Spring 2020 Guidance from School of Business
Important Note
The University returned to normal pass/fail and course withdrawal policies upon the conclusion of the spring 2020 semester. The information on this webpage is no longer applicable to students.
The University pass/fail policy can be viewed in the University Catalog.
The deadlines to elect pass/fail and to drop a course during future fall and spring terms are available in the Academic Calendar.
The deadlines to elect pass/fail and to drop a course during any of the 2020 summer sessions are available on the Summer Session webpage.
During these unprecedented times, faculty and staff are working to make for a smooth transition from in-class to online courses. This transition may be easy for some and difficult for others, and we know that there are many, many factors at play. To help ease student uncertainty and concerns, the university has adjusted the policies and extended the deadline for withdrawing and converting courses to Pass/Fail for Spring 2020.
What does it mean to put courses on pass/fail?
If a course is placed on pass/fail, you still complete the course and it is graded in the usual way by the instructor, and the instructor submits a letter grade. On your transcript, this letter grade is translated into a “P” (“D-” or above) or remains an “F.” A course taken on Pass/Fail is not included in the computation of the semester or cumulative GPA.
View the UConn Registrar's policy regarding pass/fail and Dean's List.
The deadline to elect pass/fail was Friday, May 15, 2020. Students also had until May 15 to remove courses from pass/fail and change them back to letter grade.
What does it mean to withdraw from a course?
If you withdraw from a course, you do not complete the course and a “W” is recorded as the grade on your transcript. You earn no grade and no credits for the course, and the course has no impact on your semester or cumulative GPA.
The deadline for these requests was Friday, May 1, 2020.
Please carefully consider the outcomes of withdrawing from courses and/or putting courses on pass/fail.
We encourage all students to consider the following before making any decisions on their Spring 2020 schedule:
- You are able to withdraw from one or more courses through Friday, May 1, 2020.
- The deadline to elect pass/fail is now May 15, 2020. You still have time to decide. Students may now elect pass/fail grading at any time through May 15, 2020. Students who chose the pass/fail option prior to the adoption of these changes have the option of reverting to a letter grade by notifying the Registrar by May 15, 2020.
- If you are thinking about using pass/fail for more than one course, consider how you will balance multiple courses on pass/fail. How will you ensure you give the needed time to each course to accomplish the necessary learning for your major? How will you know you have achieved it? What can you do to best be prepared for this?
- Students interested in an accounting major or career should review the information provided by the Accounting Department BEFORE withdrawing from a business or accounting course and/or putting courses on pass/fail, and should also familiarize themselves with state-specific pass/fail guidance.
- Graduate programs and employers of business students may use student's grades in business courses to evaluate applications.
- Students taking graduate courses with the intention of applying into a graduate program should consult with their intended program in regards to pass/fail graduate courses fulfilling program requirements, if not otherwise clarified here.
- For students in the 4+1 Analytics (MSBAPM) program, MSBAPM will accept a grade of ‘P’ for spring 2020 graduate courses required in the 4+1 Analytics Track that normally require a grade of ‘B’ or higher for guaranteed admission.
- Some professional certifications may require courses to be graded, as may some third party scholarships.
- Students who had planned to be abroad this Spring 2020 term should work with the Education Abroad Office on these requests (more pass/fail information here).
- Honors students should review guidance on the Honors website.
- NCAA student athletes may have restrictions regarding withdrawals and pass/fail designations and should consult with their Athletic Advisors.
- International students may have restrictions regarding withdrawals and pass/fail designations and should consult with ISSS.
April 13th Letter From School of Business Deans Regarding Withdrawals and Pass/Fail in Spring 2020
Dear Students,
By now, you have seen a lot of messages about coping with the circumstances of this global pandemic and the move to online delivery of your courses.
