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Grading Options for DAHS STEM Students - Spring 2020


Dear DA STEM students and parents/guardians, 

Normandale has decided to offer students a Pass / No Credit option for spring semester.   Because this is a DA class, if you choose to get a letter grade your grade would be based on the usual scale and weighted in your GPA at Jefferson or Kennedy.  In NCC’s pass/fail system, in order to earn a pass, students will need to be earning 70% at the end of the semester (which is not howP/F is being done at BPS right now).

You do not need to decide today which type of grade you would like.  I spoke with Cary Komoto, the NCC STEM Dean, today and he agrees that you will get to choose the P/F option by notifying me after you have had the opportunity to see your final grade from NCC.  I will then communicate whether you chose the  grade or P/F option to BPS and to NCC.   You can choose to take a grade in one class and a Pass/Fail in another.  

If you earn an A or B in your NCC courses this spring you should take the traditional grade, because this class is weighted in your GPA and you will be able to transfer those college credits to many schools in the future.  For those of you who are challenged by online learning, taking a Pass might be a good strategy to help decrease your stress level.  
                           
I have had several of you already reach out to me to understand what the implications would be if you took a Pass instead of a grade.  I don’t think it would make you look less desirable to any future college.  Everyone in any college or university in the U.S. is dealing with these same issues right now.  However, we chose these courses for our DA program because most STEM majors need these classes as prerequisites for their major and if you don’t have a grade there is a chance that they will not allow you to transfer in these credits.  So if getting college credit or if getting a weighted GPA is important to you then I would recommend taking a grade for this semester.  I am willing to work with you and hoping that we can find an option that will keep you learning for the rest of the trimester.  

I know this is not the educational experience any of us were anticipating.  Roger, your professors and I have been really impressed by your perseverance in this unique time!  Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

Sincerely,
Meredith
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