Pass/Fail with scholarship continuity is likely the least-worst option for fairness this semester - and should definitely include legal writing for many of the same reasons. The writing assignments take considerable time and concentration - which are in very short supply right now as people try and figure out whether they still have a job, childcare, teaching their kids at home unexpectedly, and the list goes on.
S
Sam Sueoka
6 years ago
When thinking about whether to adopt a P/F grading system, the school should focus on what the likely adverse effects will be on the most vulnerable students. e.g. parents, working students, care takers, etc.
If the school determines that a minority group of students are likely to be adversely effected by COVID, the school should do whatever it can to accommodate those individuals regardless of any other individuals who might not be adversely effected. Even in a hypothetical case where there is only one single person who is adversely effected by COVID, in the interest of compassion and fairness, the school should accommodate that individual.
Z
Zoey Jordan Salsbury
6 years ago
Featured
Every single class should be pass/fail, and it should be mandatory (including legal writing). Option pass/fail is not equitable. Students with disabilities who may not have needed accommodations in person may be struggling at home. Part-time students may have been laid off. These are uncertain and scary times, and we need this.
M
Mike Greene
6 years ago
This transition hits everyone so differently that it would be completely unfair to issue grades to anyone under the circumstances.
V
Victoria Anderson
6 years ago
Featured
I fear I will not have the opportunity to study for exams I would have had if I still had childcare. Balancing attending online classes and caring for my 18 month old is not working. I hardly have the time to complete work for class let alone outline and study. I don’t know how I could possibly take a timed exam in my small apartment with a toddler running around who has no one else to supervise her.
A
Anonymous
6 years ago
I second the anonymous grading to curtail the obvious professorial bias towards certain students.
Additionally, although, I believe that if the other classes are put on a P/F system then legal writing should be too for grading consistency. This would be in line with what other law schools across the nation are doing.
A
Anonymous
6 years ago
I believe that we should move to a pass/fail system for spring semester in every class except legal writing. This will ensure fairness and equity in testing
T
Tamara Garrison
6 years ago
Featured
I agree that it should be mandatory pass/fail. I would feel differently if the semester started as online. The transition mid-semester, in addition to the work/life challenges covid-19 is throwing our way justifies the pass/fail standard. Many law schools have already made this decision, including Harvard and Stanford, so this request is not outside the norm.
A
Anonymous
6 years ago
While I truly want to have faith in students and implementing integrity when completing tests at home and without supervision, I know that there will be some who are tempted to take advantage of this situation.
I do not agree that the legal writing grade be pass/fail *****(although it would be great if assignments could be graded anonymously; Professors have biases towards certain students too).***
ALL other classes that are currently and have historically been graded on a curve should be transitioned into pass/fail. Anything less is completely unacceptable.
A
Angie Weiss
6 years ago
I support this petition and also ask the school to let everyone keep their scholarship no matter how pass/fail affects the curve or someone's GPA
J
Jameson Adame
6 years ago
With all of the changes in assignements and the ways in which classes are taught halfway through the semester, it only seems right to make everything pass/fail. Normal types of studying are sort of out the window.
B
Brandon Pacher
6 years ago
I echo the sentiments of the other supporters of this petition. Mandatory pass/fail is the only equitable solution for grading in these challenging circumstances.
C
Cloie Chapman
6 years ago
Featured
3L at SU Law. This is an unprecedented time and it is not appropriate for us to be expected to operate as normal. Grade equity would do a lot in easing stress caused by this pandemic.
S
Seth Alexander
6 years ago
Featured
Mandatory pass/fail is the only equitable solution, and scholarship eligibility should be adjusted to reflect this unique situation. We shouldn't be kicking students out because there was an outbreak and it wasn't possible for them to adhere to the grade requirements for maintaining their scholarships. Everyone should be allowed to keep their scholarships, tbh.
H
HaiDang Tran
6 years ago
Moving this semester to mandatory pass/fail grading is the most fair solution for every student. Although I recognize that it would be in my and some others' personal benefit to keep the grading standard as-is, I personally think that it isn't worth it because of the overall detriment it would cause towards all of the students who are put into difficult situations because of COVID-19.
I am sure there are many roadblocks ahead of us and that obstacles caused by COVID-19 will continue to rise. In implementing a pass/fail system for this semester, students will be able to face these obstacles without having to worry about results from this semester negatively impacting their future employment opportunities or overall GPA.
I would rather we all be on even ground. It is not acceptable to possibly allow those of us who have the privilege of not being too affected by the virus to be the only ones of us to succeed. This would be entirely unfair and would make success less viable for those in worse financial and/or physical health. We need to consider how this affects everyone in our law school community. If there is ever a time for us to band together, it is now.
S
Samantha Lyons
6 years ago
I fully endorse a pass/fail system for this semester with one important condition: the evaluation of scholarships must be adjusted to reflect this change. There are many of us who are either on the cusp of or entirely unable to afford an SU education without our scholarships, and if our GPA's from first semester are taken for the whole year to decide whether we keep them, we will be unable to continue. Thus, while a pass/fail system for this semester is the most fair due to the extraneous circumstances around COVID19, the least fair thing SU administration can do is take away scholarships as a result because we did not meet the cutoff in our first semester at law school.
A
Anonymous
6 years ago
COVID will be affecting our ways of learning in unprecedented ways. Mandatory Pass/fail is currently the only equitable option.
