Policies & Procedures

We know there are questions about the effects of missing spring 2024 grades being replaced with “P” (Pass) grades about 30 days after the grade submission deadline. The FAQs below are based on Academic Senate direction and Registrar policy, and are intended to guide advisors and departments in supporting students. They address common concerns about graduation, major requirements, advising processes, and student support. For questions specific to major qualification or requirements, please refer to information 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: When will missing grades be replaced with P grades?
  • A: About 30 days after the grading deadline for each quarter, any grades that your instructor has entered and saved in MyUCSC will be posted to your transcript and available to see on MyUCSC. After those grades are posted, any remaining missing grades will be posted to your transcript as P grades.
• Q: If I have a P reported for a 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. 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 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 lower 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. Students in this situation should work with the faculty/department chair/division to ensure their final grade is submitted.
• Q: What if I needed a letter grade in my 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) grade 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 a Pass (P) grade for a class in which I requested a letter grade affect my ability to graduate because of the 25% limit on P grades for graduation?
  • A: UCSC’s policies limit the portion of classes that students can take on a P/NP basis. A related policy, however, indicates 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.” Based on this policy, P/NP grades that replace missing grades in classes for which you requested a letter grade 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: The circumstances of each course are unique, and instructors are the best source of information regarding course grades.
• Q: Will missing grades replaced with P grades have an impact specific to undergraduate students on F1 /J1 visas? 
  • A: No, this won’t have a specific impact on international students as it relates to  your visa/immigration requirements. F-1 and J-1 undergraduate students must show that they attempted at least 12 units per quarter for a letter grade (ABCDF), or P/NP. Students with specific questions about their individual situations should consult with their International Student Advisor.