While we have already emphasized the importance of thinking through and seeking advice about course withdrawals and/or the pass-fail option, we also need to emphasize that for many students these are in fact the best options. Any perceived stigma that might be attached to a W or a P on your transcript in normal times does not apply now. The whole world will look at the Spring 2020 semester through the lens of compassion.
We are writing this message because we have heard of several students going through really tough times. While we do want to encourage the typical student to try to make the best of this less than ideal educational experience, if your difficulties are more than typical, you should not be burdening yourself unnecessarily. We encourage you to have that conversation with us.
If you are dealing with the COVID-19 disease yourself or in your family, if you have the need to support family members like children or the elderly, or if you work in an essential industry that does not allow you to adjust to a fully online educational world, we really want you to reach out (by emailing undergrad.business@uconn.edu) to explore how to best ease the burden of your educational load this semester. Of course, we cannot list every difficult situation, so there are many others like these that would warrant a major adjustment of your course planning that could include pass-fail and withdrawal options.
If you are fine, please keep working, despite it being a bit harder than usual. If your circumstances change later, please know, you have until May 1st to use the withdrawal or pass/fail options by reaching out to undergrad.business@uconn.edu (the pass/fail deadline changed to May 15th after this email was sent to students). We have encouraged all of our faculty to be mindful, compassionate, and accommodating to student circumstances. But if you are not fine, talk to us. You may be thinking that you cannot afford to delay graduation or don't have flexibility in your future course schedule, but in these unusual times, we might be able to help find a better way through for you.
Please be mindful of your own mental and physical health.
Sincerely,
Robert Day
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs
University of Connecticut School of Business
robert.day@uconn.edu
David Souder
Interim Dean
University of Connecticut School of Business
dsouder@uconn.edu
School of Business Majors
Business Courses, Major and Business Core (Course Subjects: ACCT, BADM, BLAW, FNCE, HCMI, MGMT, MKTG, and OPIM)
- All business courses, whether required or elective, will be permitted to be taken as Pass/Fail during Spring 2020.
- Passed courses will count towards business requirements and prerequisites.
- You do not need to seek approval from the School of Business to place these courses on Pass/Fail.
- While there is no limit to the number of courses you can place on Pass/Fail, you are strongly encouraged to reach out to an advisor through undergrad.business@uconn.edu if you are considering placing 3 or more business courses on Pass/Fail. This step is not to seek approval but to consider impact.
- Students taking graduate courses with the intention applying of into a graduate program should consult with their intended program in regards to pass/fail graduate courses fulfilling program requirements, if not otherwise clarified here.
- For students in the 4+1 Analytics (MSBAPM) program, MSBAPM will accept a grade of ‘P’ for spring 2020 graduate courses required in the 4+1 Analytics Track that normally require a grade of ‘B’ or higher for guaranteed admission.
- The School of Business will accept during Spring 2020 all general education completed as Pass/Fail.
- Passed courses will count towards these requirements.
- The School of Business will accept during Spring 2020 all criticals completed as Pass/Fail.
- Passed courses will count towards these requirements and prerequisites.
- Fourth term students considering withdrawing from a critical course should reach out to their School of Business professional staff advisor via email for guidance on scholastic standing requirements.
Business Courses Satisfying Business Minors (Course Subjects: ACCT, BADM, BLAW, BUSN, FNCE, HCMI, MGMT, MKTG, and OPIM)
- All business courses will be permitted to be taken as Pass/Fail during Spring 2020.
- Passed courses will count towards business minor requirements and prerequisites for business courses in the business minor.
- You do not need to seek approval from the School of Business to place these courses on Pass/Fail.
- For students in the 4+1 Analytics (MSBAPM) program, MSBAPM will accept a grade of ‘P’ for spring 2020 graduate courses required in the 4+1 Analytics Track that normally require a grade of ‘B’ or higher for guaranteed admission.
- While there is no limit to the number of courses you can place on Pass/Fail, you are strongly encouraged to reach out to an advisor through undergrad.business@uconn.edu if you are considering placing 3 or more business courses on Pass/Fail. This step is not to seek approval but to consider impact.
