Pass/no pass deadline extended to May 27, ‘no record’ option offered

USC will extend the pass/no pass deadline from April 24 to May 27, a week after final class grades are posted, President Carol Folt and Provost Charles Zukoski announced in a communitywide email Monday. Undergraduate students will also be able to have any classes taken this semester expunged from their transcripts using the no record option.

“We continue to be inspired by the resiliency of our students, faculty, and staff during this disruptive time,” the email read. “In particular, we recognize the pressures all students are experiencing, and we want to do everything we can to alleviate distress.”  

All students’ transcripts will note that the semester was disrupted due to the coronavirus pandemic. The no record option will function similarly to a withdrawal except there will be no “W” designation or record of the course on the students’ transcripts, unlike in the normal grading policy, which stipulates that students will receive a “W” on their transcripts if they drop a class after the third week of the semester. Students will still be able to elect to receive a letter grade. 

The University also announced that future applicants to USC undergraduate, graduate and professional schools would not be negatively affected by opting for pass/no pass grading for the spring semester.

“We understand students are working under unprecedented conditions, and we appreciate what they are going through,” the email read. “We are committed to evaluating all pass grades for course work without prejudice and are making this historic accommodation because we believe right now students should be able to focus on learning.”

Zukoski is working with various deans to evaluate grading options for graduate students, the email read. The grading policies will be further clarified in the frequently asked questions page on the University’s coronavirus website later this week.