November 21, 2022

Dear Colleagues,

After consultation with President Ryan and the Deans, I have determined that the University will offer additional final grading options for undergraduate courses this semester as we all continue to mourn the tragic losses of last week.

After completing a course and seeing their grade, students may keep the grade they earned, or instead choose Credit (CR)/General Credit (GC)/No Credit (NC). CR is awarded for a grade of C or higher; GC meets any degree requirement for a passing grade below C; NC is for a non-passing grade. A note about the reason for the CR/GC/NC option will be included on the transcript. Classes with the CR/GC/NC option are not considered in the calculation of a student’s GPA. Students can elect the CR/GC/NC option through Friday, Jan. 20, 2023.

This option is not available for courses at Darden, Law, and Medicine. Undergraduate students taking graduate courses will need to consult with their Dean about whether this option is available to them. Faculty teaching graduate courses in schools other than Darden, Law, and Medicine should consult with their Deans about whether these options are available in the courses they are teaching. 

As faculty, you will conduct your course and assign grades as usual. The University Registrar will communicate with students in January regarding how to select the CR/GC/NC option for one or more of their courses if that is their choice. As they consider their decisions, I know that they will deeply welcome your counsel and thank you in advance for the guidance you can offer them.

Due to the deep variety in the types of courses we offer (across lectures, seminars, labs, performance-based courses, clinical assignments, etc.) we are not establishing any University-wide guidance on assignments in the post-Thanksgiving period. That is best handled at the individual school level, and I know that your Deans have been in conversation with you about this. Together with President Ryan and the Deans, I do though ask for continued flexibility and that you focus on what you are in the best position to understand as the most essential elements of your courses as we seek to ensure that students are not overburdened with deferred assignments alongside other remaining course requirements as they also swiftly turn to preparing for finals.

If you have any questions about how this affects your schools and the courses you teach, please contact your Deans and associate Deans. Additionally, you may seek clarification from Maïté Brandt-Pearce, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. 

With my renewed thanks and gratitude for all you are doing. I know you are also in the midst of the grief and trauma of this broken moment. As we approach Thanksgiving, I am deeply grateful for you and for the gift of being your colleague. I have felt that gratitude every year that I have been at the University. I have never felt it more deeply. It is an honor to be a part of this community with you.

Sincerely,

Ian

Ian B. Baucom
Provost