The University of Maryland decides to forgo the pass/fail option in the fall 2020 semester

Fall semester at University of Maryland will not offer pass/fail option to students (Change.org)

Last month, the University of Maryland announced that it will not be implementing a pass/fail option for undergraduate students. Many shared mixed reactions to this decision as last spring, during the peak of the coronavirus outbreak, students were forced to leave campus, and classes were shifted online. Due to this abrupt change, the university implemented a pass/fail grading system giving students an option to have a pass or fail mark instead of a letter grade. 

Military veteran and current third-year secondary education and history major, James Taylor, expressed that the pass/fail option made his transition to online learning smoother. The grading option gave him the ability to focus on being a father to his child but he agrees that going back to the normal grading system will benefit students in the long-run.

“I subconsciously slacked off knowing my grades were high enough to at least get a D-plus. I lean towards agreeing with the email sent out about the pass/fail option lessening the degrees and not truly preparing us for the next class,” said Taylor.

Taylor also mentioned that it has been challenging, but he predicts that he will mostly receive B’s and C’s in his classes this semester.

Jeyla Brown, a senior economics major, explained that although she chose the pass/fail option last semester due to being on an academic scholarship, the option could have potentially placed her on academic probation.

“I wasn’t able to do well in the courses in the online environment. I think we should have the pass/fail option because the online learning environment is not equal to our usual in-person learning. It’s like the university is willing to disregard or negate the experiences students have endured for the last nine months,” said Brown.

Sophomore chemical engineering major Daniel Oxman said that he does not fully support the pass/fail option because it disincentivizes students from working to the best of their abilities. 

“Last semester, it helped me out because my classes that didn't transition as well, like Spanish, weren't a cause of concern because I could pass/fail them and focus my energy on more difficult subjects.”

Oxman suggested that the university allows students to use the pass/fail option for one class and raise the passing minimum from a D-minus to a C-minus. “That way students won't have to worry about their hardest class taking up all their time,” said Oxman.

Although the University of Maryland has already made its decision, there are various petitions for students to join to express their thoughts on platforms such as Move On, Change.org, and Reddit.