CUNY’s Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) recently re-issued their policy document on uniform grade symbols and guidelines, and in preparation for the upcoming term, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight two significant updates to the document:
- As a response to the academic disruptions caused by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, in Spring 2020, CUNY modified its course withdrawal policy to allow students to officially withdraw up until the last day of classes. Effective with the Fall 2024 term, CUNY has reinstated its original pre-pandemic policy, and the deadline date for student-initiated course withdrawals will be the calendar date that marks the 60% completion point of the term or session. For Fall 2024, the course withdrawal period will end on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
- OAA has also provided additional guidance regarding the WU grade (“withdrew unofficially, participated at least once”). This grade is to be assigned to students who participated in an academic activity related to the class at least once, stopped participating, did not drop the class or receive approval for an incomplete, did not otherwise officially withdraw from the class, and did not complete enough work for the instructor to be able to calculate an earned grade using the criteria specified in the course syllabus. As a reminder, an F grade should never be given in place of a WU grade.
I encourage you to review the online academic calendar regularly so that you have the most current information on important dates and deadlines.
As always, our office is here to help. Please contact us with your questions and concerns.
By Susan Massara
