Spring Student Support Package

As NCSSM continues a year of pandemic response, low-density campus model, and a blend of hybrid and remote instruction, we understand that significant screen time and instruction in a variety of modes have been challenging for students and employees. In addition to our existing procedures and support systems, we have created a Spring 2021 Student Support Package, and we will be implementing several new support measures in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Revised schedule for Academic Support Days - week of April 5

The residential class schedule has been revised for the week after Spring Break to allow students time to catch up on outstanding assignments before the final six weeks of the semester.

  • Monday, April 5: Teacher workday (as originally scheduled). No classes.

  • Tuesday, April 6: We will follow a Monday schedule during the day and a modified evening class schedule to ensure that all core classes have a chance to meet. During this time, instructors will cover any preparatory material for the week of April 12 and indicate their availability for the rest of the week to their students.

  • Wednesday-Friday, April 7-9: Academic Support Days. All residential classes are suspended. Instructors will hold office hours daily and be available for appointments to help students with any assignments, course content, projects, etc. There will be no new material presented and no new assignments due. Students are expected to seek the help they need and use the time to complete and submit all outstanding assignments as soon as possible. (Note: Teaching Assistants should contact their supervisor if they would like to volunteer to assist with Academic Support Days. This is not a requirement, and TAs should prioritize their own outstanding assignments.)

Prior to the start of Spring Break, instructors will contact all students with missing work, their families, and their support team. They will provide a list of work that needs to be completed by Monday, April 12, to be caught up in their courses. Students should work with their support team and family to establish a reasonable schedule for completing all outstanding assignments by April 12. If you have questions about outstanding assignments or course content, contact your instructor.

Revised grading guidelines

Each student will have the opportunity from June 4-11 to select up to two courses for which they would like to convert their letter grade to Pass (coded PC-19 to denote COVID-19) or Withdraw (coded WC-19 to denote COVID-19).

  • This is an opt-in only approach. Students are NOT required to select any courses if they are satisfied with their letter grades.

  • The letter grade(s) selected to be changed to PC-19 or WC-19 will not be calculated in your GPA. You will receive credit for the course you select if it’s PC-19. You will not receive credit for a WC-19 course.

  • The following multi-term courses are not eligible to be converted to PC-19/WC-19: AS4030, AS4050, and MR4050.

  • Students who converted their core chemistry or physics (CH3500, CH4020, PH3500, PH4020) grade to PC-19 in the fall are not eligible to convert their chemistry or physics course to PC-19 in the spring. If the grade for a biology course is converted to PC-19, it will not satisfy the graduation requirement for biology. Students will have to ensure that another biology course is completed with a passing letter grade.

  • Due to the varying requirements at colleges and universities, NCSSM cannot guarantee that choosing to change a letter grade to a PC-19 or WC-19 will not have an impact on future scholarships, articulation credits, or college admissions. You are encouraged to visit admissions websites and/or contact college admissions offices for more information about how colleges and universities will view the converted grades and learn more about how they are making changes to their admission requirements in response to the coronavirus.

  • Grades of PC-19 may not satisfy prerequisite requirements for NCSSM courses. If a student opts for PC-19 in a course that is later used as a prerequisite at NCSSM, NCSSM leadership may consult the original letter grade to determine eligibility.

  • Before selecting the WC-19 option, a student must consult with their counselor or registrar to ensure that this is the best option available.

  • Students will be required to affirm that their family/parents are aware of their plans to submit the grade change form, and family accounts will be copied on email confirmation of the grade change.

Zoom fatigue response

To reduce Zoom fatigue, faculty will be implementing two strategies effective April 12. First, we have asked faculty to incorporate a short Zoom break in their classes. Second, we are revising the synchronous meeting guidelines so that courses will have a maximum of three required weekly synchronous class meetings (hybrid and/or virtual). For classes that are scheduled to meet four days a week, the fourth class meeting will be asynchronous or optional synchronous (with no new content and no penalty for not attending) and may be used to complete assignments, as a tutorial, as office hours, or for group work.

Academic relief strategies

Each instructor is required to implement two academic relief strategies this semester to support students during the pandemic. Examples include dropping a quiz grade or allowing students to choose to submit two of three graded homework assignments. Some instructors have already shared their academic relief strategies this semester, and others will be sharing them soon. If you have questions about the selected academic relief strategies for a particular course, please ask your instructor.

We hope these support measures will be helpful to you as you finish this school year. We encourage you to discuss these support measures with your family and create a plan for how to take advantage of the opportunities offered. Your support team (counselor, CC, and advisor) is still available to support you. There is plenty of time to make informed decisions. If you have any questions, please submit them through this form. We will collect questions and either add a question to our FAQ document or follow up with you individually.