Prospective School of Business Students
Current Applicants
- All students conditionally admitted for Fall 2020 will receive email communication regarding important considerations for Spring 2020.
Future Applicants
Business Courses, Major and Business Core (Course Subjects: ACCT, BADM, BLAW, BUSN, FNCE, HCMI, MGMT, MKTG, and OPIM)- All business courses, whether required or elective, will be permitted to be taken as Pass/Fail during Spring 2020.
- Passed courses will count towards business requirements and prerequisites.
- You do not need to seek approval from the School of Business to place these courses on Pass/Fail.
- While there is no limit to the number of courses you can place on Pass/Fail, you are strongly encouraged to reach out to an advisor through undergrad.business@uconn.edu if you are considering placing 3 or more business courses on Pass/Fail. This step is not to seek approval but to consider impact.
- The School of Business will accept during Spring 2020 all general education completed as Pass/Fail.
- Passed courses will count towards these requirements.
- The School of Business will accept during Spring 2020 all criticals completed as Pass/Fail.
- Passed courses will count towards these requirements and prerequisites.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many classes should I take pass/fail?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question as each student’s circumstances are different. Students are encouraged to take some time to settle into their new learning environment and review the important information on this webpage before making decisions regarding pass/fail. The deadline to put classes on pass/fail is May 15.What are potential negative ramifications of putting classes on pass/fail?
Sometimes students mistake pass/fail courses as being “less work” than graded courses, but the reality is that you will still be completing the same assignments and assessments. How will you ensure you give the needed time to each course to accomplish the necessary learning for your major? How will you know you have achieved it? What can you do to best be prepared for this?- Students interested in an accounting major or career should review the information provided by the Accounting Department as there are state requirements for grading.
- Graduate programs and employers of business students may use student's grades in business courses to evaluate applications.
- Graduate courses taken by undergraduates will not count towards graduate program requirements if taken as pass/fail.
- Some professional certifications may require courses to be graded, as may some third party scholarships.
- Students are encouraged to contact their advisor or undergrad.business@uconn.edu if they want to discuss pass/fail prior to making their decisions.
If I’m repeating a course from a previous semester and decide to put it on pass/fail, will I still receive repeat forgiveness?
Yes, you will receive repeat forgiveness even if you are putting a repeated course on pass/fail this semester. The original grade will be removed from your term and cumulative GPA calculation, but will not be replaced. Pass/fail grades do not calculate into a GPA.Do I need my advisor’s approval to put classes on pass/fail?
Usually you need your advisor’s signature to put a course on pass/fail. For spring 2020, students can elect to put one or more courses on pass/fail without their advisor’s approval by completing the online pass/fail form on the Registrar’s website. Students are welcome to contact their advisor or undergrad.business@uconn.edu if they want to discuss pass/fail prior to making their decisions.If I do elect to be graded pass/fail, what does it look like on a transcript?
During the semester, the student completes the course and is graded in the usual way by the instructor; and the instructor submits a letter grade. This letter grade is translated into a “P” (“D-” or above) or remains an “F”. A course taken on Pass/Fail is not included in the computation of the semester or cumulative GPA, but a grade below “C” makes the student ineligible for the Dean’s List.Do I need my advisor’s approval to withdraw from courses?
Yes, you still need your advisor’s signature to withdraw from one or more courses. If you withdraw from a course, you do not complete the course and a “W” is recorded as the grade on your transcript. You earn no grade and no credits for the course, and the course has no impact on your semester or cumulative GPA. Normally, students must request to withdraw from one or more courses prior to the ninth week of the semester. For spring 2020, all business majors can request to withdraw from one or more courses through May 1, 2020. To do so, they should email undergrad.business@uconn.edu with their:- Name
- StudentAdmin ID number
- The course(s) from which you would like to withdraw
- (include subject, catalog number, credits)