When Boston College Law School decided this week to pivot to a pass/fail grading policy for the semester in tandem with the implementation of online classes, students faced another disquieting change in routine.
In adapting the new policy, BC Law followed the decision of the University and its other professional schools. Some members of larger BC community had petitioned for the grading adjustment saying that students’ abilities to maintain good grades could be hindered due to the challenges and difficulties that may accompany the transition to online courses. “Continuing to grade students without regard to the vast shifts in focus and circumstance due to the changes in our environment and education is not equitable or sensible,” the petition read.
To be sure, law students shared those concerns, but they also had issues particular to their own circumstances. Among them was what pass/fail might mean for their professional futures. Many rely on grades in the second semester to boost their GPAs for the year, improving their prospects for on campus job interviews and other coveted professional and academic offerings.
In response to the policy change, 1L Roma Gujarathi (above) turned to BC Law’s Impact blog to sort out why pass/fail engendered such a range of reactions—pro and con—from the students, she included.
Read her search for understanding on her Impact blog post.