University of St. Thomas undergraduate classes are moving to a flexible grading policy for spring 2020, according to an email sent Friday from Executive Vice President and Provost Richard Plumb.

The pass-fail system will operate using S, D and R grades. S stands for a satisfactory performance, which means a C- or better; D is equivalent to a D grade, and R is an unsatisfactory or failing performance.

Students will have the option to choose traditional grading for each class. This is an opt-in choice that must be made before May 1. Details about how to opt in will be sent to students after spring break.

“I recognize that this semester is not going as we all expected and that the move to online has been disruptive to everyone – faculty and students alike,” Plumb wrote. “Please know that St. Thomas is strongly committed to your educational experience, even though it will be different than what we all expected.”

The university’s decision comes after St. Thomas sophomore Zack Schuster posted a petition Wednesday, March 18, asking the university to consider moving to pass-fail. The petition had over 2,800 signatures before the flexible grading policy was announced.

Schuster was happy with the university’s response and options for students to choose between flexible and traditional grading.

“Whatever the student is trying to accomplish, they can,” Schuster said. “The choice is really what makes the decision.”

The University of Minnesota announced a flexible grading policy Thursday, after Inside Higher Ed reported that over a dozen other four-year universities made the move.

Emily Haugen can be reached at haug7231@stthomas.edu.
Jack Stanek can be reached at stan5468@stthomas.edu.