Office of the Registrar

Effective immediately and for Spring 2020 only, all undergraduate and graduate students (with the exception of students in Personalized Learning programs) may convert Spring 2020 classes to Pass/Fail (P/F) grading with certain limitations (listed below).

Students may submit requests to change the grading scale for classes by submitting the Request to Change Grading Basis form. Students will have until May 2, 2020 to request Pass/Fail grading for a Spring 2020 class. Faculty will continue to assign grades as specified in the course syllabus.

• Only grades of “C” or higher will be equivalent to a “P” grade. Future prerequisite requirements of “C or better” will be met if a passing grade is earned.
• Courses that earn a “P” will satisfy requirements for degrees (including students’ majors and minors) and satisfy Liberal Studies and Diversity requirements. Furthermore, the current limit of 24 units of “P/F” grades will not include grades in Spring 2020 coursework.
• If a student selects the “P/F” option and earns a “D” grade, they will receive a “D.”
• “P” grades do earn credit but do not count in GPA calculations. “D” grades do earn credit and also count in GPA calculations. “F” grades do not earn credit but do count in GPA calculations.

LIMITATIONS:

• Some NAU professional, graduate, and undergraduate programs may restrict the “P/F” option in courses, for program-specific reasons. ALL STUDENTS should contact program leaders to clarify program-specific guidelines and rules regarding “P/F” grading. We have compiled a list of programs that typically do not allow P/F options or have limited some use of P/F.
• For students transferring to NAU, we have compiled program-specific information for our more common transfer programs. If you have questions that are not addressed, please refer to the advising contacts provided in the document.
• The P/F option is only available for courses that complete after March 23.
• Students who are considering medical, graduate, or professional school should connect with the appropriate faculty mentor or advisor to inform decisions regarding “P/F” grading requests, as this option may affect how a medical, graduate, or professional school calculates the GPA or reviews the transcript.

NOTE:

• No fees will be charged for requesting “P/F” grading if done by the May 2 deadline.
• Incomplete and “F” grades may affect your Scholarships and Financial Aid. Please contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at 855-628-6333 or by email at financialaid@nau.edu.

How do I submit a request for a PASS/FAIL grading basis?

The deadline to submit the Pass/Fail Request was May 2, 2020. (Spring 2020 ONLY). No requests will be accepted after the deadline.

Can all classes be changed to PASS/FAIL?

Any Spring 2020 regular letter graded class, that ends after March 23, 2020 may be requested to be taken as PASS/FAIL. Classes already offered as PASS/FAIL will continue to be graded in this manner.

When will the “P” grade be viewable on my record?

The Office of the Registrar will begin processing the Pass/Fail requests beginning on May 15, 2020.

How do I know if my request for Pass/Fail grading was received?

You will have received a confirmation email from The Office of the Registrar indicating your request for the Pass/Fail grading option. Please check your NAU email.

What if I’m repeating a course for grade replacement?

A grade of “P” cannot grade replace a letter grade. If you are attempting to grade replace a previous course you should not elect to change your grading basis. You may contact the Registrar’s Office at 928-523-5490 or email registrar.grades@nau.edu for further clarification or questions.

What letter grades can be converted to a “P” grade?

For the Spring 2020 term, letter grades of “C” or higher can earn a “P” grade. If a student requests a PASS/FAIL grading basis and earns a “D” grade, the “D” grade will remain.

Can both undergraduate and graduate students request this change to the grading basis?

Yes, both undergraduate and graduate students taking classes assigning a letter grade can request this change for Spring 2020.

Will Spring 2020 PASS/FAIL classes count towards the number of limited PASS/FAIL courses?

No, Spring 2020 PASS/FAIL graded classes will not count towards the limited amount of 24 units.

When can I request this change?

As soon as you know that you would like to earn a “P” grade, in lieu of the letter grade, you may submit the online request form.  The deadline to submit the form is May 2, 2020.

Will a “P” or “F” grade calculate in my GPA and earn credit?

“P” grades do earn credit but do not count in GPA calculations. “D” grades do earn credit and also count in GPA calculations. “F” grades do not earn credit but do count in GPA calculations.

Can a PASS/FAIL graded class count towards my degree requirements?

For Spring 2020 only, classes that earn a “P” will satisfy requirements for degrees (including students’ majors and minors) and satisfy Liberal Studies and Diversity requirements.

