Undergraduate FAQs for Fall 2022 Grading

Knowing that there are several questions about the effects of missing grades being replaced with “P” grades for fall 2022 classes, here are answers to the most frequent questions we have seen. The FAQs below relate to the policies that apply to all undergraduates; if your questions are specifically about classes you’ve taken for major qualification or for major requirements, please refer to any information you have received from your major advising office or contact your major advisor. 

Q: What is a P grade?

A: P stands for “pass,” and is a notation that indicates a student has completed work that would have earned a C grade or higher if a letter grade had been reported. Classes in which P grades are reported satisfy general education requirements, earn credits, and serve as prerequisites. P grades are “silent” in the GPA. Some majors on campus require letter grades instead of P grades.

Q: If I have a P reported for a fall 2022 class in which I requested a letter grade, does that mean I will never get a letter grade?

A: Instructors have up to one year to change a grade, and we anticipate that most, but not all, P grades will be updated to letter grades over the coming weeks. If you have questions about whether this will happen, you may contact the instructor for the class. The department offering the course can also be a resource.

Q: If a missing grade from fall 2022 was replaced with a P grade, can I trust that I will definitely receive credit for the class?

A: Instructors have up to one year to change a grade. If your Pass grade is changed to a non-passing grade (No Pass or C- or below), it may affect your graduation progress. If you feel you did not do passing work for a class, contact your advisor about how this might affect your graduation progress. If you feel that your work was passing but your grade was replaced with a non-passing grade, you may file a Committee on Courses of Instruction (CCI) grade grievance (scroll to the bottom of the linked page for more information).

Q: Can academic advisors submit grades, or ask my instructor to submit grades?

A: Your advisors can advise you on your academic progress requirements and help you understand the implications of receiving P grades, but they are unable to facilitate your receiving a letter grade.

Q: What if I needed a letter grade in my fall class to declare or make progress in my major?

A: The academic senate has specified that any P grades that replace missing grades will not affect the student’s ability to progress in their major or graduate under letter grade requirements, and this includes progress through major declaration. If your planned major has a GPA threshold, a Pass (P) grade should be treated as meeting that threshold.

Q: Will a Pass (P) affect my GPA?

A: P/NP grades do not impact your university or major GPA. Only courses with a letter grade impact your GPA.

Q: Will Pass grades in fall 2022 affect my ability to graduate because of the 25% limit on P grades for graduation?

A: UCSC’s policies limit the amount of classes that students can take on a P/NP basis. Following a request from the Student Union Assembly (SUA), the Committee on Educational Policy decided that fall 2022 P/NP grades will not be included in the calculation that requires no more than 25% of UCSC credits be graded on a P/NP basis. The complete 25% policy is available in the General Catalog.

Q: When will grading be completed?

A: Faculty and departments are continuing work to grade fall 2022 courses, in some cases making use of an allocation of central funding for readers/graders. The circumstances of each course are unique, and instructors are the best source of information regarding course grades. 

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