Dear King’s Undergraduate Students,
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We hope this email finds you all well and that you are adjusting to the online learning.
As Friday’s announcement from Western (see below) did not explicitly mention the affiliates there has been some confusion about whether it will apply to King’s students. This message clarifies that these policies will apply to all undergraduates at King’s as well. Academic leaders at King’s, Brescia and Huron have worked on a shared message to all affiliate college students to clarify the situation.
King’s is here for you!
The pass/fail option has been established to relieve stress for students who may be struggling with the pandemic, social distancing, and health worries. We are in an extraordinary historical moment and we are all dealing with unique pressures and conditions.
King's cares about you and we are here for you. All of our academic and
support services are available remotely; our academic counsellors, academic program advisors, library team, The Write Place tutors, MEM tutoring, and personal counsellors are here to support you. You can easily
request call-back to connect.
Being proactive now about any difficulties you are having will serve you better than withdrawing retroactively or taking a pass/fail grade in a course. We are here to help!
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Considerations regarding the Pass/Fail option
All students should be aware that opting to convert a grade at the end of the year to pass/fail comes with potentially significant drawbacks.
These include, for example, that professional and graduate schools may not consider a simple “pass” or “fail” as valid when assessing your applications.
For example, Ivey has indicated that when considering applications after second year, when students typically have 10.0 credits, they will allow 1.0 credits to be pass/fail on applicants’ transcripts but that more than 1.0 pass/fail marks will disqualify applicants from consideration for admission.
Other schools and programs may well have similar rules; certainly, many graduate programs insist on seeing the numeric grade behind pass/fail grades when considering applications. Similarly, if future potential employers ask to see your transcripts they may well be unimpressed by a transcript with several pass/fail grades on it.
This is why the Office of the Academic Dean is offering the following advice to students:
- Before taking the pass/fail option, discuss the decision with an academic counsellor who can, with your life, professional, and academic goals in mind, discuss with you if taking pass/fail is a wise move for you.
- Do not count on pass/fail in advance. That is, do not decide now that performing poorly in your courses “doesn’t matter” because you can take pass/fail at the end of the year. Taking this decision now could have negative repercussions for you going forward. Decisions about whether “pass” will satisfy modular requirements have not been made at this point.
- The best strategy, as always, is to strive to do your best in your classes. If you are struggling now for whatever reason, please connect with your professors, an academic counsellor, or a personal counsellor.
A word on academic integrity
The policy changes introduced by Western and its affiliates are meant to aid students in duress. These policies are not intended as a way around academic standards.
Even in these new circumstances, teaching and learning does not stop. Nor does academic integrity. While extraordinary measures are justified in a time when students are struggling with the stress caused by the coronavirus crisis and the universities moving classes online, it is imperative that we combine compassion for students with academic integrity.
Academic integrity means doing your own work. Online assessments should be treated as you would treat traditional assessments, with no unauthorized collaboration on tests or assignments. Similarly, students should not refer to materials during tests unless your instructor indicates that the test is “open book.”
And finally!
Whether on campus or online, King’s remains a place to be and a place to become. Your dedicated professors and our caring support services are here for you;
please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Sincerely yours,
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Sauro Camiletti PhD
Vice-Principal and Academic Dean
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Laura Melnyk Gribble PhD
Associate Dean, Academic and Research
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Friday, March 27, 2020
Message from Western:
Dear undergraduate students,
With the Framework for Exam Alternatives, Western is making every effort to support your learning through this time of disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The efforts of professors to adapt their courses within the Framework mean that most students will be provided a numerical grade at the end of the academic term. We recognize, nevertheless, that the unique circumstances and challenges you face can significantly affect your learning.
For this reason, Western is introducing the option for students to change their numerical grade to Pass/Fail. In addition, the deadline to drop a Winter 2020 half course or a 2019-20 full year course without academic penalty will be further extended to align with this opportunity. Please note that these options are not available for courses in the Faculty of Law, as Ontario faculties of law have adopted a common grading process.
While additional details will be posted on the Registrar’s website in the days ahead, the selection period will be towards the end of May, 2020, when all of your course grades will be available. At that time you will have the choice to keep your numerical grade, revise your numerical grade to Pass/Fail, or Withdraw from the course without academic penalty. Pass/Fail courses will not affect your cumulative average.
If your course has been graded on a Pass/Fail basis with no other option provided, you may contact your Department or Faculty to see if supplemental assessments are available.
I encourage you to continue in your studies to the extent that your circumstances permit.
Sincerely,
John Doerksen
Vice-Provost (Academic Programs)
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