UP Might End Semester Early, But Here's How It Will Affect the Students

The University of the Philippines has yet to reach a final decision on whether to end the semester early amid the growing spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease and the extended quarantine, but university officials on Tuesday, April 14, have drafted a proposal to the school’s Board of Regents to officially declare April 30 as the end of classes.

Along with their recommendation to shorten the semester, the President’s Advisory Council (PAC) has also suggested a “deferred grade” for students which means “none of the students will fail the course provided they meet the requirements.”

Students will be given until May 31 to complete their class requirements or opt to drop/re-enroll in the course in the next semester should they be unable to.

With this, the grading scheme for this shortened semester will be either Pass (which professors can further mark as “Excellent,” “Very Good,” and “Good” depending on the equivalent numerical grade) or Dropped.

Those who had enrolled in a course which is a prerequisite to another course for the next semester may enroll in that next course despite the deferred grade. The PAC recommends colleges to create programs that will help these students catch up on the course.

Meanwhile, “graduating students as well as those meeting personal time tables […] may opt to complete the requirements of the semester following the adjusted syllabus and the deadlines set by his or her Constituent University.”

This proposal, however, did not heed the students’ call for “mass promotion” wherein all students are marked as “passed” in all classes and are automatically promoted to the next school year.

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