Changes in Policies and Procedures for Fall 2020, Spring 2021, & Summer 2021

After much consultation across the colleges of UC Berkeley, and via our college Executive Committee, the following decisions have been made about the selection of the P/NP grade option (CPN) by undergraduate students during Fall 20220, Spring 2021, and Summer 2021 for the Rausser College of Natural Resources. 

  1. College requirements: Reading and Composition, Quantitative Reasoning, and Foreign Language requirements normally satisfied with letter grades may be met with a passed (P) grade during Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Summer 2021.
    .   
    Note: This does not include the systemwide Entry Level Writing requirement. College Writing R1A must be taken for a letter grade and completed with a C or better to fulfill the Entry Level Writing requirement.
     
  2. Major & Minor Requirements: Requirements within all college majors and minors may be met by UC Berkeley courses that are taken P/NP during Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Summer 2021. This includes breadth courses, which are considered major requirements within RCNR (with the exception of EEP majors, who can always take breadth courses P/NP).Students are encouraged to talk with their instructors as well as their major's faculty and staff advisors to receive advice before taking a major or minor requirement for a P/NP grade. Through this individualized advising, we hope that students will make informed decisions in the context of their overall academic record and their future education goals.  Students utilizing Forestry Camp for major requirements must take the coursework for letter grade since the courses will be delivered in-person.  College major and minor requriements taken at institutions other than UC Berkeley must be taken for a letter grade. 
     
  3. Prerequisites to Majors: Prerequisites for entry into all college majors may be met by UC Berkeley courses taken P/NP during the Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Summer 2021 semesters.  Students are encouraged to talk with their instructors as well as their future major's faculty and staff advisors to receive advice before taking a major or minor requirement for a P/NP grade. Through this individualized advising, we hope that students will make informed decisions in the context of their overall academic record and their future education goals.  College major and minor requriements taken at institutions other than UC Berkeley must be taken for a letter grade. 
     
  4. Academic Probation: The terms for Academic Probation (AP) have been modified for Fall 2020 & Spring 2021.
  • Rausser CNR students currently in good standing who earn all “P” grades will remain in good standing.  
  • Students currently in good standing who earn NP grades, Incompletes, or failing letter grades for more than 50% of units will be placed on academic probation and will be required to meet with their college advisor and complete an Academic Success Plan for subsequent term.
  • Students on AP must take all coursework for letter grades.  Students on AP may be removed from probationary status with sufficient letter graded course work to raise their cumulative GPA above 2.0. 
  • Students on Academic Probation who do not attain sufficient letter-graded coursework to be removed from AP (ie. enough grade points to raise cumulative GPA above 2.0 cumulative GPA) will remain on AP for the subsequent term and must complete an Academic Success Plan with their college advisor.
  • Students on Academic Probation who earn NP grades, Incompletes, or failing letter grades for more than 50% of units will be Subject to Dismissal and will be required to meet with their college advisor and complete an Academic Success Plan for the subsequent term.

The voting members of the Rausser College Executive Committee are nominated faculty members who carry out duties delegated to them by Berkeley’s Academic Senate. The Committee consulted with Departments to make the decision about major requirements and prerequisites. Some of these are administrative decisions and were made accordingly.

Important Related Information
Important Deadlines
Changes to Policies By Topic

Important Related Information

  • The issuing of a P grade signifies that the student has passed the class at minimum C- level work.  Bear in mind that the D grade (‘barely passing’) is, in some cases, sufficient to fulfill a requirement; however, under P/NP it will result in an NP, which is not sufficient to fulfill any requirements.
     
  • Pass grades may account for no more than one third of the total required units completed at UC Berkeley toward the 120 overall minimum unit requirement. This includes courses taken in the Fall Program for Freshmen, the UC Education Abroad Program, or the UC Berkeley Washington Program.
     
  • At graduation, students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.
     
  • Students found responsible for academic misconduct may not change the grading option or drop the course related to the violation.  If a student completes a late drop or grade change for a course and is later found responsible of a violation within that course, the course will be reinstated with the grading option selected on the date of the allegation.
     
  • Regulations on course repetition will not be modified for Fall 2020, Spring 2021, and Summer 2021.

Important Deadlines

Change of Grading Option

Rausser College students may change their grading option for Fall 2020 courses via CalCentral until 11:59PM on Thursday, December 3, 2020.  Simultaneous degree students must adhere to the stricter deadline when college deadlines differ.

Rausser College students may change their grading option for Spring 2021 courses via CalCentral until 11:59PM on Thursday, April 29, 2021.  Simultaneous degree students must adhere to the stricter deadline when college deadlines differ.

For Summer 2021, the deadlines to change grading options will remain unchanged from Summer Sessions deadlines for Rausser College students.

  • Students are encouraged to talk with their instructors as well as their major's faculty and staff advisors to receive advice before taking a major or minor requirement for a P/NP grade. Through this individualized advising, we hope that students will make informed decisions in the context of their overall academic record and their future education goals. Such changes could have negative impacts on admission to graduate and professional schools, or other unexpected consequences.
  • We also recommend that students consult their prospective graduate schools, professional schools, and other post-bac opportunities to determine their grading requirements on prerequisite courses.

