Sufia Alam
Editor in Chief
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Less than three days ago, student Michael McMillan started a petition demanding UAB to issue pass / fail grades for the semester. Today the petition has over 1,700 signatures.
“Online classes pose a number of problems for students,” McMillan wrote in the description of his petition. “First being that success in online classes often requires a completely different skillset than those of in person classes. The switching to online classes additionally requires students to have access to the internet. This may not be readily accessible to every student thus requiring them to reveal information about their financial status that otherwise would have never been stated.”
McMillian wrote that online classes may hurt students from a lower socioeconomic background who many not even have access to internet at home.
Some classes may not translate well to online, according to some students.
“I am a theatre major,” Jasmin Watson wrote on the petition comment box. “There are multiple classes I’m in that would have no benefit for me which would be a waste of money, a waste of time and a mockery to what I am studying. Just because I am an arts student with a hands-on centered curriculum does not make my education any less important.”
Not all students agree with UAB issuing pass fail for the semester, however.
“Pass/Fail is good and all but this was the semester that I took specific classes with the sole purpose of boosting my GPA,” Jeremiah Edwards wrote on the petition. “If we move to pass/ fail let’s make it optional like other universities so the individuals who need to work on their GPA isn’t cheated out of a semester.”
A survey taken by the Kaleidoscope found that 64% of students supported the idea of pass / fail grades for Spring 2020 while 37% did not.
Reilyn Intemann, a sophomore in nursing said she believes this an opportunity for both students and college institutions to see how education may look like in the future with more integration of technology.
“I think it is still important that students receive the letter grade they work for as we all adjust to this new learning model,” Intemann said. “This is technology that could be utilized for future emergencies and for work places and schooling in special case students or scenarios.”
The UAB Students for Diversity and Campus Safety student led coalition also issued a statement regarding pass/ fail grades for Spring 2020.
The student coalition is demanding UAB give students the option to opt in for the pass / fail basis.
Other universities, such as Penn State, Duke University, Syracuse University have already decided to allow students to choose to opt in to a pass / fail basis.
***The Kaleidoscope has reached out to UAB in regards for the possibility of implementing pass fail grades for the semester and is waiting for a response.***
