With Kirkwood Community College’s recent decision to allow students to choose to covert their classes to Pass/No Pass after final grades have been posted, some students may be seeking additional information about this option. The following FAQ sheet was recently posted by the college and was provided to the Communiqué by Professor Terri Long-Jedlicka.
PASS/NO PASS FAQ
Why do we need to wait until grades post to decide on the Pass/No Pass option?
The Pass/No Pass option has been implemented to allow students who might be negatively impacted by the unusual circumstances of the spring semester to protect their GPA if they received a lower than expected or desired grade. A student cannot make an informed decision about the necessity of utilizing the Pass/No Pass option prior to grades posting. Until final grades have posted, students should continue to give their full effort to their classes.
What do I have to do to choose the Pass/No Pass option?
Students should begin the process by contacting their advisor. Advisors are able to provide additional information about what must be considered when making the decision about the Pass/No Pass option. Once students have gathered the needed information and they decide to pursue the Pass/No Pass option, their advisor will provide them with a unique link to the Pass/No Pass Request Form. Students can access the form using their unique link between May 16 and May 22. Students can submit only one form on which they will record their Pass/No Pass choice for any or all of their classes with A-F grades. Once the Pass/No Pass option has been selected and the form submitted, the decision cannot be reversed.
What if I get an Incomplete grade for a spring course? Will I still be able to request the Pass/No Pass option?
Students who receive an Incomplete grade for a Spring semester class will have the opportunity to complete the Pass/No Pass Request Form once the final grade has posted for that class. Students will have one week following the posting of the final grade to submit the request form. It is only in the case of an Incomplete that a second Pass/No Pass Request Form may be submitted.
How will Pass/No Pass impact financial aid?
Each student must investigate the answer to this question prior to making a decision about the Pass/No Pass option. The answer varies based on an individual student’s past and current financial aid status. For many students who are not currently on financial aid warning, probation, or academic plan status, electing the Pass/No Pass option will not impact financial aid. The option may impact financial aid eligibility if a student is currently on financial aid warning, probation, or academic plan status. All students should contact the financial Aid Office at 398-7600 to verify the impact it will have on them before making a decision.
Do I have to elect to take all my classes Pass/No Pass?
The Pass/No Pass Request Form will list each class individually, and students will select Pass/No Pass for any or all classes they wish to select. You do not have to make the same choice for all your classes.
How will Pass/No Pass courses transfer?
As a general rule, No Pass courses will not transfer. Each college and university will make its own policy about how Pass courses will transfer. The University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and University of Northern Iowa have announced that they will accept Pass courses from Spring 2020 semester for transfer. Each individual program/college within the University, however, will decide if Pass courses will be accepted to meet specific program prerequisites and requirements that normally require a specific letter grade. Your advisor will have some of this information for you. You will likely also want to contact the Admissions Office or Advising Center at your transfer institution to verify how a Pass course will transfer.
How does a Pass or No Pass grade impact my GPA?
A No Pass grade does not lower your GPA like the F or D grade do and no credit hours are earned. A Pass grade does not raise or lower your GPA; you do earn the course’s credit hours. Use the GPA calculator in MyHub to help you determine the potential impact of the Pass/No Pass option.
Will I be able to move on to the next course in my sequence? Will a Pass grade count for a pre-requisite course in my program?
The answer to this question varies by program. Some programs like Nursing, OTA, and PTA will not accept a Pass grade in their program courses or in pre-requisite courses. Other programs like Liberal Arts, Business Administration, and Carpentry will accept a Pass grade in their program courses, in the Liberal Arts courses required as part of their program, and in prerequisite courses. Please check with your advisor to see how your program is handling the Pass/No Pass option.
I’m a high school concurrent enrollment student. Am I able to take the Pass/No Pass option?
Yes, the Pass/No Pass option is open to high school concurrent enrollment students. These students should speak with their Kirkwood Student & Academic Support Coordinator for proper advising and access to the form. They will also be required to have their high school counselor or administrator provide information on how this option will affect their high school transcript or graduation requirements. It is also recommended that they check with other colleges they may plan to attend upon high school graduation. And finally, if concurrent enrollment students plan to participate in collegiate sports, they should review NCAA guidelines related to Pass/No pass
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