Dear Berklee staff,

Below, you’ll find the message we sent to students about temporary changes to grading policies and the extension of the withdrawal deadline. We did not arrive lightly at the decision to amend our policies, even for a brief period. But like you, we want to provide our students the best possible chance to succeed, and support their wellbeing in the process.

We will be adopting a modified Pass/No Credit option for students for the spring semester. This option will not affect the grading of students' performance in their classes. Faculty will, as normal, issue a letter grade for each student. We are providing students the option to accept the letter grade earned or select the Pass/No Credit option.

As ever, thank you for all of your hard work, creativity, and flexibility during this trying time. Your dedication to our students is apparent, and greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Larry Simpson and Andy Vores

Dear students,

As we navigate these unusually challenging times together, we are working hard to support you and bring you an optimal educational experience. Given the unprecedented events that have sent most of us away from campus for the remainder of the semester, we acknowledge that many of you may appreciate a more flexible approach to how your grades are assessed, and the length of time you have to withdraw from classes.

In response to the extraordinary circumstances brought about by COVID-19, Berklee will offer the following grading options for the spring 2020 semester. Please note that these are temporary adjustments to the grading policy.

• This semester, all Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory at Berklee faculty will assign letter grades per normal and with the same deadline, Thursday, May 14.
• Students receiving grades A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, or D can choose whether to keep the letter grade or request a “pass” (P) grade. Those receiving a grade of F can choose “no credit: (NC). P and NC grades will not impact a student’s GPA. They will, however, be treated as attempted credits for the purpose of calculating completion rate and, as such, may affect a student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress standing. International students’ F-1 status will not be affected by choosing the P/NC option.
• With the exception of certain courses (such as those where grades are required for certification or licensure, and certain graduate-level courses), students can choose this option for any or all of their spring 2020 courses. A full list of courses not eligible for P/NC grades will be made available soon.
• Students will have one week to decide if they’d like to choose the P/NC option for each class. Grades are due May 14, so students must indicate they’d like the P/NC option by May 21. Details about how to do this will be shared by the Office of the Registrar in the upcoming weeks.
• Latin Honors at both the College and Conservatory will be calculated as usual using the student’s cumulative GPA. (See respective College and Conservatory policies.)

Additionally, we understand that due to the transition to online classes and other changes to your learning experience this spring, you may need additional time to make decisions about your courses. Therefore, we are extending the deadline to withdraw from a spring 2020 course to Friday, May 1 at 5:00 p.m. EDT.

The process to withdraw from a course has not changed. You must submit a Withdrawal from Courses Form by the May 1 deadline. You will then receive a grade of “W” for that course. Please consult your academic advisor for guidance in making this decision and considering it in the context of the P/NC option now available.

Our hope is that these temporary changes will help you navigate this difficult time. We appreciate the dedication demonstrated by our faculty, staff, and students, and look forward to seeing everyone in person again as soon as possible. Until then, we remain steadfast in our commitment to you, our creative, collaborative network of artists and musicians.

Sincerely,

Larry Simpson
Senior Vice President, Academic Affairs/Provost
Berklee

Andy Vores
Vice President, Academic Affairs
Boston Conservatory at Berklee