Summary: Joint Statement Regarding Student Educational Progress during the COVID-19 Crisis
April 2020
- As the COVID-19 pandemic has continued, many institutions have moved instruction online and closed their campuses.
- Some institutions have announced temporary adjustments to faculty review and reappointment processes, and the American Sociological Association (ASA), with dozens of other scholarly societies, encourages and supports these efforts.
- We also call on institutions to make comparable temporary accommodations for students whose degree progress has been impacted by the pandemic.
- As learning shifts to online platforms, students are dealing with great disruption to their education. Many are also facing challenges in terms of finances, careers, and personal health.
- We recommend that institutions make temporary adjustments to timelines for student progression and completion, including revising funding timelines.
- We also recommend that institutions consider alternate grading options, such as the option of Pass/Fail, or amended graduation requirements.
- Accommodations like these ensure that students are not penalized for delays in their educational progress that are outside of their control.
- During this difficult time, we encourage all institutions of higher education to “be flexible, accommodating, and humane in how they work with . . . students” during this period (quote from Teresa Ciabattari, ASA Director of Research, Professional Development, and Academic Affairs in InsideHigherEd on 4/7/20).