• Q: Where can students find information about missing grades being replaced by P?
  • A: We have posted information here that you are welcome to share with students who have concerns. Sometime after the grading deadline, messaging will go to students who are affected, and we’ll share that information with advisors when it’s sent.
• Q: We are aware that a standing policy applies that after the ninth week of instruction, automatic conversion of P/NP grades to letter grades can be approved when letter grades are required to fulfill major or graduation requirements (C for P and F for NP). Is this how cases will be addressed for graduating students with P grades that replace missing grades?
  • A: Because 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, this should make the process noted above unnecessary. For students who needed letter grades in major requirements, departments should evaluate graduation requirements consistent with this guidance from the academic senate. 
  • Since, for those students who requested letter grades, P grades replacing missing grades in spring 2024 will not be included in the maximum 25% allowable, the only students who may find themselves out of compliance based on P grades in spring 2024 are those who were already out of compliance with the 25% P/NP threshold, and were hoping to bring that percentage down with spring 2024 grades. We will approach these instances on an individual basis; if you encounter such students, please bring them to the attention of the University Registrar and/or the AVP for Undergraduate Advising. 
• Q: Do students have the right to request a letter grade at a later time if they took a class for a letter grade and are unhappy with the P designation?
  • A: Students have a right to the letter grades that they have earned in cases where they requested letter grades. Students who have not received a letter grade over the coming weeks should contact their instructor and the overseeing department.
• Q: How will this be handled in light of the graduation checklist deadline for spring 2024 graduation candidates? Or for students who are planning on grad school?
  • A: The replacement of missing grades with P grades should allow major-sponsoring agencies to verify graduation requirements for students who applied for spring 2024 graduation, especially given that 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.
  • We don’t know how this might affect graduate school admission. If students are concerned about the possibility of a P grade affecting their chances for admission, they may reach out to their instructors and the institutions to which they’re applying.
• Q: Will the replacement of missing grades with a P have a specific impact on undergraduate students on an F1/J1 visa?
  • A: No, this won’t have a specific impact on our international students as it relates to their visa/immigration requirements. F-1 and J-1 undergraduate students must show that they attempted at least 12 units per quarter for a letter grade (ABCDF), or P/NP. Students with specific questions about their individual situations should consult with their International Student Advisor.
• Q: For students who are upset or have grievances with their situation, who should they be referred to? Who can answer some of these tricky situations outside of the department? What is the “chain of command for referrals”?
  • A: The first inquiry should go to the instructor; then to the chair of the course-sponsoring agency; then to the dean. Advisors can help students by clarifying the appropriate referral process, by helping them understand any implications of receiving P grades, and by acknowledging the discomfort that often accompanies ambiguity.
• Q: If a student is certain they didn’t pass, but has a missing grade, or a P grade, and is trying to retake the course, should the student be enrolled with an OVR code? 
  • A: No – advisors should never use OVR codes for this scenario as it could result in a duplication of credit if the student’s work actually was passing.  Students in this situation should work with the faculty/department chair/division to ensure their final grade is submitted.
• Q: How do we handle a case where a student had a P for a requirement and then it is later reported as a non passing grade?
  • A: This may look very different based on the requirement in question, the timing of the change to a non-passing grade, and the student’s proximity to graduation – for this reason, these will need to be evaluated individually. If a non-passing grade is reported soon, it would make sense to require the student to re-take the class or requirement in question. If further down the line, the advisor can consult with their undergraduate program director or department chair about whether an exception is warranted (recognizing that some exceptions, such as the DC requirement or the 40 upper division credit minimum requirement for majors, cannot be approved by the department).
  • As always, faculty can change grades at any time, up to one year after the grading deadline on their own, and longer through CCI. Students in this situation may file a grade grievance.  If we find any changes right at graduation time, please ensure the University Registrar and the AVP Undergraduate Advising are aware, who will discuss the situation with VPDUEGE. 
• Q: If letter grades are required to qualify for the major I advise for and students have P grades, should I postpone approving students’ declaration petitions until a letter grade is reported?  Should I use the one quarter deferral (setting conditions for declaration that will be settled within at most one quarter), in the hopes a grade might be posted?
  • A: No. CEP has specified that default P grades should not impact a student’s progress in the major, and this includes major declaration. In programs with a specific course grade threshold, a default P grade should be treated as meeting that threshold. In programs with a GPA level across several courses, courses with default P grades should be treated as meeting that threshold. For example, if the threshold is 2.7, the credits associated with the P grade should be treated as having earned 2.7 per credit in the GPA calculation.
• Q: If a student is satisfied with the P grade they have received and doesn’t want it changed to a letter grade, what can they do?
  • A: Students who wish to change their grading option from letter grading to P/NP for spring 2024 classes are encouraged to use the CCI appeal process for grading option changes.
• Q: For students graduating soon, how will the P be handled for their university honors review?
  • A: University honors are awarded at the time of graduation to students who have completed 70 or more units at the University of California; and have a qualifying UC grade point average. Because a P is silent in the GPA, their GPA will be based on the remainder of their UC grades.
• Q: For departments, can we retroactively go back and issue honors in the major if a letter grade is posted down the line?
  • A: Yes, departments are able to notify the Office of the Registrar if there are any additional department honors to be awarded.
• Q: I am concerned about students with default “P” grades eventually, maybe, having grades convert to a non-passing grade anytime through June 2025. That seems profoundly unfair. I assume the purpose of the default “P” is to allow things to move forward, not to create potential future barriers for students. I feel we should consider default “P” grades as passing grades for declaration, graduation, etc. indefinitely, without the possibility of future crisis for the student. Can policy be developed to address this concern?
  • A: Policy already exists. While instructors of record have responsibility and authority over their student’s grade, the academic senate has specified that “instructors will not be able to replace [default P grades] with an NP grade, or a grade of C- or lower, without being liable to a grade grievance.” If such replacement occurs, students may consult the Grade Grievance Information at the bottom of the CCI webpage.

We’ve received several questions about how the maximum 25% P/NP graduation requirement will be calculated given recent changes in policies surrounding P/NP grading. Because this grading requirement is a graduation requirement that applies to all undergraduates, college advising offices hold primary responsibility for understanding and advising students on these matters. In general, student questions about this should be referred to the Colleges.

P grades earned in spring, summer and fall 2020, and winter, spring, and summer 2021, and/or those earned as a result of “Pass” grades replacing missing grades during fall 2019 or winter 2020 when a letter grade was requested will not be included at all in the calculation of the 25% max P grades allowed for graduation.  This means that many students may request P/NP grading in several courses during this period and not become out of compliance with the graduation policy. Students who had already earned more than 25% of their credits P/NP before this policy was enacted and are close to graduation, however, will need to take at least some of their courses for grades to meet the requirement. Note that courses taken through EAP and the Intercampus Visitor Program are included along with UCSC courses in the normal calculation, and in the exclusion during remote instruction.

