COVID-19 Academic Update

March 28, 2020

Dear Students,

It is becoming evident that the interruptions due to the COVID-19 crisis will continue beyond the end of the Spring 2020 semester. Therefore, as promised in my previous message, I would like to inform you about a number of important academic decisions that the Council of Deans took last Wednesday, March 25 with the approval of President Joseph Jabbra to offer you flexibility, alleviate your anxiety about exams and grades, and most importantly allow you to focus on your learning and well-being.

1. Flexible Grading System for Undergraduate Courses: Undergraduate students will be able to choose the Pass/No Pass (P/NP) as a grading option, on a course-by-course basis, by the withdrawal date of April 30, 2020. Otherwise, the default letter grading system will be applied. As defined in the University’s undergraduate academic rules and procedures, an NP grade indicates a failing performance, i.e. equivalent to a grade of F, in courses taken on a P/NP basis. No credits will be added to the student’s record, nor will the average be affected. It has no quality points.
   You will soon receive a form to select which course(s) you would like to be graded as P/NP.
2. Flexible Grading System for Graduate Courses: All students will be able to choose the P/NP grading option for any graduate course taken this semester as well, on a course-by-course basis, by the withdrawal date. Otherwise, the default letter grading system will be applied. The NP grade for graduate courses indicates a failing performance, i.e. equivalent to a grade of C- (C minus) or below.
3. Scholastic Standing: The final grades of the Spring 2020 semester will not have any impact on students’ scholastic standing. This semester will be treated as a grace semester not impacting suspension, probation, or academic recognition. 
4. Repeating Courses: The course repeat rules defined in LAU’s undergraduate academic rules and procedures will be suspended for the Spring 2020 semester.
5. Class Attendance: The student attendance regulations defined in the University’s undergraduate academic rules and procedures will be waived for the Spring 2020 semester.
6. Lab, Clinical, and Studio Courses: Most of these courses could not be entirely delivered using online methods. Therefore, these courses will resume in an intensive manner once the campuses are accessible. If the semester ends before students are able to complete these courses, an incomplete grade will be given to all students registered in these courses.
7. Thesis Defense: Graduate students will be allowed to defend their theses virtually, e.g. through WebEx, considering the current lockdown.  In addition, the required two-week prior thesis defense announcement will be waived.
8. Online learning survey: A survey was sent to assess the online learning experience in each of your courses. We appreciate your complete and objective responses to the surveys to help us improve your learning experience. 
9. Revised Spring 2020 Academic Calendar:  The academic calendar for Spring 2020 has been modified as follows: 

To allow for more flexibility, faculty instructors will consider using different modalities/tools for final course assessment other than the typical final examinations.  If online final exams are to be given, they must be administered during the final assessment period set in the academic calendar.

Finally, a new webpage under the Provost’s Office website, Student Tips for Academic Success during the COVID-19 Crisis, has been put together to help you improve your online learning experience and guide you to available resources to learn while at home. Again, we sincerely understand how disruptive and frustrating all of this has been for you. We never expected that the academic year would have unfolded as such, and the transition to remote learning delivery has forced us all to adapt to a new challenging and unpredictable situation. Nevertheless, we are very proud of your efforts and determination. Together, with your patience and continuous cooperation, we will be able to navigate successfully through this crisis.

Stay healthy and stay strong!  Your LAU community is here for you.

Sincerely,
George Nasr
Provost