Students enrolled in undergraduate business courses will not be able to petition to have their course grading designation changed to pass-fail after April 27 at 5 p.m., according to an email sent the morning of the deadline from Senior Associate Dean and BBA Program Director Andrea Hershatter.
The Office of Undergraduate Education previously announced on April 2 that students would have until April 27, the final day of classes, to change their courses’ grading designation and could petition to have the designation changed to pass-fail after the deadline. On April 24, the office wrote that most petitions would be accepted. In another April 2 email, Hershatter wrote to BBA students that they would also be provided the opportunity to change their classes to pass-fail until the final day of classes, but did not indicate that they could petition after the deadline.
After receiving questions from students over the weekend, Hershatter clarified on the day of the deadline that BBA students would not be allowed to formally petition after the deadline.
“There never was a BBA petition process, nor was there any communication to BBA students that in any way raised the possibility of extending the deadline via petition,” Hershatter told the Wheel.
Hershatter told students that the decision not to accept petitions past the deadline was out of “equity for all students.”
“Students have relied on our word regarding the deadline and have already made determinations about which courses and assignments to emphasize accordingly,” she wrote.
Avery Crafts (20B) disagreed with BBA students' inability to petition for a grading designation change, citing the uncertainty of that many students face during the pandemic.
“Students could have great grades now, only to realize that they will not be able to prepare for finals because of any number of uncontrollable situations,” Crafts told the Wheel. “This is not the way to treat students who are already facing difficult times. Leniency and understanding is the answer here, not precedent.”
Hershatter also wrote that providing petitions for students “would raise the opportunity for GPA manipulation after grades have been assigned” as students could choose to change their course to pass-fail after receiving a low grade. She noted that under normal circumstances, no BBA course is allowed to be taken pass-fail, whereas Emory College has always provided the opportunity.
Students who are experiencing “health, technology, or living circumstances” that may exacerbate their performance on final exams can contact Hershatter directly to develop a plan. Hershatter noted that historically, the program office has provided students the option of a late withdrawal or an incomplete grade.
“On an exceptional basis, we will consider the ability to change your status in a class from [graded] to [pass-fail] to be one of a range of hardship accommodations that may be granted,” Hershatter wrote. “Please note that these requests must be considered during finals week and that Friday, May 8 is the final date of record for our graduating seniors.”