Students will not be allowed to make further changes to their grading options after the deadlines noted above. 
 

Late Drop of Courses

For Fall 2020, late drop of courses can be petitioned until 11:59PM on Friday, December 4, 2020.  Simultaneous degree students must adhere to the stricter deadline when college deadlines differ.

For Spring 2021, late drop of courses can be petitioned until 11:59PM on Friday, April 30, 2021.  Simultaneous degree students must adhere to the stricter deadline when college deadlines differ.

For Summer 2021, late drop of courses can be petitioned until the Summer Session "Change Grading Option" deadline for a given term.  Simultaneous degree students must adhere to the stricter deadline when college deadlines differ.  Late drops are still subject to the Summer Session Refund Policy.  Student should consult with their academic advisor well before this deadline. Incomplete petitions will be denied.

Changes to Policies By Topic

Academic Probation

The terms for Academic Probation (AP) have been modified.

  • Rausser CNR students currently in good standing who earn all “P” grades will remain in good standing.  
  • Students currently in good standing who earn NP grades, Incompletes, or failing letter grades for more than 50% of units will be placed on academic probation and will be required to meet with their college advisor and complete an Academic Success Plan for the subsequent term.
  • Students on AP must take all coursework for letter grades.  Students on AP may be removed from probationary status with sufficient letter graded course work to raise their cumulative GPA above 2.0. 
  • Students on Academic Probation who do not attain sufficient letter-graded coursework to be removed from AP (ie. enough grade points to raise cumulative GPA above 2.0 cumulative GPA) will remain on AP for the subsequent term and must complete an Academic Success Plan with their college advisor.
  • Students on Academic Probation who earn NP grades, Incompletes, or failing letter grades for more than 50% of units will be Subject to Dismissal and will be required to meet with their college advisor and complete an Academic Success Plan for the subsequent term.

Academic Misconduct

No changes to policy.

Students found responsible for academic misconduct may not change the grading option or drop the course related to the violation.  If a student completes a late drop or grade change for a course and is later found responsible of a violation within that course, the course will be reinstated with the grading option selected on the date of the allegation.

Admissions to the Major/College

All passing course work taken in Fall 2020 & Spring 2021 may be used for major and college requirements regardless of the grading option selected.  Reading and Composition, Quantitative Reasoning, and Foreign Language requirements normally satisfied with letter grades may be met with a passed (P) grade during the Fall 2020 semester.   

Note: This does not include the systemwide Entry Level Writing requirement. College Writing R1A must be taken for a letter grade and completed with a C or better to fulfill the Entry Level Writing requirement.

Applying to Graduate & Professional Schools

Students are encouraged to talk with their instructors as well as their major's faculty and staff advisors to receive advice before taking a major or minor requirement for a P/NP grade. Through this individualized advising, we hope that students will make informed decisions in the context of their overall academic record and their future education goals. Such changes could have negative impacts on admission to graduate and professional schools, or other unexpected consequences.   

We also recommend that students consult their prospective graduate schools, professional schools, and other post-bac opportunities to determine their grading requirements on prerequisite courses. 

Change Grading Options

Rausser students may change their grading option for Fall 2020 courses via CalCentral until 11:59PM on Thursday, December 3, 2020.  Simultaneous degree students must adhere to the stricter deadline when college deadlines differ.

Rausser students may change their grading option for Spring 2021 courses via CalCentral until 11:59PM on Thursday, April 29, 2021.  Simultaneous degree students must adhere to the stricter deadline when college deadlines differ.

Students are encouraged to talk with their instructors as well as their major's faculty and staff advisors to receive advice before taking a major or minor requirement for a P/NP grade. Through this individualized advising, we hope that students will make informed decisions in the context of their overall academic record and their future education goals. Such changes could have negative impacts on admission to graduate and professional schools, or other unexpected consequences.
We also recommend that students consult their prospective graduate schools, professional schools, and other post-bac opportunities to determine their grading requirements on prerequisite courses.

Students will not be allowed to make further changes to their grading options after the deadlines noted above. 

Dean's Honors or Honors-to-Date

No changes in policy.  Please see "Distinctions and Honors" on our "Academic Policies - Student Status" website.

Distinction in General Scholarship (Honors at Graduation)

No changes in policy.  Please see "Distinctions and Honors" on our "Academic Policies - Student Status" website.

GPA Minimum Requirements for Admission to the Major, College, and for Graduation

No changes in policy.

  • Rausser College students must have at least a 2.0 cumulative UC GPA to declare a Rausser College major.
  • Non-Rausser College students must have at least a 3.0 cumulative UC GPA to change to or add a Rausser College major.
  • Students must have at least a 2.0 cumulative UC GPA to graduate, both overall and in the upper-division courses required for the major.

