Student government seeks pass/fail approval for fall semester

Student+government+seeks+pass%2Ffail+approval+for+fall+semester

Gerardo Aguilera | @jerry21aguilera, Contributing Writer

Pass/fail could make a comeback this fall. At least, that’s what the UA Student Government Association hopes.

The SGA Senate approved a resolution for the UA administration to approve a pass/fail option during the fall 2020 semester.

When the COVID-19 pandemic led administrators to shut down campus in the spring, the University of Alabama implemented a pass/fail option for students, as the transition to online learning and moving out of Tuscaloosa for some could be difficult. 

Due to the stress some students are experiencing during quarantine, student senators charged that the shift in course delivery methods can affect students negatively. Some universities have already implemented the pass/fail options to help protect students’ GPAs during challenging times.

If a policy is created, the SGA suggested that the University should allow students until Dec. 4 to decide what grade option they would like for the semester. 

A resolution for education and awareness of domestic violence was also passed at the meeting. , According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH), an average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical harm or abuse by an intimate parter in the United States. One in four women and one in four men will experience rape, violence and stalking by a partner in their lifetime.

October is domestic violence awareness month, and SGA is planning events from Oct. 26 to 28 to raise awareness and provide resources for students who may need them. The SGA is partnering up with the UA Women and Gender Resource Center (WGRC) to provide guest speakers, graphics and other resources for students, faculty and staff during the month. 

The WGRC also provides free, confidential and voluntary counseling services to the University of Alabama community who are victims and survivors of interpersonal abuses and violence.