Many universities allow students to ‘freeze’ grades

Grades may seem trivial in the middle of a pandemic. But for undergraduate university students who’ve spent countless hours studying in the hopes of getting into competitive graduate programmes, COVID-19 has thrown an unexpected twist into those plans, writes Graham Slaughter for CTV News.

Many Canadian universities are offering undergrad students the choice between a final grade this semester or a standard pass on their transcripts. But in some cases, universities are passing all students, no matter how hard they’ve worked, or are moving ahead with usual grading practices.

With on-campus classes cancelled and residences shuttered, many universities have acknowledged that students may not be operating at their A-game. John Doerksen, Western University’s vice-provost of academic programs and students, said it’s important to cut students some slack. “What we’re trying to balance in our approach is compassion and understanding for students and the situation they find themselves in, and on the other hand, the academic standards of the institution,” Doerksen told CTV News in a phone interview on Tuesday.
Full report on the CTV News site