Students at Texas A&M University-San Antonio have until May 5 to choose the credit/no credit option for spring 2020 classes.
Students can still be graded with the A-through-F grading mode, but if they choose credit/no credit, their GPA and academic standing will not be affected negatively. Enacted April 15, the credit/no credit option is done on an individual course basis.
Courses graded A through C will be given credit, while courses graded with a D or F will not receive credit.
To choose the credit/no-credit option, students must log in to JagWire and:
- Under the student tab select classes and registration.
- In the registration tools section select the “change grade type for spring 2020” option.
- All your classes should be listed. Click the the drop-down menu for the option titled “grade mode” below the class name and select the credit/no credit option.
- Click submit changes and students should receive a notification on the page that it was successful.
The university provides those instructions at https://www.tamusa.edu/documents/registrar/change-of-grade-mode-request.pdf.
If students are on academic probation or academic warning and choose the credit/no credit option, they may remain on probation or warning, though it is best to discuss this with an academic adviser, according to an email sent to students March 27 by university President Cynthia Teniente-Matson.
The email strongly encouraged students to consult with an adviser because it could impact their progress to graduation.
The transition from face-to-face classes to online instruction because of the coronavirus pandemic has put pressure on students and faculty, campus officials say.
Faculty Senate President Claire Nolasco Braaten, an associate professor of criminology, said students and faculty needed to adapt to a new normal that some may find difficult.
“The change to credit/no credit provides flexibility for both faculty and students. The move recognizes that we are dealing with an uncertain and stressful situation and that regular measures might not be a viable situation,” Nolasco Braaten said.
A&M-San Antonio switched to full online instruction March 23 after university President Cynthia Teniente-Matson announced an extended spring break to prepare for the move.
Antoinette Curl, director of academic advising, said April 3 she needed to seek approval to speak with the media but did not get back to The Mesquite. The Mesquite also contacted Rachel Montejano, registrar, for an interview April 1. Montejano replied to say she had forwarded the request to the Office of Marketing and Communications.
Nolasco Braaten said A&M-San Antonio decided against a pass-fail option because it would have taken too long for the university to launch it from scratch. The university’s Banner system was already equipped to process a credit/no credit option.
“It was simply a matter of technicalities,” Nolasco Braaten said. “Banner already had a system in place that recognized grades of Credit/No Credit. We don’t have a pass/fail option at A&M-San Antonio. It would be very difficult for IT to implement a grading system based on Pass/Fail or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory in a short time span.”
The Mesquite contacted Provost Mike O’Brien, who did not respond to interview questions emailed to him by The Mesquite on April 9.
Other universities in San Antonio have also adapted their grading policies for the spring semester, according to their websites:
- The University of Texas at San Antonio also adopted an optional credit/no credit system for designated courses, with a deadline of May 8.
- Trinity University has not specified new grading procedures, though the website says they will keep students informed if any changes take place.
- Students at the University of the Incarnate Word can submit a request to withdraw from any course and receive a “W” instead of a final grade, with a deadline of May 18.
- The Alamo Colleges is offering an optional credit/no credit system in which credit will be given if a grade is C or higher, and courses that do not receive credit (grades D or F) must be repeated during a different semester.
Corrected April 28: Originally the story said The Mesquite reached out to Antoinette Curl April 4; the correct date was April 3.
