Due to the restrictions and disruptions to courses and students because of the COVID-19 state and national emergency. Rutgers-Camden is offering an additional option to undergraduate students regarding final grades for the Winter 2021 and Spring 2021semesters. This is an extraordinary measure being made because of the extraordinary circumstances facing the university community at this time, and will not apply to other terms.
To change your grade option, a form is available to make the change for each course. Please go to the "My Grades" widget on your myRutgers (myDashboard) page here: https://my.rutgers.edu
The university will allow students to choose between:
- Receiving the earned letter grade for a final grade
- Opting to use the Pass/No Credit option in place of the earned letter grade
Undergraduate students will have until Wednesday, January 27,2021 at 11:59pm to make this decision for each individual course for the Winter 2021 term.
Undergraduate students will have until Wednesday, May 19,2021 at 11:59pm to make this decision for each individual course for the Spring 2021 term.
Students will be able to see the letter grade they would receive prior to making this decision. Normally the Pass/No Credit option would have to be declared before the start of the course during the initial course registration, but the Registrar is permitting for these semestesr only the Pass/No Credit option to be applied to a course after the “regular” letter grade has been submitted. Whatever is in the portal as of the deadline to submit change requests is what will stay on the student's record. All updates to the records will be processed in the next day or two after the deadline and will appear on the transcript very shortly thereafter.
Undergraduate students may decide for each course individually. This is not an all or nothing decision; it can be done individually for each course. Students may opt to retain the letter grade for the course or move it to the Pass/No Credit option for each course separately.
Pass/No Credit can be used for General Education, Graduation, and Major/Minor requirements.
Under normal policy, Pass/No Credit courses may not be used for General Education requirements, Unit Graduation requirements, or Major/Minor requirements. However, because of the unusual circumstances, courses graded as Pass/No Credit in Winter 2021 and Spring 2021 may be used to satisfy any of those requirements with a Pass grade. This applies only the those terms.
Pass/No Credit grade equivalency
A Pass/No Credit grade is equal to the following letter grades based on the unit offering the course:
- For Unit 50 courses (Undergraduate Arts and Science) : PA = C or better letter grade. NC = D or lower grade
- For Unit 52 courses (Undergraduate School of Business): PA = C or better letter grade. NC =D or lower grade
- For Unit 57 courses (Undergraduate Nursing): PA= C+ or better letter grade. NC=C or lower grade.
Note: the Graduate Units (Units 24, 53, 56, and 58) will not have the PA/NC Option available to them for Winter 2021 or Spring 2021. Grades for those units will be handled normally.
Courses receiving a PA grade will count toward credits to receive the degree, and will count toward requirements. PA grades are not figured into the Term or Cumulative GPA, and credits taken with a PA grade option do not figure into courses toward Dean’s List or Honors Societies.
Courses receiving NC will not count toward credits to receive the degree, may not be used to satisfy any requirements. NC grades are not figured into the Term or Cumulative GPA.
We strongly encourage students to discuss this decision with their academic advisors, faculty, financial aid, and other advisors and mentors. This decision could impact future opportunities that may require letter grades, including graduate schools, scholarships, and employment. It is important to consider this decision thoroughly. It is best to have these discussions in the next few weeks with these faculty and staff members and not wait until you see your grades to start making the decision.
Please contact your academic advisors for more details:
Please monitor the Rutgers University-Camden COVID-19 resource page for updates about the current status of the university and our campus. At all times, please take care of yourselves and follow precautionary health practices.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Does this apply to undergraduate courses that were already online or to online programs?
Yes, this grading option is available to all undergraduate students for Winter 2021 and Spring 2021 courses, including online courses and fully online programs.
If I select PA/NC now, do I have to do all the work in the class?
Yes. Whichever grading option you choose, you will need to complete all assignments for the class, including the final exam (if one is offered for that course).
Can I elect to have a course that is currently PA/NC be moved to letter grade?
No. If a course already had the option of PA/NC, it will remain as PA/NC. If the course is normally graded on that scale (for example, Nursing Clinical Courses), it will still be graded PA/NC. There is no option to move from a course currently graded PA/NC to a letter grade.
Can a PA/NC course be used for the Repeat Option?
Yes, for Winter 2021 or Spring 2021 only. . A PA/NC course normally does not receive a letter grade, so normally cannot be used as a Repeat Option to replace a previous letter grade for purposes of changing Cumulative GPA. However, for Winter/Spring 2021, you may use a PA/NC course to repeat a previous course. The previous course grade will still display on the transcript, but will not be figured into the GPA. The Winter/Spring 2021 PA/NC course would not be figured into the GPA either, so functionally the course would be removed from the student's GPA. Please note that there are some courses that might require a certain level of letter grade for admission to graduate or professional programs, which this will not be able to substitute for. Please consult with your Advisor or review the specifications of any programs you may want to pursue at a later date before making this decision.
