Office of the Registrar

COVID-19 Pass/Fail Grading FAQ

The grade change process applies to the Winter 2022 semester only. It will be open from April 19 - May 2 via MyMRU (My Program tab).

Only credit students and students in occupational programs are eligible to choose the CP/CF grading option (e.g., students in the Academic Upgrading program are excluded).

You will have the option to accept a specialized Pass/Fail grade for each course completed during the Winter 2022 semester. If you wish to keep the Letter-Grade assigned to the course, no action is required. Once you have made your choice, your grade is finalized and can not be changed.

Highly Recommend: Your academic advisor can help you determine how this decision may affect your academic progression and graduation. Check with your advisor and the Academic Calendar for information about your program requirements and how this decision will affect you.

Definitions:

  • COVID Pass (CP): Student receives credit for a completed course and the grade does not count towards the student’s CGPA.
  • COVID Fail (CF): Student does not earn credit for the completed course and the grade does not count towards the student’s CGPA.

Should you choose to accept a Pass/Fail grade, you will receive a 'CP' for any passing grade greater than or equal to a D and a 'CF' for any F grades.


What are the consequences of choosing a COVID Pass/Fail?

We strongly encourage students who receive a letter grade of ‘C-’ or ‘C’ (or higher)  to keep that letter grade.

We strongly encourage students who receive a letter grade of 'F' to select a CF grade.

There are many diverse consequences depending upon your situation. Please review these categories to find your answers. If you still have questions please contact your advisor or the Office of the Registrar or Admissions depending on your circumstances.


Admission

I have applied for admission to a new program, how will the pass/fail grade affect my application?

Applicants are required to meet the specific course requirements (including the minimum grade thresholds for these courses) and present the final admission GPA for their program. The pass/fail grades will be used in the following way:

  • Minimum grade in required courses: A “CP” grade in a post-secondary course that a student plans to use as a Grade 12 equivalent will be treated as 50%.
    • Example: GNED 1401 with a CP will not meet the requirement for ELA 30 - 1, 60% minimum.
    • Example: SLGY 1101 with a CP will meet the requirement for Social Studies 30 -1, 50% minimum.
  • Post-secondary admission category: CP and CF grades will not be included in the post-secondary final admission GPA calculation. If this results in fewer than 8 courses, the GPA will be based on a minimum of 4 courses up to the standard 8 courses with letter grades.
  • University Entrance Option - admission to a degree/diploma: to be eligible for admission consideration, a student will need to complete a minimum of 4 courses (across the Fall and Winter Semesters) with letter grades by April 30.
  • Honours programs
    • CP/CF grades will be excluded from both the GPA calculation and the total number of courses used to determine acceptance into the Honours programs.
    • E.g., If acceptance is based on the most recent 10 courses, it will be the most recent 10 courses with letter grades.

 

Progression, Graduation & Accreditation

Pre-requisites:
  • A CP grade is equivalent to a grade of ‘D’ for the purposes of prerequisite checking. 
      • A prerequisite with a course completion requirement will be met with a CP (e.g., Prerequisite: Course X, Course Y, Course Z).
      • A prerequisite with a course minimum grade requirement will not be met with a CP (e.g., Prerequisite: Course X with a grade of C- or higher). 
      • Before making the decision to select the COVID Pass/Fail, you should check the prerequisites for your Fall/Winter courses in the Academic Calendar, and all courses in your program.
      • Beware, this could impact prerequisites for future academic years.
Attempts:
  • For those programs with policies that limit students to a maximum number of course attempts, a CP that doesn’t meet a minimum grade requirement will count as a failed attempt. Check with your advisor if you have concerns about the impact on graduation requirements.
  • A CF grade will still count as an attempt for programs with a maximum number of course attempts but it will not count against your CGPA.

Graduation Requirements:

  • A CP grade will meet a course completion requirement for graduation.
  • A CP grade will not meet a graduation requirement with a minimum grade requirement
    (e.g., Students must complete all core course requirements with a minimum grade of ‘C’ or higher).
  • Before making the decision to select the COVID Pass/Fail, you should check the Graduation Requirements for your Program in the Academic CalendarYour academic advisor can help you determine how this decision may affect your academic progression and graduation.

Accreditation:
  • Accrediting bodies will independently decide whether or not a CP will be permitted for fulfillment of a requirement. Check with your advisor for information about the accreditation process.

 

Academic Evaluations, Distinctions And Awards

Academic Standing:
  • All students will be evaluated at the end of the Winter semester but academic standing decisions will only apply to those students eligible to remain in, or move to, Good Standing. 
  • Students on Academic Warning and Academic Probation will be held in their current standing.
I-Grades:
  • Students entering into an ‘I’ Grade contract with an instructor must declare their intent for a letter grade or CP/CF grade at the time of entering into the agreement or prior to the CP/CF deadline, whichever is sooner.
Repeat Processing: 
  • Currently, when a student repeats a course, the lower letter grade is excluded, and the higher letter grade is included in the calculation of the student’s GPA.
  • A CP grade will replace an F in the calculation of a student’s GPA.
  • A CF grade will not replace any other letter grade in the calculation of a student’s GPA.
 Honour Rolls:
  • CP/CF grades will be excluded from the Dean’s Honour Rolls. Students must have 12 credits with non-CP/CF grades in the Winter semester to be eligible.
  • CP/CF grades will be excluded from the President’s Honour Roll. Students must have 24 credits with non-CP/CF grades in the academic year to be eligible.
Awards:
  • CP/CF will count as a credit attempt towards full- and part-time status with respect to student awards.
  • To be eligible for any award based on academic achievement or academic excellence, a student must present a minimum of three letter grades (non-CP/CF course grades) in the semesters related to eligibility.
    • Awards: calculated using GPA 2.0 and higher.
      •  To be eligible for awards, in-course students will need to have completed a minimum of 3 courses (9 units of credit) with letter grades in both Fall and Winter semesters and achieved a minimum GPA of 2.0.
    • Bursaries: not calculated using GPA. 
      • To be eligible for bursaries where financial need is the only criteria, in-course students will need to have completed a minimum of 3 courses (9 units of credit) in both Fall and Winter semesters demonstrating full-time status.
      • While most bursaries are based solely on financial need, there are some that also have academic achievement in the criteria. When this is the case, in-course students will need to have completed a minimum of 3 courses (9 units of credit) with letter grades in both Fall and Winter semesters and achieved the minimum GPA required for the given award.
    • Scholarships:  calculated using GPA 3.2 and higher
      • To be eligible for scholarships, in-course students will need to have completed a minimum of 3 courses (9 units of credit) with letter grades in both Fall and Winter semesters and achieved a minimum GPA of 3.2.

Alberta Scholarships: 

  • Jason Lang Scholarship
    To be eligible for the Jason Lang Scholarship in Fall 2022, in-course students must have achieved a minimum GPA of 3.2 based on an 80% full course load (24 units of credit) with letter grades in the previous fall and winter terms. Students need to have applied on the MRU award application that was open November 1, 2021-March 1, 2022.

  • Louise McKinney Post-Secondary Scholarship
    To be eligible for the Louise McKinney Post-Secondary Scholarship in Fall 2022, in-course students must have achieved a minimum GPA of 3.7 based on a 100% full course load (30 units of credit) with letter grades in the previous fall and winter terms. This award is by nomination only - no application required.