A new academic initiative called Pass/Fail Plus, which will enable students with a grade of C+ or higher to receive credit for one of the eight general University requirements, has been proposed by the Student Union, according to an e-mail sent last Tuesday to the student body by Union Director of Academic Affairs Danielle Wolfson '11. The e-mail contained a link to a survey asking students' opinions on the proposal, explaining that if approved, the proposal will allow students with a grade of C+ or higher to receive a P on their transcript. If a student were to invoke the Pass/Fail Plus option for a class that satisfies a general university requirement and receive a passing grade below a C+ in that class, explained the survey, that student would receive a P for the class but not fulfill the requirement. Under the current system, a class used to fulfill any general University requirement may not use a pass/fail option.

The proposed option "allows more academic freedom in the general university requirements for students," according to Wolfson's e-mail.

University Registrar Mark Hewitt said in an interview with the Justice that currently the pass/fail system is not widely used at Brandeis and that the number of students electing a pass/fail option is decreasing. In 2003 and 2004, about 700 students chose a pass/fail option per semester, but last semester only 496 did so, and of those only 117 actually covered their grade with a P, explained Hewitt. He said that most of the grades that students had covered were in the B range, "So in some sense, I think the current pass/fail is being used by students to pad their GPAs."

Student Union President Andy Hogan '11 wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that, as of 6 p.m. last night, 689 students had responded to the survey, with 594 in favor of the proposal and 95 opposed, amounting to 86-percent approval.

Wolfson said that she had been working on the Pass/Fail Plus initiative since last semester. She explained that a similar proposal had failed a number of years ago. She added the C+ requirement to address student and faculty concerns with the original proposal, she said. Wolfson said the proposal has some faculty support as well.

However, Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that he cannot recall such an initiative regarding general University requirements ever being proposed in the past. He wrote that a few years ago, the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee had discussed a "general modification to the pass/fail system" that would require a grade of C- in order for a student to be permitted to cover the grade with a P. "This proposal had considerable support from faculty but was opposed by students and was ultimately dropped with no action taken," Jaffe wrote.

Faculty Senate Chair Prof. Sabine von Mering (GRALL) said in an interview with the Justice, "I think that [Pass/Fail Plus] is a very smart suggestion. I think that students often shy away from courses thinking that they will do poorly, and I think this idea could actually invite students to challenge themselves with more interesting courses."

Senior Representative to the UCC Michelle Barras '10 said in an interview with the Justice that she expects to bring the proposal before the UCC for a vote on March 25. If the UCC approves the proposal at the meeting, it will go to the Faculty Senate, which must vote in favor of the proposal in two readings at two different Senate meetings in order for it to pass, Barras said.

"We think students will really benefit if this proposal passes, as some students may opt not to take a class that truly interests them," Barras wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.

Wolfson explained that students' comments from the survey will be given to Barras for her presentation to the UCC. The survey also served to affirm that the student body supports the initiative, said Wolfson. If he were to have a vote in the student survey, Hewitt said, he probably would have voted against the proposal. "I would just be concerned that this Pass/Fail Plus option would simply increase students trying to pad their GPAs," he said.

Regarding the pass/fail system, Hewitt said, "There's an expectation that students will achieve appropriately across the range of requirements and that, in some cases, a pass would allow students not to work as hard."

Hogan said in an interview that the proposal has "been received well by faculty [and] staff" and that the results of the survey show that students "overwhelmingly support this initiative."

"It's really good that we're advocating for this, because students will really appreciate it," he said.

Some students shared their thoughts on the proposed initiative.

Beth Katz '10 said she wished Pass/Fail Plus had been proposed earlier. "I thought the initiative was a really great idea, and I wish it was going to actually be helpful to me because I'm graduating in May and have already fulfilled all my requirements," she said.

Mindy Cimini '12 said, "I think it's a good idea for people who have their fortes in other areas than [those of] some of these general requirements. . They're still getting a well-rounded education, but they don't necessarily have the pressure to maintain a GPA."



-Nashrah Rahman contributed reporting.