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School of Environment and Natural Resources

CFAES

Pass/No Pass Grading Policy for Autumn 2020

On Thursday, September 17, the University Senate voted to expand the use of the Pass/No pass (PA/NP) grading choice to include General Education courses, and to extend the deadline for choosing this option for most classes until Friday, November 20 (there is an earlier deadline, October 2, for first-term (7-week) classes only). The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) is focused on student success and the integrity of the student educational experience, and has carefully considered the use of PA/NP in the majors and minors of the college. The following decision is based on the current state of COVID-19 at the university; and the college will monitor carefully the situation to determine if additional action is needed.

  • The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (including the School of Environment and Natural Resources) will not extend the PA/NP option beyond GE courses and free electives to courses that are part of undergraduate majors, minors or other programs in the college.*
  • The use of Pass/No Pass for General Education courses does include GE courses designated as requirements of undergraduate majors, minors or other programs within the college.
  • Students may not use PA/NP for any CFAES major course electives or CFAES minor course electives.
  • Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher to take courses as PA/NP. Students with a cumulative GPA lower than a 2.0 cannot take courses as PA/NP and should work with their academic advisor to discuss their best options. This does not apply to new first term or transfer students without an OSU GPA; these students are permitted to elect PA/NP where appropriate.
  • Courses taken Pass/No Pass during Autumn 2020 semester will count toward the limit of 20 credit hours that each student may take Pass/No Pass during their undergraduate career. Courses taken PA/NP in SP 2020 do not count towards the 20-hour limit. 
  • The deadline for PA/NP for second-session (7W2) and full-semester courses is Friday, November 20th. The deadline for first-session (7W1) classes only is October 2nd.
  • Once selected, the PA/NP option will not be reversed. Students are encouraged to wait to make their decision until they have a good sense of their academic performance in the class, because PA/NP cannot be reversed due to better than expected class performance. 

Students must consult with their academic advisor before electing the PA/NP option because there may be unintended consequences that impact future applications to Graduate or Professional school, veterans and military tuition benefits, financial aid and scholarship eligibility, credit-hour requirements for the Dean's list/Latin honors, access to courses requiring a minimum grade in a prerequisite course, success in future coursework, applications to graduate, etc.

PA/NP grades do not factor into GPA calculations, so such a grade cannot lower or raise a student’s GPA.

The CFAES is focused on assisting students who are negatively affected by COVID-19. If you are in need of academic support or have questions about how to connect with university resources, please reach out to your academic advisor or call 614-292-2265. You may also email senr@osu.edu. If you are experiencing stress or anxiety, David Wirt, wirt.9@osu.edu, is the CFAES embedded mental health counselor. He is available for new consultations and to establish routine care. To Schedule with David, please call 614-292-5766. Students should mention their affiliation with CFAES when setting up a phone screening.  

*This determination applies to CFAES majors and minors. If a student has a second major or a minor in another college, refer to that college’s decision on AU20 PA/NP for its programs here.

Undergraduate students must request a Pass/No Pass option using the online form. Each applicable course must be selected; the form will only accept one student submission. 

Request Pass / No Pass