FAQs: Fall 2020 Flexible Grading Policy-Credit/No Credit (CR/NC)

General Information

Does this policy apply to any semester other than Fall 2020?

  • This policy applies only to courses taken during the Fall 2020 semester.

What is the purpose of the Fall 2020 Flexible Grading Policy-Credit/No Credit (CR/NC)?

  • This policy was designed in consultation with the BMCC Academic Senate, department chairs, faculty, staff and the Student Government Association to provide students with maximum flexibility during the ongoing pandemic.

Does this policy apply to students in all academic programs?

  • This policy applies to all BMCC students (degree and non-degree) who are enrolled in credit-bearing courses for the Fall 2020 semester, with the exception of NUR, EMC, HIT and RTT-designated courses. Consult with the Academic Advisement and Transfer Center at aatc@bmcc.cuny.edu for more information.

Will all course grades automatically be converted to a Credit/No-Credit option? When will this conversion happen? If students need to decide, how will they do so?

  • No. Course grades will not automatically convert to Credit/No Credit. The change is optional, at the student’s discretion.
  • Students will have 20 calendar days (from December 24, 2020 through January 12, 2021) after the College’s final grade submission deadline to elect Credit/No Credit.
  • It is highly recommended that students consult with their academic or faculty advisor before electing the CR/NC option. Selecting the CR/NC option may have implications for transfer and financial aid.
  • Consult with the Academic Advisement and Transfer Center at aatc@bmcc.cuny.edu and the Financial Aid Office at finaid@bmcc.cuny.edu for more information.

Can students elect the Credit/No Credit option for individual courses?

  • Yes. A student can opt to take the Credit/No Credit option for all, some, or none of their graded classes for Fall 2020 semester, with the exception of NUR, EMC, HIT and RTT-designated courses.

Are there circumstances or conditions in which a request would be denied, or a student would be ineligible for this option? Can a program prohibit use of the Credit/No Credit option?

  • Students will not be denied the right to opt-in to receive a Credit/No Credit grade for courses that apply toward their degree (general education courses, electives, major, concentration, and prerequisite courses) based upon this policy, with the exception of NUR, EMC, HIT and RTT-designated courses. A grade of Credit/No Credit may not be acceptable to licensing, accreditation, or other bodies external to CUNY. Students should consult with their program advisors or the external body prior to making the decision to elect Credit/No Credit. Consult with the Academic Advisement and Transfer Center at aatc@bmcc.cuny.edu for more information.

Are there cases when a student should not choose the Credit/No Credit option?

  • Graduation: If an undergraduate student’s major GPA and/or cumulative GPA is below a 2.0, and the student is graduating, and the letter grade will raise the GPA to at least a 2.0, then choosing the Credit/No Credit option would prevent the student from graduating.
  • Professional Licensure, Transfer, and Graduate School Admission: Some professional licensure organizations, undergraduate and graduate schools outside of CUNY, may not accept a grade of CR. As such, students, in consultation with program advisors, should weigh the potential impact of electing the Credit/No Credit option on their ability to: earn licenses, transfer credit to non-CUNY institutions, and/or gain admission into graduate schools outside of CUNY. For example, there are some graduate programs that typically convert a CR grade to a C and an NC grade to an F when evaluating a transcript.
  • The University will endeavor to ensure that the flexibility afforded by this policy works in the best interest of students. Students are encouraged to be in contact with external scholarship organizations, the transfer admissions offices of non-CUNY institutions, the graduate admissions offices of non-CUNY institutions and any organization external to CUNY that could have an impact on their current or future educational or professional plans. Consult with the Financial Aid Office at finaid@bmcc.cuny.edu for more information.

Does this policy apply to any semester other than Fall 2020?

  • No. This policy applies only to courses taken during the Fall 2020 semester, except NUR, EMC, HIT and RTT-designated courses.

Will this policy be published in the BMCC course catalog?

  • Yes. The BMCC course catalog will be updated with Policy on Credit/No Credit for students, faculty, and staff.

Is the decision to convert course grades to the Credit/No Credit option reversible?

  • Students will have 20 calendar days (from December 24, 2020 through January 12, 2021) after the College’s final grade submission deadline to elect Credit/No Credit. Once a student chooses to convert course grades to the Credit/No Credit the decision is final.

Financial Aid

Will the decision to elect Credit/No Credit impact financial aid?