Since the AIS fix that will calculate this is not expected to be available for some time, and advisors are getting questions from students now, we have developed a few scenarios (see below) that may be useful to college advisors when responding to student inquiries. Until the AIS fix is applied, the Student Advising Summary will not reflect the removal of credits earned with P during this period. For the time being, to identify if a student was assigned a P for a course for which they requested a grade, you can view the “Academics” tab of New/Drop-In Advisees and then click the fall and winter quarter in the Term Summary section. 

Please note, however, that students may still need letter grades for major qualification courses or for major requirements. Because each department may be approaching this in a different way, students should be referred to their department advisors if they are considering P/NP grading in major courses.

Students have until the deadline in the academic calendar to make changes to their grading option for this quarter.

Scenario 1:

• Q: I have earned a total of 100 UCSC credits: 90 with letter grades, and 10 with P grades as of the end of W’20. Can I take all my classes P/NP in spring 2020?
  • A: Yes – as long as your department confirms it’s OK to take any major classes on a P/NP basis. After winter, you have earned 10% of your credits as P/NP (10/100). P/NP credits from spring will not be included in the calculation, so you will still be at 10% P/NP after spring (10/100). 
• Q: What if I take 5 credits for a letter grade and 10 P/NP in spring 2020?
  • A: That’s also OK as long as your department confirms it’s OK to take any major classes on a P/NP basis. After spring, you will be at 9.6% P/NP (10/105). 

Note that the 5 credits taken for letter grades in spring are included in the calculation; the 10 credits taken P/NP are ignored in the calculation. 

Scenario 2:

• Q: I have earned a total of 100 UCSC credits: 90 with letter grades, and 10 with P grades as of the end of W’20. Can I take all my classes P/NP in spring 2020?
  • A: Yes – as long as your department confirms it’s OK to take any major classes on a P/NP basis. After winter, you have earned 10% of your credits as P/NP (10/100). P/NP credits from spring will not be included in the calculation, so you will still be at 10% P/NP after spring (10/100). 
• Q: What if I take 5 credits for a letter grade and 10 P/NP in spring 2020?
  • A: That’s also OK as long as your department confirms it’s OK to take any major classes on a P/NP basis. After spring, you will be at 9.6% P/NP (10/105). 

Note that the 5 credits taken for letter grades in spring are included in the calculation; the 10 credits taken P/NP are ignored in the calculation. 

The Declaration of Major process is designed to make declaring a major/minor a simple administrative process while ensuring students have feasible graduation plans and access to timely advising tailored to their needs.  Formal declaration (entering a major on AIS) is no longer temporally tied to a series of sequential mandatory advising contacts.  Instead, programs have great flexibility to develop their own internal advising timelines and major/minor planning processes to meet students’ and institutional needs.  Planning and advising, including faculty mentorship of undergraduates, can take place in advance of formal declaration and/or following formal declaration.  Only complex plans (double majors, major/minors, combined majors) and plans that take students beyond their posted EGT (expected graduation term) will require a standard campus academic planning form in conjunction with declaration. 

Because formal declaration and advising are no longer temporally linked, the process encourages innovative delivery of advising services; high-quality advising and rich mentorship that is student-centered, responsive and flexible; advising and planning motivated by need and good management rather than driven by deadlines.

Guiding principles for the process:

• The process should be student-friendly and not require students to take actions that are not useful.
• Programs have flexibility and discretion on type of planning required in most cases.
• More scrutiny should be required (in the form of a quarter-by-quarter academic plan) for students who may have difficulties completing the program within their maximum quarters of eligibility.

Highlights of the process:

• Single majors may be declared directly at the major program office – potentially in one stop – when EGT is not exceeded.
• Only plans that exceed the EGT require planning with the major/minor program advisers and the college adviser so that EGT may be revised.
• Double majors, major/minor, and combined majors may be declared by filing a planning form signed by relevant program advisers – when EGT is not exceeded.
• College advising on general requirements as well as time-to-degree policies will routinely be delivered by various methods outside the context of major declaration.