A
Anonymous
6 years ago
Check out Harvard
C
Cullen Bryant
6 years ago
I cannot think of any other way for fair grading this semester other than mandatory pass/fail.
T
Timothy Shen
6 years ago
A pass/fail grading system is the most equitable solution because it creates a more level playing field for the largest portion of the student body. If the school adopts pass/fail for this semester, we will be better prepared for future circumstances in the coming weeks that might have further negative impact on students’ learning.
Pass/Fail with scholarship continuity is likely the least-worst option for fairness this semester - and should definitely include legal writing for many of the same reasons. The writing assignments take considerable time and concentration - which are in very short supply right now as people try and figure out whether they still have a job, childcare, teaching their kids at home unexpectedly, and the list goes on.
When thinking about whether to adopt a P/F grading system, the school should focus on what the likely adverse effects will be on the most vulnerable students. e.g. parents, working students, care takers, etc. If the school determines that a minority group of students are likely to be adversely effected by COVID, the school should do whatever it can to accommodate those individuals regardless of any other individuals who might not be adversely effected. Even in a hypothetical case where there is only one single person who is adversely effected by COVID, in the interest of compassion and fairness, the school should accommodate that individual.
Every single class should be pass/fail, and it should be mandatory (including legal writing). Option pass/fail is not equitable. Students with disabilities who may not have needed accommodations in person may be struggling at home. Part-time students may have been laid off. These are uncertain and scary times, and we need this.
This transition hits everyone so differently that it would be completely unfair to issue grades to anyone under the circumstances.
I fear I will not have the opportunity to study for exams I would have had if I still had childcare. Balancing attending online classes and caring for my 18 month old is not working. I hardly have the time to complete work for class let alone outline and study. I don’t know how I could possibly take a timed exam in my small apartment with a toddler running around who has no one else to supervise her.
I second the anonymous grading to curtail the obvious professorial bias towards certain students. Additionally, although, I believe that if the other classes are put on a P/F system then legal writing should be too for grading consistency. This would be in line with what other law schools across the nation are doing.
I believe that we should move to a pass/fail system for spring semester in every class except legal writing. This will ensure fairness and equity in testing
I agree that it should be mandatory pass/fail. I would feel differently if the semester started as online. The transition mid-semester, in addition to the work/life challenges covid-19 is throwing our way justifies the pass/fail standard. Many law schools have already made this decision, including Harvard and Stanford, so this request is not outside the norm.
While I truly want to have faith in students and implementing integrity when completing tests at home and without supervision, I know that there will be some who are tempted to take advantage of this situation. I do not agree that the legal writing grade be pass/fail *****(although it would be great if assignments could be graded anonymously; Professors have biases towards certain students too).*** ALL other classes that are currently and have historically been graded on a curve should be transitioned into pass/fail. Anything less is completely unacceptable.
I support this petition and also ask the school to let everyone keep their scholarship no matter how pass/fail affects the curve or someone's GPA
With all of the changes in assignements and the ways in which classes are taught halfway through the semester, it only seems right to make everything pass/fail. Normal types of studying are sort of out the window.
I echo the sentiments of the other supporters of this petition. Mandatory pass/fail is the only equitable solution for grading in these challenging circumstances.
3L at SU Law. This is an unprecedented time and it is not appropriate for us to be expected to operate as normal. Grade equity would do a lot in easing stress caused by this pandemic.
Mandatory pass/fail is the only equitable solution, and scholarship eligibility should be adjusted to reflect this unique situation. We shouldn't be kicking students out because there was an outbreak and it wasn't possible for them to adhere to the grade requirements for maintaining their scholarships. Everyone should be allowed to keep their scholarships, tbh.
Moving this semester to mandatory pass/fail grading is the most fair solution for every student. Although I recognize that it would be in my and some others' personal benefit to keep the grading standard as-is, I personally think that it isn't worth it because of the overall detriment it would cause towards all of the students who are put into difficult situations because of COVID-19. I am sure there are many roadblocks ahead of us and that obstacles caused by COVID-19 will continue to rise. In implementing a pass/fail system for this semester, students will be able to face these obstacles without having to worry about results from this semester negatively impacting their future employment opportunities or overall GPA. I would rather we all be on even ground. It is not acceptable to possibly allow those of us who have the privilege of not being too affected by the virus to be the only ones of us to succeed. This would be entirely unfair and would make success less viable for those in worse financial and/or physical health. We need to consider how this affects everyone in our law school community. If there is ever a time for us to band together, it is now.
I fully endorse a pass/fail system for this semester with one important condition: the evaluation of scholarships must be adjusted to reflect this change. There are many of us who are either on the cusp of or entirely unable to afford an SU education without our scholarships, and if our GPA's from first semester are taken for the whole year to decide whether we keep them, we will be unable to continue. Thus, while a pass/fail system for this semester is the most fair due to the extraneous circumstances around COVID19, the least fair thing SU administration can do is take away scholarships as a result because we did not meet the cutoff in our first semester at law school.
COVID will be affecting our ways of learning in unprecedented ways. Mandatory Pass/fail is currently the only equitable option.
Check out Harvard
I cannot think of any other way for fair grading this semester other than mandatory pass/fail.
A pass/fail grading system is the most equitable solution because it creates a more level playing field for the largest portion of the student body. If the school adopts pass/fail for this semester, we will be better prepared for future circumstances in the coming weeks that might have further negative impact on students’ learning.