Office of the Registrar

WIU Temporary Pass/Fail Policy: April 3, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented shift from traditional classroom to online-only instruction. While Western Illinois University faculty are committed to providing the highest quality education possible during this disruption, there is concern regarding the ability of some students to fully access online instruction, and for others to successfully transition to learning in an online-only format.

Because of these extraordinary circumstances, the undergraduate Pass/Fail grading option has been modified for the Spring 2020 Semester for full-semester and second eight-week courses.

Students who consider selecting the Pass/Fail grading option must consult carefully with their academic advisor or faculty within their discipline prior to submitting their request to the Registrar’s Office.

Modifications to the Temporary Pass/Fail Policy:

    • Faculty will still submit final course grades to the Office of the Registrar as usual after the end of the semester.
    • Once Spring 2020 final grades are available for students to view on STARS (May 13, 2020), undergraduate students may elect to have one or more regularly graded (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F) undergraduate courses changed to the Pass/Fail grading option.
    • Final letter grades of D- or above are recorded as Pass (P) by the Registrar, and the student will receive the credit hours for this course. However, a grade of P does not affect the student’s grade point average. An F in a course taken for Pass/Fail is recorded as such and affects the grade point average accordingly.
    • For P grades earned in Spring 2020 only, General Education, major and minor course requirements may be fulfilled with those P grades, and the semester hours of P grades accumulated in Spring 2020 will not count against the 12 semester hour maximum of general elective Pass/Fail credit allowed for graduation.

Students who consider selecting the Pass/Fail grading option must consult carefully with their academic advisor or faculty within their discipline prior to submitting their request to the Registrar’s Office.

Electing a Pass/Fail grading option may negatively impact a student’s ability to obtain professional credentials/licensure following graduation, or to be accepted into post-baccalaureate graduate or professional school programs. Additionally, students are advised that a grade of P:

    • Might not meet departmental/school graduation requirements or future course prerequisites that have a minimum grade specified. Example: Nursing students must earn a C+ or better in all Nursing major and support courses, etc. See your department/school’s requirements for similar requirements.
    • Cannot be used under the grade replacement policy to replace the GPA impact of a prior course attempt,
    • May affect negatively eligibility for Semester Honors/Dean’s List if the student does not meet the earn a minimum of 12 hours of credit in courses graded using honor point bearing letter grades (i.e. A, A-, B+, etc.), and
    • Cannot be reversed after May 20, 2020.

In order to select the Pass/Fail grading option, undergraduate students must log into STARS and select the desired courses on the Grades screen between May 13 and May 20, 2020. The request will not be processed without an acknowledgement that the student has consulted with their academic advisor.

Students considering the Pass/Fail grading option should wait to order Spring 2020 transcripts until all grading changes are processed.