  • There may be cases where a student’s eligibility for financial aid could be adversely impacted by electing the Credit/No Credit option, including private scholarships, state student aid, and federal student aid. Students should consult with Financial Aid at finaid@bmcc.cuny.edu prior to choosing Credit/No Credit.
  • Federal Student Aid: Students who receive federal aid are required to successfully complete courses within a specified period of time, with a determined GPA and at a pace based on the length of their academic program, known as Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). The federal CARES Act allows for a college to exclude any attempted credits that you did not complete, for class meeting dates that includes December 31, 2020 or the end date for the Federally-declared emergency from SAP calculation, because of COVID-19. You will not need to submit an appeal for the exception.
  • State Student Aid: University is waiting for Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), New York State’s higher education student financial aid agency’s determination, if students certified by the college as impacted by COVID-19 and receiving state financial aid will suffer negative consequences regarding their current or future awards.
  • Private Scholarships: Private scholarship organizations may not accept a grade of CR. Considering that, financial aid counselors can help students to best leverage the flexibility afforded by the Credit/No Credit option by reviewing private scholarships with students and advising them to communicate with private scholarship organizations. Most scholarships will not be affected by a change in grading system unless they are for more than one year and have academic requirements. Consult with Scholarship Office at scholarship@bmcc.cuny.edu for further assistance.

Grades & Grade Point Average (GPA)

How will the Credit/No Credit grades be calculated into the grade point average?

  • Neither the CR nor the NC is included in the calculation of the GPA. The CR grade will allow the student to earn credit (for credit-bearing courses) but is not factored into the GPA. If the student elects an NC grade in place of an F then it is not factored into the GPA, and the student will not earn the credit. A student should carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of electing the Credit/No Credit option, particularly on matters related to graduation, professional licensure requirements, financial aid eligibility, and transfer of credit and/or undergraduate/graduate admissions to non-CUNY institutions. Students who are unsure of the effect opting in to an CR/NC grade will have on their academic progress or financial aid eligibility should consult with their academic or financial aid advisor. Consult with the Academic Advisement and Transfer Center at aatc@bmcc.cuny.edu for more information.

Will a course taken in fall 2020 with a grade of CR at BMCC transfer to another CUNY institution?

Under University policy, yes, the course must transfer for credit to another CUNY undergraduate institution, however, the course may not transfer to a specific course at that institution.

Will a CR grade in a course be acceptable to register for higher level courses in subsequent semesters if the course taken in the fall was a prerequisite with a minimum grade requirement?

  • All students opting for a CR grade will receive credit for that course (for credit-bearing courses). Students will not be prevented from registering for courses in subsequent semesters that require specific grades in courses completed in the Fall 2020 semester. Students should, however, consider the likelihood of succeeding in subsequent courses, in which they will earn a letter grade, if they have not mastered the material in a related lower-level course. In the case of programs that fulfill the academic requirements for licensed professions, student decisions to pursue the Credit/No Credit option may impact their acceptance into the program (or graduate program). These students are encouraged to check with their respective departments. Consult with the Academic Advisement and Transfer Center at aatc@bmcc.cuny.edu for more information.

Does this policy impact ePermit/Study Abroad grades?

  • The policy applies to all courses, even those taken via ePermit/Study Abroad, in the Fall 2020 semester, except NUR, EMC, HIT and RTT-designated courses.

Will a Fall 2020 hold or stop prevent a student from selecting the Credit/No Credit option?

  • Stops and holds will not have an impact on a student’s ability to select the Credit/No Credit option.

Will the CR grade apply towards F-Repeat policy where the F grade was earned?

  • A grade of CR is a passing grade, will replace an F, apply towards the F-Repeat policy, and count towards the 16-credit F-Repeat limit (for credit-bearing courses) but will not contribute to the calculation of the term GPA.

Will the NC grade apply towards F-Repeat policy where the F grade was earned?

  • A NC grade will not replace a previously earned F grade.

Will a WU grade convert to a NC grade?

  • WU is not an earned grade and is assigned to students who stop participating in and do not complete the course; thus, student will not have option to convert to an “NC” grade.

Will a INC grade convert to a NC grade?

  • INC is not an earned grade and is assigned to students who do not complete all coursework; thus, student will not have the option to convert an INC to an “NC” grade. Student should consult with their instructor to have their INC converted to a letter grade.

