In March 2020, SUNY Plattsburgh joined other colleges nationwide in moving to remote instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Course instruction was provided through the Moodle learning management system using a variety of modalities. Course instructors provided students with information about how the course was to proceed. Students could request help on Cardinal Star by raising the “I have a question about remote instruction due to the Coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak” flag. Academic advisement was available for students remotely.
For Spring 2020 only, SUNY Plattsburgh modified several grading policies in order to hold students harmless for the disruption caused by COVID-19.
- Pass/Fail Grading Policy - Students had the option to select pass/fail instead of standard letter grading in all undergraduate courses up until one day after final grades were submitted. The pass/fail option was not available for graduate courses. A pass (P) grade could be selected for letter grades equivalent to a D or better. A pass grade is not calculated in semester or cumulative GPAs, however a fail grade is equivalent to an E and is counted in the GPA. A pass grade met requirements for progression in programs and course prerequisites that required a grade of a C or better and was accepted in Advanced Writing Courses and ENG101 as meeting graduation requirements. Pass grades in repeated courses were allowed to replace previously earned grades and removed the previous grade from GPA calculations. Students were directed to the COVID-19 Grading Advisement Guide and to seek guidance from their academic advisors prior to selecting pass/fail grading. Exceptions were made related to the impact the number of credits of pass grades had on eligibility for graduation honors on a case-by-case basis.
- The Course Withdrawal Policy - Temporary modifications allowed course withdrawals until the end of the semester without an additional extenuating circumstance. Course withdrawal fees were waived.
- The Incomplete Grade Policy - The modifications allowed a student who completed less than 75 percent of the coursework the option to receive an incomplete grade. Students were required to complete the remaining work by the end of the Fall 2020 semester. In accordance with the policy, students who do not complete the coursework by the end of the subsequent semester will receive a grade of E.
- The Repeated Course Grading Policy - This policy was modified to count the highest grade rather than the most recently earned grade, or the grade selected by the student.
- Academic Dismissal Policy - The Spring 2020 end-of-semester academic progress review process was suspended. Students whose cumulative GPAs fell below a 2.0 were automatically offered reinstatement on academic probation rather than dismissal. If a student opted to not accept the offer to return on probation, they were allowed to withdraw from college rather than be dismissed. Students on academic probation will be provided intensive support in the fall.
- Dean’s List - Due to emergency remote instruction, eligibility for the Dean’s List in Spring 2020 required a minimum of 6 credits taken as standard letter grade for full time students.