Grading Policy for Spring 2021

In light of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Ohio State has implemented a special grading system for undergraduate and graduate students for Spring Semester and Summer Term 2021. This grading system was approved by University Senate on Jan. 28 and by the Board of Trustees on Feb. 25. As of April 15, the provost, Council on Enrollment and Student Progress and Senate Steering voted to extend this system to Summer Term 2021 as well. (The expanded use of Pass/No Pass grading system in Spring 2020 and Autumn 2020 are no longer in effect.)

Undergraduate Students

Faculty teaching undergraduates in courses that are graded A-E will enter their grades normally. Undergraduate students assigned grades of A through C- will have those posted to their transcripts. D+ and D grades will convert to a mark of “PE” (emergency pass), E grades will convert to a mark of “NP” (no pass), and EN grades will convert to a mark of "NEN" (no pass, non-attendance).

Faculty teaching graduate students in courses that are graded A-E will enter their grades normally. Graduate students assigned grades of A through B- will have those posted to their transcripts. Grades of C+ through D will convert to a mark of “PE” (emergency pass), E grades will convert to a mark of "NP" (no pass), and EN grades will convert to a mark of "NEN" (no pass, non-attendance).

Other important notes

Additional grading policy changes for Spring 2021

In addition to the Emergency Pass policy changes spelled out above, Ohio State is extending several other grading options for undergraduate students in the Spring and Summer 2021 terms:

Extended duration to complete an Incomplete (I)

The university is extending the amount of time undergraduate and graduate students have to complete course work for Spring 2021 classes in which they received an Incomplete grade. For Incompletes granted in Spring 2021, students will have 10 weeks from the start of the following term (instead of the standard 6 weeks from the start of the following term). Students remain able to request an extension for any Incompletes they may take, should they not be able to complete the course work within 10 weeks. A student must request an incomplete from the instructor of the course.

Extended opportunity to Withdraw from a class

This option is available for undergraduate and graduate students for the Spring 2021 term until April 9, 2021, and can be enacted by an academic advisor. Below are the extended deadlines for Summer 2021:

Withdrawing from a class leaves this class on a student’s transcript, marking it with a W. Courses marked as W do not count toward a student’s GPA. Students interested in withdrawing from a class should consult their advisor to discuss how this option might impact their academic progress, and talk with Student Financial Aid to understand potential impacts to aid eligibility.