Will the PA/NC show on my transcript or will the original letter grade be shown?
If you elect to change the grade option to PA/NC, the original letter grade will be removed from your record and replaced with the PA/NC grade. The PA/NC grade will appear on your transcript. This may be relevant for graduate or professional programs that require specific letter grades in certain courses, so you may want to consult with your Advisor or review the specifications of any programs you may want to pursue at a later date before making this decision.
Will PA/NC hurt my chances to get into Graduate School/Profession post-Bac program?
Potentially yes. Many graduate and professional programs require letter grades in certain courses, or for all courses in the undergraduate major, for students to be eligible to apply to the program. If you are planning to apply to a graduate or professional program, you should review the requirements for that program before changing any of your courses to a PA/NC grading option. If you are unsure what you are doing after undergraduate, talk to your academic advisor or department advisor, who can give you advice about what specific courses might be problematic to switch to PA/NC versus which ones might be okay to do so broadly speaking.
Can I still get Dean’s List if I move classes to PA/NC?
Depends. Students must have at least twelve letter graded credits in a term to be eligible for Dean’s List. Any course switched to PA/NC is not counted toward the total eligible credits toward Dean’s List for the term. So if you are registered for 15 credits, and switch one 3 credit course to PA/NC, you would still be eligible for Dean’s List. If you are registered for 15 credits and switch 4 or more credits to PA/NC, you would no longer be eligible for Dean’s List for that term independently (though you may still acquire Dean’s List as a Part-Time student if you have less than 12 credits in the Spring 2021 term toward Dean’s List eligibility).
How will this affect the Latin Honors for Graduation (Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude)?
Depends. Moving courses to PA/NC will remove them from your GPA for the Term and for Cumulative GPA, both in the number of credits used to calculate the Cum GPA, and in the grade points added to it. So having fewer courses added to the GPA has a smaller effect on changes to it. So if you are trying to raise your GPA to become eligible for Latin Honors for graduation, then moving courses to PA/NC will not allow the GPA to be raised very far. However, if you suspect that you will be earning lower grades in these courses, removing the B's and C's and replacing them with PA may help boost your overall GPA (as the B's and C's might otherwise lower it). So it depends on what grades you get whether moving to PA/NC will help or hurt your chances to obtain Latin Honors. If you are concerned with this, you might want to see your letter grades before choosing to move to the PA/NC option.
What effect will PA/NC have on Academic Probation (Scholastic Standings)?
Like with the honors and Dean's List, moving courses to PA/NC means that they will not be counted toward your Term or Cumulative GPA. If you are on academic probation, you need to actively raise your GPA or potentially earn a specific GPA or higher for the term in order to remain active in the school. If you move all of your courses to PA/NC, then you will earn no GPA for the term. If you are required to have a specific minimum GPA to maintain enrollment, then you will need to have at least one course with a GPA value in your term. Likewise, if you need to increase your Cumulative GPA, the fewer graded courses you have, the less effect they will have on your GPA. If you are on academic probation or academic warning, it is strongly suggested that you consult with your advisor before moving any courses to PA/NC.
Can a PA/NC course be used for a Major or Minor requirement?
Yes, for this term only. Normally PA/NC cannot be used for a major or minor requirement because a letter grade of C (or C+) is required. However, due to the extraordinary circumstances, a PA/NC course in Winter/Spring 2021 may be used to fulfill a major or minor requirement.
Can a PA/NC course be used as a pre-requisite for another course in later term?
Yes, as long as you receive a PA in the course. An NC will not be accepted as a pre-requisite to another course.
If I get a D in an undergraduate class, should I keep the D letter grade or switch it to a PA/NC?
The “D” grade is something of a special case. A letter grade of “D” will satisfy a general or graduation requirement as a passing grade, and would count as credits toward graduation. However, it will factor into the Term and Cumulative GPA, and potentially could lower the student’s GPA below certain thresholds associated with graduation or program eligibility. Switching the D to a PA/NC would result in a NC grade. That will not affect the Term or Cumulative GPA, but will also not satisfy the general or graduation requirement, nor grant credits toward graduation. It is highly recommended that students consult with their Academic Advisor and Financial Aid to see which option better fits the student’s individual situation before making a decision, especially if this is the student’s last semester.