St. Kate’s students petition for a new grading policy

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, universities across the nation, including St. Catherine University (St. Kate’s), are finishing the 2020 spring semester online. This measure is necessary for protecting the health and safety of the St. Kate’s community. However, many students are apprehensive about the toll these unusual circumstances will take on their academic performance.

Because of this, students are calling for a change to the university’s grading system for this semester. A change.org petition urging St. Kate’s to adopt a “Double-A Policy” has been circulating since March 23rd. It currently has over one thousand signatures.

The double-A policy is an alternative grading system under which no student will receive lower than an A- in a class. The implementation of this policy would ensure that St. Kate’s students’ GPAs won’t suffer as a result of the pandemic. Student signatories cited several reasons for their support of the petition.

“I personally signed the petition because we are living during a pandemic,” said Maura Whitely ‘21 (Political Science, International Relations, and Critical Studies of Race and Ethnicity). “This is unprecedented for us and our professors. We all have a lot on our minds and while it is important that we finish our classes and continue to learn, worrying about our grades seems unimportant. Moving to online classes has absolutely threatened my grades. There is a reason I don't sign up for online classes, and COVID-19 makes it even harder to focus on a computer.”

“I signed the petition because I can’t afford to retake classes, and all of this will make it significantly more difficult to succeed,” said Virgil ‘21 (ASL Interpreting). “I have extremely slow internet at home, so it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to participate fully in synchronous learning. As many times as I’ve warned instructors about this, I’ve not received any sort of response or solution for the issue. I feel as though I’m being left behind.”

Virgil also expressed concerns about the negative impact online learning will take on students’ grades. “ I personally know several people whose homes and home lives are not conducive to learning and being a full time online student. Being at home adds extra distractions, stressors, unsteady environments, and other detriments to learning for many students. I can’t imagine anyone doing as well in this setup as they would have done in the classroom, and instructors need to account for that,” they said.

The creator of the petition, Abigail Salgado ‘20 (Psychology), has taken it upon herself to bring students’ concerns to the administration. “It is very important to me that the University implement this grading system because I believe in strengthening our community and advocating for the underserved. Knowing that there are many students who are finding this transition to fully-online in the midst of a pandemic to be extremely difficult is a huge motivator for me,” said Salgado.

“It is crucial to emphasize some of the struggles many students are facing, like unemployment, the health and well-being of themselves and loved ones, working multiple jobs, not having a safe or secure shelter, financial and food insecurity, let alone steady access to the Internet and a device capable to do schoolwork. These are things that are simply out of the control of students.”

“A double-A grading policy,” said Salgado, “will alleviate the stressor of this semester for students, and support and encourage their higher education. St. Kate’s mission is ‘to educate women to lead and influence,’ but how can I lead and influence while worrying about my dad’s well-being and financial insecurities. Not changing our grading policy during a global pandemic makes me feel unsupported by St. Kate’s and left to fend for my peers and for myself.”

Salgado explained that there are many reasons she is choosing to advocate for a double-A policy over other grading alternatives. “Firstly, the double-A grading system allows for a standard letter grade whereas Pass/Fail and a petition for an Incomplete does not. A standard letter grade is a necessity for students who look to pursue more education, as it is a requirement for scholarships, grants, and graduate schools. The Double-A policy is better than a pass/fail policy, which St. Kate’s hasn’t implemented either, despite large universities like the U of M and our brother school St. Thomas doing so, because of the negative connotations associated with having a P/F class on one’s transcript.”

“Secondly, the Double-A grading policy removes a factor of stress and anxiety for students who have more than enough on their plates. This policy lets St. Kate’s students learn and succeed instead of being worried they would be penalized for situations out of their control.”

“Finally,” said Salgado, “the Double-A grading system is the most equitable and reasonable because it allows the administration to implement a grading policy that encompasses the unique circumstances each student finds themselves in without having to look at every individual students’ case like they would for a petition for an Incomplete. The St. Kate’s community is resilient and now more than ever deserves support from the administration.”

Signature count on double-A policy petition

Salgado is currently in the process of bringing this matter to the administration’s attention. As of now, the university has made no public announcement about plans to implement any substantial changes to their grading policy this semester. To learn more about the proposed double-A grading policy, or sign Salgado’s petition, follow this link.