Will a PASS/FAIL class satisfy prerequisites for other courses?

Only grades of “C” or higher will be equivalent to a “P” grade for the Spring 2020 term. Therefore, future prerequisite requirements of “C or better” will be met if a passing grade is earned.

How does a grade of “P” transfer to NAU?

Classes transferred to NAU with a “P” grade will be accepted according to published articulation rules.  Transfer courses do not have an impact on cumulative GPA since the assigned grade is not part of the  NAU GPA calculation. Competitive entry programs that require a specific grade for admission may choose to accept a grade of “P” when making admission decisions.  Specific guidance can be provided by the programs directly. The Honors College will accept transfer of a “P” grade, but GPA will continue to be an important criterion for  admissions to the College.

How will PASS/FAIL grades affect my scholarships or financial aid?

Those questions can be answered by visiting the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid website, calling them at 855-628-6333, or emailing them at financial.aid@nau.edu.

How might graduate schools or others reviewing my transcript interpret this PASS/FAIL?

Students who are considering medical, graduate, or professional school should connect with the appropriate faculty mentor or advisor to inform decisions regarding “PASS/FAIL” grading requests, as this option may affect how a medical, graduate, or professional school calculates the GPA or reviews the transcript.

What about “retro-credits” for language courses?

Students must get a “B” grade or better to receive retro-credit. Therefore, it is imperative that students who applied for retro-credit do not take the P/F option in their qualifying class if they are receiving an A or B in class. Please refer to the Department of Global Languages and Cultures webpage.

For courses completed on or after Mach 23, 2020, the last date for a student-initiated Spring 2020 course withdrawal is May 2, 2020. Students may submit a request to withdraw from a class online through their LOUIE Student Center.

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION:
A “W” may affect your Scholarships and Financial Aid, please contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at 855-628-6333 or by email at financialaid@nau.edu.

How can a student complete an individual course withdrawal?

Online through the LOUIE Student Center

Where are the updated deadlines?

Deadlines are updated on the Registrar’s Office Important Dates and Deadlines webpage.

After the deadline, is it still possible to petition for withdrawal?

Yes, after the extended deadline, students can still petition for withdrawal by submitting the Withdraw from a Course After the Course Withdrawal Deadline Petition found on the Registrar’s Office Forms and Policies webpage under “Enrollment and Petition Forms.”

Does this extended deadline change the refund period?

No.  The refund period for classes remains the same.

If a student requests an “Incomplete,” faculty should consider individual circumstances in the context of this challenging semester. The student and the instructor must complete a written agreement using the Incomplete Contract located on the Registrar’s Office Forms and Policies webpage under “General Forms.” This form will specify course work to be completed by the student and due dates, in order for the Incomplete grade to be replaced with a grade for the completed course. Due dates may not extend further than 12 months from the end of the term in which the student was enrolled in the course.

Typical circumstances under which a student might receive an “I’ include, but are not limited to:

• Lack of consistent online access;
• An individual becomes ill and unable to complete the remainder of the course;
• An individual is serving as the primary caregiver for a family member that is ill.
• Cancellation of internships, clinicals, or other similar educational experiences.

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION
Be aware that some courses serve as prerequisites, and incomplete contracts for courses that serve as prerequisites must be given a completion date that does not interfere with a student’s ability to enroll and participate in future coursework.

The academic continuation status of an undergraduate student will not change from their status at the beginning of the Spring 2020, unless their standing improves as the result of Spring 2020 GPA calculations. If Spring 2020 grades improve the cumulative GPA, the academic continuation status will be changed to allow students to move off academic probation.

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION:
Students are encouraged to consult with academic, athletic, financial aid, scholarship, international, or military and veteran services advisors if there are specific questions for unique circumstances.

All forms and approvals may be submitted electronically via your NAU email to the Registrar’s Office.

• Approvals can either be a signature on the form or a forwarded email from the approver’s NAU email account.
• Please make sure to include all NAU email approvals and/or signatures when submitting the form to the Registrar’s Office.
• Links to our forms can be found on our Forms page.

Current Students

• Select “official transcript request” from the other academic drop down in LOUIE.

Former Students

• Navigate to the National Student Clearinghouse

Follow these steps to verify your enrollment

• Login to LOUIE
• Select “Enrollment Verification” from the other academic drop down
• Complete order form
• Paper based Enrollment Verification

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