Does this policy apply to a course where a student has already earned any version of the W grades on their record for Fall 2020 semester?

  • If a student has a version of the W grade (W, WN, WA, WD) on their record for a course for the Fall 2020 semester, the NC option does not apply to that course.

Will this interfere with the number of No Credit grades that a student can utilize after the Fall 2020 semester which is dependent on local campus policy?

  • These grades will not be included in the total number of non-letter grade courses a student may take as per the existing campus policy.

Does this policy impact a student’s eligibility for Dean’s List for Fall 2020 semester?

  • Students who opt-in for NC will not qualify for the Dean’s List. However, students who opt-in for CR grade may qualify for Dean’s List if they otherwise meet Dean’s List requirements.

If unexpected issues arise around Credit/No Credit implementation, does there exist a process to ensure that they are addressed?

  • BMCC has a grade appeals process that can be invoked if issues arise because of the Credit/No Credit policy.

Will successfully retaking the course in subsequent semesters replace the NC grade?

  • No, the NC grade will not be replaced and will continue to appear on the transcript. A grade of NC is not calculated into the GPA; therefore, it will not impact the 16-credit university limitation on repeats. On the other hand, if C- or lower grade is received in a course, then successfully repeating that course later would replace the initial lower grade in the calculation of the GPA up to 16 credits.

Does this policy apply to F grades assigned due to academic sanction for the violation of Academic Integrity Policy?

  • No, students found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy are not allowed to opt-in to receive a No Credit grade, as academically sanctioned F grades are not earned grades.

Credit/No Credit Opt-in

When will I be able to opt-in for Credit/No Credit Option?

  • Students will have 20 calendar days (from December 24, 2020 through January 12, 2021) after the College’s final grade submission deadline to elect Credit/No Credit.

Will students have to apply through CUNYfirst or through DegreeWorks?

  • Students will use CUNYfirst to elect the Credit/No Credit option.

If I am not able to opt-in for certain courses in CUNYfirst, whom do I contact?

What will this look like on my transcript?

  • The grade glossary, attached to each transcript, will be updated to include a notation denoting that Fall 2020 grades of CR or NC, were earned during a major emergency because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If a student’s grade is not submitted or posted in time for them to select the Credit/No Credit option, will the student be allotted more time?

Will a Fall 2020 hold or stop prevent a student from selecting the Credit/No Credit option?

  • Stops and holds will not have an impact on a student’s ability to select the Credit/No Credit option.

BMCC has a standing No Credit policy that is available to students every semester. Does the Fall 2020 Credit/No Credit Grading Policy replace that policy or is this an additional option for students?

  • The existing No Credit option at BMCC continues to apply in the Fall 2020 semester according to established rules set, provided these are selected by the student up until their established deadline and before grades are posted. The Fall 2020 Credit/No Credit Policy for the Credit/No Credit only applies after the grades are posted, with the exception of NUR, EMC, HIT and RTT-designated courses. If, upon seeing their posted letter grade in CUNYfirst, a student wants to change an earned letter grade to Credit/No Credit, they can then opt-in to this option, until 20 calendar days (from December 24, 2020 through January 12, 2021) after the College’s final grade submission deadline. Once the choice is made in CUNYfirst, it is final. Students will not be able to reverse the CR/NC grade. Consult with the Academic Advisement and Transfer Center at aatc@bmcc.cuny.edu for more information.

International Students, Veterans, and Special Programs

What are the implications of Credit/No Credit opt-in for International Students?

What are the implications of Credit/No Credit opt-in for Veterans Benefits?

  • The VA does not typically pay for classes for which the grade received, such as Credit/No Credit, may not contribute to student progress standards for graduation (what the VA calls “non-punitive grades”). Non-punitive grades have the same effect as taking a class in “audit” status. If COVID 19 is reported by the institution as a mitigating circumstance for the student’s receipt of a non-punitive grade (i.e., Fail in a Pass/Fail class) then VA will pay for the class. As a mitigating circumstance, veteran students should consult campus Veterans Resource Center at wcotto@bmcc.cuny.edu before initiating this option. More information is available here.

Does this policy apply to Non-Degree, College NOW, or Early College Initiative (ECI) programs?

  • The policy applies to all students taking courses in the Fall 2020 semester regardless of matriculation status, with the exception of NUR, EMC, HIT and RTT-designated courses.

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