The UNCG Faculty Senate has announced a new Academic Relief Package (ARP) for undergraduate students enrolled in fall 2020 and spring 2021!
It is important to note that this new Academic Relief Package is significantly different from the original ARP offered to UNCG students in spring and summer 2020. However, this version of ARP still makes several temporary changes to the University’s academic policies to help lessen the ongoing impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had on your academic experience as an undergraduate student. (For information on the Academic Relief Package for Graduate Students, please visit The Graduate School.)
The current Academic Relief Package has 3 components:
Undergraduate students will be able to opt in to SA/US grading for a maximum of two courses (up to 8 hours) in the fall 2020 term. The same will be permitted in spring 2021. This means that, instead of keeping the letter grades you will receive from your faculty, you can request a Satisfactory (SA) grade for courses where you earned a C- or above and/or an Unsatisfactory (US) grade for courses where you earned a D+ or below.
Again, you can only opt-in to SA/US grading for a maximum of two courses this semester.
Here are some additional details that are also very important to understand. Read carefully!
- You will be able to make your SA/US selections from December 9-23, 2020 via UNCGenie. Check back soon for step-by-step instructions.
- Grades of SA and US are not included in GPA or academic standing calculations.
- Many departments require grades of C or better for courses in their majors, and will not allow SA grades to satisfy these requirements. Be sure to talk with your academic advisor or advising center before making your opt-in selections!
- All US grades result in no credit earned and cannot be used to fulfill any major or degree requirements. This can negatively impact your financial aid eligibility and even delay your timeline to graduate.
- All SA/US selections will undergo an advisor/departmental review after you opt-in via UNCGenie, and you may be contacted if your choices will have a negative effect on your degree progress or graduation timeline.
- If your SA/US opt-in selection(s) are flagged by an advisor or your department, you will have a very limited amount of time to decide if you want to reverse your choices. Plan to check your UNCG email regularly, even over the semester break, so you don’t miss time-sensitive information!
Remember, if you decide to take advantage of the SA/US Grading options, you must finalize your opt-in selections via UNCGenie by 11:59 pm on Wednesday, December 23.
The deadline to withdraw from fall 2020 courses without a GPA penalty has passed, and the new Academic Relief Package does not extend this deadline. But if you did withdraw from 1 or more courses this semester, the WX grades you received will be automatically converted to WE grades.
What’s the benefit of a WE grade? The WE indicates that you were “withdrawn for extenuating circumstances” and these courses do not count toward the 16 hour limit that is currently set by UNCG’s Course Withdrawal policy. WE grades are not included in GPA or academic standing calculations, but can still impact financial aid eligibility. If you have more than one course with a WE grade or if you are planning to opt in to US grading, talk with the Financial Aid Office about any potential impacts to your future aid eligibility.
If you withdrew from a course after the posted WX deadline, you have a WF grade (withdrawal failing) on your transcript, which calculates as an “F” in your GPA. These courses will not be automatically converted to WE grades, but you do have the option to submit an expedited Course Withdrawal Request. If approved by the review committee, your WF grade will be converted to a WE grade, and all the benefits above will still apply. Don’t wait on this – Contact the Students First Office for more information. The expedited Course Withdrawal Request option will only be available until January 5, 2020.
Planning for Spring 2021
As you are looking ahead to spring 2021, the WE option will continue. That means that if you withdraw from a course on or before the last day to withdraw without academic penalty, you will receive a WE grade (instead of a WX) grade. Again, all WE grades are excluded from your GPA and academic standing calculations. Just remember that any course withdrawal, regardless of the type of W grade you receive, can negatively impact financial aid eligibility.
The Grade Replacement flexibility offered by the Academic Relief Package won’t impact the courses you are enrolled in now, but it is something to keep in mind as you are planning for future semesters. Here’s what the ARP allows:
UNCG’s current Grade Replacement Policy allows you to repeat up to 3 UNCG courses in an attempt to earn a better grade and then request that the original grade be removed from your GPA and replaced by the grade that you earn the second time. Under the 2020-2021 Academic Relief Package, any courses taken during the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 terms will not count against the 3-course cap on grade replacement if/when you retake them in the future.
This could be a great option for courses where you decide not to opt in to Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading, but do decide to take again in an upcoming semester. In other words, you can potentially take advantage of a bonus Grade Replacement Request when retaking courses you originally took in fall 2020 or spring 2021. Talk with your academic advisor, or check out the additional information about how Grade Replacement works on the Students First Office website.
IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING ANY OF THE ACADEMIC RELIEF PACKAGE OPTIONS ABOVE…
Opting in to any or all of the options above is tempting, but each student’s academic plan is different. It is important that you carefully consider all of the pros and cons before moving forward. Here are a few ways you can ensure you are making the most informed decision possible about next steps:
- Talk with your School or College academic advisor or a staff member in the Students First Office. Keep in mind that every academic program and major is different. Many programs require grades of C or better for courses in their majors, and will not allow SA grades to satisfy these requirements. Your choices may also impact your competitiveness for future licensures, graduate programs, or professional schools, and an academic advisor can help you make an informed decision. If you only take one of these steps, this is it. Check-in with your academic advisor before making your opt-in selections!
- Review the Recommendations for Letter Grade vs. SA/US Grading Options alongside the final grades that you have posted in UNCGenie. This chart will give you specific guidance based on the final grades that you have earned.
- Work through the ARP Decision Tree which walks you through a series of questions and then, depending on your answer, gives recommendations for how to proceed.
- Read through the ARP FAQs for Students. This is a lengthy document but likely answers any questions you have (and some you haven’t thought of) about how the Academic Relief Package works. PRO TIP: Use the “Bookmark” links at the top of the document to navigate to the specific section you are considering.
- Calculate the impact to your GPA using the Academic Relief GPA Calculator. Opting in to Satisfactory (SA) or Unsatisfactory (US) grading can protect your term or cumulative GPA, but may also negatively impact progress toward graduation because of credit earned/lost. This calculator will help you compare the impact of letter grades versus Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grade options.
- Consult with the Financial Aid Office about possible impacts on future financial aid eligibility. If you are receiving financial aid, you will still be held to the required standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress. Follow up with the Financial Aid Office or the Students First Office if you are concerned that the ARP options you are considering might negatively impact your future financial aid eligibility.
YOU HAVE WEIGHED YOUR OPTIONS, AND YOU’RE READY TO OPT IN…NOW WHAT?
If you have weighed all your options, talked with your academic advisor, and have decided to opt in to Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading, this option will become available in UNCGenie beginning Wednesday, December 9.
Check back soon for step-by-step instructions for selecting Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading. Remember that all opt-in selections must be finalized in UNCGenie by 11:59 pm on December 23, 2020. No deadline extensions or exceptions will be granted.
As students are making their ARP selections, academic advisors will be conducting a review of all SA/US grades. You may be contacted if an advisor is concerned that your choices will have a negative effect on your degree progress or graduation timeline and given a very limited amount of time to decide if you want to reverse your choices. Plan to check your UNCG email regularly, even over the semester break, so you don’t miss time-sensitive information! Ultimately, the decision regarding SA/US grades – and any long-term repercussions – will be yours.
Connect with SFO if you have questions