Pass/fail or letter grade? Why Binghamton is giving students the choice

From online classes to pass/fail options, the global pandemic prompted unprecedented changes to the college experience across the country, including at Binghamton University. While academic changes were enacted quickly, they also resulted from long hours of planning by administrators, faculty and staff behind the scenes.

“We understood that the social and economic consequences of the pandemic, combined with the transition to online instruction, would create challenges for many students,” said Binghamton University Provost Donald Nieman.

The resulting plan of action allows students in most programs to take up to 12 credits of pass-fail courses, which can now be used to fulfill education, major and prerequisite requirements. (Because of licensure requirements, students in the Decker School of Nursing may only take general education courses and electives pass-fail; they may not take nursing courses, required courses or prerequisites pass-fail.)

What’s more: Students can choose the pass-fail option after seeing their letter grades.

It’s an option that Nieman called “counter-intuitive and intriguing.”

“We thought that if students could decide after they saw their grades, they would have an incentive to stay engaged, do their best work and still have the option to elect (pass/fail) if things didn’t go well,” he explained. “So far, the policy has been very well received.”

A similar option exists for graduate students, who may opt for a satisfactory/unsatisfactory course grade after they have seen the grade their instructor recorded. Exceptions are for academic programs in nursing, pharmacy, clinical psychology, and Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership, where licensure or accreditation regulations prohibit the waiver.

Despite the best of intentions, not every student can excel in a distance-learning format. Some may not have access to the technology or reliable, high-speed Internet connection they need. They may have to care for younger siblings while their parents work essential jobs, or have trouble staying focused now that class schedules aren’t so clearly defined. And they face distractions both great and small, including the worry they feel over their grandparents and parents, their own health and their future.

Why, then, give students a choice rather than mandating pass/fail for all courses?

It turns out that mandatory pass/fail could hurt a wide range of Bearcats — from those who are excelling in Zoom-based classes to those who need to raise their grade-point average (GPA) to get off academic probation, Nieman pointed out. Universal pass/fail could also encourage students to do just enough to get by rather than providing them an incentive to stay engaged, do their best and learn.

Students may also prefer letter grades as they prepare to apply to medical, pharmacy or graduate school, and it’s currently unknown how the pandemic will affect these admissions processes. But that doesn’t mean pass/fail is necessarily a bad option for those planning on graduate school. For students with a high GPA, for example, it may make more sense to take some classes pass/fail than potentially lowering their grade-point average and becoming less competitive.

“That’s why we have encouraged students to consult with advisors before making a decision,” Nieman said.

Students who receive a lower letter grade than expected and ultimately choose the pass/fail option also benefit from knowing the grade they earned, he said. They can pursue remediation before taking classes that the course was a prerequisite for, shoring up their academic weaknesses and allowing them to be successful in subsequent courses.

The provost advised students to take time making their choice, and consult with their advisors and/or graduate program directors. If they face any significant issues, the provost, deans’ offices, instructors and advisors want to know.

“There’s no need to make a quick decision and, in this time of uncertainty, that’s wise,” Nieman said.

Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Enrollment Don Loewen, financial aid director Amber Stallman and the school advising offices helped develop the creative academic plan, while faculty and staff have done an amazing job of transitioning instruction and student services online. Nieman also thanked students for their resilience in adapting to online instruction, especially in the face of the many challenges they face in their day-to-day lives.

“We will get through this if we all help one another,” he said.