Dear Pioneers,

Thank you for doing your very best to keep learning and teaching while we are all under shelter in place orders. And, thank you for all the support you have given to one another in working through our rapid change to on-line course delivery.

This change prompted a number of students and faculty to express concerns about how grades could be calculated and how finals could be delivered. In response, the Academic Senate and Office of Academic Affairs appointed the Rapid Action Advisory (RAA) to develop recommendations. Over spring break, a very hard-working group with student, faculty and staff representatives developed temporary changes to our grading policies, withdrawals and summer teaching. President Morishita and the Academic Senate have approved their implementation.

Below is a summary of these important changes. Please note that more information on grades and withdrawals is contained in two FAQS posted on the Academic Programs and Services website (one for undergraduate students and one for graduate students).

More information on Summer Session can be found on our Continuing Education website. And, just a reminder: registration for Summer and Fall begins this coming Monday, April 13, 2020. Please remember to check your enrollment appointments on MyCSUEB.

SUMMARY:

A. Withdrawals: The deadline to withdraw from classes has been extended to the last day of instruction, Friday, May 8, 2020. Students should be careful in using withdrawals as they may impact financial aid eligibility or other aspects of their programs. Questions? Please contact your major advisor or aace@csueastbay.edu for General Education advising.

Any withdrawals made in Spring 2020 will not count against the total number of withdrawals a student is allowed at East Bay (usual limit is 18 units). The process for asking to withdraw from a class is the following:

Fill out the withdrawal form. Obtain consent from your instructors via email. Forward the emails along with the withdrawal form (you may send a legible picture) to reg@csueastbay.edu. Your withdrawal packet must be received electronically by Friday, May 8, 2020.

B. Grades: By default, all classes that were graded A-F are now considered “ABC/NC”. Between April 20 and May 8, 2020, a student can decide to change this to Credit (CR) / No Credit (NC). Instructions about how to do this can be found on p. 5, “Edit a Class” in the online registration instructions. Otherwise, the student will receive a letter grade if you get an A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, or C- and an “NC” if you get a grade of “D+” or worse. To help you choose what is best for you, please see the FAQ (undergraduate students or graduate students) or see your academic advisor. Students who use the default ABC/NC pattern and receive a grade of D+ or D may petition to receive the D+ or D, after consulting with their academic advisor The deadline for this special petition is August 31, 2020.

C. Financial Aid: Anyone concerned about the impact of these Spring Semester, 2020 policies on financial aid should contact: finaid@csueastbay.edu.

D. International Students: International students should consult with kelly.moran@csueastbay.edu in International Programs before withdrawing or choosing CR/NC grade(s).

E. Incompletes and In-Progress Work: Students who are completing “I” grades or have “RP” grades that are due to expire this semester will instead expire at the end of Fall Semester, 2020.

F. Academic Probation: Students who are on academic probation this semester will be contacted by their Pioneer Success Coach.

G. Summer 2020 Session: Because the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown at this time, our expectation is that Cal State East Bay’s Hayward, Concord, and Oakland campuses will not be available for in-person instruction for Summer 2020 Therefore, all Summer 2020 courses will be taught on-line. Our hope is that all locations will be open for in-person courses for the Fall 2020 semester. The President with the concurrence of the Academic Senate Chair has extended the temporary online instruction rules from Spring through the Summer.

Thank you to each and every member of our community. You continue to be Pioneer Strong--working together, caring for one another and learning. I am proud to be with you at this moment and moving forward!

Edward S. Inch

Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs