UC San Diego Campus Notice
ACADEMIC SENATE: SAN DIEGO DIVISION
January 22, 2021
Geisel library at sunset
ALL ACADEMICS AT UC SAN DIEGO

Temporary Academic Accommodations for Winter and Spring 2021
Dear Colleagues,  

The San Diego Senate’s Divisional Representative Assembly approved five temporary accommodations to Senate policies for Winter and Spring 2021 at its January 19, 2021 meeting. These accommodations were approved to support students as they navigate their academic pursuits during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Learning in a remote environment remains challenging, COVID-19 positivity rates are increasing with many students directly or indirectly impacted by this, and the stress and uncertainty that our students are facing has not diminished since Spring 2020.  

The following exceptions to San Diego Senate Regulations for Winter and Spring 2021 were approved:
  1. A limited-term exception to SD Regulation 500.D.2 to extend the deadline to change grading option (Letter or Pass/Not Pass grades) from the end of the fourth week to the end of the tenth week of instruction for undergraduate students. 
  2. A limited-term exception to SD Regulation 500.E.6 to extend the deadline to change grading option (Letter or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grades) from the beginning of the quarter (end of the fourth week, in practice) to the end of the tenth week of instruction for graduate students. 
  3. A limited-term exception to SD Regulations 501.B and 501.C to extend the deadline to drop a class or withdraw from the quarter with a “W” grade from the end of the sixth week to the end of the seventh week of instruction for undergraduate students.
  4. A limited-term exception to SD Regulation 500.D.1 to exclude P/NP grades earned from the 25% limit on the number of course units that may be completed on a P/NP basis and allow students not in good academic standing to enroll in courses for a P/NP grade. 
  5. A limited-term exception to SD Regulation 505.B to allow students to repeat courses with the P/NP or S/U grade option if previously taken for a letter grade and a D or F was awarded.
The following should also be noted:
  • Decisions about whether to accept Pass (P) or Satisfactory (S) grades toward major, minor, general education and degree requirements remain at the discretion of the academic unit. 
  • The Undergraduate and Graduate Councils, as the committees charged with overseeing courses of instruction, authorized allowing departments, programs, and colleges to offer undergraduate and graduate courses approved with the grading option of “Letter Grade Only” on a P/NP or S/U basis. This is a limited-term exception for Winter and Spring 2021.
  • The Graduate Council approved allowing departments and programs to accept the transfer of P grades earned by UC San Diego undergraduate students in Spring 2020 and AY2020-2021 to a UC San Diego Master’s or PhD degree program.
Thank you for all of your efforts to support student success and well-being. Additional information about the status of temporary educational policy changes can be found on the Senate's COVID-19 Updates webpage. For questions about the approved limited-term exceptions, please contact Senate Associate Director Lori Hullings, lhullings@ucsd.edu. 
Steven Constable
Chair, San Diego Divisional Academic Senate

Geoffrey Cook
Chair, Educational Policy Committee
University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093