Incompletes

No changes in policy. Please see "Incomplete Grades" on our "Rausser College Academic Policies - Courses & Grades" website.

Late Drop Courses

For Fall 2020, late drop of courses can be petitioned until 11:59PM on Friday, December 4, 2020.  Simultaneous degree students must adhere to the stricter deadline when college deadlines differ.

For Spring 2021, late drop of courses can be petitioned until 11:59PM on Friday, April 30, 2021.  Simultaneous degree students must adhere to the stricter deadline when college deadlines differ.

For Summer 2021, late drop of courses can be petitioned until the Summer Session "Change Grading Option" deadline for a given term.  Simultaneous degree students must adhere to the stricter deadline when college deadlines differ.    Late drops are still subject to the Summer Session Refund Policy.

Students must first consult with your academic advisor well before this deadline. Your academic advisor will discuss your options with you and will give you the Late Petition to Change Class Schedule Form and the Instructor Statement Form if needed.

A personal statement and documentation of extenuating circumstances are also required.  To help students answer the question "Am I eligible for a late course drop?", we have developed a set of guided questions to help you determine if this is a good option for you. Use your UC Berkeley account to access the form.

Students will not be allowed to make further changes to their schedule after the deadlines noted above.   Incomplete petitions will be denied.

Major & Minor Requirements

Requirements within all college majors and minors may be met by courses that are taken P/NP during the Fall 2020 & Spring 2021 semesters.

P/NP Limits

No changes in policy. Pass grades may account for no more than one third of the total required units completed at UC Berkeley toward the 120 overall minimum unit requirement. This includes courses taken in the Fall Program for Freshmen, the UC Education Abroad Program, or the UC Berkeley Washington Program.  P/NP graded courses from Spring 2020 are excluded from this calculation.  Students can view the 1/3 Passed Grade Estimator tool in CalCentral to see where you are now and to calculate the effect of any changes you make: CalCentral > My Academics tab > Degree Requirements card > "1/3 Passed Grade Estimator".

Readmission

No changes in policy.  Students who withdraw from the university after the 8th week of the current term, are not eligible for readmission to the subsequent term. 

Repeats

No changes in policy.  Regulations on course repetition will not be modified for Fall 2020 & Spring 2021.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Courses taken for P/NP are factored into Satisfactory Academic Progress rules. A “P” is considered to be attempted and completed, while an “NP” is considered to be attempted but NOT completed when determining completion rate %.

More information about how P/NP grades impact Satisfactory Academic Progress is available on the Financial Aid website.

Semester-Out Rule

No changes in policy.  Students who withdraw from the university after the 8th week of the current term, are not eligible for readmission to the subsequent term. 

Term Probation

Students in this category are placed on academic probation if their GPA falls below 1.5 in any fall or spring semester ("Term"). To get back into good standing, you must earn a UC Berkeley term GPA of 2.0 the following regular semester (fall/spring) and maintain an overall GPA of 2.0. If you fail to meet these conditions, you will be subject to dismissal from the University.  For Fall 2020 & Spring 2021, the terms for Term Probation have been modified.

  • Rausser CNR students currently in good standing who earn all “P” grades will remain in good standing and will not be placed on Term Probation.

Transcript Notations

The following transcript notations were approved by the Academic Senate:

Fall 2020 Undergraduate Notation:
"The COVID-19 global pandemic required mid-semester changes to enrollment deadlines and grading policy. Each college developed its own policy to allow students increased flexibility in converting graded classes to passed/not passed."

Spring 2021 Undergraduate Notation:
"The COVID-19 global pandemic required changes to enrollment deadlines and grading policy. Each college developed its own policy to allow students increased flexibility in converting graded classes to passed/not passed."

Summer 2021 Undergraduate Notation:
TBD

 

Transferring Credit

If you are taking coursework through another institution in Fall 2020 and/or Spring 2021, P grades earned will be accepted for all degree requirements.  Note: This does not include the systemwide Entry Level Writing requirement. College Writing R1A must be taken for a letter grade and completed with a C or better to fulfill the Entry Level Writing requirement.

At this time, students should be advised to request that transcripts be sent electronically (if the transfer institution needs an email address, they should use busops@berkeley.edu). We are continuing to post transfer credit via this method.

A reminder that we cannot receive transcripts from students via email, they must come directly from the transfer institution. Alternatively, if an advisor receives an official transcript, they could send a pdf to busops@berkeley.edu.

If an electronic option is not available, we suggest that students postpone the request to send until after Shelter in Place is lifted. At this time, there is no one available to scan hard copy transcripts in Sproul due to Shelter in Place. And it might not be advisable for documents to linger with mail services. My hope is that as we know more about the extent of our time away from campus, and how in person services will be handled, we'll have better guidance on when to send so that action can be taken closer to the time when documents can be accepted by mail.

For more information, please see: https://admissions.berkeley.edu/submitting-transcripts-uc-berkeley

 

Withdrawals

No changes in policy.  Students who withdraw from the university after the 10th week of the current term, are not eligible for readmission to the subsequent term.