University of Manitoba - School of Art - COVID-19 Grade Options
COVID-19 Grade Options

School of Art FAQs for COVID-19 Grade Options

The School of Art has tried to anticipate your questions in regard to the grade options made available due to the COVID-19 interruption of the 2020 Winter term. If you do not find the answer in these FAQs, please reach out to the School of Art advisor by email:  Soadvise@umanitoba.ca

Undergraduate students please note: the School of Art’s minimum grade required to pass all studio/art history undergraduate courses is a “C.”  These FAQs therefore refers to “C” grades rather than the “D” minimum grade that other faculties might need for a student to pass when choosing the Pass/Fail option.

Graduate students please note: you should not select the Pass/Fail option for any of your courses, because the Pass/Fail option is not equivalent to passing a course for School of Art graduate students.  (School of Art graduate students must earn a “B” grade or higher for Studio Concentration courses, and a “C+” grade or higher for all other courses, and the Pass/Fail option does not correspond to this.)  A grade of Pass will not count toward degree requirements. However, graduate students may still select the option to “exclude a grade from my GPA calculation”; see questions below addressing this option.

All students please note: “regardless of any choice made with respect to course grading, students will remain obliged to meet all existing admission, prerequisite, progression, degree, and graduation policies and requirements that may apply to them.” (approved by Senate Executive Committee, April 1, 2020)


Q1: What is the difference between “excluding a grade from my GPA calculation” and choosing the “Pass/Fail” grading option?

A1: In both cases, your grade will be excluded from your GPA calculation. If you choose to exclude a grade from your GPA, it will still appear on your transcript. If you choose the “Pass” option, only the “P (pass)” will appear on your transcript.

If you choose to exclude your grade from the GPA calculation but not select the Pass/Fail option, AURORA will still use the grade you earned when it checks for prerequisites and degree requirements – it just won’t count the grade in your overall GPA calculation.

Choosing the Pass/Fail option excludes the course from the GPA calculation and also removes the letter grade you earned from your transcript. AURORA won’t use a “P” grade the same way it uses “C” or better grades for prerequisites or degree requirements.


Q2: If I choose the Pass/Fail grading option, can I use my “P” grade to satisfy the prerequisite for upper-level courses?

A2: No. Any student wishing to satisfy a prerequisite must obtain the minimum requirements for the prerequisite course that are indicated in the course description.

Even if you had earned the minimum prerequisite grade required prior to selecting the Pass/Fail option, once you have selected the Pass/Fail option, then you may not use that course with a grade of “P” as a prerequisite to other courses.

You can select the “Exclude grade from GPA calculation” option and still use that course and grade (provided it meets the listed minimum) for program entry and / or prerequisite purposes.


Q3: If I choose the Pass/Fail grading option for an Honours course, will I still be able to continue in the Honours program, or graduate?

A3: No. Studio Honours students are required to achieve a grade of “B” or better in any of the following courses: STDO 4710, STDO 4810, STDO 4720, STDO 4820, STDO 4730, STDO 4910, STDO 4920.



Q4: What happens if I fail a course during the 2020 Winter term?

A4: If you should happen to fail a 2020 Winter Term course, the final grade for that course:
* •    Will appear on your transcript as “F*”; and
* •    Will remain on your record; and
* •    Will NOT count in the calculation of your GPA; and
* •    Will NOT be counted in the end of term assessment toward your maximum number of allowable F grades.

Q5: Will a grade of “F*” in the 2020 Winter term be used to assess my academic progress?

A5: No. “F*” grades accrued during the 2020 Winter term (including spanned courses that end during the 2020 Winter term) will not be counted toward the maximum number of allowable F grades used by the School of Art when we assess for a student’s eligibility to proceed.

 
Q6: If I choose to exclude a grade from my GPA calculation and/or choose to have any of my courses graded as a “P” instead of the letter grade I earned, will I still be able to graduate?

A6: It depends. School of Art (Studio or Art History) courses that a student may choose to exclude from their GPA calculation and/or choose to have marked using the “P/F” option cannot be used to satisfy degree requirements, since a minimum grade of “C” is required for all School of Art courses.

However, courses offered by another Faculty or unit that students may choose to exclude from their GPA calculation and/or choose to have marked using the “P/F” option can be used to satisfy degree requirements.  For example, a student taking a Women’s Studies course in the Faculty of Arts that chooses the “P/F” option can still use that course to satisfy an elective requirement.

It is important to note that if a student makes the choice to exclude a grade from the GPA calculation or selects to have any of their courses marked as “P”, those courses will not be used for any of the following School of Art minimum average grade calculations completed during graduation checking:
* •    Minimum “C” average on the 90 credit hours that are used toward the 3-year B.F.A. (Art History) General Degree
* •    Minimum “C” average on the 93 credit hours that are used toward the 3-year B.F.A. (Studio) General degree
* •    Minimum “C+” average on the 93 credit hours that are used toward the 4-year Diploma in Art
* •    Minimum “C+” average on the 120 credit hours that are used toward the 4-year B.F.A. (Art History) Honours degree
* •    Minimum “C+” average on the 123 credit hours that are used toward the 4-year B.F.A. (Studio) Honours degree

Q7: If I choose to exclude a grade from my GPA calculation, will it negatively impact my chances for any of the following: scholarships, prizes, bursaries, medals?

A7: No. Students who choose to exclude a grade from their GPA calculation may use the credit hours of that course to satisfy load requirements for any of the following: scholarships, prizes, bursaries, medals. Accordingly, the grade for the “excluded” course(s) will not be used in any GPA calculation described in the specific terms of reference for each scholarship, prize, bursary, or medal.


Q8: If I choose to exclude a grade from my GPA calculation or have any of my courses marked using the Pass/Fail option, can I still:
* a.    Be on the Dean’s Honour list?
* b.    Graduate with First Class Honours?

A8:
* a.    Dean’s Honour List: It depends.  To qualify for the Dean’s Honour list, students must complete a minimum of 9 credit hours in the term and have a minimum Term Grade Point Average of 3.3. Courses students choose to exclude from the GPA calculation or have marked as Pass/Fail cannot be used to satisfy the Dean’s Honour List minimum credit hour or grade requirements.

* b.    First Class Honours: It depends.  Any course(s) a student has selected to be excluded from their GPA calculations (including opting for Pass/Fail grade(s)) cannot be used to satisfy either the minimum credit hour or grade requirements for graduating with “First Class Honours”.


Q9: If I choose to have my course marked using the Pass/Fail option, can I use that course to satisfy the admissions requirements of another Faculty at the U of M? At another institution?

A9: No. Faculties or schools who require specific grades in specific courses will not accept a grade of “Pass” in any required course, unless they specifically say that they will in their admissions documentation.

However, students who choose to exclude an earned grade from their GPA calculation but also choose to have the grade remain on their record can use that grade to meet the course and/or adjusted GPA admission requirements of another Faculty at the U of M or another institution.

Students should also think carefully about how their target faculty or school may adjust the grade point average of applicants to their schools or programs. Selecting a grade of “P” in courses now could have unintended consequences related to the adjusted grade point average calculation of their target faculty/school/institution. Before choosing the Pass/Fail grading option, students are encouraged to contact the admissions office of their destination.