Update: April 7, 2020, 4:58 p.m.
Dear Students,
I’m hopeful that your studies continue to go well. Please know that our faculty and staff are here to support you during this challenging time and have your best interests at heart.
Representatives of faculty governance, the deans, and I have been working diligently to develop policy changes in response to the uniqueness of the Spring 2020 semester due to the novel coronavirus. You can get more details on these changes on the Buffalo State Coronavirus Information website. Your academic adviser and department can provide specialized guidance.
Here are the important points you should know about academic policies, procedures, and deadlines for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester:
Registration begins on Wednesday, April 8. Check Banner directly for your assigned time ticket.
Advising PINs will only be required for first-year, undeclared, and students on academic probation. Students who register now for the fall semester will not be sent their initial bills until July and payment will not be required until August, so please register early to get the courses you need for the best possible schedule and for a timely graduation.
Key changes for Spring 2020 include no limit to the number of courses that may be taken pass-fail and the possible eligibility of select major and minor courses to be taken as pass-fail. A listing of courses organized by majors and minors that are approved for the pass-fail option, is available on the Pass/Fail Courses Spring 2020 page of the Coronavirus Information website. The full revised policy is available at the end of this update. You must still receive your academic adviser’s approval as part of the pass-fail process.
The pass-fail deadline, course withdrawal deadline, and the date to remove incompletes from Fall 2019 and J-term 2020 have been extended until Friday, May 8, to give you time to assess your academic standing and get guidance from your academic advisers and faculty. All other academic deadlines for Spring 2020 remain unchanged.
I hope these deadlines and policy updates have provided you with the increased flexibility you may need during these difficult times, while still allowing you to complete the rigorous academic program you were drawn to when you selected Buffalo State.
You may feel that each answer brings more questions, so we’ve designed a website with information to help you succeed. Please visit our Keep Learning website, participate in one of the remote learning webinars, and stay connected with the many faculty, staff, and fellow students who are here to help you succeed.
I’m extremely proud of how you have risen to this challenge. It has been an interesting semester for all of us, to say the least, and I look forward to seeing you back on campus when the current health crisis has subsided.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jim Mayrose
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs
The pass-fail option permits any matriculated student to take a course for credit without receiving a letter grade of A, B, C, D, E, or EV. The college has removed the limit on the number of courses a student may enroll in for Spring 2020 on a pass-fail basis. A pass (P) grade provides credit but no quality points and is not counted in total hours used to determine cumulative average. A fail (F) grade is treated as a failure, although the hours are not used in computing the cumulative average.
A pass-fail credit may be applied toward a degree. Select courses required for the student’s major and minor may be taken on a pass-fail basis in Spring 2020 with prior approval from the major or minor department. Courses taken as part of early childhood and childhood education program concentrations and distributions may not be taken pass-fail.
Any course, except English composition 100-level courses and those not approved in Spring 2020 as required with a letter grade for completion of a major or a minor, may be taken on a pass-fail basis.
Students must declare their intention to do so by May 8, 2020. The Pass/Fail form is available on the Registrar’s Office website. After downloading and completing the form, students should virtually consult with their academic adviser and send them the completed Pass/Fail form. Advisers who support the pass-fail request should then forward the form with their approval noted via Buffalo State email to the registrar’s Office by May 8. Students may not use pass-fail to repeat a course in which a grade of C- or below was earned.
Note: Students are cautioned that the amount of pass-fail work permitted may jeopardize their chances for admission to graduate or professional school or for career placement. Dean’s Honors List requirements remain unchanged. (Please see the college catalog for details.) Further, students who are attempting to improve their GPA should be aware that a pass-fail grade will not be used in their grade point average calculations.
First-year, undeclared, and probationary undergraduate students will require an Advising PIN to register. Continuing undergraduates in good academic standing and in majors have had their Advising PINs removed for their Summer/Fall 2020 registration time ticket. Graduate students also do not have Advising PINs for the Summer/Fall 2020 registration period. The registration window and students’ registration time tickets have not changed for the Summer/Fall 2020 registration cycle.
Although your advising PIN may have been removed this semester, it is still an excellent idea—perhaps now more than ever—to talk with your academic adviser about your academic plans. Please schedule an appointment with your adviser for assistance. If you are unsure who your academic adviser is, you can find that information in Degree Works or by contacting your departmental office. Please refer to the Keep Learning website for additional resources.
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