The answer is remarkably simple and it is something that you should have learned in kindergarten. UR breaks with tradition and uses an E instead of an F to indicate a failing grade for most of its classes because E comes before F in the alphabet. Sorry folks, that’s as exciting as this Ask Us gets.
The one instance where UR uses an F is when someone takes a course pass fail, Senior Associate Director of Academic Support Marcy Kraus said.
So, what can you do to prevent getting an E?
Well, Kraus suggests several options.
“First of all, and not surprisingly, we encourage students to go to your class and to meet with their professor or TAs during office hours,” she said. “We often hear that office hours are ‘under-utilized’ by students.”She also said counselors in Academic Support meet with students having difficulty to see if there are any problems with the students’ study habits. Advisers are available on a walk in basis each day from 10-11:30 a.m. and 1-3:30 p.m.
Academic support also encourages students having trouble in class to visit Learning Assistance Services to see about tutoring, study groups and other services.
If you’ve already got an E, Kraus said you can take the course again to replace the grade in your cumulative grade point average. Both grades, however, will still appear on your transcript and the course must be repeated at UR to change your average.
But if you’re already having troubles in a course, and you don’t think you can turn things around, you still have until Feb. 11 to either drop the course or turn it into a pass/fail. And, hey, if you fail a pass/fail course, at least you’ll get an F.
