Pass/No Pass Option: The Pros & Cons
April 22, 2020 - 10:24 AM
In the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown, most Mt. 91直播 courses went online as the campus
was closed. Administrators knew that many students had never taken an online course
before (although the college already had hundreds available), and they might struggle
with this transition. Last week, it was announced that for most courses, students
could elect to either receive a letter grade or take a Pass/No Pass (P/NP) option
instead.
We spoke with Lina Soto, the Associate Dean of Counseling, and Silver Calzada, the Department Chair and professor of Counseling to find out the pros and cons of the P/NP option.
鈥淎ny student considering the P/NP option should first consult a counselor,鈥� said Soto.
鈥淣ot having a letter grade in some classes can affect transferring and applying to
graduate school.鈥�
MANY THINGS TO CONSIDER
鈥淪tudents who are doing well this semester probably should not consider the P/NP option,鈥� said Calzada. 鈥淓arning a good letter grade improves your grade point average (GPA) and that will be used as you apply to four-year Universities and graduate schools. There is also a chance you may end up changing your planned major and that letter grade can be of use later on.鈥�
鈥淥n the flip side to that, a stellar student who had problems this semester might
not want to hurt their GPA, so the P/NP may be a great choice鈥� explained Soto. 鈥淲hile
the units will transfer to a four-year college; with P/NP, it鈥檚 a matter of how their
new college will count them to their general education and their major.鈥�
The P/NP option allows students to earn credit for a course without jeopardizing their GPA. A student who would normally be getting a 鈥淐鈥� or better in class will receive a 鈥淧ass,鈥� or they will receive a 鈥淣o Pass鈥� for any grade under that. The P/NP does not get calculated into their GPA, but the units still get rewarded with a Pass. However, no units are rewarded for a No Pass.
THERE鈥橲 NO RUSH
The most important thing to remember is that there is no rush for a student to decide. The deadline to take the P/NP option happens only after a student can see what they would get as a letter grade. Students will get an email with a letter grade the Tuesday of the week following their final, which will provide directions on how to change their grade option through the student portal and when the deadline is.
鈥淭hey will have until Thursday at 5pm to change their grading option,鈥� said Soto. 鈥淪ince a student will only have about a day and half to change this, they should meet with a counselor early to discuss which option is right for their situation. We won鈥檛 be able to serve all of our students in those two days. Also, we may need time to research their situation and the school they want to transfer to. Set up an appointment today if you are considering it.鈥�
鈥淚f they know early enough whether this option will work for them, they can either focus on other classes or work harder to achieve a good letter grade,鈥� Calzada.
COUNSELORS ARE READY TO HELP
Which brings up the second most important thing: that Mt. 91直播 counselors are working from home and are ready to advise students on this critical decision. Students may elect various methods of virtual counseling at the Online Counseling Website.
鈥淲e are still waiting for the Cal States to give us a full briefing on classes they will accept a P/NP,鈥� Calzada said. 鈥淲e know that the general education classes, and even the golden four (English 1A & 1C, transfer-level Math and Speech) can be done P/NP for Cal State Universities. However, some major-prep classes will probably have to be taken for a letter grade. Furthermore, what holds true for Cal States will not necessarily hold true for UC鈥檚, private universities and out-of-state colleges. We are waiting as they adapt to this new situation.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great option, but it is also a very difficult and complex one as well,鈥� said Soto. 鈥淭here is no 鈥榦ne answer fits all鈥� with P/NP,鈥� said Soto.
鈥淎nother thing to consider is that all Cal States have reduced the number of units needed to transfer to 48, down from 60. That is a huge relief,鈥� said Calzada. 鈥淓ven if a student earns a 鈥淒鈥� in a course, they can still apply that letter grade and get the full units for transfer to a Cal State. With a NP, they do not get the units.鈥�
鈥淛ust contact us,鈥� said Calzada. 鈥淎sk us 鈥榳hat do you think? That鈥檚 what we are here for.鈥�
P/NP MAY NOT BE ON THE TABLE
鈥淪ome courses will require a letter grade and P/NP will not be an option,鈥� explained Calzada. 鈥淯sually, this is because of rules and regulations in accreditation or licensing requirements. If you鈥檙e not sure, you can speak to a counselor.鈥�
The Counseling Department is offering appointments over phone, email-based, or video counseling, Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Use the or call (909) 346-3717 or (626) 387-3930.
