UW offering pass-fail grades to fight burnout
The University of Wisconsin-Madison announced Monday it will give students the option to take eligible courses on a pass-fail grading system this semester, in an effort to alleviate student stress and burnout.
Under the new policy, once students have received their final grades this spring, they can make the decision to replace the grade with a designation of “Satisfactory-Disruption” or “University Disruption-No Credit,” rather than a letter grade. The two new designations would not factor into students’ grade point averages.
The decision comes in light of a growing discussion among students that the university’s decision to cancel spring break has contributed to exhaustion and deteriorating mental health for many. Such student sentiments are widespread on social media and on campus, as outlined in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article Monday, which was published hours before the passfail option was announced.
The UW-Madison faculty senate voted to cancel spring break last September in an effort to discourage spring break tourism and travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are making this change because we recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an ongoing and cumulative impact on students in many different ways,” Provost Karl Scholz said. “We are particularly aware of the added challenges posed by the cancellation of the regular week-long spring break this semester. We appreciate the dedication and diligence you have shown, and hope that this option will provide some additional peace of mind.”
Scholz said more detailed information about the change is forthcoming and the policy would work similarly to the modified grading options made in spring 2020.
University spokeswoman Meredith McGlone said there have not been indications that academic performance in fall 2020 was different from semesters before the pandemic. Data on spring 2021 grades is not yet available.
The change came as welcome news to students who told the Journal Sentinel that online schooling had generally resulted in a heavier-than-normal workload outside of class hours and that they were struggling to find time to relax without the week off for spring break.
“I am so happy they decided to listen to the students and actually make a change that will benefit so many,” said UW-Madison junior Kashish Jain, who earlier this year started one of several online petitions that have called for more student support during the pandemic, including the pass-fail option announced Monday.
Others said that with most classes online anyway, students who had the time and resources to travel were doing so anyway, while those who did not received no respite.
The university replaced the spring break with three “no class” days — two of which were last Friday and Saturday — but many students told the Journal Sentinel the time off was not sufficient and they still had assignments due on those days.