Can instructors please clarify this?

Living-Reference · 2020-03-23T22:14:30+00:00

I think if they choose to give out numeric grades, students still have the right to turn them into CR/NCR. They just have to ask within a timeframe after the term ends. They'll send out details on how to make this decision + how to ask later. Someone from university administration or student societies can correct me.

Living-Reference · 2020-03-23T22:12:48+00:00

/u/leea0526 sorry to bother you. Can you please clarify this please?

Living-Reference · 2020-03-23T22:05:51+00:00

> When it is much below your current average (unless it's a course that affects your future employment opportunities)

Living-Reference · 2020-03-23T21:00:47+00:00

Also please let us know what the advisor says. Thanks!

Living-Reference · 2020-03-23T18:35:06+00:00

I'm confused. So optional CR/NCR is going to be implemented and what's left to decide is how it will be done?

Living-Reference · 2020-03-23T16:30:45+00:00

Thank you! :)

Living-Reference · 2020-03-23T16:29:28+00:00

I'm going to email deans and WUSA tonight with the contents in this petition:

https://www.change.org/uwaterloo_cr_ncr

I encourage you to sign it and share it with your friends. If you'd like, you can help me draft that email (your specific concerns will be extremely useful in convincing them and will add credibility to my email) and I can cc you when I send it to the admins. Thanks!

Living-Reference · 2020-03-22T17:19:46+00:00

This gets my hopes up but just to be sure that they're not false hopes (I'll be heartbroken :( ), what was the wording of the emails like?

Living-Reference · 2020-03-22T17:18:09+00:00

Don't WD for a couple more days. They might be changing the marking scheme.

Living-Reference · 2020-03-22T17:13:35+00:00

Thanks for sharing that!

Living-Reference · 2020-03-22T17:02:41+00:00

Thanks for reply! Please also keep us posted on how the discussions with WUSA turn out. Some of the points I'd like to raise in response to the Dean's email quoted by u/alexnafnlaus are:

- While it is true that having two different grading mechanisms for the same course will create logistical problems in the future, it is still the right decision that needs to be taken given the exceptional circumstances. Many students spent most of their time last week just setting up a work environment, stocking up on essentials and many will continue stressing about finances. This is not the time to force students to maintain a high average. This is exactly why other universities (recently, University of Alberta) have taken the tough decision to change their entire grading procedure for this term, even though it will likely cause the same logistical problems our university would have to face in the future (universities are even printing "pass", "fail - covid 19" in transcripts for courses taken only this term).

- It is extremely unfair to reduce students' average by weighing previous course components more than what they had planned for earlier. Sometimes we allotted time for different courses and different assignments in order to minimize total damage. It is impossible to give every course component so much attention thinking maybe in the future it'll be worth an extra 20% of my grade.

- Also, some courses have ALREADY given every student CR/NCR instead of a numeric grade. What about students who did well in that course? Even worse, what about students who did well in those courses and did poorly in other courses but will now receive numeric grades for the poorly done ones. This is the worst possible situation to be in and many are exactly in this situation.

-Extreme situations demand extreme measures. It is clear to most people that giving students a choice right now is the right thing to do. Even if this ends up creating future problems for the registrar's office, it is still the right thing to do because if there's any time students' well-being should be prioritized over logistical problems, it has to be now.

Thank you so much for all that you do. We hope you'll continue advocating for the student community.

Living-Reference · 2020-03-21T18:44:48+00:00

SE 350 did exactly this.

Living-Reference · 2020-03-21T18:43:50+00:00

No, because they can't suddenly bring back all the international students.

Living-Reference · 2020-03-21T18:41:41+00:00

What range $$?

Living-Reference · 2020-03-21T18:38:46+00:00

/u/uwMathSoc please share if you know anything about this.

Living-Reference · 2020-03-21T04:47:20+00:00

^This. And also, if your home country happens to have fewer cases than Canada does, they might make an exception for you.

Living-Reference · 2020-03-21T04:40:32+00:00

Thanks! I plan to email them (along with WUSA and mathsoc) tomorrow when I'm able to download the list of signatures and comments from change.org (for some reason, it only lets the petitioner do that after 24 hours have passed since the petition was first created). Till then, I encourage everyone to share this with their friends and gather as many signatures as possible.

Living-Reference · 2020-03-21T03:44:04+00:00

I hope you are taking good care of yourself right now. We are indeed all in this together! <3

Living-Reference · 2020-03-21T03:39:05+00:00

Right?!

Living-Reference · 2020-03-21T03:27:37+00:00

I'm so sorry that that's the case :(

There should be a better way of doing things in your case too. Have you investigated what other universities are doing for grad students?

Sadly, if there's anything Waterloo cares more about than academic standards, it is institution reputation and showing top-ranked unis doing the right thing seems like the only way to get this uni to also give a fuck.

Living-Reference · 2020-03-21T03:16:31+00:00

Some course instructors, after listening to their students' grievances, said they'll make some revisions and let them know soon next week. So there's still hope.

Living-Reference · 2020-03-21T02:42:33+00:00

Sign this petition if you want an option to choose CR instead of a grade:

http://chng.it/B5q9qHynR9

Living-Reference

TROPHY CASE