NYU: strike's affect on grades/credits?

lyricasta · November 23, 2005, 8:57pm

My son is a first-year student at NYU. He has one class affected by the GA strike. He says he will be given an “incomplete” and credit for the course. I’m thinking a “Pass” would look better on a transcript than an “Incomplete”. Is my son correct? Does anyone know where we can get the official word on how grades and credits will be handled?

bball87 · November 23, 2005, 9:31pm

i have a friend at nyu, and he said that its only T.A.s, and won’t affect his class.

sybbie719 · November 23, 2005, 11:13pm

I am a grad student at NYU and currently only the GA’s are on strike but everything seems to be going on business as usual.

As a parent I understand your frustration, as a fellow grad student, I have my own issues about the strike. Personally I think something is going to give really soon since registration for the spring term is underway.

When I went by the library monday night it was crowded with students getting ready for the finals. There were GA’s picketing in front of the library: if there are suppose to be 1000 GA’s at any given time I have been there (and I have had to come to campus in the middle of the day in addition to coming to class about 4:30 in the afternoon) If I have seen 50 GA picketing then that was a lot. It is not to say that there are not more GA’s participating in the strike, but I am only writing about what I have actually seen.

Although some professors have said they would not cross the picket line an overwhelming majority of classes are still being held.

Overall it is the responsibility of the professor to give your son a grade for the course and the college will make every effort to ensure that it happens.

The professor may have to change his/her grading rubric and only evaluate the woek on hand.

David McLaughlin, Provost, New York University today posted the following:

I also want to reassure you that we are working with your schools and departments to ensure that seniors scheduled to graduate in December do so and students receive grades for their work this semester, although in some cases, they may post later than usual. 

We will be providing expanded academic options for students, including liberalized pass/fail and course drop policies, as well as additional academic assistance (for more information, please visit <a href=“Office of the Provost)%5B/url%5D”>www.nyu.edu/provost/ga/academic-options.html)</a>. Students may exercise any of these options and use this additional academic assistance at their own discretion. 

Beginning Tuesday, November 29th, we are opening the Academic Resource Center (ARC). Located on the fourth floor of the Kimmel Center, ARC will be open from 9:00am to 9:00pm Monday Thursday, and from 9:00am to 5:00pm on Friday. At ARC, staff will connect you with appropriate assistance, based on your school and courses. The range of assistance includes one-on-one sessions with faculty, tutoring on course material, and exam preparation for the end of the semester. 

In addition to visiting ARC, you can also contact its staff by email at <a href=“mailto:arc@nyu.edu”>arc@nyu.edu</a>, or by phone at 212-998-4411. Information will also be available on the Web, starting next week, at <a href=“Academic Resource Center”>www.nyu.edu/arc</a>. 

Your academic progress is our highest priority. For most of you, classes have continued without disruption and you may not need to avail yourself of these additional services. All students, however, may use these services. And, for those of you for whom the graduate assistant strike may cause the end of the semester to go less smoothly than is typically the case, we are determined to work with you to address your concerns and to keep your education moving forward.

<a href=“Office of the Provost”>Office of the Provost;

He has also sent the following memo to Deans, Directors and Department Chairs:

SUBJECT: CONTINUED LEARNING OF UNDERGRADUATES FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SEMESTER
TO: DEANS, DIRECTORS, AND DEPARTMENT CHAIRS
FROM: PROVOST DAVID MCLAUGHLIN
DATE: NOVEMBER 23, 2005 

Undergraduates in classes affected by striking graduate assistants are understandably concerned both about completing their courses and receiving appropriate evaluations of their performance. Faculty, departments, and schools are required by University regulations to meet these expectations. And although it is critical that students receive grades, it is also important to provide additional options for students whose classes have been disrupted. 

The University is, therefore, making available various options and resources, including relaxing certain University rules: 

<ol>
<li>For students whose academic work has been disrupted, schools will temporarily suspend restrictions on using pass/fail grades to fulfill general education requirements and/or major requirements. </li>
<li>Students whose fall semester academic work has been disrupted may elect to take a course on a pass/fail basis prior to receiving a grade, with the notation on the transcript that the pass/fail option was exercised in the special circumstances of a graduate assistant job action. </li>
<li>Students whose fall semester academic work has been disrupted also may elect to take a course on a pass/fail basis after receiving a proposed grade, with the notation on the transcript that the pass/fail option was exercised in the special circumstances of a graduate assistant job action. This choice may be exercised until the end of the spring semester. </li>
<li>In certain courses that are part of a year-long sequence, students may elect to replace pass/fail grades in affected courses with the letter grade earned in the following spring semester. A list of eligible courses will be developed and distributed in the coming weeks. </li>
<li>Students in courses that have been disrupted may elect to drop the class before December 14th (the last scheduled day of classes) without any notation of that course on his or her transcript. If students elect this option, NYU will waive summer school tuition for a comparable number of credits or waive charges that would ordinarily apply to an overload course for one fall or spring semester. Alternatively, if students choose to take a similar course of equivalent credits at any other university within one year, NYU will pay the tuition and accept the credit. </li>
<li>Next semester, the University will provide additional resources to departments and schools for enhanced tutoring or other additional academic assistance to any student who believes that he or she may benefit from it, with a particular eye towards assisting students who were in courses affected by the strike. </li>
</ol>

Simultaneously with this memo, we are communicating with all undergraduates about assistance this term for students with academic concerns. The letter to students can be viewed at <a href=“Office of the Provost”>Office of the Provost.

<a href=“Office of the Provost”>Office of the Provost;

I hope that this helps to give you a little more insight to what is happening on campus.

I beleive that in the end your son will be ok.

lyricasta · November 24, 2005, 12:20am

Thank you for the links, sybbie719. You answered my question. As I had hoped, it appears NYU will offer the option of electing to take a class affected by the strike on a pass/fail basis. This sounds much more fair than the “incomplete” my son thought he would get!

NYU: strike's affect on grades/credits?

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