need it most. That is why the burden of choice needs to be placed on the university, rather than the students. By making it a universal pass/fail, students are relieved of the stress and anxiety that may come with making a class pass/fail. Disadvantaged students who are in circumstances that force them to take a class pass/fail should not be penalized. 

Students, especially those who are on a pre-med, pre-law, or graduate school track, may feel pressure to stay on a letter-grade system in order to be competitive for post-undergraduate school applications. However, it is likely that in these circumstances, the work required to maintain high letter grades is simply not possible.  During the current pandemic, students have been forced to go home in conditions that may not be optimal for academic success. Some students are now in conditions without adequate resources such as study spaces, proper internet bandwidth, and/or computer equipment. Everything that made the learning environment equitable is now being taken away. Additionally, those who live in unstable home conditions or who are now obligated to be the caretakers for their family will have an extremely difficult time managing their studies. Those who are privileged enough to continue school as normal at home will be able to receive the letter grades they want, while underprivileged students who are forced to take pass/fail classes with their circumstances do not. The grading system of choice becomes a system of who has the resources to exceed. In the midst of a GLOBAL crisis, we must prioritize the wellbeing of all students over our own personal interests. 

By making all classes pass/fail, it sets the standard across all classes, making this transition fair for all students. In an unusual time where there is great uncertainty regarding the new remote style of classes and online exams, USC must fully accommodate for these changes, and ease the burden that has been set upon students by this current pandemic.