DSG-R-2020-04-08 
 
 

A R​ESOLUTION​ ​OF​ ​THE​ D​UKE​ S​TUDENT​ G​OVERNMENT 

 
WHEREAS on Tuesday, March 10, 2020, Duke University suspended in-person classes in favor of 
online learning, as a result of concerns and subsequent social distancing regulations regarding 
COVID-19; and  
 
WHEREAS on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, Duke established a new grading policy for the Spring 
2020 semester, permitting students to take courses as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory with the ability to 
opt-in to receive grades; and 
 
WHEREAS the deadline to choose whether or not to receive a grade for credit was set as April 22, 
before students take final exams or receive final grades; and 
 
WHEREAS peer institutions have established ​differing policies​ to that of Duke; and 
 
WHEREAS several student petitions, organized by Duke students, have advocated for different 
grading policies, such as ​Universal Pass​ or ​Default Pass with the option to receive grades​; and 
 
WHEREAS the Duke Student Government created a survey to assess student support for varying 
policies, in addition to student stressors/barriers, and the implication of not receiving grades; and  
 
WHEREAS the survey received 3,230 unique responses, representing 49.00% of the student body; 
and  
 
WHEREAS from the survey, students experiencing one or more environmental barriers and/or 
stressors overwhelmingly expressed support for alternative policies; and 
 
WHEREAS of alternate policies, students most preferred a “Universal Satisfactory,” though several 
expressed concerns about not receiving grades; and 
 
WHEREAS Duke Student Government seeks to both convey student voices, while also 
empowering those whose experiences or circumstances may not be as privileged, as indicated by the 
data on the survey; now, therefore, 
 
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF DUKE STUDENT GOVERNMENT, that we 
support a change from the existing grading policy to a Universal Satisfactory policy; and, 
 
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that if such a policy change is not possible, we advocate for an 
  
DSG-R-2020-04-08 
 
 
extension in the deadline to opt-in to receive grades under the current policy, such that students will 
be able to see their final grades before deciding whether or not to take a course as S/U or for a 
grade (similar to ​a few of our peer institutions​); and,  
 
BE IT STILL FURTHER RESOLVED, that if such options remain unfeasible, the Duke Student 
Government advocates for a change from the existing policy to a Universal 
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory policy, much like ​many of our peer institutions​; and 
 
BE IT STILL FURTHER RESOLVED, that Duke University take every step within its capacity to 
ensure and protect the well-being, safety, and health of its students, faculty, and staff; and 
 
BE IT STILL FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call on Duke’s graduate schools to be 
accommodating towards students’ circumstances this semester, setting an example for other schools 
to follow; and 
 
BE IT STILL FURTHER RESOLVED, that we respectfully request a response from 
administration—namely Provost Kornbluth and/or Vice Provost Bennett—as to why such changes 
are not possible for each of the aforementioned recommendations that they choose not to take. 
 
Introduced by (in Alphabetical Order by First Name) ​Senator Andrew Weatherman, Academic Affairs; 
Ad-Hoc Senator Bennett David, Academic Affairs; Senator Christina Wang, Equity and Outreach; 
Vice President Manish Kumar, Academic Affairs; Senator Nehal Jain, Equity and Outreach; Ad-Hoc 
Senator Nitin Subramanian, Campus Life; Ad-Hoc Senator Shirley Mathur, Equity and Outreach; 
Senator Shrey Majmudar, Academic Affairs 
 
 
If applicable, passed by the DSG Senate on [date]