Pass/No Pass Opt-in | Spring & Summer 2020

Pacific University understands that the COVID-19 situation has created upheaval in students’ lives, both personally and academically.

To partially address this disruption to the Spring and Summer 2020 semesters, students in selected academic programs have the option of converting some or all letter grades to Pass/No Pass grades, with the additional exception that grades of “Pass” earned this semester will count for requirements or prerequisites typically requiring letter grades.

Notation on Transcript | Viewing Letter Grades | Meeting Degree Requirements | Submitting Grading Preferences | Impact on Veterans Benefits | Timetable for Programs

Notation on Transcript

While grades of Pass/No Pass usually appear on the transcript as “P” or “N,” these exceptional Pass/No Pass grades will appear on the transcript as “PC” or “NC." These special codes stand for “Pass-COVID” and “No Pass-COVID."

The transcript for any program providing this special grade option will also include a notation on the transcript explaining that “Due to COVID-19, students could convert letter grades to Pass—COVID (PC) and No Pass—COVID (NC).”

Because these special Pass/No Pass grades will be allowed to count toward degree requirements that regular P/N grades do not, so they have a different code in order for the student information system to recognize them as having different privileges. The PC/NC coding also signals on the transcript that the semester was negatively disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Viewing Letter Grades

Students will be able to see their final letter grades and then decide whether they want to keep the letter grades or convert one or more to Pass/No Pass grades. See the timetable for details, dates vary by program. Students who receive Incomplete (I) or Work-in-Progress (WP) grades will be contacted when the grade is submitted or when the deadline for completion has arrived, with the opportunity to convert those letter grades, as well.

A grade of “Pass” represents letter grades of C and above (B and above for PsyD students); a grade of “No Pass” represents grades of C- and below (C and below for PsyD), with no credits earned. For undergraduate students, the Advising Center has guidance for Forest Grove undergraduates on when to choose a PC/NC grade versus a letter grade. 

Meeting Degree Requirements

"PC” (Pass-COVID) grades will count for any Core, major, minor, or prerequisite, or other degree requirement typically requiring a letter grade at Pacific University. Note that a grade of “NC” (No Pass-COVID) still has the equivalent value and consequences of a grade of “N” and will not count toward the degree or any requirements.

If you are an undergraduate and considering applying to graduate school or professional programs or considering transferring to a different institution the Advising Center has guidance for Forest Grove undergraduates on when to choose a PC/NC grade versus a letter grade. 

Impact on Veterans Benefits

While typically the Veterans Administration will not cover tuition costs for courses earning grades of "No pass"/no credit, the VA is making an exception for courses impacted by COVID-19 and will cover courses with "NC" grades.

Submitting Grading Preferences

With the exception of study abroad students, students will submit their grade conversion preferences through BoxerOnline, via a link that will appear as the top-most link under their “Academic Profile” heading (immediately above the link they would use to access grades). Instructions will be imbedded into the process screens themselves, but you can also preview the instructions with screen shots.

Access BoxerOnline

Study Abroad | Because study abroad programs forward grades to Pacific on an unpredictable schedule, the Registrar’s Office will work with those students one by one as grades arrive.

Changing your Mind Before the Deadline

Once a student submits a PC/NC choice, it cannot be “undone” or changed through the same process. If a student needs to correct a submitted choice within the decision timeframe, they must contact registrar@pacificu.edu for assistance.

Changing Grades After the Deadline

Past the deadline, a grade could be changed only through the formal grade appeal process, as it represents changing a verified transcript that could have been accessed and used as evidence of verified academic history and will have been used as the basis for degree conferral for graduated students.

Once the PC/NC grade becomes the verified grade it is like every other P/N grade: the sole official record. Changes could be made only if the underlying value of the grade was an error (for instance, the faculty mistakenly submitted a grade of “C-“ when it should have been a “C”.

Summer Time Frames for Opting into Pass/No Pass

Only the listed programs/cohorts of students are eligible for this grade conversion option. If you are unsure whether or not you are included, please contact the Registrar’s Office or your program director. All other programs will retain their standard grading schemes.