Students scrabble as they choose which option best suits them
In its attempt to adjust to the changing tides of the coronavirus pandemic, the University of Regina has created new grading options for students. The university has provided its students with the following options for their Winter 2020 semester course.
The first is for students to continue to receive a numerical grade. Students also have the option of receiving a CRC (Credit COVID-19) mark along with a passing grade upon completion of the course. The third option is finishing the course and receiving an NCC (No Credit COVID-19) mark. The final option available to students is withdrawal, with the deadline having been extended to April 9. All decisions are final, and the CRC and NCC grades have no impact on students’ grades.
In an official press release, the University’s provost and interim president, Thomas Chase, discussed the institution’s reasoning behind making the options available.
“We know some students are experiencing a higher level of stress and anxiety, along with concern that their marks may be negatively impacted as a result. At the same time, other students want to ensure that the work they put into their courses over the Winter semester is appropriately recognized with the numeric grade they have earned,” Chase said.
This development came days after an online petition by Sarah Birrell, urging the university to make the semester pass or fail garnered over 4,000 signatures from students. Many students have expressed being pleased with the university’s new provisions and one is fourth-year mathematics major, Karen Mbata. Mbata believes that the options provided by the University and considerate and helpful.
“Asides from the NCC, because I am not sure what the benefit of would be, I believe that the school has tried its best to encompass all students’ worries and concerns with the options provided. These options help the students who have worked hard as well as those who have not been able to get work done because of the lack of resources,.”
This sentiment was echoed by the School of Journalism Masters student, Suleiman Yakub, who found the provisions to be especially helpful as a postgraduate student.
“I think that this new system put in place is a good one, especially during the menace that is COVID-19. It is important to me that the University has shown that they will not execute any policy which will jeopardize the academic career of their students. It is good to know that students are not alone in navigating this terrible situation,” Yakub said.
