April 6, 2020

This message is distributed to SBFACU-L, SBNSF-L, SBNSOTHER-L, and SBADM-L.  (Click here to view description of distribution groups.)  

The following is being sent on behalf of Jeffrey Stopple, Associate Vice Chancellor, Office of Undergraduate Education
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Dear Colleagues:

I am writing with some important, time-sensitive updates to procedures and practices associated with spring quarter classes.

Final exams

Due to the switch to remote instruction for spring quarter, there will be no face to face exams, even for students still in residence.  A committee of faculty and staff has been formed to examine options for remote proctoring of exams; their report is expected very soon. Although we will do our best to provide viable options for remote exam proctoring, we continue to advise faculty to design other options for finals, wherever possible. Please keep in mind that some students have challenges with internet access and suitable locations to take proctored exams.

Graduating seniors/missing courses

In consultation with the Academic Senate, we will be setting some kind of policy to deal with the problem of graduating seniors missing a required class which was cancelled in the move to remote instruction for spring 2020.

Pass/No Pass grade options for students

Students have the option of changing grading to P/NP until the 10th week of spring quarter. Many faculty and students are unfamiliar with the details of the implementation of P/NP grades.  A student’s decision to take a course P/NP is invisible to the faculty member until final grades are submitted.  The faculty submits a letter grade in all cases, regardless of student choice.   The Registrar converts the letter grade to P if it is C or higher.  The letter grade is converted to NP if it is C- or lower.  Faculty should give grades exactly as if there were no P/NP option.  To do otherwise (i.e., asking students to self-disclose, or changing grades if they do) creates inequities.

Pass/No Pass grade options for departments

For spring 2020, Undergraduate Council has given pre-approval to departments requesting a temporary waiver of the unit limitations on P/NP grading stated in Senate Regulation 35. This waiver includes the current stipulation that a maximum of 8 units can be applied towards a student’s major.  Therefore:

  • If your major currently allows 8 units of P/NP grading, then units taken P/NP spring 2020 would not count towards the limit.  
  • If your major does not allow 8 units of P/NP, units taken P/NP for spring 2020 would still count towards the major/premajor.

For classes which count towards the major that are offered by a different department:

  • If the class is already coded optional grading, whether it counts for a major is up to the department that owns the major.
  • If the class is coded letter grade only, whether it can be taken P/NP depends on whether the department offering the course opts in.  If it does opt in, it counts towards a major only if the department that owns the major also opts in.

This pre-approval applies to all courses offered, whether they are currently optional grading (letter or P/NP) or letter grade only.

To emphasize, the deadline changes described above apply to all students, regardless of what their major department does.  For course applying towards the major, an entire department can choose to opt-in to the policy described above, or not.  Individual faculty within the department are not free to choose; it would be impractical and confusing to create a separate policy for each faculty member at UC Santa Barbara.

By Senate regulation, students on academic probation may not take classes P/NP. This regulation has not changed.

Again, to emphasize, it is not mandated for departments to participate.  However, it is important that students know what their options are as soon as possible, and that the Registrar have time to do the necessary programming. If your department chooses to opt in and allow these options for students, the department chair must inform me by email by 5PM on Friday April 17, the end of the third week of classes.

Please let me know if there are any questions.


Jeffrey Stopple
Associate Vice Chancellor
Office of Undergraduate Education