Spring 2020

Upon the strong recommendation of Chico State’s Academic Senate and with guidance from the California State University Chancellor’s Office, President Gayle Hutchinson is making a one-time change to University grading policies for the spring 2020 semester. The intent of this change is to provide relief to students impacted academically by the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The following grading policies will be applied to the Spring 2020 semester only:

• All “F” grades will automatically be replaced with a “no credit” grade that will NOT be calculated in students’ overall GPAs.

• Students receiving “D” grades will be allowed to change them to “no credit” after grades are submitted.
  • Fill out the D to NC Grade Conversion Form, with your Name, Student ID, Wildcat Email address, and the class information for the class(es) in which you received a "D" Grade. You will be sent an email to validate your address. This form must be submitted from your Wildcat email address (ending in csuchico.edu)
  • Requests will need to be submitted by Friday, May 29, 11:59 pm.

Students are encouraged to contact their Major Advisor, Academic Advisor, Graduation Advisor, and/or the Office of the Registrar for more information. 

• Other Options:

Students may drop courses for any reason until May 8—and they will be allowed to repeat a course taken this semester again, even if they have taken the course twice before. Any courses/units dropped in spring 2020 will not count toward the 18-unit maximum for drops or withdrawals during a student’s matriculation.

Dropped spring 2020 courses will not be included in GPA calculations. However, dropping courses may come with academic and/or financial impacts, including a possible reduction in financial aid. The University strongly encourages students to contact their Major Advisor, Academic Advisor, Graduation Advisor, and/or the Office of the Registrar and, if necessary, the Financial Aid & Scholarship Office for more information.

Academic Policies and Regulations, including information on grading, credit/no credit and requirements can be found in the University Catalog(opens in new window).  

The above changes in grading policies apply to undergraduate courses only. Given the distinct nature and requirements, graduate and credential courses are not affected and will be evaluated as usual.

Before you decide

Impact on your GPA

For students who receive “D” grades and who elect to convert such grades to “no credit,” neither the original “D” grade nor the “no credit” grade will be calculated in their overall GPAs. However, they will receive no academic credit for the courses. For students who receive “D” grades and who elect no change, the “D” grades will be calculated in their overall GPA.

Impact on Requirements

Please know that a “D” is not a passing grade for general education courses in A1 - Oral Communication, A2 - Written Communication, A3 - Critical Thinking, and A4 - Mathematics/ Quantitative Reasoning, though it is passing for other GE courses, elective courses, as well as for some (though not all) major and minor courses. Before you decide to convert any “D” grades to “no credit,” consider whether it might affect your progress toward graduation. The University strongly encourages you to reach out to your academic advisor to discuss the implications.

Impact on your ability to Repeat courses

Students may retake Spring 2020 courses for which they receive “no credit” for a letter grade in future semesters. Such repeated courses will not be counted toward the 16-unit maximum for grade forgiveness. In other words, they will not count toward a student’s GPA.

Financial Aid

Please contact the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office, for more information. 

Athletics

Per current NCAA rules, student-athletes are required to meet minimum GPA requirements and degree progress benchmarks (each semester and annually), based on semesters of full-time enrollment. Decisions to elect CR/NC versus a letter grade may have an impact on your NCAA eligibility, athletic scholarship, and progress towards graduation. Questions related to athletic eligibility should be directed to Athletic Compliance Coordinator, Shannon Hall at smhall@csuchico.edu.

Educational Opportunities Program (EOP)

If you are considering opting for NC grades, you are urged to check with your EOP counselor prior to making a decision. Visit EOP’s Advising page or email: eop@csuchico.edu

International Students (F-1 & J-1 visa holders)

F-1 Visa Holders Seeking a Degree from CSU, Chico

You are permitted to elect the CR/NC grading option for any class(es)

Prior to withdrawing from any course, you must request permission from an International Student Advisor so that your immigration status can be protected and maintained.

Given the disruption to academic programs caused by COVID-19, the Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) has temporarily approved an additional category to its list of exceptions to full-time enrollment. During this time, and with the permission of an International Student Advisor, you may elect to withdraw from coursework even it is puts you below a full course load.

J-1 Exchange Students

The exchange agreement between your home university and CSU, Chico may require that you receive letter grades in your courses. Prior to electing the CR/NC grading option for any course, be sure to first secure authorization from your home institution.

Veterans

Please contact the Office of Veterans Affairs, for more information.  

To request a grade change

• All “F” grades will automatically be replaced with a “no credit” grade, after final grades are posted, May 25.  No action by the student is necessary.

• Students receiving “D” grades will be allowed to change them to “no credit” after grades are submitted.
  • Fill out the D to NC Grade Conversion Form, with your Name, Student ID, Wildcat Email address, and the class information for the class(es) in which you received a "D" Grade. You will be sent an email to validate your address. This form must be submitted from your Wildcat email address (ending in csuchico.edu)
  • Requests will need to be submitted by Friday, May 29, 11:59 pm.

• All other grade change requests are allowed via email. An email was sent to all faculty and departments with a template to use. Grading deadline remains Friday, May 22.